Tweedvale Girl Book Reviews

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Karren's Reading Nook: Hi my name is Karren, I enjoy a good cup of tea and a good book. I created my blog Tweedvale Girl Book Reviews and my successful Facebook page Karren's Reading Nook because I want to share what I’m reading and my reviews with my fellow book lovers. I hope to connect with like minded people who enjoy reading as much as I do, it's a way of promoting books, authors and my reviews. Contact me at skrsander@gmail.com

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About Me

Karren's Reading Nook: Hi my name is Karren, I enjoy a good cup of tea and a good book. I created my blog Tweedvale Girl Book Reviews and my successful Facebook page Karren's Reading Nook because I want to share what I’m reading and my reviews with my fellow book lovers. I hope to connect with like minded people who enjoy reading as much as I do, it's a way of promoting books, authors and my reviews. Contact me at skrsander@gmail.com

View my complete profile

Walking on Hidden Wings

Walking on Hidden Wings: A Novel of the Roaring Twenties by Rachel Scott McDaniel
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Geneva Ashcroft’s father is controlling, he wants his daughter to marry an owner of a newspaper, if she doesn’t he’s threatened there will be consequences and her younger is his target. Geneva loves her sister, she doesn’t have a say in anything in her life, her mother picks out her clothes and now she’s to marry a man her father has chosen. Geneva meets Warren Hayes, she’s pleasantly surprised, he’s a nice man and cares about her feelings and something she’s never experienced before.

Months later when his plane crashes, she’s devastated and a widow, the police think his biplane was tampered with and she's a suspect. Geneva sets out to find who sabotaged her husband’s plane, she has a list of clues from a private investigator, and to prove her innocence. Prior to their wedding and afterwards, Geneva had been getting threatening messages she didn’t tell anyone and she regrets it now. Geneva changes her appearance, she owns her own plane, she’s decides to visit the country towns listed, preforming as barnstormer and wing walker.

In America during the early 1920’s, the army had a surplus of planes left over from The Great War, if you had the money and anyone could buy one. No license was needed to fly a Jenny, and pilots would land in a farmer’s field, take people up for joy rides and others did aerial tricks, barrel rolls and wing walking.

I received a copy of Walking on Hidden Wings by Rachel Scott McDaniel from Kregel Publications and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I was pleasantly surprised by this book and its one of the best novels I have read this year, it takes you back to a fascinating time in American history, during the roaring twenties, with prohibition, speakeasies, and when aviation was in its infancy and less regulated.

I really liked both Geneva and Warren’s characters, he treated his wife as an equal, the feelings they developed for each other and he was the only person to ever show her any kind of affection, her society parents had a lot to answer for and Geneva's father was a horrible man. A page turning, thrilling and well written story about arranged marriage, secrets, mystery, revenge, religion, finding love and discovering the truth, and five stars from me.

The War Artist

The War Artist by Jan Casey
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Sybil Paige meets her former art teacher Dame Lily Brampton who’s visiting London from Norfolk and she suggests Sybil apply to join the War Artists Advisory Committee and they want female artists to travel around England recording what’s happening to everyday British citizens and from a woman’s perspective.

While she waiting she teaches at an art school in Luton, here she meets Blanche and Ellen, two fellow artists and teachers. The three women become close friends, Blanche is offered a position in the Recording Britain Project and Sybil joins the War Artists Advisory Committee and Ellen keeps honing her skills.

Sybil is given a six month commission, with her passes and sketchbooks she sets off by train. During her travels Sybil visits airfields, assembly lines, farms, pop up cafes, and sees a woman shoveling ashes from a furnace, when she takes off her helmet she's shocked to see the lady is middle aged, she worked during The Great War and returned to help during the Second World War. Where ever she goes Sybil witnesses terrible suffering, all of England is being bombed, she sees a women pushing an empty pram, a man scrambling through rubble looking for his family and much more!

Sybil’s confidence grows, she has a purpose and the War Artists Advisory Committee is very happy with her work, her friendships with Dame Lily, Aunty Myrtle, Blanche and Ellen are meaningful and the women are kindred spirits. But it’s hard to feel safe, when the English coast is covered by landmines and barbed wire and they could be invaded.

I was given a digital copy of The War Artist by Jan Casey from Aria & Aries and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This is the author’s fifth novel, I think it’s her best, I felt a real connection to the characters and cared what happened to them. It makes you about how Sybil felt when she received a telegram, informing her husband is missing in action, her despair and wondering if she will ever know what happened to him and did she rush into marriage? Sybil wasn't alone, thousands of wives and mothers dreaded seeing the telegram boy and hoped he would ride past their house.

Art is a way to express feelings, and how a person comprehends the situation or subject, preserving it for future generations to see, to never forget the suffering and sacrifices made, the narrative has an overall theme of strong and resilient women, and five stars from me.

Under The Paper Moon

Under the Paper Moon by Shaina Steinberg
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In 1942. Evelyn's father Logan is the owner of Bishop Aeronautics, in Los Angeles and he thinks she’s working as a translator in London and it’s a ruse. Evelyn is a spy for the Office of Strategic Services, and while parachuting in France she wants to try find her brother Matthew who’s a POW.

Agents are not meant to form feelings for each other, but after being together twenty four hours a day for three years, Evelyn and Nick Gallagher do. Both have scars to prove how dangerous being a spy is, on their last mission, Nick notices something, he chooses not to share what he’s seen with Evelyn and afterwards she thinks he’s betrayed her.

In 1948. Evelyn is home and working as a private investigator in Los Angeles. Evelyn has been dating her childhood friend James, she knows it’s getting serious and she’s not sure what she will say if he proposes and will she have to give up her independence and job? Evelyn's current client is a woman who thinks her husband is cheating on her, when he’s killed and Nick Gallagher is a witness.

Once again Evelyn and Nick are working together, trying to solve the case, could it be his wife, sister, and daughter, someone who works for him or a jealous business competitor who's responsible? Evelyn and Nick slowly put the clues together, it dangerous and they don’t know who they can trust and not all is what it seems!

I received a digital copy of Under the Paper Moon by Shaina Steinberg in exchange for an unbiased review from Edelweiss Plus and Kensington Publishing Corp. What a wonderful debut novel by Ms. Steinberg, the narrative is full of intrigue, secrets, lies, corruption, blackmail, treason and links to the black-market.

A historical mystery, the author wanted to write a story with a strong female role and she achieved this, it will have you sitting on the edge of your seat wondering what will happen next, and at the same time humming the popular wartime song Under the Paper Moon ( I looked it up on YouTube) and four stars from me.

The Lost Letters of Rose Carey

The Lost Letters of Rose Carey by Julie Bennett
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Present time, 2023. Emma Quinn is videographer, she’s working on a documentary at the historic Carrington Hotel, and just as she’s leaving she saves a box of vintage items from being thrown in a skip bin. Later going through the box, Emma finds old letters, photographs and canisters of film and she thinks they belonged to Australian silent film star Rose Carey. Emma wants to solve the mystery of why they were hidden away in a box in the Blue Mountains, and she starts by googling her name and asking her friend Simon. Emma and her wife Lauren have been trying to have a baby, the unsuccessful IVF attempts have really taken a physical and emotional toll on them both and she’s not sure if they can keep trying, financially if they can afford it and she’s dreading sharing her thoughts with Lauren!

The story has a dual timeline, it’s told from the two main characters points of view, Emma and Rose and is easy to follow and it really grabs your attention.

Sydney, 1923. Rose Carey knows at her age her Hollywood days are over, after an accident filming her latest movie in New Zealand and she and her manager Walter Ryan are in a pickle. Rose is working on a show stopping water act that could save her career and she’s committed to helping with the Olympic Ball. When another disaster strikes, Rose can’t ignore how many odd things have happened and someones trying to kill her, she starts looking at her close-knit circle of acquaintances, everyone from her manager, costume designer, rivals from another Australian film company or in Hollywood, a Arial stunt pilot and her camera man?

I received a copy of The Lost Letters of Rose Carey by Julie Bennett, NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Australia in exchange for an unbiased review. Wow, what an amazing book, inspired by a real 1920’s Australian film icon Annette Kellerman, the first woman to swim in a one-piece bathing costume and it’s not predictable and the plots full of lots of twist and turns.

A story about being a female trail blazer, silent films, Hollywood, jealousy, betrayal, mystery, and long kept secrets and the two main characters are linked in a much unexpected way. The narrative highlights how hard infertility is, especially for same sex couples, ways they can become pregnant and how much stress it puts on their relationship. Five stars from me, the first novel I have read by Ms. Bennett, it won't be my last. I liked how she included the impact of throwing things away has on the environment, they end up in landfill and ways we can all reduce our carbon footprint.

Restless Dolly Maunder

Restless Dolly Maunder by Kate Grenville
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Kate Grenville’s latest book Restless Dolly Maunder is the fictional account of her maternal grandmother’s life, she has childhood memories of an aloof, stern, thin, cranky woman and she always wondered what made her that way.

Sarah Catherine Maunder (Dolly) was born in 1881 on a farm near Currabubula, New South Wales, her father Thomas cared more about his sheep than he did about his wife and seven children. Towards the end of the nineteenth century, by law all children had to attend school until they turned fourteen, Dolly wanted to be a teacher, her father informed she was going to stay home, help her mother, and until she got married.

Dolly wanted more, her mother’s life was hard, never ending backbreaking chores, cooking, cleaning, washing and mending and putting up with her husband’s moods. Dolly vows her own children will receive a good education, boys and girls, it’s the only way to escape poverty and get ahead.

Dolly was driven, she didn’t want to be a farmer’s wife, she was obsessed with making money and she and her husband Bert ran and owned various businesses. The family moved countless times, Dolly would get restless, she thought they could do better and her daughter Nance lost count of how many school she attended.

I received a copy of Restless Dolly Maunder by Kate Grenville from Canongate Books and NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased and honest review. Using childhood memories and notes from her mother Nance Russell, Ms. Grenville crafts an interesting narrative about being a woman in Australia in the late 1880's and into the 1950’s.

Dolly was restricted by society’s expectations of women’s roles, most men thought education was a waste of time for their daughters, it was hard to be a female in an Aussie man’s world and Dolly did her best to push the boundaries and overcome obstacles and hardship. A story about an inspirational woman, I really admired Dolly’s tenacity, she loved her children in her own way and Dolly did her best, spoke up and didn’t worry about what people thought.

I highly recommend this book, it gives the reader a look at the life of an average Australian woman, and five stars from me.

Victory for the Cornish Girls

Victory for the Cornish Girls by Betty Walker
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

1944, England. Alice's last assignment with the Secret Intelligence Service went badly, George Cotterill offers her a job at Eastern House, as a code breaker and when Alice’s family first moved to Cornwall they worked as cleaners in the building.

Imogen returns to her sister’s boarding house in Bude, Florence has just married Sergeant Miles Miller, he’s a member of Second Battalion of the US Rangers and the troops have recently moved. They have been scaling the rugged Cornish cliffs and preforming mock battles on the beaches and getting ready for D-Day. Imogen is secretly working undercover for the government, her job is to trail and report anyone who could be passing information onto the Germans and could the new vicar be one of them?

Pearl is American, she was an entertainer for the troops and she fell in love with the wrong man, Pearl's staying at the boarding house in Bude and trying to work out what to do next. Pearl offers to help at Stratton Hospital, everything is ready and they know the battle is immanent.

Doctor Fredrick Tyson and his two children Clara and Toby move to Bude, and he’s going to work at the hospital, he’s staying at the guest house. The sound of a plane flying over or air raid siren makes him panic and he feels weak.

When the prime minister announces on the radio that the first paratroopers have landed on French soil on the 6th of June 1944 at 8am everyone in England is listening, they want the war to end, but they know the British and Allied troops will suffer heavy loses, sons, husbands and fathers will be killed or injured, and the people in Bude wait anxiously for updates.

I received a copy of Victory for the Cornish Girl by Betty Walker from Avon Books UK and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This story is told from the points of view of Alice, Imogen and Pearl, and it includes other characters from the previous books, Florence, Billy, Miles, Penny and John, Joe and Violet, George and Patrick, Lily and Tristan, Sheila and Arnold, and new comers, Richard the reverend, Fredrick, Clara and Toby. I have read all the novels in The Cornish Girls Series, I know book six is the last one and it felt bitter sweet reading it.

The narrative focuses on how the war is almost over, but life in England isn’t easy and the long term stress is taking it's tole. However couples marry and babies are born, life goes on and they can't give up.

Five stars from me, when I read D-Day had started, I felt sad and emotional, with Betty Walker’s vivid descriptions of Cornwall and I have formed a real connection to the characters, I cared about them and how they endured years of hardship and suffering.

The war did created opportunities for women, Alice grew up and become a strong women and she did her bit and England was victorious. If you enjoy reading historical fiction set during the Second World War, I highly recommend Betty Walker's The Cornish Girls Series and the end!

The Flower Sisters

The Flower Sisters by Michelle Collins Anderson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Michelle Collins Anderson uses the real facts about a little known Dance Hall fire, in her home state of Missouri to create her captivating dual timeline debut novel.

1928. Violet and Rose Flowers are identical twins, the only way you can tell them apart visually is Violet has a tiny birth mark on the back of her neck, and the nineteen year olds are very different in temperament. Violet is vivacious and outgoing and Rose is ladylike and quiet. On the 13th of August and a hot night, an explosion rocks Lamb’s Dance Hall in Possum Flats, Missouri, the building goes up in flames, leaving one twin among the dozens of dead young people, who moments before had been dancing and listening to Jazz.

1978. Daisy Flowers is fifteen, her mother Lettie drops her off at her grandmother Rose’s house for the summer and she’s never met her before. Daisy is a nomad, her mother doesn’t stay in one place very long, Lettie promises her she will return for her and is this going to be another case of her mother letting her down?

To get away from her grandmother’s funeral parlor, Daisy pleads with Fence McMillan and to give her an internship at the local newspaper. Here an inquisitive Daisy learns of the long-ago tragedy, the connection to her family and she thinks with the fiftieth anniversary approaching the paper should run a story about what happen and pay tribute to the victims.

Daisy has no idea how many people don’t want to be associated or discuss the fire at Lambs Dance Hall, what really happened, including her grandmother Rose, Hazel, Ginger, Ruby Rae, Jimmy Jeffers the police chief and pastor Paul Emmonds of the Assemblies of God Church and talk about opening a can of worms.

I received a copy of The Flower Sisters by Michelle Collins Anderson from Kensington Publishing and Edelweiss Plus in exchange for an honest review.

The narrative highlights how delving into the past, didn’t win Daisy any popularity contests and at times people were rude and extremely hostile towards her. Residents need to share true and hard stories, cover ups and secrets are revealed and for a small town to finally heal. Five stars from me, I really liked Daisy and Joe’s characters and oh to be young and inquisitive.

At The Going Down Of The Sun

At the Going Down of the Sun by Mary-Anne O'Connor
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Molly James is a handful, her parents lose all patience with their wayward daughter after her latest exploit, and they decide to send her to say with her aunt Mavis in Rainbow. Brothers Archie and Thom Hogan, live and work on their parent’s wheat farm and are fascinated by planes and aviation. The brothers are the best mates and never fight, until the beautiful Molly arrives in town, she makes quite the impression and creates tension between them.

Everyone is talking about the possibly of war, when it’s announced, the brothers join up, so do the other young men in Rainbow and it’s seen as an adventure. The brothers want to join the Australian Flying Corps, after basic training, they find themselves in Cairo, Egypt and have no idea what adversity they will face in the future. Molly and her friend Joanie Matthews and the women in Rainbow are all supporting the war, they knit endless pairs of socks and send letters and care packages to the men serving overseas. Molly feels like she should be doing more, she knows her parents wouldn’t give her permission and Molly comes up with a plan.

Mary-Anne O’Connor has been one of my favourite Australian historical fiction author's since I read Gallipoli Street in 2015, she has written seven more outstanding books and I think her latest is perfectly balanced and the most insightful novel. Using a combination of true facts and fiction, and she explains what it was like during The Great War for our brave Anzac’s and their mothers, sweethearts and Australian nurses.

You’re taken on a journey from the deserts of Egypt, to the Dardanelles and the shores of Gallipoli, and to France, where Australian soldiers fought in the bloodiest battles in history and after being discharged and many resigned again and because they couldn’t let their mates face it on their own. I had no idea Australia pilots flew aerial reconnaissance in both Turkey and France, in flimsy planes and they would go on to be stalked by the famous German ace the Red Baron.

A moving and captivating narrative about mateship and the bond between brothers, friendship, women’s roles at the time and the men they loved. The courage of our brave soldiers, how the legend of the Anzac’s began, we should continue to honour the scarifies they made, they were haunted by their experiences for the rest of their lives and like Ms. O’Connor's own grandfather, I always cry on Anzac day and I did while reading At The Going Down Of The Sun, five stars from me and thanks to Penguin Random House Australia for my copy.

The Library of Borrowed Hearts

The Library of Borrowed Hearts by Lucy Gilmore
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Librarian Chloe Sampson has been struggling, her mother deserted them years ago and she takes care of her three younger siblings, Trixie, Theo and Noodle. Chloe's tired of juggling credit cards to make ends meet, and she finds a rare edition of a banned 1960's book while cleaning out the libraries basement and she wonders how much she could sell it for?

Jasper Holmes lives next door to the Sampson’s and he’s the epitome of a grumpy old man, he’s a recluse and Chloe can’t believe it when he wants the buy the book. Chloe finds it odd, she looks closely at the novel, it has notes scribbled in the margins, between two sweethearts and they use it to communicate with each other.

Chloe discovers it’s not the only book, she finds one more and she wonders how many others are floating around Colville. Chloe wants to uncover what happened between Jasper and his long lost love, they didn’t get married as Jasper lives alone and maybe it’s why he's rude to everyone?

Lucy Gilmore's dual timeline narrative, alternates from present time and goes back to the 1960’s and Chloe discovers there's much more to Jasper Holmes, than the gruff exterior and he even offers to help her with Noodle, and they have something in common.

I received a copy of The Library of Borrowed Hearts from Sourcebooks in exchange for an unbiased review. Ms. Gilmore sets her stories around libraries, books and reading and it’s a winning combination. The characters in this novel are likable and most people will be able to relate to them and the social themes. Young love, unexpected friendships, breaking down barriers, financial struggles, raising children and everyone is different and that’s not a bad thing.

I adored The Library of Borrowed Hearts, especially the quotes and references to classic books, and the author’s previous book The Lonely Hearts Book Club, I highly recommend both and five stars from me.

The British Booksellars

The British Booksellers by Kristy Cambron
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Amos Darby is a tenant farmer’s son, he will do anything for his best friend Charlie and her real name is Lady Charlotte Terrington and she’s the daughter of an earl. The reality of The Great War squashes their youthful hopes and they must fulfill their duties, and when Amos returns from the trenches, he opens a bookshop in Coventry, called Waverly Novels. Charlotte marries William the future Earl of Harcourt, she doesn’t love her husband and has given her heart to another and he doesn’t feel the same way.

Twenty-five years later, Charlotte’s a widow and she divides her time between managing her estate Holt Manor, and running her a Coventry bookshop called Eden and she named it after her daughter. The once friends are now rivals booksellers, their shops are opposite each other and on Bayley Lane. With another war looming Eden and Charlotte begin preparations, installing Anderson shelters, and plan on planting as many vegetables as possible and they put in a request for Land Girls to help. When an American solicitor Jacob Cole arrives, Charlotte and Eden are puzzled by what he wants and he’s keeping his cards close to his chest.

The Luftwaffe’s start terrorizing the skies over London, especially Coventry and everyone has to do their bit, rivalries are put aside, Charlotte and Amos are now on the same page, they do what they can for their customers, friends, and Amos starts a trend by making cups of tea for people who have lost their homes and it snowballs.

I received a copy of The British Booksellers by Kristy Cambron from Thomas Nelson and Edelweiss in exchange for an unbiased review. Wow, what an amazing book, Ms. Cambron has done a brilliant job with her research, I discovered so much about the little known Coventry Blitz and Robin Nests. Through the eyes of the characters I experienced what it was like at the time, based on real events and I went on an educational and emotional roller coaster.

The narrative emphasises the differences in classes before The Great War, how this changed in England afterwards and how the men who survived the terrible war, many struggled silently from what we now call PTSD, their injuries and what they did to cope. A story about secrets, friendship, women’s roles in both wars, working together and helping others in need, loss, forgiveness, the start of modern warfare, and an escape from reality can be found between the pages of a book and how reading and bookshops unite people.

I highly recommend The British Booksellers, why don’t we learn from history and mistakes of the past and five big stars from me.

The Tuscan Daughter

The Tuscan Daughter by Tessa Harris
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Lucca, Tuscany, 1942. Elizabeth Thornton is an English governess employed to by Count de Falco to teach his son Cristo. He's a fascist and supporter of Mussolini the Prime Minister of Italy and everyone breathes a big sigh of relief when he travels to Rome. Lizzie has her nose put out of joint when the Count employs a male tutor Signor Vincenzo Baldini, to teach Cristo sport, swimming and more manly things.

When the war starts, Lizzie is classed as the enemy, she knows without the Counts support and high ranking position she would be arrested and interned. Lizzie discovers Vincenzo’s a member of the Democrat Action Party, he prints an anti-fascist magazine, and she’s keen to help and has no idea how dangerous it is and later she's becomes a member of the resistance.

Set between 1942 and 1944, the stories about the struggles of the Italian people and others who are caught up in the conflict, it gets worse when Mussolini is dismissed and the Germans search the valley’s and hills for partisans and threaten to kill anyone who helps them.

I received a copy of The Tuscan Daughter by Tessa Harris from NetGalley and HQ Digital in exchange for an unbiased review. I really liked the characters in this well written book, especially Lizzie, Cristo, Celilia, Violetta, and Vincenzo. Elizabeth has been told what to do by men her whole life and as time goes on she grows stronger physically and mentally.

Set in war torn Tuscany, from the olive groves, to the Apennine Mountains and the beaches of the Tyrrhenian Sea a historical saga about fighting for freedom and having, resilience, courage, endurance, fortitude, qualities to be a leader and women wanting to be seen as equals. Five stars from me, I highly recommend The Tuscan Daughter and the author's previous book The Paris Notebook.

The Royal Librarian

The Royal Librarian by Daisy Wood
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

1938. Sophie Klein, lives in Vienna, her parents are worried when the political union of Germany and Austria happens. They want both of their daughters to leave Austria, and before things get worse and because the girls are classed a mischlings.

1940. Sophie makes it to London, she’s now the Royal Librarian at Windsor Castle, and she enjoys her job. Sophie misses her family, she worries about her younger sister and writes numerous unanswered letters. When she discovers Windsor has been compromised, the two young princess lives are in danger and Sophie doesn’t think about the personal consequences and the assumptions the authorities will make?

2022. Philadelphia, Lacey Jones has always been close to her grandmother affectionately known as ‘Gubby’, when she makes a startling discovery, her grandmother was born in Vienna and she has a letter stamped with the Windsor Castle crest. Gubby doesn’t want to talk about the past, Lacey starts investigating her grandmother’s childhood, how she ended up growing up in America and what link she could have to the royal family and Windsor Castle?

The dual timeline story is told from Sophie’s and Lacey’s points of view and is very easy to follow and understand.

I received a digital copy of The Royal Librarian by Daisy Wood from NetGalley and Avon Books UK in exchange for an unbiased review. What an outstanding and thought provoking narrative Ms. Wood has written, it looks at life in Vienna during the Anschluss, and it’s full of wonderful descriptions of Windsor Castle, the Royal Library, and all the famous landmarks and including The Long Walk, Windsor Great Park, Frogmore House and it's the oldest castle in the world.

The author cleverly explores the possibility of Edward The Duke of Windsor and his wife Wallis Simpson being sympathetic towards the German cause and they met Hitler, what English government would do if the Germans invaded, where to hide priceless national treasures and did they had staff working undercover in the royal households?

An emotional and moving story about family, making difficult choices, kinder-transport, war, secrets, spies, misconceptions and finding out the truth. Five stars from me I highly recommend The Royal Librarian and Daisy Wood’s previous book The Forgotten Bookshop in Paris.

What the Mountains Remember

What the Mountains Remember by Joy Callaway
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Vagabonds members, Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, Harvey Firestone and John Burroughs are going on one of their camping tours and this time it’s to the unfinished Grove Park Inn, in North Carolina. Belle Newbold and her parents are invited along for the glamping adventure, her step-father Shipley Newbold, is an Indiana gas magnate and friends with Henry Ford.

Belle’s future fiancé Worth Delafield owns the land being used for their campsite, she has only met him once before and she’s keen to spend more time with him. Both Worth and Belle are happy to enter an arranged marriage, they have been hurt in the past and this way it won’t happen again.

Belle discovers the Blue Ridge Mountains are no different from the ones she once called home, in West Virginia and brings back memories of the good times she spent with her birth father.

Belle is unexpectedly given the role of researching and writing a story for a newspaper about the building of the inn, over four hundred men are involved in construction. The building of the hotel is one of the most innovative of it’s time in 1913, from men cleaning the granite, to the stonemasons choosing the right piece to add to a wall, the clay tiles on the roof and the huge raked ceilings.

The nearby town of Asheville once a tourist destination is now used to house tuberculosis patients and in sanatoriums. Belle is horrified when she sees how many people have tuberculosis, she’s worried are the workers building the inn at risk?

I received a copy of What the Mountains Remember by Joy Callaway from Harper Muse and Edelweiss plus in exchange for an honest review. I have read Ms. Callaway’s previous books All the Pretty Places and The Grand Design and I had high expectations for her new release.

I really liked Belle and Worth’s characters, but her cousin Marie Austen was rather annoying, I found her antics childish and I wish she wasn’t included in the narrative. I enjoyed the theme of overcoming adversity and situations that scare us, both Belle and Worth did this, the descriptions of building the Grove Park Inn, I felt Belle and Worth learnt a lot about themselves and opened their hearts to the possibility of love.

Three and a half stars from me, I did find the pace of the book slow and at times it dragged and I look forward to reading Joy Callaway’s next novel.

The Radio Hour

The Radio Hour by Victoria Purman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Martha Berry is fifty years old and she lives with her widowed mother Violet in Randwick, Sydney. She works as a secretary at the ABC, the national radio broadcaster and she’s one of nice and diligent women who do their jobs every day, with little acknowledgment, praise or gratitude shown by their bosses.

Martha's informed she’s going to be the secretary for a new producer, a young talent, he’s in charge of creating the story-line and characters for the new radio serial, As The Sun Sets, and it will be aired straight after the successful and long running drama Blue Hills. Martha can’t believe their choice, he’s in his early twenties and clueless, rude and can’t even remember her name and she waits patiently for him to start doing what he’s being paid to do and the deadline is looming.

Martha starts secretly ghost-writing the scripts and coming up with ground breaking storylines, ones the mainly female audience can relate to and during the 1950’s when many subjects were taboo. Martha knows she risks being exposed for breaking the rules and losing her job, and when the radio program is a huge success and she’s not the one getting the praise and the pats on the back.

I received a copy of The Radio Hour by Victoria Purman from Harlequin Australia and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Ms. Purman’s books are thoroughly researched and she has an inside knowledge about radio broadcasting, they never disappoint or lack depth and I didn’t want her latest novel to end.

The story is full of likeable characters, like Martha, April, May and June and other’s I detested and once you read the book you will understand why. I learnt a lot about radio serials, dramas and how much time and effort went into creating a fifteen minute episode. The plight of working women in post-World War Two Australia, they were discriminated against, men made all the decisions, they didn’t want to hear anything to do with ‘women’s problems’ it wasn’t discussed, and especially on air.

I could relate to Martha, her struggles and insecurities and the sexist behaviour she faced in the workplace. Yes she started off as one of the invisible women of her generation, underestimated, never promoted or given a pay rise, she spent her days typing and making endless cups of tea for ungrateful men and she grabbed her chance and didn't let it go.

Martha Berry was a wise and intelligent lady, brave, funny and resourceful, a ground breaker, champion for migrants and a leader. Five stars from me, Ms. Purman has out done herself, and I highly recommend The Radio Hour and her previous novel The Woman’s Work.

Secrets of Riverside

Secrets of Riverside by Mandy Magro
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Amelia Price lost her family in a house fire fifteen years ago, the one person whose always been there for her is her best friend Ebony and she’s still provides support. Amelia feels lost, like she doesn't belong and she’s made bad choices in her relationships with men. A mysterious letter turns up at Ebony’s apartment in Parramatta, Sydney and it informs Amelia she needs to travel to Riverside, a small town in far North Queensland and here she will uncover how the fire started?

Jarrah King owns and manages the Riverside Roadhouse and it’s a stopover for truck drivers and travelers. He was very lucky to inherit it from his grandfather and it provided a much needed new start for him and his nephew Tommy, and no one knows about his past. When Millie arrives at the roadhouse, he needs a cook, and he hires her on the spot. Millie is funny and kind and an amazing cook and his customers are very happy with the food and so is Jarrah.

Jarrah and Millie both enjoy the same things, they love animals, horse riding, country music, dancing, but are wary about exposing too much about their personal lives and history. I enjoy reading stories about people turning their lives around and Jarrah does. Millie's a troubled soul, plagued by nightmares from the house fire, she needs a strong man by her side, one she can trust and is Jarrah the person to do this?

I received a digital copy of Secrets of Riverside by Mandy Magro and Harlequin Australia in exchange for an honest review. Ms. Magro explains why she writes books in her notes at the end, her aim is to lift people’s spirits while reading her novels and they get to visit new places, to escape life and its pressures, make you cry, laugh out loud and still believe in love and romance.

Ms. Magro has done this again with her latest book, I enjoyed reading about what’s it’s like in the stunning far North of Queensland with her vivid descriptions, near Cairns, the rainforest and the yummy food Amelia cooked. I liked most of the characters and my favourites were Jarrah, Amelia, Ebony and Scruff the dog and the narrative is about friendship, second chances, and finding peace and love. Five stars from me, I highly recommend Secrets of Riverside and it’s released on the 1st of May 2024.

The Lady with the Dark Hair

The Lady with the Dark Hair by Erin Bartels
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Present day. Esther Markstrom and her artist mother Lorena have always been proud of their ancestor, painter Francisco Vella. They run a small museum and gallery dedicated to his work in Lansing, Michigan. Esther bumps into her history professor Ian Perez from college, questions arise about Vella's greatest work a portrait entitled The Lady with the Dark Hair.

The story has a dual timeline told from the two main characters points of view, Esther and Viviana and it's easy to follow.

In 1879. Viviana Torrens is in hiding, and she’s has found a job working as a maid in Southern France. Monsieur Renaud is a painter, she becomes his muse and he introduces her to merchant Francisco Vella, he’s from Gibraltar and sells artists pigments. Viviana is running from her past in Spain, to escape France and she poses as Vella’s sister.

I received a copy of The Lady with the Dark Hair by Erin Bartels from Revell and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The author writes about art, artists and in an easy to understand manner and kept my interest for the entire book and sometimes novels about this subject can be rather complicated and I struggle to stay focused.

The narrative brings up some very relevant topics, such as women’s roles in the 1880’s and how they couldn't travel without a chaperone, and Esther having to look after her mother who suffers from a mental illness and this is done honestly and tactfully. Both women deal with adversity and overcome obstacles, are strong and I really admired their tenacity.

A story about family history, identity, slowly putting all the clues together, with lots of twists and turns, uncovering long buried secrets and the truth. I really found the parts set in the Mediterranean and Gibraltar fascinating and I was so happy when Esther got a break from looking after her mum and experienced it for herself and met Adam de la Paz. Five stars from me, this is the first book I have read by Erin Bartels, stunning cover and novel, I’m impressed and it won’t be my last.

The Mistress of Dara Island

The Mistress of Dara Island by Averil Kenny
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thalia Blue Ramsey has grown up on Dara Island in the Far North of Queensland, Australia. Tally’s grandfather Bertie bought the island in 1932, he wanted to escape the rat race of Sydney and he left it to Tally and her mother Nerissa. Tally grew up running bare foot on the sand, investigation rock pools and playing with her friend Lila.

Her father Richard Ramsey has created Mermaid Bay Resort, an idyllic honeymoon destination for the rich and it's his way of showing off the Great Barrier Reef. One day Tally will be the Mistress of Dara Island, her mother is smart and has hidden away the documentation to prove it. Tally hates her father, Richard, his nick name is ‘Bullshark’ he gets his own way and is a bully, everyone is scared of him and the resort turns over a lot of staff.

Tally furious when she’s sent away to school on the mainland, she knows her father doesn’t like her and he wants her out of the way. Tally and with help from Drew Huxley look for clues of what happened on Dara Island and near Mount Teasdale, who was involved and when, why and does it have anything to do with the latest person whose gone missing?

I received a digital copy of The Mistress of Dara Island by Averil Kenny from Echo Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Set in the 1960’s, on a fictional island and Ms. Kenny knows the Great Barrier Reef well, it's coral species and the ocean creatures and it shows in her descriptive writing. The story has elements of intrigue, suspense, secrets, mystery, drama and even a little romance.

I have read the author’s previous book Those Hamilton Sisters, she has certainly upped the ante with her use of characters and prose in The Mistress of Dara Island and five stars from me. The book is released on the 3rd of April and run-out and buy a copy and you won’t be disappointed with this compelling novel.

In the Shadow of War

In the Shadow of War: A sweeping and emotional historical novel for 2024, perfect for fans of Lucinda Riley by Adrienne Chinn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In the Shadow of War is the third book in The Fry Sisters Series, I have enjoyed following what’s happened to Cecelia, Etta and Jessie and their scheming mother Christiana Fry.

Celie and her husband Frank Jefferies moved to Alberta, Canada as part of the Soldiers Land Settlement Scheme, and he has no idea about being a farmer and especially in a different country. The couple have a daughter Lulu, Frank isn’t an easy man to live with and Celie feels trapped. Life on the Canadian prairie is hard, the weather is fickle and a grasshopper plague strikes, then no rain and a drought and many families in the area have lost their farms and will the Jefferies be next?

Etta has been struggling with her mental health, her daughter Adrianna has been raised by her grandmother Christina and is angry at her mother. Etta leaves England and travels to Hollywood, California, she lives with CJ Melton and wants to be an actress, and she has to lie about her age and finds it very difficult to get even small role in a movie.

Jessica is married to Dr. Aziz Khalid, they live in Cairo, Egypt and they have a daughter Shani. Jessie is studying to be a doctor, she and the other female students are frustrated by how they are being treated, made to sit at the back row of the auditorium and ignored. The Young Egypt Party wants to end British rule and are protesting, her mother-in-law Layla is still being difficult and the two women don’t agree with how Shani should be raised and what faith she should follow?

I received a copy of In the Shadow Of War by Adrienne Chinn from NetGalley and HarperCollins UK and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The author's narrative is inspired by her grandparents settling in Canada and she’s very aware of the sacrifices her grandfather made serving in The Great War and immigrating to another country.

This story follows the three sisters from London, to Hollywood, Cairo, Spain during the Spanish Civil War and ends at the beginning of the Second World War in London, England. An historical saga about the changes in women’s roles and how working mothers were judged, the personal struggles of each sister and the challenges they faced, a long kept family secret and will it finally be exposed?

I highly recommend reading all three books, Love in a Time of War, The Paris Sister and In the Shadow of War, I wonder if there will be another book in the series and about what happens to Adrianna and Lulu? Four stars from me, my favourite characters were Jessie for her resilience and how she coped with adversity, Mavis, Fred and Ben Wheatley who helped to Jeffries family when they first arrived in Canada and Mavis was Celie's best friend and Hettie Richards Christina’s housekeeper and she always makes me laugh out loud.

If The Tide Turns

If the Tide Turns: A Thrilling Historical Novel of Piracy and Life After the Salem Witch Trials by Rachel Rueckert
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Maria Brown’s parents are very strict, they want her to marry and the man is much older than her and she finds him repulsive. Maria is very headstrong and determined, she has premonitions and can sometimes see what’s going to happen in the future. Her mother has told her to never mention this to anyone, the Salem Witch Trials took place only a couple of decades ago and she risks being burned at the stake.

Samuel Bellamy was eight years old when he was snatched off the docks of London, to be a captain boy and now he’s a deckhand. The War of the Spanish Succession is over, he and thousands of other sailors find themselves out of work. By chance he meets Maria, she wants to learn how to swim, and he offers to teach her. Sam wants to court Maria, her father flatly refuses and explains she’s promised to another man and Sam vows he will make enough money to win over Mr. Brown and change his mind.

Sam returns to the sea, he’s drawn into piracy, soon he’s known as Black Sam Bellamy, and he’s the Robin Hood of the ocean. Despite wanting to return for Maria, everything seems to get in his way and stopping him from going back to Cape Cod. Maria's determined to wait for Sam, but her parents are putting pressure on her to marry, Sam thinks she’s waiting for him and Maria is getting desperate in Eastham, Massachusetts.

I received a copy of If the Tide Turns by Rachel Rueckert from Kensington Publishing and Edelweiss Plus in exchange for an honest review. The well written debut novel is told from the points of view of Maria and Sam and inspired by a real-life pirate Sam Bellamy. The reader's given an idea of what piracy was really like in the early 1700's, life in Colonial America, use of herbal medicine, banishment of women, evils of slavery and the plight of the Native American Wampanoag people.

An historical saga about the lure of the sea, overcoming obstacles, young love and four stars from me.

The Lost Memories

The Lost Memories by Lorna Cook
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Suffolk, 1944. The Second World War is almost over, the allies have invaded Normandy and American pilot Charlie signed up for his second tour of duty and this doesn’t happen very often. Kitty works in her father’s pub, The Duck, filling glasses and cleaning up and she wants to join the Women’s Land Army. Kitty and Charlie meet, love blossoms between them, he promises Kitty he won’t take any risks and she counts the planes when they return to the airfield from bombing Europe.

The story has a dual timeline, its set in Suffolk, England and is told from the points of view of Kitty and her granddaughter Amy.

Suffolk, 2011. Amy runs a busy tearooms in Lavenham and her sister Caroline helps her. The town is full of American tourist and veterans for the 70th anniversary of the 487th Bomb Group who were stationed here during World War Two, they plan on holding a Heritage Day and unveil a plaque. Jack’s a photographer from New York he's travelled to Suffolk with his father and grandfather. Amy agrees to show him around in exchange for his taking shots of the local landmarks and she wants to sell them in her tearooms and of course pay Jack a percentage of profits. All that’s left of the old airfield is the watch tower, the landing strip and it once was farm land.

I received a copy of The Lost Memories by Lorna Cook from Avon Publishing UK and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I have read many stories set in England during the Second World War, this one is very different as it's after the D-Day landings and the war is almost over and yet no one knows when it will end. The fictional narrative is based on a real village in Suffolk and the pub where the servicemen signed the walls all those years ago and sadly only a small number made it home.

Be prepared to go on an emotional roller coaster while reading Ms. Cook’s latest novel, it's set in a beautiful and quaint location, a story about young love, not knowing what the future holds, looking back at the past and big secrets are revealed. An amazing multi-generational romance, I haven’t cried so much since I read the Notebook by Nicholas Sparks and five stars from me. I highly recommend The Lost Memories and Lorna Cook’s previous book The Hidden Letters.

The Philadelphia Heiress

The Philadelphia Heiress by Anita Abriel
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

1927. Helen Montgomery’s mother Charlotte is planning her debutante ball, her family are well off and they live at Dumfries on Philadelphia’s Main Line. Helen's father imported Ayrshire cows, she’s interested in making butter and cheese. When her father Robert is caught up in a scandal, his membership is cancelled to his clubs, the family's social status nose dives and financially it has dire consequences. Helen is furious at her father, her mother decides to forgive him and her solution to their problems is for eighteen year old Helen to marry someone wealthy and hopefully this will repair the damage?

Edgar Scott is the son of a railroad magnate, he wants to be an author, and his parents hope by marrying Helen he will settle down. Edgar and Helen are young, not prepared for the challenges being married throws at them and it doesn’t take long for the honeymoon bubble to burst. Edgar gets extremely frustrated and grumpy when he’s writing, the words don't flow and he doesn't take rejection well. Helen is annoyed because she has had to give up her hopes and dreams and she hasn’t married a man and instead he’s an immature sook. The couple think a change of scenery might give Edgar inspiration to write, they meet some interesting people of their travels and they live a very bohemian lifestyle.

I received a copy of The Philadelphia Heiress by Anita Abriel from Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The narrative looks how rich people in Philadelphia lived, I must say I found the characters in the book rather shallow and self-absorbed, and I guess it represents what they were really like at the time. Helen had issues forgiving her father for his fall from grace and discovering he’s human and made mistakes was a big shock.

The main focus on the story is around relationships and marriage, even happily married couples fight and don’t agree on everything. I found Helen to be rather spoilt and unrealistic and the only characters I really liked were her sister Daisy and uncle Jack. Three stars from me and I preferred the author's previous book The Life She Wanted over her latest novel.

The Mystery of Haveford House

The Mystery of Haverford House by Rachel Burton
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In 1928: Annie Bishop is sixteen when she starts working as a maid at Haverford House in Yorkshire and like her mother did years before her. Annie shares a room with Polly, the other servants are kind and Lord Haverford lets his staff read books from his impressive library and Annie enjoys Shakespeare’s plays. Five years later Annie dreams of more and around this time servants are tired of working long hours and leaving the service and it's hard to replace them. During the summer of 1933 Annie meets wealthy America Thomas Everard, he’s staying at Haverford House, she starts considering moving to the United States, until one night Annie vanishes and was she killed?

The story has a dual timeline, it’s very easy to follow and focuses on the two main female characters, Annie and Viola.

In 2003: Viola Hendricks applies for a job at Haverford House, the old place is struggling financially and she and the current Countess of Haverford, hold tours during the summer, people have heard the tale about the maid Annie Bishop who vanished into thin air and they feature a Shakespeare festival and this year her brother Sebastian is playing the leading role in Twelfth Night. Despite their best efforts, they don’t make enough money to keep Haverford House in the black and many other stately homes in a similar position have been sold and become hotels and wedding venues. Viola thinks she’s met a like-minded person when Chase Matthews attends a couple of her tours, he’s from America and seems very interested in the house and the disappearance of Annie Bishop?

I received a copy of The Mystery of Haverford House by Rachel Burton from Aria and Aries in exchange for unbiased review. This well written and appealing narrative is perfect for historical fiction fans who enjoy reading dual timeline stories about old houses, the staff below stairs and the upper crust gentry they served, unsolved mysteries and lost love, and fans of Shakespeare, especially Twelfth Night and two of the characters have an obvious link to the play. I highly recommend this book, and Ms. Burton’s previous release The Secrets of Summer House and five stars from me.

To Slip the Bonds of Earth

To Slip the Bonds of Earth: A Riveting Mystery Based on a True History by Amanda Flower
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Katharine is the sister of the famous duo Wilbur and Orville Wright and she lives with their father in Dayton, Ohio. Her brothers still own a bicycle shop in town, Katharine does the book work for the business and she teaches Latin at Steele High School. Some people might consider her a spinster and a blue stocking, Katharine doesn’t care, and she’s the only one in her family to graduate from college.

Katharine is looking forward celebrating Christmas with her father, brothers, sister-in-law and nieces and nephews. Wilbur and Orville have been busy with developing their flying machine in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina and Katharine can’t wait to hear about their latest exploits. There’s a lot of secrecy around the brothers invention, they haven’t lodged a patent yet, and until they do their not letting the plans and drawings out of their sight.

Orville and Katharine attend a party, at Lenora and Randolph Shaw’s house and their son Benny is one of her students. After playing a game, Orville can’t find the papers in his coat and he panics. One person was making fun of Orville, many think flying isn’t possible and maybe he has something to do with the documents going missing?

Orville finds him deceased in a room, the police arrive and Katharine isn’t happy with their investigation and she’s determined to uncover the truth. Katharine starts linking the clues together and following up leads and she discovers a huge secret, maybe the man was killed and it had nothing to do with her brother’s flying machine?

I received a copy of To Slip the Bonds of Earth by Amanda Flower from Edelweiss Plus and Kensington Publishing Corp in exchange for an unbiased review. The historical mystery focuses on Katharine Wright, she’s an interesting character and very unconventional for the time, she's financially independent and hated gender inequality and curious. Katharine is a perfect choice to be a sleuth, the narrative is full of twist and turns, most I didn’t see coming and three and a half stars from me.

The Underground Library

The Underground Library by Jennifer Ryan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Juliet Lansdown is the new deputy librarian at Bethnal Green Library and it’s a far cry from volunteering in her small home town one and in the village Upper Beeding. Juliet discovers her boss doesn’t think she's capable and up to doing the job, the beautiful library isn’t as busy as it once was, Juliet has a few ideas how to change this and want's to prove him wrong.

Katie Upwood loves working at the Bethnal Green Library, for the summer and then she's off to university in autumn and she can’t wait. Katie and her neighbour have been dating, both are intellectual and she’s devastated when she hears he's been is killed in the war. Life at home isn’t easy, her father is busy with his ‘war work’ and her mum is tense and Katie is hiding a secret from her.

Sofie Baumann is Jewish, she leaves her sister and father behind in Berlin and travels to London on a domestic service visa, and she works as a maid and her employer is a horrible man. Sofie is all alone and who can she complain to, and would they care? Sofie escapes to the library, here meets Juliet and Katie and other members of a new reading group and they even offer to help find her sister.

When the Blitz begins, the bombs start reigning down, there’s not enough places to shelter, people are at breaking point and they start using the underground train stations as a place to sleep and it grows into an underground community. Juliet starts reading out loud one night in the Bethnal Green Station, she has people of all ages gathered around listening to her, it takes their minds of the lack sleep, bombs and worrying about love ones fighting in the war. Juliet and Katie would love to open an underground library, books and reading provides a way for frazzled people to relax, a break from reality and transports them to another place.

I received a copy of The Underground Library by Jennifer Ryan from Ballantine Books and NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review. Once again Ms. Ryan has exceeded my high expectations with her empathetic and eloquent style of writing, attention to detail and a story that will take you back in time. The reader gets to experience what is was like for Londoners during the Second World War, adults worked during the day, many volunteered at night by driving ambulances, mobile canteens, and were fire wardens and Londoners certainly had “Blitz Sprit.”

The narrative is full of likable and memorable charters, some of my favourites are, Juliet, Katie, Sofie, Mrs. Ottley, Sebastian, Marigold, Mac, and sister's Dorothy and Irene Ridley. Reading provided comfort, an escape and brought people and the community together. Five stars from me, I highly recommend The Underground Library and the author's previous book The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle.

In the Shadow of Greenbrier

In the Shadow of the Greenbrier by Emily Matchar
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

White Sulphur Springs, is in West Virginia and built amongst the beautiful mountains is Greenbrier Resort. An upmarket hotel for the rich and famous, film stars and numerous presidents have all stayed here.

This dual timeline story covers a hundred years and four generations of the Zelner family, and told from the perspectives of Sol, Sylvia, Doree and Jordan.

1909. Sol left Lithuania when he gets his call up papers to serve in Tsars army, and he immigrates to America. Sol works as a traveling sales man, he dreams of settling down, getting married and having children. He opens a general store, in the township of White Sulphur Springs and it's the start of his family legacy.

1942. Sylvia is Sol’s daughter-in-law, she's married to Louis and she has a baby daughter Doree. Sylvia worries about her two older brothers still living in Poland and her mother and her younger brothers in Tel Aviv. Sylvia is unhappy, she’s asked to some sewing at Greenbrier resort and it’s full of German and Italian diplomatic staff.

1959. Doree is in her last year of high school, she can’t wait to go to college with her best friend and escape White Sulphur Springs. Doree has two brothers Alan who’s very different and Pete. Alan is always getting into trouble, he doesn’t think like everyone else, he’s smart and curious. Alan keeps harping on about the building of the West Wing at the resort and things about it don't make any sense?

1992. Jordan is a reporter for The Washington Post, when he receives an anonymous letter about Greenbrier Resort, he knows it's near where his mother Doree was born in White Sulphur Springs and she doesn't like taking about her childhood?

I received a copy of In the Shadow of the Greenbrier by Emily Matcher, the publisher and Edelweiss Plus in exchange for an honest review. This debut novel isn't at all what I was expecting and I was pleasantly surprised.

A story about a Jewish family, full of drama, secrets and hardships, generations living together and it's not easy, hopes and dreams. I would class the novel as a light mystery, I really enjoyed it and five stars from me.

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My Fair Lord

My Fair Lord by Elisabeth Hobbes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Florence Wakechild travels from New York to England, her father Clayton made his fortune manufacturing dye, he returns to London to visit his eldest daughter Cordelia, or Lady Griggs the Baroness of Goreswarth and her husband Tremlow. Despite their marriage being arranged, they have developed feelings for each other and Florence is delighted her sister is happy.

Florence doesn't understand why her father is in such a hurry to marry her off, he wants her to find a British aristocrat, many marry American heiresses to boost the family coffers and it costs a fortune to keep their, cold and drafty houses maintained. Her father hates being classed as being from ‘new money’ surely having one daughter married to a Baron is enough to improve his status and why can’t her father be content with that?

Florence comes up with a plan, she wants to train an ordinary working man to behave like a gentleman, to fool her father and prove that titles are meaningless and pointless. Her choice is Ned Blake, she met him in Liverpool, he's a private investigator and she’s sees no harm in her idea and starts giving Ned lessons. He has no trouble learning what cutlery to use, how to bow, surprisingly Ned's not a bad dancer and maybe being a pugilist has made him light on his feet?

I received a copy of My Fair Lord by Elisabeth Hobbes from HarperCollins UK and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Set in the gilded age, it’s the authors take on My Fair Lady, I really liked the characters in this story, Florence and her maid Dottie, Ned, Cordelia, Tremlow and waif Alfie.

A light and fun read and there's more to Ned than Florence thinks and he's keeping a secret, will he steal her heart and make her believe love isn’t a waste of time? Four stars from me, I have read and enjoyed the author’s previous novels Daughters of Paris and The Secret Agent and this narrative is very different to her other books.

The Romanov Brides

The Romanov Brides: A Novel of the Last Tsarina and Her Sisters by Clare McHugh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Louis IV The Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine and his wife Princess Alice of the United Kingdom, lived modestly in Darmstadt, in Southern Germany and the couple have seven children, this book focuses on the lives of two of their daughters Princess Elisabeth and Princess Alix.

Princess Alice’s mother was Queen Victoria and her father Prince Albert and they arranged marriages for their children and the Queen wanted to continue the tradition with her granddaughters and for them to marry into the German royal family. The last thing Queen Victoria wanted was her beloved granddaughters to marry any of the Romanovs, they lived in Russia and she thought it’s was in remote and desolate place and extremely dangerous.

The first to marry was Princess Elisabeth, she weds Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich of Russia and becomes the Grand Duchess Elisabeth Feodorovna of Russia. The Grand Duchess was known for her beauty, poise and her husband showered her with expensive jewellery and gifts and it's not what she really wanted.

Later Princess Alix of Hesse and by Rhine married Nicholas the last Tsar of Russia who she met at her older sister’s Elisabeth’s wedding when she was twelve and he was sixteen. The last Tsarina carried the gene for hemophilia, which she passed on to her only son Alexei and we all know the terrible fate that awaited the entire family.

I received a copy of The Romanov Brides by Clare McHugh from HarperCollins and Edelweiss plus in exchange for an honest review. The stories centre of attention is on two sisters who marry into the Romanov dynasty, the extravagant and opulent life they lead in imperial Russia, and while the Russian peasants struggled to survive.

Both sisters went against the wishes of their grandmother Queen Victoria and especially Alix who was her favourite, she didn’t want them to give up their religion and convert to be members of the Russian Orthodox Church.

I had no idea just how complicated the Royal families of England, Germany and Russia were and their intertwined family trees. I really enjoyed the parts of the narrative about the Hesse family, how they visited Queen Victoria and her relationship with them. You really need to concentrate while reading this fascinating novel, it’s intricate and complex and four stars from me.

The Dubrovnik Book Club

The Dubrovnik Book Club by Eva Glyn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Claire Thomson goes to stay with her grandparents in Dubrovnik, in Southern Croatia. Simeon the owner needs someone to run the tiny bookshop on the cobbled streets in historic Old Town and he employs Claire. She has been suffering from long Covid, she’s over it now but the mentally it took it's toll and she lost her job in London. Claire's turned into a germaphobe, she worries about being in crowds and small places.

When her co-worker Luna tells her about the book club, in the tiny shop and it freaks her out, but she doesn’t want to let the owner, Luna and the people who have signed up down. The Dubrovnik Book Club is made up of a couple of university students, her gran and her best friend, her cousin Vedran, Luna and Karmela a history professor. Claire has to pick the book, and lead the discussion and the first one is a crime story and Luna becomes invested in solving a mysterious cold case.

The members of the book club all become good friends, Claire wasn’t expecting this to happen, it creates a safe place, Luna who’s gay and is too scared to tell her religious parents comes out and Karmela, who escaped the war as a child in Sarajevo and she lets down her walls, Claire has to face her fear of Covid and Vedran the speculation around his girlfriend disappearing and was he responsible?

I received a copy of The Dubrovnik Book Club by Eva Glyn from HarperCollins UK and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. What an incredible book, I couldn’t swipe the pages fast enough and I how did I know so little about Croatia? The main theme of the narrative is about the historic bookshop and reading, what each person gets out of the book they read and the discussion around it and the topics they explore.

Croatia is a fascinating place, the city of Dubrovnik, especially the old part of town which is a world heritage site and while reading the novel you feel like you’re walking the ancient streets, and it mentions the culture, food and coffee, and the Dubrovnik Defenders. Social issues are included in the story, like being gay and coming out and forms of domestic violence and people suffering from PTSD, how catching Covid can be really scary for some of us and I must admit this scenario really hit home with me.

A wonderful mixture of diverse and interesting characters, I won’t forget them, their struggles, brave decisions and friendships made and how the others backed them. Five stars, Ms. Glyn nailed it, one of the best books I have read so far this year and I highly recommend.

The Woman with No Name

The Woman with No Name by Audrey Blake
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Yvonne Rudellat has a dysfunctional relationship with her husband Alex and daughter Jackie and when their house is destroyed during the Blitz, Alex leaves her to fend for herself and her daughter joins up.

Yvonne feels washed up, too old to help England win the war despite being in her early forties and she considers jumping into the Thames. Until Selwyn Jepson a recruitment officer invited her for an interview at Baker Street and she became the first women secret service operatives in England.

Yvonne might be small, but she’s determined, somehow she passes the training in Scotland and is ready to be sent to France and is given her first of many code names. Her job's to organize drop zones for agents and supplies France and to delay, damage, disturb, cause waste and do anything she could to slow down the German war machine.

Things don’t go as planned for Yvonne in the circuit she's part of, and she starts recruiting her own members with Pierre Culioli and training them. Yvonne doesn’t know who she can trust, her ideas of what they should do to make things difficult for the Germans was ingenious, she became famously known as the saboteur with no name.

I received a copy of The Woman with No Name from Sourcebooks and Edelweiss plus in exchange for an honest review. Audrey Blake has cleverly used real and fictional characters and a dual timeline to write about what it was like to be an SOE in France, the risks they took and how they outsmarted the Germans.

I have read numerous novels about this topic, some of the ideas and things used and mentioned in this one were new to me, they were really clever and, they certainly outside of the box and Yvonne had a talent with explosives. The perfect novel to read for women’s history month, I highly recommend and five stars from me.

The Wild Date Palm

The Wild Date Palm by Diane Armstrong
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Shoshana Adelstein’s Jewish parents emigrated from Romania to Palestine over thirty years ago, they built a house and orchard near the town of Zichron Yaakov. Her older brother Nathan is a scientific expert on plants and she has a younger sister Leah. In 1915, she’s worried about her family, Shoshana catches a train home and during the journey across the Anatolian plain, she witnesses the slaughter of innocent Armenian people by Turkish soldiers and she’s positive this will happen to the Palestinian Jews.

Britain and Turkey are caught up fighting in The Great War, it’s being fought in Europe and in the Ottoman Empire. After the disastrous Dardanelles offensive, on the rocky shores of Gallipoli and the British need another way into Constantinople. Shoshana, her brother Nathan and the love of her life Eli Ginsberg form a spy nest, they want to help the British win and defeat Turkey and the Germans. The member’s travel around gathering information about the conditions of the Turkish troops, their weapons, military locations, and much more. The group is made up of friends, farmers, businessmen, train porters and guardsmen, doctors and brave women like Shoshana.

The risk is great and so is the challenge they face trying to deliver and share the facts they’ve collected to the British intelligence, it becomes extremely dangerous because they could be betrayed by someone in Zichron Yaakov, if caught and they will be shown no mercy.

Based around the true story of siblings Sarah, Aaron and Rivka Aaronsohns, ordinary people who wanted to turn the tide of a world war and they lived in Palestine. This book looks at The Great War from a different angle and perspective, using a balance of real and fictional characters.

I received a copy of The Wild Date Palm by Diane Armstrong from Harlequin Australia and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. A well written, articulate and fascinating narrative that had me hooked from the first page, it’s a tale about persecution and being Jewish, war, sacrifice, espionage, love, and it also mentions Laurence of Arabia and Bedouin culture and conditions in the desert.

The reader is taken on a historical fiction journey, one to defeat the great Ottoman Empire by the British and their allies and they needed inside help and water. Shoshana's character was selfless and brave, a woman who put her own life on the line for her beliefs and country. The title of the book is perfect and you discover why, and five big stars from me and I highly recommend The Wild Date Palm and the authors previous book Dancing with the Enemy.

Looking Out

Looking Out by Fiona McCallum
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Natasha and Mitchell live in Balhannah, a small town in the Adelaide Hills, with their two preteen daughter’s Willow and Lara and dog Angel. Looking at their life from the outside it looks prefect, they have a nice house, two cars, Natasha owns a home wares shop and is interested in interior design and Mitchell works from home and cooks tea for his family. Natasha does the school run, takes the girls to netball and catches up with her girlfriends regularly.

Mitchell has turned into a bit of a recluse and he’s become very withdrawn and Natasha puts this down to the pressures of trading on the US stock market and working from home at night, and least he doesn’t have to do the daily commute to the city via the death defying Free Way.

Natasha meets locksmith Jesse when he comes into her shop, he’s very charming, he offers to help Natasha with promoting her interior skills, and it seems like a legitimate offer. Soon everywhere she goes, Natasha starts bumping into Jesse, he’s rather good looking and there’s no harm in checking out a spunky tradie?

The issue is Jesse starts making Natasha think about the things she’s not getting from Mitchell, they were once close, she feels lonely and neglected. Her friends tell her she’s playing with fire, Jesse is a bit of a mystery man, Natasha knows nothing about his private life and when one points out he doesn’t use any form of social media, which is odd in this day and age and she gets huffy.

The main characters marriage has suffered due to the couple being busy, like most men Mitchell doesn’t talk about how he’s feeling or understand why he’s ended up making some bad choices and his life is unravelling. Natasha is wearing blinkers, luckily she has nice friends who care for her and pick up when something isn’t right.

I received a copy of Looking Out, by Fiona McCullum from Harlequin Australia and NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review. The popular author is known for her interesting plots and tackling thought provoking and controversial topics in her books. Her latest novel is no exception, married life changes when you have children, gone is the spontaneous romance, it’s all about commitments, and it’s easy for a couple to lose their way, this is what happens with the main characters.

The narrative has elements of suspense, danger, people keeping secrets and this is hard to do in a small town, the story brings up types of addiction, signs of depression, family dynamics and what’s a normal family these days and the importance of friendship and why you should always listen to that little voice in your head called common sense. Natasha wasn’t my favourite character, I found her rather annoying and maybe this was intentional as no one is perfect and four stars from me.

The Grazier's Son

The Grazier's Son by Cathryn Hein
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Stirling Hawley is a helicopter pilot, he flew Blackhawks in the army and later worked dropping medical staff into disaster and war zones and he was based in Germany. He’s shocked when he inherits a property from his deceased father Dougal Kildare, it’s in rural Victoria and called Westwind and it’s near a little town called Grassmoor.

Dougal was a stock agent in Grassmoor, before he died he’d been slowly siphoning money from his clients and no one knows where it’s gone, many of them considered him a mate and friend and Stirling doesn’t get a very warm welcome when he arrives in town. The only person who's nice to him is Darcy Sloan, her parents own a property near his, she runs a shop in town called Vavoom, and she makes retro fashion and sells most of her clothes online. Darcy is stunning, quirky, wears her own creations and models them for her website and Stirling has never met anyone like her before.

When Stirling has an accident, it’s Darcy who finds him and she feels compelled to help him and she’s driving past anyway! Once he’s able Stirling starts looking around Westwind, it’s been vandalized and sprayed with graffiti, he gets the feeling that someone has been in the house when he's not home and does he just have an over active imagination? Despite not knowing his father, somethings he did and they don't make any sense, like ripping off his friends, money laundering and how he died, and then he finds his grandfathers detailed account books and he discovers long buried secrets.

I received a copy of The Grazier's Son by Cathryn Hein from NetGalley and Harlequin Australia in exchange for an honest review. This is the first book I have read by the bestselling rural romance and romantic adventure novel author and it won’t be my last.

All great stories need memorable and authentic characters, no shortage of these in this well written and compelling plot, my favourites were Stirling, Darcy, Gavin, Toby, Lissette, Shiloh and Leo. I liked how the narrative was a combination of what it’s like to live in a small Australian country town and community, with the elements of mystery to keep the reader guessing and a sizzling hot budding love story. Add in football, meat pies and a grand final, and the steamy and sexy chemistry between Stirling and Darcy, it makes for an all-round winner for me and five big stars.

The Girls We Sent Away

The Girls We Sent Away by Meagan Church
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Lorraine Delford is an only child, she’s been dating her boyfriend for two years, with her parent’s approval and he’s about to go off to college and she’s starting her last year of high school. No girl has been the valedictorian at Mecklenburg high in North Carolina and Lorraine's set to change this. She’s interested in science and the space race, ever since she looked at the stars through her father’s telescope and she would like to be an astronaut.

Lorraine makes one simple mistake, she wasn’t alone in doing this and it was over before she understood what was happening. Lorraine tries to ignore the signs, this is not how her life was meant to be and what will be parents think? Betty and Eugene can’t believe it, especially when the young man lets their daughter down and they have no choice but to send Lorraine to a maternity home for girls like her.

Lorraine is dropped off, on her own she meets Miss. Mahoney, she’s a social worker and housemother at the home. Miss. Mahoney explains the rules and makes her sign paperwork and she will share a room with two other girls.

Nothing could have prepared Lorraine for living in a maternity home, the nurse and doctor are cold and business like and she knows nothing about pregnancy and having a baby.

I received a copy of The Girls We Sent Away by Meagan Church from Sourcebooks and Edelweiss Plus in exchange for an honest review. The author looks at how from 1945 to 1973, millions of young women in the main characters position were sent to maternity homes all over the United States, some were better than others and it’s referred to as the "Baby Scoop Era."

In Lorraine’s case it’s in the 1960’s, her life as she knows it disappeared and so did she. The narrative explores how young people had very little sex education, the young women were often abandoned by the babies fathers, shamed for being "bad girls" and hidden away and can you imagine how let down they felt? Having a baby out of wedlock and giving it up for adoption will stay with them for the rest of their lives and so will the feelings of guilt, remorse and many were coerced.

The author looks at unplanned pregnancies, motherhood, biology, emotions and the one thing the main character wasn’t ready for and that's she developed feelings and an attachment to her unborn child. Four stars from me, I highly recommend this book and the author’s previous novel The Last Carolina Girl.

Sisters with a side of Greens

Sisters with a Side of Greens by Michelle Stimpson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Rose Tillman has just retired from her job and she worked for The United States Postal Service for over three decades, Rose has always dreamed about opening a restaurant and Rose realizes she's forgotten the ingredients for mother's secret and delicious spice mix recipe.

The only other person who knows the exact measurements is her sister Marvina Nash, despite been close as young girls, they've had their differences as adults, and Rose bites the bullet, drives two hours to her sister’s house in Fork City, Texas.

Marvina is shocked to see Rose, she lets her in the house and that’s a good start. Marvina is struggling with changes in her own life and at the New Harvest Church where she’s attended since a child, her sister has great timing and she's not sure if she wants to go over what drove a wedge between them all those years ago.

When they discover Kerresha Smith, a pregnant teen staying in Marvina’s pool house, is gives Rose the excuse to stay longer and help both the mother to be and her sister. Marvina is a born cook, she loves to feed people, and her fried chicken made with her mother’s secret recipe is delicious and make angels sing soul. Nothing is more Southern than sweet tea, corn bread and fried chicken.

As Rose and Marvina confront the memories of the past, they laugh, cry and start to look at their fall out from a different perspective and both haven’t been completely honest with each and how they feel.

I received a digital copy of Sisters with a Side of Green’s by Michelle Stimpson from Sourcebooks and Edelweiss Plus in exchange for an honest review. A funny and heartfelt narrative about two sisters and their connection, faith, family, community and helping others, relationships, how food can bring people together and definitely feeds the soul. Five stars from me, made me laugh and cry in a good way and I highly recommend this book.

American Daughers

American Daughters by Piper Huguley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In 1901, President Theodore Roosevelt and teacher Booker T. Washington meet, and the president under estimated the fall out of him inviting a man of colour to dinner at the White House. Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt came from a wealthy family, while Booker T. Washington was born a slave, he runs a school called the Tuskegee Institute in Atlanta and it’s built on the grounds of an old plantation.

Alice Roosevelt and Portia Washington become friends, they had to be careful how they catch up, American is segregated, and the emancipation proclamation was only thirty eight years ago.

Portia is first African American to graduate from Bradford Academy in Massachusetts and from her father's first marriage, she's a talented pianist, Portia performs both classical music and African American spiritual music, songs that were sung by slaves picking cotton and she doesnt want the music to be lost and it's part of her culture and heritage. Alice is a bit of a rebel, she gets up to all sorts of mischief and her step-mother Edith is keen for her to make her debut and find a husband.

Alice marries Congressman Nicholas Longworth III of Ohio and two years later Portia marries a coloured architect William Sidney Pittman and he attended her father’s school. Despite distance and responsibilities getting in the way of them seeing each other the two women stay friends and confidants. Both are busy, Alice advocates for women’s rights and is a supporter of the Republican Party, while Portia gives piano lessons and teaches music.

I received a copy of American Daughters by Piper Huguley from William Morrow and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. A well written and thoroughly researched novel that looks at what it was like to be the daughters of two of the most influential men of their time, one is white and the other a woman of colour and they referred to themselves as a "motherless child."

Ms. Huguley story is though provoking, it brings up relevant topics such as differences in class, politics, racism, the ups and downs of marriage, spousal abuse, I particularly liked how Portia played her traditional African music, her values and she was a great example to young coloured girls and still is.

Beautifully constructed prose and an interesting narrative about two women's lives spanning from 1901 to 1930, I'm very keen to read other books by Piper Huguley, I highly recommend American Daughters and five stars from me.

Queens of London

Queens of London by Heather Webb
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Alice Diamond is in charge of a crime gang that goes back to Victorian times, named after the area they frequented in the Southeast of London, near the famous Elephant and Castle Pub and the ladies are called the Forty Elephants and Alice is their Queen bee. Alice is the eldest of eight children and she was dragged up, she's ambitious, strong and knows how to defend herself. Alice’s gang hit department stores in the West End, they steal jewellery, clothes, silk and furs.

Officer Lilian Wyles is the first female detective at Scotland Yard, despite being in the force for over seven years and she’s assigned mainly women’s work. Then, her boss decides Lilian needs to start patrolling the department stores, to try and catch Alice and her band of thieves and be on the lookout for orphan children.

Two strong and determined women in their own way want to rule the streets of London. Included in the story are two other characters, Dorothy McBride, she works at Marshall & Snelgrove department store as a sales assistant and Hira Wickham a teenage girl, who runs away from her uncle, she's living on the streets and knows both Alice and Dorothy.

As you would expect the narrative is fast paced, a bit like both Alice and Lilian, as a police woman Lilian wears a uniform, but Alice wears diamond rings on all of her fingers, she’s well dressed and so are her girls.

I received a digital copy of Queens of London by Heather Webb from Sourcebooks and Edelweiss Plus in exchange for an honest review. Set in London during the 1920’s, it’s a story about the underworld, full of real and fictional characters you won’t forget, it will have you sitting on the edge of your seat and wondering how far Alice and her gang will go?

We have all heard of the saying " it fell off the back of a truck”, goods obtained through illegal or dubious means and this sums up what Alice and her gang did and their lifestyle and five stars from me.

Hidden Yellow Stars

Hidden Yellow Stars by Rebecca Connolly
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

1942. Andrée Geulen is a school teacher in Belgium, she loves her students and she hates how the Jewish children and their parents are being treated by the Germans. Andrée thinks all children are precious, they shouldn’t be living in fear and wondering why people hate them?

Ida Sterno is a Jewish social worker and runs the Committee for the Defense in Belgium, a resistance group that hides children from the Gestapo. She recruits Andrée because she knows the headmistress at the private school where she teaches and with her blond hair she can pass through check points with less chance of being detected. Andrée agrees to join, despite the risks and her code name is Claude Fournier.

Together, Andrée and Ida, and their undercover operatives, work around the clock to move Jewish children from their families homes and smuggle them to safety in the countryside to live on a farm and in convents. Ida keeps a written record of each child, both Ida and Andrée want the children to know where they come from and hopefully be reunited with their family's when the war ends.

They have to stay one step ahead of the Gestapo, and a traitor Fat Jacques points out any person he thinks is Jewish and exposes them. Andrée and Ida work tirelessly, trying to save as many children as they can, constantly looking over their shoulder, taking extra precautions to make sure they're not being followed, one simple mistake could expose the network and it’s extremely stressful. The pressure did get to Andrée, eventually one of them is caught and sent to a camp in Malines.

I received a digital copy of Hidden Yellow Stars by Rebecca Connolly from Shadow Mountain Publishing and Edelweiss Plus in exchange for an honest review. The author has written an amazing story that I couldn't stop reading and based on two real heroines of The Holocaust and how they helped save the lives of thousands of Jewish children and newborn babies.

The narrative really emphasises what it was like for the children and their parents to be separated, how Andrée did her best to make it as painless as possible, she treated each child like they were precious and made sure they knew they were loved and wanted. Five stars from me, I felt like I was walking the dangerous streets of Brussels with Andrée or sitting with her on a train when the German's stopped it, its extremely moving and I cried and about two very brave and inspirational women.

The Clarks Factory Girls at War

The Clarks Factory Girls at War by May Ellis
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

School friends Louisa Clements, Jeannie Musgrove and Kate Davis, like most people who live in Street, Somerset, work at Clarks factory and they sew shoe linings. When, Britain declares war on Germany, everyone is nervous, they don’t know what the future holds and the recruitment posters start appearing in Street. The Clark family are Quakers and pacifists and so are some of their employees. Soon there are heated debates amongst the workers about how long the war will last, should the men in the village sign up and will the government bring in conscription?

Each of the girls must decide her own position regarding the war, being teenagers they live at home still, their lives revolve around work, family and friends, maintaining a good reputation and none of them have started 'walking out' with anyone, although Louisa is keen on Mattie and her father wouldn't approve because he's a Quaker.

The first causality from the village occurs, it makes the war real for the three young ladies and the other workers at the Clarks factory. Things become tense in Street, as you can imagine there's a division between those who have loved ones fighting in the war and others who don't join up because they’re pacifists.

I received a digital copy of The Clarks Factory Girls at War by May Ellis from Boldwood Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I found the narrative really interesting, I had no idea Clark Shoes had been in business for over two hundred years, they were Quakers and the company’s headquarters are still in Street.

The story highlighted relevant topics at the time, for instance women didn’t get paid the same wage as males, teenage boys were hired at fourteen and they earned more than Louisa, Jeannie and Kate and it shows the inequality in the workforce and unions had just began recruiting employees.

The main theme of the novel is the friendship between the teenage girls, they shared their hopes and dreams and really liked how they looked out for each other.

Five stars from me, I’m looking forward to the next book in the series, to see what happens to those serving in the war, how it effects the people of Street, the shoe factory, will love prevail between Louisa and Mattie and will Kate and Jeannie find someone special? This is the first book I have read by Ms. Ellis, it won’t be my last and I highly recommend this entertaining historical fiction saga.

The Hidden Storyteller

The Hidden Storyteller by Mandy Robotham
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

1946. Georgie Young is an English reporter, she's sent to British-run Hamburg, she visited seven years ago and she couldn’t believe it was the same city. Hamburg was bombed by the allies in July 1943, it's now a city of ruins, what’s left of the population are living underground, in cellars and bunkers, or in displaced persons camps.

Most rely on British aid to eat, they do their best but the railway lines are badly damaged and people are getting annoyed. Cigarettes are the main currency in Hamburg and followed by silk stockings, children resort to stealing to survive, and Georgie meets a girl sixteen year old girl called Meta who does this and a lady called Zofia and she's a concentration camp survivor and is now working as a translator.

Harri Schroder is in charge of the Hamburg Criminal Police, a woman’s body is found, she’s died in a similar way to other murder victims and he’s positive a serial killer stalking the streets. Georgie and Harri have experienced personal loss, they carry a lot of emotional baggage and it’s hard to overcome.

Georgie, Meta, Zofia and Harri and his small squad of police officers all start trying to find out the identity of the man before he strikes again, and they slowly join the dots together. Music and dancing is very popular in post war Hamburg, some are pop up venues like under the bridges of the Elbe River and is this how the killer finds his victims?

I received a copy of The Hidden Storyteller from Avon Books UK and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The author captures the despair of civilians living in post war Hamburg, Adolf Hitler maybe dead and the war has ended and life is still really hard.

A face paced historical murder mystery, with lots of twists and turns, I felt a connection and compassion for the characters and Mandy Robotham has written a really compelling book, it sucks you in from the start and five stars from me. I have been a fan of Ms. Robotham since she released her first book The German Midwife and she's one of my favourite historical fiction authors.

Daddy's Girl

Daddy’s Girl by Josephine Cox
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Sarah Quinn is heartbroken when her mother Ava dies, she made Sarah promise if anything ever happened to her, that she would take care of her little sister Janette, older brother Joe and father Fred. Her dad's normally a jovial man, now he’s depressed and lost without Ava, he's started drinking, hardly ever home and Sarah’s left to do all the cooking, cleaning, has a job and she's run ragged. The only highlight is when the girls go to visit their aunty Irene, she’s a gardener in Suffolk and at Fettling House.

The siblings receive a big shock when Fred announces he’s marrying widow Mavis Swindel, she owns a house near the Great Edge and on the moors. Fred thinks Mavis is the bee’s knees, Joe, Sarah, Janette and don’t like her, something about her is odd and the boarding house is very rundown.

Mavis is the queen of manipulation, Fred’s oblivious to his wife’s faults and she extremely frugal and tight with her money. Sarah has a feeling about Mavis, not only is she lazy, she’s hiding something, with help she investigates her past, to say she’s shocked by what she discovers is an understatement, and how can she tell her father?

I received a digital copy of Daddy’s Girl by Josephine Cox and Gilly Middleton from HarperCollins UK and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The well written narrative is really interesting and it looks at life in England in the early 1930's, where everyone in the family who could was expected to work, and some people thought higher education was a waste of time and money for girls?

I really liked Sarah’s and her aunty Irene’s characters, the lodgers at the boardinghouse and George the blacksmith. Sarah was selfless, she certainly never gave up, outsmarted her cunning step-mother, a wonderful and nostalgic historical saga and five stars from me.

The Beautiful People

The Beautiful People by Michelle Gable
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Margo Hightower is sure hers will be the next wedding she attends, due to her step-father Sandy being investigated by the FBI and instead her fiancee dumps her. Margo gets a job as an assistant to photographer Slim Aarons, he started taking photos during the Second World War and now he takes pictures of celebrities and high society people and most live in the exclusive suburb of Palm Beach, Florida.

Slim is a busy man, Margo travels with him to Acapulco, Austria, Kashmir, New York , they also attend glamorous parties where Margo scouts for people and arranges sittings so Slim can take the perfect photograph. Here Margo meets Lilly and Peter Pulitzer, Wendy Vanderbilt, Jackie Kennedy, Julia and Enrique Rosseaux. Margo is mixing with the rich, shiny and pretty people and she has no idea how much of a risk and a gamble she's taking.

Margo becomes friends with Lilly Pulitzer, her husband Peter is happy growing oranges and sugar cane and she opens a juice bar called Via Mizer. Lilly gets juice all over her, she gets a friend to design a bright and colourful dress to hide the stains, other women want to buy her dresses and she calls the style “Lilly” made to fit all shapes and sizes of ladies, they can be worn during the day and add a bit of bling for an evening out.

Slim and his wife Rita told Margo to be careful, friendships and loyalties change in Palm Beach, when she discovers someone she knows is cheating on their spouse, Margo has no idea by sharing this information, she’s opening up a can of worms and her world will come crashing down.

I received a digital copy of The Beautiful People by Michelle Gable from Graydon House and Edelweiss Plus in exchange for an honest review. Using real people and facts from the 1960’s Ms Gable has written a really interesting narrative and I had never heard of Slim Aarons and socialite, entrepreneur and fashion designer Lilly Pulitzer prior to reading this book.

Five stars from me, Slim built his career on helping The Beautiful People maintain their charade and some of them were extremely fake and could get nasty, I highly recommend Ms. Gable's latest fascinating book and her previous one I'll See You in Paris.

A Wild and Heavenly Place

A Wild and Heavenly Place by Robin Oliveira
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Hailey MacIntyre family is wealthy, she meets Samuel Fiddes at church and he’s lonely. Samuel is looking after his little sister Alison, they live in the crowded tenements of Glasgow, Scotland. Samuel works hard every day shoveling coal, despite this he and his sister are always hungry and they share a room with five other people. Hailey has never gone without, when Samuel saves Hailey’s brother Geordie from a runaway carriage, she thinks her family should help the Fiddes.

The two teenagers fall in love, when the City of Glasgow Bank fails, Hailey’s father Harold loses all of his money and decides the family need a fresh start, escape the shame and they immigrate to Seattle.

Samuel is determined to follow Hailey, he takes a big risk and he and Alison cross the ocean and he doesn’t know if he will be able to find Hailey in America and will her parents change their attitudes towards him?

I received a copy of A Wild and Heavenly Place from Penguin Random House and Edelweiss Plus by Robin Oliveira in exchange for an honest review. A historical saga inspired by the authors great-great grandfather immigrating to America from Scotland, she wonders how would it feel to leave everything that's familiar behind, knowing you will never see your homeland again, take a leap of faith, and venture into the great unknown.

A story about living in Seattle in its infancy, a place full of mud, endless rain and slapped up buildings, rivalries, racial tension, natural disasters, courage, forgiveness, loss, hope and trying to escape the cycle of poverty.

The narrative focuses on the types and forms of love, Samuel loves his sister Alison and Hailey feels the same way about her brother Geordie and father Harold, both will make sacrifices to keep their loved ones safe and I really admired their characters.

Both Samuel and Hailey desire what seems to be impossible, for them to be together, they endure terrible and beautiful things in life, and so they can reach a wild and heavenly place and it’s called home.

Five big stars from me, a long historical saga that will take you on an emotional roller-coaster, from Glasgow to America and I highly recommend A Wild and Heavenly Place, one of the most beautifully and meaningful written novels I have read, it made my drop of Scottish blood zing in my veins and I felt proud. I highly recommend this novel and the authors previous book My Name is Mary Sutter.

The Sunrise Swimming Society

The Sunrise Swimming Society: Experience the magic of Ireland in this heartwarming book about friendship and second chances by Rosie Hannigan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Heather Moore, Niamh Kennedy and Lauren Dwyer meet on the first day of high school, they promise to be lifelong friends, and they enjoy their weekly sunrise swims in Lough Caragh. Rosemary Lauren’s granny owns Mill House, it’s built on the Lough's foreshore, the girls link up here before their swim and afterward Rosemary warms them up with a hot cuppa, something to eat and a bonfire.

The girls are typical teenagers, they talk about boys they like, their dreams for the future and what they want do when they leave school and on the last day they promise to meet every year to celebrate the summer solstice and swim in Lough Caragh.

The story has a dual timeline, its set in 2003 and in 2024, fifteen years apart and it’s told from the three main characters points of view.

Niamh is married to Evan, she has three daughters, her life hasn’t turned out how she expected, she wants to open a B&B, her husband is opposed to the idea and they seem to be drifting apart. Heather is a high profile travelling food critic, she leads a very different life now to when she was a teenager, her parents Pippa and Cash were young parents and hippies. Heather didn’t have a stable home life, her friendship with Niamh and Lauren was really important, they didn’t judge her and Rosemary took her under her wing. Lauren married her childhood sweetheart Shane, both are teachers and have been trying unsuccessfully to have a baby. Her doctor has advised Lauren to have a break and she decides to stay at Mill House and where she spent so many happy summers with her grandparents Rosemary and Paddy.

All three women are back in Caragh, in a small Irish village it will be impossible for them to not seen each other, will they be able to repair their friendship, move forward and celebrate Rosemary's legacy?

I received a digital copy of The Sunrise Swimming Society by Rosie Hannigan from Avon Books, UK and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The narrative focuses on the girl’s friendship, how it all went terribly wrong and their lives didn’t go as planned.

I had two best friends in high school, reading the story reminded me of being a teenager and our squabbles, hindsight is a wonderful thing and life doesn’t come with a crystal ball and you never know what will happen to you on the crazy journey to adulthood.

Ms. Hannigan's novel is full of wonderful and diverse characters and my favourites were Lauren, Heather, Rosemary, Paddy, Shane and Pippa. I love reading stories about friendships and their ups and downs, the summer and winter solace, beautiful Ireland, loughs (I was name after two and I feel a real connection to them) and four stars from me.

The Other Princess

The Other Princess: A Novel of Queen Victoria's Goddaughter by Denny S. Bryce
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Aina was the seventh child born to the queen and king of Egbado, from the town of Okeadon, they were part of the Yoruba tribe and lived in West Africa. The camp was guarded by the king’s soldiers day and night and they feared being attacked by slave traders and the Dahomey people and who were fierce warriors. When Aina was five it happened, her entire family was killed and she became a slave to king Gezo and her father's rival. Aina had the markings on her face and they knew she was a princess of Egbado, and two years later she’s rescued by Commander Forbes and he takes her back to England and 'gift's' her to Queen Victoria.

Aina name was changed to Sarah Forbes Bonetta, while at sea, Sarah learnt English and became good friends with a cabin boy called William. Once she’s in England, Sarah stays with host families, her majesty pays for her clothes, education, she becomes her guardian, later her godmother and Sarah was good friends with princess Alice and they got up to all sorts of mischief together.

Sarah was very smart, she did well academically, and she studied arithmetic, geography, and played the piano, checkers and backgammon. The things Sarah struggled with were the cold weather in England, constantly losing people she’s close to and she became reluctant to make friends and she’s scared of returning to West Africa. Queen Victoria had complete control over her life, had the final say and at times I found this confronting.

I received a copy of The Other Princess by Denny S. Bryce from Allison & Busby and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Using real facts Ms. Bryce shares the remarkable life of a young girl, who witnesses the brutal deaths of her entire family, was a slave for two years and how she traveled to England and became the goddaughter of Queen Victoria.

Despite all the tragedy, setbacks and trials she experienced, Sarah was resilient, brave, funny, smart, proud of being a princess of Egbado and the special markings she had on her face and she went onto be a wife and mother and her eldest daughters hero. A women who we should all admire and she’s the perfect role model for younger women and especially those of colour.

This well written and researched novel gives the reader an enlightening look into what it was like to live during the time of Queen Victoria’s reign, from the point of view of a young African girl, who admired Jane Austen, Mary Seacole, Florence Nightingale and I loved reading about her relationship with princess Alice and how much she enjoyed riding in the pony cart.

Five big stars from me, I will never forget this powerful and thought provoking narrative about Aina princess of Egbado and a must read.

The Golden Hour

The Golden Hour by Jacquie Bloese
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Ellen and Reynold Harper are twins, they live in Brighton, Reynold is a portrait photographer and he also takes erotic photographs that are sold under the counter in selected bookshops or by mail. Ellen finds everyday girls, factory workers and seamstresses to be his models, at the golden hour and after his respectable customers leave. Ellen thinks she's helping them, earn easy money and doesn’t consider what she’s doing is wrong.

Lily March works as a laundress, with her mother and sister and at home she tries to keep away from her sleazy uncle who likes to corner her and Lily’s worried she won’t be able to dodge his advances for much longer and she desperately wants to leave.

Clementine Brouwer is American, to save her family from financial ruin she marries Herbert Williams, he wants an heir and it’s Clem’s duty to provide him with one and she detests him. Ellen, Lily and Clementine all meet, Ellen is preoccupied by her growing attraction to Lily and her new friendship with Clementine. Ellen has never considered the consequences and if the identity of the girls being photographed is uncovered, she discovers it can be used as blackmail against the women, they feel ashamed and it’s illegal.

I received a copy of The Golden Hour by Jacquie Bloese from Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The author has chosen to write story about the flourishing trade of erotic photographs, it was a lucrative business during the late 1890 and during The Great War.

What you discover from reading the narrative, is young women and girls were desperate to escape poverty and you can understand why they became models. I read Ms Bloese’s previous book, The French House which I enjoyed, but her latest novel wasn’t what I was expecting, it's about the exploitation of women and the early days of pornography.

The parts of the narrative I found interesting was about the work of The National Vigilance Association who tried to stop young girls and women being taken advantage of, many were suffragettes and they went to theatres where women worked as music hall and tableaux dancers and three stars from me.

The Accident

The Accident by Fiona Lowe
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Freya and her partner Ryan live in Garringarup, a small country town in the wheatbelt of Western Australia. Ryan’s best friend Jamie has recently popped the question to his girlfriend Hannah and she and Freya are good friends.

Hannah is getting ready on her wedding day with the help of Freya, dreaming about honeymooning in Tahiti with Jamie and being newlyweds. When she hears the fire siren going, everyone assures her everything will be fine, it’s probably a grass fire and she has nothing to worry about. Ryan is a paramedic and a first responder and Hannah is worried when both he and Jamie aren’t answering their phones. A fatal car accident has devastating consequences for the four friends, one of them passes away and eventually they discover nothing is how it seems.

In a small country town your reputation, status and family’s pedigree is everything and his parents don’t want anyone thinking otherwise. Friction and tension is sizzling and Freya and Hannah friendship's tested.

Slowly the secrets, lies and misconceptions about the deceased person come to light, he’s was one hell of an actor and a chameleon and he’s not the great person everyone thinks he was and he has been living a life full of shocking deceit and it will create a big scandal if it's revealed and will people believe the person who knows the truth?

I received a digital copy of The Accident by Fiona Lowe from Harlequin Australia and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Ms. Lowe certainly knows how to weave an engrossing and absorbing story, I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough and I was completely hooked from the start. A narrative full of mystery and suspense, and it has more twists and turns than a country road, I certainly didn’t see what he'd hidden and way out of sight.

When you live in a small country town, everyone knows everyone else’s business or want's to find out what's going on and people don't have a filter with the questions they ask. It raises relevant points about women not speaking up, being too trustworthy and not being aware of finances and if their partner has a will. Couples should discuss if they want to have children, who’s going to be the main caregiver and how they will raise them.

Five stars from me, another great book by Fiona Lowe and included in the story are other life and societies issues and it makes you think about what you would do if you found yourself in the same situation.

The Sea Captain's Wife

The Sea Captain's Wife by Jackie French
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Mair McCrae finds a naked and unconscious man in the shallows on the beach on Big Henry Island. His name is Captain Michael Dawson, he was sailing from England to Australia, when he came across a ‘ghost ship’, eerily abandoned at sea and that's the night he went overboard. Big Henry Island is mainly inhabited by women, the men go to sea and only return when they can. The women make the decisions, take care of the children, grow food and are almost self-sufficient.

Mair and Michael marry, she decides to travel with him back to Australia, and first they will stop, send provisions and help back to Big Henry Island. Michael has told Mair Australia is full of opportunities, different animals and vegetation. Mair has only lived in her tiny community, being aboard the ship is strange enough and she’s worried what Michael’s mother and grandmother will think of her?

Mair feels like a fish out of water in Australia, she’s not used to wearing so many layers of impractical clothing, having a maid, society has so many rules and ladies don’t do anything and Mair is used to being busy and she misses her family. Michael returns to sea, he’s obsessed with three things, a new ship he’s bought that’s powered by steam and finding the ‘Ghost’ and he hopes the treasure is still in it's hold. In Sydney, Mair starts putting odd occurrences and events that's been happening together, does someone have a vendetta against the Dawson family and why?

I received a copy of The Sea Captain’s Wife by Jackie French from Harlequin Australia and NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review. This is the author’s first fictional historical novel, women did look for ‘beachies’ or men who washed ashore in some island communities and that's how they found a husband.

I really liked the manner of the narrative, it emphasized the strong community of women, how they all worked and lived together and on top of a volcano and their customs and traditions. The steamy relationship between Michael and Mair, how it evolved, her being willing to leave the island and despite her fears of not being good enough.

I come from a seafaring family, all of my ancestor on my mother's side were fishermen or deckhands and my dad was a member of the Australian merchant navy and it's hard to ignore the lure of the sea and especially when it's in your blood, I loved Ms. French's well written and entertaining nautical historical mystery, I could relate to many of the aspects in the story and five stars from me.

Sisterhood

Sisterhood by Cathy Kelly
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When we first meet Louise Fielding, she’s standing on a wild Atlantic beach in Ireland, the day after her fifty birthday and she’s wondering what just happened and is it true? Emily organized her mum’s birthday party and like normal Lou’s husband Ned didn't do a thing and couldn't even buy her a present. On the big night her mother Lillian decides to reveal a hidden secret and in front of all the guests. Lou is upset, hurt and embarrassed and her sister Toni helps her and she's recently found out her life with her actor husband Oliver is in crisis and a mess.

Toni comes up with the idea of them both having a break, travel to Sicily and try to find a painter called Angelo Mulraney. They add a third musketeer to their group, Trinity McNeil, a young woman who’s trying to work out what she’s going to do, and the three ladies fly to Sicily.

While on the Mediterranean island Lou gets to have a much needed break, she spends quality time with her sister and Trinity, have fun and relax and try to solve the secret her thoughtless mother revealed.

The story focuses on Lou’s relationships, how she's the sensible and reliable one and people have been taking what she does for granted for too long. Lou has worked as a florist for twelve years, when a new management position is created and she can’t believe it when she’s overlooked for the job.

I received a digital copy of Sisterhood from Cathy Kelly from HarperCollins Publishers Australia and NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review. I think many women can relate to Lou’s character, she’s a people pleaser and can never say 'no' to anyone and let’s people walk all over her. The story brings up relevant topics such as, not being treated fairly and sexual harassment in the work place, empty nest syndrome, getting too comfortable in a relationship and not putting enough effort in, lack of communication and expressing your feelings, anxiety and depression.

The eldest daughter in families seem to be cursed, I'm one and we like to do things perfectly every time and are born sensible, the narrative made me feel all kinds of emotions from anger, sadness and I laughed out loud at times and four stars from me.

Sisters of Belfast

Sisters of Belfast: A Novel by Melanie Maure
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Twin sisters Aelish and Isabel McGuire lived with their parents in Belfast, they thought they were safe in Ireland and until they’re home on Donegall Street’s bombed on Easter Tuesday by the Germans in 1941.

Aelish was taken to an orphanage called the Sisters of Bethlehem and Isabel was hurt and goes to hospital. The girls are reunited, while Aelish forms a bond with Sister Mike, Isabel struggles and resents what’s happened to them and as a teenager she rebels. Isabel leaves Ireland and marries Declan Kelly and they live in Newfoundland and he’s a fisherman. Aelish is a devout catholic, she becomes a nun and it seemed the right thing to do?

The sisters don’t see each other for years, unaware of each others issues, in 1955 Aelish travels to Newfoundland because Isabel is unwell and she has twin babies and Declan needs help. Tragedy seems to follow the sisters, when they return to Ireland and both have to face the pain of the past.

Isabel has to find the courage to tell the truth about what happened to her when she was sixteen, Aelish knows nothing about it and in doing so she uncovers a terrible injustice that’s been happening at the Whitehall Mother & Babies Home.

I received a digital copy of Sisters of Belfast by Melanie Maure from HarperCollins and Edelweiss Plus in exchange for an honest review. The debut novel investigates historic events like the Belfast Blitz that I knew nothing about, how orphans, unwed mothers and their babies were treated in Ireland and it's truly shocking.

The narrative looks at why women chose to become nuns and many did to escape marriage, and becoming mothers and grandmothers and gods work was more spirited. The trials of being a woman, unplanned and pregnancy loss, shame and secrets, abuse, the love between sisters and the happy memories they had of living with their parent, and how it’s never too late to chance your mind and take a different path.

Four stars from me, spanning from 1941 to 2016, a dual timeline historical saga about survival, hope and forgiveness.

Sisters of Fortune

Sisters of Fortune by Anna Lee Huber
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sisters of Fortune is based on three young women who boarded the RMS Titanic on the 10th of April 1912, with their mother, father and younger brother and being passengers on the doomed first voyage. Their father Mark Fortune decided to treat his wife Mary, daughters Alice, Flora, and Mabel and youngest son Charlie to a grand tour, visiting Italy, France, Greece, the Middle East and Egypt.

Alice is both worried and excited about the journey home, she had her palm read by a fortune teller in Cairo and he told her she faced danger every time she travelled by sea and waiting for her in Winnipeg, Canada is her fiancé Holden Allen and she’s confused about her feelings for him.

Flora is engaged to a banker Crawford Campbell, he didn't mind delaying their wedding and she’s only had one letter from him the whole time they have been away. Flora meets tennis player Chester Kingey, he’s handsome and charming and she develops feelings for him and how can she break off her engagement and what will her parents think?

Mabel has fallen in love with a jazz musician, her parents are horrified and her father organised the Grand Tour to get her away from him. Mabel doesn’t really want to settle down, she would like to be a suffragette and go to college and her father's against further education for women.

As we know the Titanic hits an iceberg on the 15th of April 1912, you read about how luxurious the ship was and it was huge, the family has three rooms, a steward to take care of their needs and they ate in the opulent dining room and took the elevator because Mrs. Fortune didn’t want to climb stairs. When you read a story about the Titanic it can be a little predictable, the unsinkable ship and most technological advanced vessel at the time, with it’s sixteen reinforced compartments, it breaks in half and sinks to the bottom of the North Atlantic Ocean.

I received a copy of Sisters of Fortune from Kensington Book in exchange for an honest review. Using real and fictional characters Anna Lee Huber writes a narrative that makes you think about the time after the Titanic hits the iceberg, the uncertainty and disbelief the passengers felt, the bravery of the crew and men who stayed aboard. Many of the women had to be dragged away from their male relatives, despite them wanting them to get on a lifeboat and what they witnessed afterwards. On the Carpathia survivors spent their time scanning the ocean hoping more lifeboats would be found, when the word came there was no more and they said the sorrow and sound of grief and loss was something they would never forget or want to experience ever again.

I found the story prior to the sinking of the Titanic a little slow and Ms. Huber ups the pace when she writes about the mighty ocean liner sinking, afterwards and the survivors arriving in New York, with so much empathy and I felt more of a connection to the characters and four stars from me.

Counting the Cost

Counting the Cost by Jill Duggar
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have always found the Duggar family interesting, and have watched a few episodes of 19 Kids and Counting on YouTube, and I did wonder if behind the scenes were they as happy as they seemed?

Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar attended a meeting of the Institute in Basic Life Principals and listen to the preacher Reverend Bill Gothard and his ideas. The gathering was full of ‘Model Families’ parents with lots of children, dressed identically and were all well behaved. Jill felt like she belonged, she no longer felt like the Duggar’s were strange, they fitted in and she had no idea it would change the direction of life and her relationship with her siblings and parents.

Jill Duggar and her husband Derick Dillard are ready to share their personal experiences of being on the show, how the manipulation started just prior to their wedding and Jill didn’t understand why she had to sign paperwork and what it was for? Jill was the second eldest daughter, for the age of eight she had a baby on her hip, helped out with the cooking, wore dresses and was home-schooled. The bible taught her the man was the head of the household, he made the decisions and his wife and children did what he said and even when they were adults.

Derick grew up in a Christian home, but it wasn’t as strict as Jill’s, he attended a public school, went to college and travelled to El Salvador to work as a missionary and he knew what it was like to live in the real world and Jill didn't. Derick was doing his own tax return and he asked who filed hers, she explained that her father did her taxes and he asked Jill about how much money did she make when she was in the television show for over ten years and why she didn’t have any savings?

When Derick asked Jim Bob and Michelle about this, it didn’t go well and they were extremely vague about how much money they were paid for each episode, including the telecast of Jill and Derick’s wedding and magazine shoot for the birth of their first child.

Jill started to look at her childhood and being on TV from a different perspective, she was never asked if she wanted to participate, the Big House would be full production and camera crews, and when it started a twelve year old Jill felt uncomfortable being filmed and that feeling never went away.

Through the support of Derick and lots of tears, therapy and struggling with her mental health, and constantly questioning her choice to rock the boat, and no longer being the sweet and obedient daughter. Jill meets Christian women who wear pants, have piercings and even tattoos all the things her parents said were ungodly and a sinful and the sky didn't fall down.

Five stars from me, I enjoyed Counting the Cost by Jill Duggar, Derick Dillard and Craig Borlase. I don't feel the book was written out of spite, Jill loves her parents and siblings and still keeps in contact with them and except for one of her brothers. It's Jill Duggar's personal story, she no longer wants to be on television and controlled by her parents and she now lives a normal life with her husband and three children.

Red Dirt Home

Red Dirt Home by Renae Black
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Paige Bennett is employed as a station hand on Whitetail Ridge in Western Queensland, Australia. Paige loves her job, riding horses and her best friend Ryan works next door and he’s a helicopter pilot. One night her life is turned upside down, she’s attacked by a person Paige thought she could trust and she loses her job.

After having a big fight with his father Marcus, Jackson Brady leaves Karilga, and is enjoying playing in a band in Brisbane. When he receives bad news about his Dad, Jackson's faced with a difficult choice to make and of course he goes home. Paige has always thought Jackson was irresponsible, didn’t take things seriously, lazy and more interested in chasing women and drinking beer than doing a hard day's work?

With Marcus out of action and his wife Ange staying with him, they need extra help at Karilga and Jackson employs Paige. No one else seems to notice, but she’s very quiet, and looks really tired and Jackson's worried about her. Paige is having nightmares about what happened and can't sleep, she's been looking at job adds and is considering leaving the channel country.

Jackson wants to prove to his father that he’s finally gown up and he's reliable and with the help from the staff at Karilga, he starts running the station and getting it ready for when his father returns and he’s not sure what sort of reception he’s going to get from his old man.

Paige has to learn to trust again, and she shocked when it’s Jackson who's the one to support her and makes her feel safe, and does she have courage to go one step further and report the incident?

I received a copy of Red Dirt Home by Renae Black from NetGalley and Harlequin Australia in exchange for an honest review. I read and enjoyed Ms. Black’s previous book in the series On the Down Low and it was great catching up with the interesting mix of Aussie characters again, Marcus, Ange, Ryan, Hallie, Alice, Charlie, Cookie, Jonno, Danni and all the kids and I must admit I didn’t really like Jackson before.

Some Australian blokes can take a while to grow up, they drink too much and only want to have a good time and move on. This sums up the old Jackson, but on the other hand when you’re family own a property for generations, it puts a lot of pressure and expectation on the person who’s going to inherit it and they don’t want to be the one to fail and stuff it up.

An emotional and well written narrative by Ms. Black, her story includes topics that have to be handled tactfully and with sensitivity, violence against women, sexual abuse, bullying in the work place and the victim thinking no one will believe them if they speak up and it feels like the perpetrator has all the power.

Five stars from me, and Renae Black is the newcomer in Australian rural fiction and she certainly has what it takes to be successful author and I look forward to reading her next novel.

The Wartime Book Club

The Wartime Book Club by Kate Thompson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Grace and Bea are best friends, they grew up in St Helier, Jersey, the island is a beautiful tranquil haven, with it’s blue seas and sandy bays, pink granite farmhouses and lush meadows. The Germans are poised to attack, around seven thousand people have already fled and on the 30th of June 1940, the air bombardment begins and they easily invade the small isle.

Grace works as a librarian and Bea is a postwoman and both have no idea how they and the other residents will suffer during the occupation. Grace knows the Germans have a long list of banned books, she and her fellow librarian Ash hide the books before the soldiers arrive and they don’t want them to be burnt. Bea works at the Broad Street Post Office, she delivers mail and of course the mail services to and from England stop, she and her fellow posties take part in small acts of defiance.

Grace decides to start The Wartime Library Book Club, it has to be approved by the German officials first, she needs to provide a list of what they will be reading and discussing and a guard attends. The situation on Jersey gets worse, with food shortages, despite having a vegetable gardens and foraging, out breaks of diseases and no medicine to treat patients, everyone’s clothes are hanging off them and some of the women to start dating German soldiers and get called nasty names.

Each chapter starts off with the name of a banned book and suits overall theme of the narrative, how reading and novels provided an escape, a way to pass the time and I now truly understand the real power of books and how they can unite people and give them hope.

I received a copy of The Wartime Book Club by Kate Thompson from Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Based around true events and real people Ms. Thompson gives the reader an in-depth look at what it was like to live on Jersey during the Second World War and from a woman’s perspective. They helped and supported each other, hid escaped prisoners and tried to keep up morale.

A story about friendship, bravery, resistance, selflessness, camaraderie, compassion and being part of a community and sticking together. It highlights how difficult it was for the people at the time, being completely shut off from the mainland and I can’t imagine how isolated and let down they must have felt.

Five stars from me, please read the author's notes at the end, it tells you which charters were in fact real people and it's one of the best historical fiction books I have devoured this year. I highly recommend The Wartime Book Club and Ms. Thompson's previous novel The Little Wartime Library.

The Uncharted Flight of Olivia West

The Uncharted Flight of Olivia West by Sara Ackerman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Olivia West is a teenage girl and the daughter of a fisherman from San Diego who desperately wants to learn to fly, she works doing odd jobs at a flight school hoping one day she would get a chance to train to be a pilot and her perseverance pays off.

James Dole, the owner of the Hawaiian Pineapple Company and known as the “Pineapple King” comes up with the idea of an air race, from San Diego to Honolulu, flying over 2,400 miles crossing the Pacific Ocean and Livy wants to take part. Olivia discovers only men can register to be pilots, she meets with Felix Harding the owner of a monoplane and Livy's to be his navigator.

The story has a dual timeline its set in 1927 and 1987 and told from the two female main characters points of view Olivia West and Wren Summers.

Wren Summers is a struggling artist, her boyfriend cheated on her and she's broke. Wren can’t believe when she inherits a remote piece of land on the Big Island with nothing on it but a dilapidated barn and an overgrown macadamia nut grove.

Wren parents separated when she was a toddler, her mother has remarried and Wren hasn’t tried to find her father, and the land belonged to three of his aunts and for some reason it was left to her. Wren’s drawn to the place and changes her mind about selling it, the barn is full of old junk and something large shrouded by a tarp and she needs help to uncover it.

Wren meets Pono Willard, his family own a ranch nearby and his hobby is fixing cars. Wren starts working at the Malama Care Home, despite having no experience in aged care and she hopes someone will remember The Dole Derby and what happened to Olivia West?

I received a copy of The Uncharted Flight of Olivia West by Sara Ackerman from HarperCollins and Edelweiss Plus in exchange for an honest review. Ms. Ackerman is one of my favorite historical fiction authors and I was looking forward to reading her latest novel, combine her extensive knowledge of Hawaii and her writing skills and it makes for an exceptional and interesting story.

Both of the main characters are strong women, determined and Olivia overcomes the odds that are stacked against her, by becoming a pilot and getting the chance to cross the Pacific Ocean by plane, at the time it was dangerous and anything could go wrong in the twenty seven hour flight? Olivia could not only read a compass and maps and she was taught weather patterns and how to find her way using the stars by her father and it could be a lifesaving skill?

The stand out characters for me are Olivia, Wren, Heath, Pono, Mrs. Wagner, Myra, Scout and Pa’a the dogs, the motto of the story is go after what you want and defy the odds. The connection between the two women, sixty years apart is touching and took me by surprise and five stars from me.

Mockingbird Summer

Mockingbird Summer: A Novel by Lynda Rutledge
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Kathryn “Corky” Corcoran lives in a town called High Cotton, in Texas and she’s thirteen. Corky loves to read and the town's librarian gives her a copy of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee and some parts she doesn’t understand and no one's willing to explain it to her.

Corky gets rather annoyed by everyone’s attitude, she does ask a lot of questions and how is she going to learn about things by staying silent. Her dad owns the drugstore in town, he worries about his wife's health and he employs a Haitian housekeeper and she brings along her sixteen year old daughter American and Corky finds her fascinating.

Corky lends her the copy of To Kill a Mockingbird, she’s rather shocked when America’s reaction is very different to her own, it's been thirty years since it was written and not much has changed, High Cotton is a segregated town, the white population lives on the North-side of the train line and the coloured folk live on the South-side.

Corky discovers America can run fast as the Olympian athlete Wilma Rudolph, she asks her to play in the annual church softball game, The Baptist girls verses the Methodist girls and she has no idea she’s about to create trouble and mayhem, not everyone in High Cotton wants a coloured teenager playing baseball, Corky is rather naive and especially about racism and people’s attitude towards people of colour.

I received a copy of Mockingbird Summer by Lynda Rutledge from Lake Union Publishing and in exchange for an honest review. The story explores the main characters Corky’s thoughts and feelings and I would class it as young adult novel and teenagers could relate to this book and learn a lot from reading it.

Corky is a chatty whirlwind and a tomboy, other characters influenced the narrative and added more emotion to the story, like her mother Belle and father Cal jr, brother Mack, America, Reverend Pete and Roy Rogers the dog. Three and a half stars from me and a tale about a young girl growing up, trying to make sense of what's happening around her, striving to be a better person and during a difficult time.

The 1960’s the United States was poised on the eve of change, customs and their way of life, segregation and racism, the Civil Rights Movement and of course the Vietnam War were all about to start.

The Pieces of Us

The Pieces of Us by Caroline Montague
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Marina and Hugh once thought they were the luckiest couple, they met and fell in love in Italy and had a baby girl Francesca. When she passes away in her sleep, grief creates a barrier between them and they decide to move to England. Hugh inherited Thorncliffe Hall three years ago, he feels it's time for him to try and salvage the rundown and overgrown estate.

Marina finds England bleak, cold and if it wasn’t for the kindly caretakers of the property she doesn’t know how she would have coped. Hugh decides to show Marina the sights of London, it doesn’t help their relationship and they do find a china coffee pot, decorated by a flying fox through the night sky and Marina wants to find out who made it. Marina uncovers the link the pot has to the Derrington family and they originally owned both Thorncliffe Manor and Diligence Works. Marina discovers a memoir written by Elody Cole a ward of Lord Derrington and she stayed at Thorncliffe Hall in the 1920’s.

The story has a dual timeline set in 2017 and in 1925 and it’s told from Marina’s and mainly Elody’s points of view.

Elody's mother wanted her to get away from the pot banks and before she developed Plumbism and it’s caused by the lead paint and it’s dust and it was used to paint pottery. Elody doesn’t feel welcome at Thorncliffe Hall, Lord Derrington was her mother's childhood friend, Lady Derrington and her daughter both look down their noses at her and the son Archie is the spare and the rightful heir died in The Great War. Elody promised her mother she would continue the fight for better working conditions, equal pay for women and she discovers the family have been keeping a secret and it’s been hushed up and not everyone knows the truth.

I received a copy of The Pieces of Us by Caroline Montague from Orion Publishing Group and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. A well written and emotional narrative that looks at topics such as the loss of a child, how people grieve differently and especially women compared to men.

I didn’t know a lot about the making of china and ornaments in England other than the famous Wedgwood Company and of course pottery would have been thrown, painted and glazed by hand. The story explains the demand for expensive plates and dishes ended after The Great War, people simply couldn’t afford it and the market changed.

Five stars from me, the novel has a strong emphasises on the achievements of women, the fight for equality and perseverance. My favourite two characters were Elody and she's an incredible role model and sweet and talented Lucian.

The Memory of Lavender and Sage

The Memory of Lavender and Sage by Aimie K. Runyan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

New York food critic Tempèsta Luddington has always felt like she didn’t fit into her family, her mother Nadajèta died when she was thirteen and two weeks later her snobby grandmother Lucille moved in. Her father runs the Luddington Foundation and it’s a stressful job, and fifteen years later he dies suddenly, and she’s not shocked when the family fortune is left to her younger brother, Wal.

Tempèsta is bequeathed a small inheritance by her mother, she’s no longer has to worry about trying to please her family and not that she ever did. Tempèsta decides to go to France, and she uses the money to buy a rundown manor house in Sainte-Colombe, a small village in Provence, and where her mother was born. When Tempèsta arrives she questions her rash decision to purchase a house online, without viewing the property and the local builder assures her it has good bones.

Tempèsta starts the huge job of cleaning, de-cluttering, having the greenhouse repaired, the manor painted and rewired and she feels happy here. Her main issue is the mayor and owner of the kitchenware shop in town and he doesn’t like her, he’s sure all the Bruèissa women are trouble and witches.

His granddaughter Esètva, her mother’s friend Jenofa and builder Tibèri don’t agree with him, he’s stuck in his ways and all the young people have left Sainte-Colombe, the town looks tired and the school is at risk of being closed.

I received a copy of The Memory of Lavender and Sage by Aimie K. Runyan from Edelweiss Plus and HarperCollins Focus in exchange for an honest review. The author points out at the end of the novel that she doesn’t normally write contemporary fiction, I don’t know why and it’s one of the best books I have read by Ms. Runyan.

A story about discovering your heritage and uncovering secrets and most of all it’s a narrative about finding a place to call home, making true friends, escaping the rat race, being valued and loved, and becoming a member of a community.

I loved how Tempèsta gained confidence, she discovered she had a green thumb and was an amazing cook, and the meanings of the herbs she grew and used and in her teas, recipes and creams. Five stars from me, I didn’t want the story to end and please write a sequel about her brother Wal.

The Memory Library

The Memory Library by Kate Storey
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Sally Harrison lives in Greenwich, England, she's been estranged from her only daughter Ella, who moved to Sydney, Australia over twenty years ago. Each year, on her daughter’s birthday July the 11th at midnight, she adds a new book, with a personal inscription and dedication to Ella and keeps in a library she’s created in her house.

After Ella’s dad suddenly passed away and she was really upset and this caused her to jump to the wrong conclusion and she felt betrayed by her mum and they had a big argument. Ella’s married to Charlie and she has an eight year old daughter Willow and Sally has never met her granddaughter.

When Ella receives a call from her mum's neighbour, she tells her Sally has had a fall, and she reluctantly travels back to England. Ella feels all kinds of emotions returning to her childhood home on Circus Street, when she sees her mum in hospital she’s shocked by how much she’s aged and how frail she is, after she returns home Ella notices her mum isn’t right and is it due to her fall or something else?

Sally has had a positive impact in many people’s lives, she’s provided friendship, a hug when needed and someone who they could share their problems with and without judgement. So how did her relationship with Ella fall apart, she starts looking at her mum from a different perspective, by doing this she not only discovers things about Sally she didn’t know, but herself, and is she following in her father’s footsteps and putting work before family?

I received a copy of The Memory Library by Kate Storey from Avon Books UK and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This is the author’s debut novel in the book club space, what an incredible story and one that will really make you think long after you finished it. A narrative about the power of books, reading and the joy they bring, how they connect and impact people, libraries, friendship, family, love, community and hope. Sally and Ella story is off to a new start, like the beginning of a chapter and five stars from me.

A Sign of Her Own

A Sign of Her Own by Sarah Marsh
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Ellen Lark lost her hearing when she was four years old after catching scarlet fever, she was subjected to bullying by other children in Pawtucket and her older sister Mary stood up for her and they developed a their own form of sign language to communicate.

When Ellen's mother moves back to England and she travels to Boston to stay with grandmother Adeline Lark and she doesn’t like her using sign language or the finger alphabet and at the time many people believed signing isolated deaf people from family and friends, it’s use was limited and stopped them from fitting into society?

Alexander Bell considers learning to speak clearly was the key, articulate words and studying lip movements and it's called oralism. Ellen becomes one of his pupils, initially she’s impressed by his teaching methods and ideas, he’s not a morning person and constantly arrives late and his secretary fills in for him.

Ellen meets Frank McKinney, a deaf and mute man, who introduces her to his family and eventually tells her about the terrible experience he had with Mr. Bell, Ellen is left pondering who the real Alexander Bell is and does he have good intentions?

Ellen moves from Boston to England, she lives with her mother, stepfather Mr. Holmwood and starts courting his nephew Harmon Bradsley. Mr. Bell arrives in England, he wants her to promote his new invention the telephone and she wonders how this will help the hearing impaired? Ellen feels like he betrayed the deaf community, to concentrate on creating the telephone, he wants her to help promote his new product and take his side as there's speculation about lodging of the patent.

I received a copy of A sign of Her Own by Sarah Marsh from Edelweiss and HarperCollins in exchange for an honest review. The author was inspired to write her book after extensive research, reading biographies about Mr. Bell and the true story about a young woman he taught in Boston. Alexander Bells was a scientist, and inventor, he had an interest in genetics and how deafness was inherited in some families.

I had high expectations for this book, I was a little disappointed, as at times it was hard to follow and moved at a tedious pace and I found the dual timeline confusing. Three and a half stars from me, however it was interesting reading about how deaf people were treated years ago, very badly, desperate parents did their best, most tried quack cures and we use much more appropriate terms and words to describe their disability.

Where Butterflies Wander

Where Butterflies Wander by Suzanne Redfearn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

After a tragic accident in her family, Marie Egide thinks a fresh start is what they need, she knows the perfect place, her late grandfather’s house in Merrimack County, in New Hampshire. Marie, her husband Leo, son Brendon and daughters Hannah and Penelope and dog Banjo set of for their adventure, the plan is to spend the summer at the house, tidy it up for sale and move to Farmington.

Marie’s preparations go out the window when she discovers Divina Lister, a return army veteran is living in a cabin on her land and the locals call her “the river witch”, she claims Marie's grandfather told her she could live there for as long as she wants and Davina refuses to leave. Marie gets fixated on her rights, she and Leo have been working hard and paying the rates and taxes on the place for years and Davina has nothing in writing to back up her claim. Battle lines are drawn, and town’s residents become involved and the situation gets extremely tense.

When a fire starts in timberland and it triggers a train of events and both women have to face the pain of their pasts, it's the only way to move forward, they have more in common than they think and will they call a truce to the hostilities?

I received a copy of Where Butterflies Wander by Suzanne Redfearn from Lake Union Publishing and in exchange for an honest review. The narrative looks relevant topics and it makes you think what you would do in situation the two main characters Marie and Davina find themselves in. The message I got from reading the narrative is doing one bad thing doesn’t make a you a bad person, you need to learn from your mistakes and get help to cope with the loss of a loved one or PSTD and you can't escape grief.

I found it sweet how Pen believed her sister Phoebe's spirit lived on in butterflies and she found comfort in speaking to her every day and how can such a young girl be so wise. Four stars from me, perfect choice for readers who enjoy books by Catherine Ryan Hyde and both authors have a similar emotional style of writing.

All My Secrets

All My Secrets by Lynn Austin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

New York, 1898. When Arthur Stanhope III dies unexpectedly, his will reveals that his fortune, company and holiday home in Rhode Island will be passed on to the closed male heir and a clause his grandfather made years ago and he couldn’t change it.

This leaves his mother Junietta, wife Sylvia, and daughter Adelaide in a precarious position, their finances in a mess and they have wait to hear how bad it is from the lawyers. Sylvia, knows she doesn’t have time to waste to ensure Adelaide is launched into society as soon as mourning period passes and quickly find a rich husband. Before anyone in their social circle realizes they’re practically broke, as once this is revealed and they will not be invited to the right places and not be able to live the life their accustomed to. The Gilded Age, in New York lineage, prestige, and coming from old money means everything, and it opens doors that would otherwise be slammed in your face and the women have no time to grieve their loss.

Sylvia’s mother-in-law, Junietta, believes their life needs to change and she wants her granddaughter to make her own decisions and not do what expected of her without understanding she has choices. Junietta is determined to share with Adelaide how she ended up being married to Arthur Stanhope II and her wisdom. At first Sylvia is horrified with her mother-in-law’s plan and despite being married to her son for years and they’re not close and why dredge up the past? Junietta won’t be swayed, she doesn’t believe young ladies should be sheltered from unpleasant situations and events, and it’s like living in a perfect bubble and she want's Adelaide to have a full life and be loved.

As Junietta shares what happened to her fifty years ago, it’s painful and Sylvia discovers she didn’t really know her mother-in-law and she changes her mind and she reveals the tragic events that occurred in her childhood.

Adelaide is taken on a journey, around areas of New York she has never seen by her grandmother, she meets new people and from all walks of life, her traveling companion is a young lawyer Howard Forsythe and he's the son of a preacher.

I received a copy of All My Secrets by Lynn Austin from Edelweiss Plus and Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for an honest review. A story about three generations of women in one family, at different stages of their lives, how they grow closer together as the secrets two of them having been keeping are revealed. It’s better to make a difference in other people’s lives and those who are less fortunate, it’s a far greater legacy than houses, possessions, wealth and social status.

A narrative about reflection and we all commit forgivable sins and you don't need to be religious to understand the authors message in her enlightening and well written book.

The Fallen Woman's Daughter

The Fallen Woman's Daughter by Michelle Cox
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

1923. Gertie Gufftason is seventeen and lives with her large family in a mining shack, in Keystone, Iowa, and she’s rather naïve. When a carnival passes through town Gertie can’t believe it when her father buys tickets for them to go after church, here she meets Lorenzo, he spins her a tale of traveling all over America as a couple and she falls for him and his farfetched story.

Lorenzo is all talk, yes he does work for the carnival and so does his brother Roman, he marries Gertie and leaves her behind for weeks on end in a small town in a rundown house and she too ashamed to go back home and assumes her parents would have washed their hands of her. Lorenzo is impulsive and unpredictable, eventually they do travel to Chicago, and after a series of misunderstandings and setbacks the state removes her two daughters Nora and Patsy and sends them to the Park Ridge School for Girls.

1932. Nora is only eight years old and Patsy is six, she’s sure a mistake has been made, Patsy’s too little to understand, she cries for their mother and the house matron enjoys punishing her. Sundays are visiting days, Nora and Patsy wait for Gertie to arrive and take them home and she never shows up. Gertie isn’t a fallen woman, she’s illiterate, easily mislead and extremely unlucky in love. Her girls will be given an education at the Park Ridge, she makes the choice for them to stay for the time being and believes one day they will all be reunited.

Finally they are and Nora isn’t happy to see her and Patsy is really excited. Patsy seems to be following in her mother’s footsteps, she’s restless like her father Lorenzo and acts impulsively and Gertie puts it down to her gypsy blood. Nora doesn’t want to be like her mother and sister, she gets a good job, marries her best friend's brother and has two sons. As the years go by, the trauma and emotionally stress of her childhood, catches up with Nora, she feels like she's always had to be the strong and sensible one and when her mother wants to make peace with her past, Nora discovers she’s judged her mum rather harshly and she was clueless and made assumptions about events.

I received a digital copy of The Fallen Woman’s Daughter by Michelle Cox from Woolton Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Spanning from 1923 to 1963, the multi-generational story is based around a tale the author heard over thirty years ago and she thought it would make for an interesting and thought provoking basis for her book.

It certainly does, a narrative about a mother and her two daughters, and how she wishes she could turn back time and her regrets and biggest fears are revealed. Four stars from me and perfect for fans of historical fiction sagas.

Queen of Clubs

Queen of Clubs by Beezy Marsh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Alice Diamond was a gangland and hoisters queen, she was betrayed by the one person she thought she could trust, and her own brother, she’s gone to ground and changed her name.

Nell Kane owns a night club with her partner James Feeney, she still steals luxury goods during the day and at night she’s dresses to impress in silk dresses and furs. She considers herself the new queen, but with the Detective Chief Inspector Walter Munro looking for excuses to raid her club, and Jimmy when comes up with an idea of making them richer than they could ever imagine with a big heist, her world comes crashing down and she has her little girl Ruby to care for and protect.

Zoe's life changed for the better when she was sent to the country as an evacuee, now the war is over and she can’t stand living with her slovenly mother and she leaves. A job falls into Zoe's lap and she earns good money dancing in Nell’s club, she’s flattered when Vinnie Partridge wants her to be his girl, and she’s playing with fire in more ways than one. Zoe has been sent to the club as a spy, she has no idea whose she’s really working for and how toxic and dangerous the people she mingles and associates with are.

Set in 1957, crime gangs, crooked cops and the Teddy Boys, with their drainpipe trousers and ripple shoes rule the streets of London, engaging in violent clashes and attacks on immigrants. The narrative takes you from hang outs in abandoned bomb shelters, clubs in Soho and to Notting Hill where slum landlords didn't care about their tenants and before it became a posh suburb.

The Queen of Clubs follows on from Beezy Marsh’s first book The Queen of Thieves, thanks to HarperCollins Publishing and Edelweiss Plus for my copy in exchange for an honest review and readers get to catch up with familiar characters and some new ones.

The 1950’s were a time of change, the war was over and so was rationing, people wanted to enjoy themselves, there was a demand for luxury dresses, layers of petticoats and furs. Lots of things fell off the back of a truck, and were sold in pubs and in the back streets and it was a common practice. Women still struggled, they were used, and abuse and many turned to alcohol and drugs to cope and forget.

Four stars from me, I enjoyed reading about the ups and downs of the notorious and back stabbing English underworld and I can’t wait for the next book in the series Queen of Diamonds.

To the Wild Horizon

To the Wild Horizon by Imogen Martin

1843. Grace Sinclair needs to leave Independence, Missouri in a hurry, as a single woman on her own and with her ten year old brother Tom to look after and it’s not safe for her to stay any longer. They sign up for a wagon train leaving the next day, she has to tell a small white lie to Captain James Randolph about her marital status and because they don’t let single women travel to Oregon. Grace is extremely capable, she's looked after Tom since her parents passed away and they want to join their older brother Zachary in the West and give him on a message and a legacy left to him by their father.

James Randolph is a Captain in the army and he and his platoon will be escorting the travelers as far as Fort Laramie, where they can stock up on supplies and anyone who wants to can turn back, some of his company will stay and he will get new replacements. Even with the army escort traveling the whole way across the Great Plains the journey will be dangerous, long days of getting up at sunrise, spent either driving or walking alongside the wagon, collecting firewood and preparing food, feeding and watering animals, dealing with changes in the weather and illness, fixing broken wheels and axles and the threat of being attacked by Indians.

The trek is hard, especially when you’re keeping a secret like Grace is, she forms a bond with the women she’s traveling with, especially Eunice Turner, Lillian Hollingswood, and Mrs. Eliot and her daughter Jane. Captain Randolph has competed this expedition before, he knows how difficult it will be and he’s a great leader. But this can give people the impression that he’s stern, aloof and uncaring and that’s not the case at all.

As they get further into the trip, the chances of Indian attack increase, the men assume the women’s roles will be stay out of the way and protect the children, Grace can shoot a gun better than most men and she thinks all the ladies should know how to protect themselves, be able to load and reload a gun quickly and take part in defending the wagon train. The friction and tension between the two main characters Grace and Randolph certainly adds drama to the narrative, she discovers the Captain is a fair and good man, the sparks fly between them and what will he do when he uncovers she been keeping two secrets from him!

I received a copy of To the Wild Horizon by Imogen Martin from Storm Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Another well written and interesting historical fiction tale by Ms. Martin and I really liked how it emphasises it wasn’t just men who travelled the Oregon Trail but women right alongside them. They needed to have the same amount of courage, determination, stamina and adaptability as their male counterparts and at time when they weren’t valued or seen as equals. Five stars from me, I highly recommend Ms. Martins latest book and her previous one Under a Gilded Sky. I love a good Western story and this ticked all the right boxes for me.

The Dancer's Promise

The Dancer's Promise by Olivia Horrox
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Grace and Clementine Harrington are left to their own devices, after their father tragically dies of influenza and their mother takes to her bed. Grace is the eldest and she works at The London Library and Clementine is a talented ballet dancer and she’s been taking lessons at Madame Lebedev’s School of Ballet since she was a young girl.

Both young ladies are tired of just scraping by and the house is getting rather rundown and shabby, their mother has sold off everything of value, Grace sees no other option but for her to find a rich husband and Clementine wants to earn a scholarship to a prestigious ballet school and dreams of touring the world as a ballerina and making her fortune.

August Draper, an American moves into the house next door, he’s single and works as the Assistant Director at the Botanic Gardens and Grace sets her sights on the eligible bachelor. Clementine has always lived in her sister’s shadow, her mother is very nasty to her, a bully and has made her feel like an ugly duckling.

The question is will Grace succumb to the pressure her mother is putting on her, or does she love someone else, will she stand up for herself and go against her mother's wishes? Clementine has her own problems, she’s almost eighteen, her mother wants her to get a job, ending her dreams of being a ballerina and if Grace marries she will be tapped.

I received a copy of The Dancer’s Promise by Olivia Horrox from Embla Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The interesting narrative is set in the mid 1930’s in England and it looks at the relationship between the sisters, despite Grace being her mother’s favourite, the sisters are close and Clem wants her sister to be happy and marry for love.

I really like how the story focuses on Clementine wanting to be a ballerina, the lessons she takes at the dance school, the chemistry between her and Rudolf Lebedev the son of her teacher, they dance beautifully together, the dedication it takes and how competitive it is, and the hours and hours of practice.

A novel about deciding whether to follow your dreams or running from them, not knowing what path to take in life and don't ignore what you feel in your heart. Four stars from me and I'm keen to read the author's previous book Beautiful Little Fools.

On the Down Low

On the Down Low by Renae Black
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Hallie Harris gets as far away from the city as possible, after she discovers her boyfriend is cheating and not just on her. Hallie want's a complete change, she travels to Western Queensland and Karilga, a remote cattle station, and to be a teacher. Her boss Marcus Brady explains the rules, no going anywhere without telling anyone and always take water with you, everyone has extra chores and including the children, and things like doing dishes and helping with cattle mustering.

Ryan Walker is one of two helicopter pilots employed at the station, he’s twenty eight, single and his room is next door to Hallie’s in the bunkhouse. Ryan is reserved and a little shy, he’s used to chasing down rouge cattle hiding amongst scrub and flying his black heli low and in the dangerous dead man's zone. When it comes to a gorgeous city girl, he feels like he doesn’t have a chance and especially when Jackson his friend and the boss’s son has her in his sights. Jackson is a smooth talking ladies man and not that Hallie’s falling for his pickup lines. Hallie has her hands full controlling the two eldest boys, they are behind in their learning, she tries everything she can to get them interested in school, finish their assignments and not be a victim of one of their pranks.

Hallie is scared of heights, Ryan offers to take her for an early morning ride in his heli and she agrees, that's when I knew she trusted him and there was certainly a lot of chemistry between the two main characters and it was simmering away and unfortunately the dusty road to love isn’t always easy in the outback.

I enjoyed On the Down Low by Renae Back, it was really interesting reading about living and working on a remote Australian cattle station, how everyone contributes and it’s a tight night community. The skill in mustering cattle by helicopter is amazing, I actually Googled it and like most Aussie girls I wanted to be a jillaroo when I grew up. Five stars from me and I can’t wait to read Ms. Black’s new book Red Dirt Home and it’s due to be released on the 6th of March 2024.

The Lost Child

The Lost Child by Kathleen McGurl
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

1912. The Carpathia is a transatlantic passenger steamship, aboard are Medeleine and Ralph Meyer and they are going on a European holiday. Ralph is a New York journalist and they can’t believe it when they hear whispers from the crew that the unsinkable Titanic has hit an iceberg and on it's maiden voyage. The Carpathia was the only ship in the area that could come to the survivors aid and they had no idea what they would find when they arrived at the location two hours later.

Madeleine tries to be useful and offers assistance to people as they make it on to the deck of the Carpathia. A stewardess from the Titanic called Violet Jessop hands her a baby and a woman quickly grabs the child and disappears into the crowd. Meanwhile Lucy Watts searches the decks for her baby Norah, she was given to a woman by her husband as the last lifeboat was launched, and she can’t find her anywhere. Madeleine helps Ralph who knows the story could be his major scoop, by interviewing the female survivors, and she meets Lucy, she promises to be on the lookout for an unaccounted infant and there seems to be some confusion around how many babies Lucy had?

The lost Child has a dual timeline and is told from the two main charters points of view, Madeleine and Jackie and a hundred and ten years apart.

2022. Jackie works for an antiques collector, he buys lots at auctions and Henry desperately wants to add to his White Star Line collection. While going through his latest boxes of acquisition, Jackie finds a notebook containing the stories of women who were aboard the Titanic when it hit the iceberg and were saved by the Carpathia. Jackie eventually works out it was written by Madeleine Meyers and one story in particular pulls at her heartstrings and it's about a lady called Lucy who lost her baby. Jackie is in her mid-thirties, she wants to start a family with her long term partner, she feels a real connection to both Medeleine and Lucy and her missing infant.

Both women’s stories are interesting and you’re drawn into their worlds, Madeleine doing what she can to help the survivors of the Titanic and you discover what happened aboard the Carpathia before it arrived in New York and Jackie who’s just spent the last two years battling the Covid pandemic and lock-downs and both women have suffered personal loss and don’t know if they will be blessed with the gift of raising a child themselves.

I received a copy of The Lost Child by Kathleen McGurl from HQ Digital and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Using real facts and details about passengers and the sinking of the Titanic and the Carpathia the ship that came to their rescue Ms. McGurl has written a interesting narrative that's thoroughly researched, and gives the reader a new and fresh insight into the world's most famous maritime tragedy.

Can you imagine how the families of the passengers aboard the Titanic's first voyage felt when they heard the ship might have sunk in North Atlantic Ocean, many didn’t believe it and all sorts of theories and ideas were shared by the press over the few days it took for the Carpathia to reach New York?

The author mentions in the story the new communication invention the Titanic and Carpathia both used, I had never heard about it before and it was a life saver. I highly recommend reading The Lost Child, and it’s an engrossing story that will stay with you long after you have turned the last page and it made me feel really emotional. I especially liked Ms. McGurl's dedication and she thanks my book friend Cindy Spear and fellow Australian blogger and I admire them both. Five stars big stars from me and a must read.

Maya's Dance

Maya's Dance by Helen Signy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

1939, Maya Schulze is thirteen and she lives with her mother Rosa and stepfather Franz and grandmother Omi in Brno Czechoslovakia, her stepfather assures the ladies they are safe and despite the bad news on the radio. By 1943, the family have had their business and grandmother’s apartment taken and are told they must report to a school and are send to a work camp called Sawin, fourteen kilometres from Chelim and in Eastern Poland.

On arrival, men, women and the elderly are separated, and Maya and her mother Rosa stay together. Their given two meagre meals twice a day and are made to work building drainage ditches in swampy land and so the Germans can grow wheat. Teodor Ondyt is the commandant of the camp, and he's a bully and a narcissist.

Maya tries to stay hopeful, she studied three forms of dance before the war, she stills find the energy to dance, and it makes her feel free and it's something that can’t be taken from her. Jan Novak is a member of the Polish Guard and he was studying to be an engineer before the war started and he’s assigned to the camp to oversee the building of the drainage channels, he notices Maya dancing and they develop feelings for each other.

Maya lives for their stolen moments together, Jan makes her heart and soul sing. Jan knows everyone’s days in the camp are numbered, he works out a way for Maya to escape and promises he will find her when the war is over and that’s easier said than done.

The story has a dual timeline and is told from the two main characters points of view Maya and Kate and it’s extremely easy to follow.

1995, Kate Young is an English journalist, she’s been working in Sydney, Australia for six months when she's sent to cover the ceremony for 50th anniversary of the Holocaust and here she meets Maya, and she asks Kate to help her find Jan and she has no idea where to start. Maya has dementia and it’s getting worse, at times Maya lives in her own world, and Kate has to sort fact from fiction and try to locate Jan Novak and it turns out to be a very common name in Poland.

I received a copy of Maya’s Dance by Helen Signy, from Simon & Schuster Australia and in exchange for an honest review. The author was inspired to write her book after hearing about a Jewish teenager who escaped Sawin Concentration Camp, she fell in love with a Polish engineer, he hid her and she lived undercover.

The well written and thoroughly researched narrative is a story about war, love, hardship, survival, friendship, dementia and how it affected Holocaust survivors in different ways. Four stars, the important message I got from this book is dance like no one is watching, live and enjoy life and especially for those who no longer can.

The Garden of Lost Secrets

The Garden of Lost Secrets: A captivating WW2 dual timeline novel of love, loss, and resilience for 2023! by Kerry Barrett
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

1943. Gloria Henry is seventeen and her mother Rose is lost in her own grief after her husband and Gloria’s dad Geoffrey was killed at the beginning of the war. When the American GIs arrive in the quaint Cotswolds village and it causes quite a stir, and an officer moves into Honeyford House. Gloria meets Jerome Scott, like her he loves to read, they have a lot in common and they start to fall in love.

The locals treat all American soldiers the same, but they notice those who are coloured are discriminated against by their own army, who enforce segregation and this causes tension in the village. When the pub won’t ban the coloured soldiers from entering and it creates major problems between the locals and white American soldiers and you can guess who they take out their frustration and anger on. One night it gets completely out of hand and with terrible consequences for Gloria and Jerome.

The story has a dual timeline, it’s told from the two main characters points of view, Gloria and Philippa and it’s very easy to follow.

Present day. Philippa and Marco Costello need a fresh start, London is full of reminders of their struggle with infertility and failure to have children. They buy a rundown Honeyford Manor, the plan is to repair the old home to it’s former glory, open a restaurant and wedding venue.

One day Philippa decides it’s time to tackle the large garden, it’s over grown with brambles and weeds. She stumbles across a hidden statue and what looks to be a memorial to a baby? While Philippa wants to find out the truth, but Marco gets really upset and it drives a wedge between them. Philippa with help from Vanessa, Jackie from the museum in Honeyford village and using the internet they start putting the pieces of the historical puzzle together and hopefully Philippa and Marco will work out their own relationship issues?

I received a copy of The Garden of Lost Secrets by Kerry Barrett from HQ digital and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The story raises some really relevant topics and issues, such as how the British civilians felt about African American soldiers during The Second World War, they didn't believe in segregation and I had no idea the soldiers gave out sweetheart pins.

It covers Philippa's struggles with being a foster child, not being able to have children of her own and she feels like a failure, how the couple thought they had accepted their lost pregnancies and being childless. No one ever does by the way, life is hard, messy, complicated and heart-breaking but it goes on and time doesn’t stop for anyone. The ending wasn't predictable and I really liked how the story emphasises how important communities are and sticking together and helping each other in the good times and the bad.

Five stars from me, a well written narrative once again by Kerry Barrett, and she’s sets a very high standard when it comes to creating believable dual timelines, I highly recommend this book and the authors previous release The Book of Lost Letters.

Mr. Jimmy From Around The Way

Mr. Jimmy From Around the Way by Jeffrey Blount
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

James Henry Ferguson makes a big mistake, it costs him his marriage to the love of his life Rebecca and his adult daughters Katherine and Lillian won’t speak to him. What he did is all over the internet and on the news and reporters are stacked out the front of his house.

The preacher's son James leaves his old life behind, he needs a fresh start and a place to hide, and he buys a small house which he has renovated in rural Ham, Mississippi. To say he's shocked when he looks around him is an understatement, the other twenty two houses in his street are falling apart, they don’t have indoor plumbing and the residents live well below the poverty line.

The neighborhood is commonly referred to as “Around the Way” forgotten by the rest of America and the local politician and representative isn’t worried about improving the lives of the coloured residents and he thinks they don’t deserve anything better.

A troubling discovery is made, the whole neighborhood is upset and especially young Juba a young boy who James has befriended, his mother Patrice and stepfather Fountain. James is furious, he’s determined to get justice and it makes him think about his own life, the mistakes he’s made, accept no one is perfect and he can't change the past.

I received a digital copy of Mr. Jimmy from Around the Way by Jeffrey Blount, from Beaufort Books and Edelweiss Plus in exchange for an honest review. What an amazing and inspirational story, the characters are all memorable and unforgettable, including James, Juba and Beech, Miss Septima, Olivia, Yankee, Mary, Dr. Longford, Fountain and Patrice.

A narrative about a billionaire’s fall from grace, his embarrassment and shame and how he fails his family and himself. However in the small town of Ham, Mississippi he becomes a part of a community, he finds acceptance, he does what he can do to help people and knows the best way for them to escape poverty? Education is key, the importance of reading, literacy and having access to books and believing they deserve more and a better life.

Through giving them a hand up and working together it’s amazing what people can achieve and the future suddenly looks bright. However the narrative does cover some difficult subjects, how the press will pay money for trashy stories about famous people and impact of cyber bullying, racism, sexual exploitation of women and their bodies.

Five stars from me, well done to Jeffery Blount, a unique coming of age and finding redemption novel.

Picasso's Lovers

Picasso's Lovers by Jeanne Mackin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Born in Spain Pablo Picasso spent most of his working adult life in France, it’s estimated he drew, painted and created over 20,000 piece of art, but what he was most famous for was his affairs with women, he was a cad and a notorious heart breaker.

American's Sara and Gerald Murphy like to entertain, are friends with talented artists and writers in Paris, including Cole Porter, Ernest Hemingway and Dorothy Parker. They invite Pablo Picasso and his wife Olga to a party they hold on the Seine River and Sara feels drawn to the master and he wants her to model for him. The Murphy’s convince the owner of Hotel du Cap in the French Riviera to stay open for the summer, with their three children, they like to sun-bake, swim and the French weren't fans of the beach and they started a new trend.

The story has a dual timeline and it's set during 1923 and 1953 and is told from two main female characters Sara Murphy's and Alana Olsen's points of view and the connection they had to one of the Lost Generations artist’s Pablo Picasso.

Alana Olsen is an inspiring journalist, her mother Anna has recently passed away and her fiancée William is keen for them to set a date for their wedding. Alana isn’t sure she’s ready to get married, as she sits thinking in her mother’s New York apartment and decides she’s going to write an article about Pablo Picasso for the Art Today magazine.

Alana travels to New Jersey hoping to speak to Sara Murphy as she knew Pablo Picasso and she agrees to be interviewed. As Sara tells Alana about her life, the glamorous and tragic incidents that took place and Sara also discusses what happened between her and Picasso, and they uncover an unexpected connection to her mother Anna and no wonder she took Alana to view his paintings.

I received a copy of Picasso’s Lovers by Jeanne Mackin from Headline and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The author uses real events and people to write about Pablo Picasso and what occurs during the drama filled summer of 1923.

Alana discovers her mother has been keeping secrets from her, Anna had always been very vague about her life prior to courting and marrying her husband and did she meet the great man? A story about Alana not only finding out all she can about Pablo Picasso, it’s about her deciding what she wants to in her own life, she’s been like a ship without a rudder since the loss of her mum and she finds her own course.

I did know a little about Pablo Picasso prior to reading this book, I knew he'd been married several times and he was a womanizer. I was shocked to discover he had a long term relationship with Irene Lagut and I guess you would refer to her as his mistress. I can now understand why some people had a love or hate attitude towards the famous artist, Pablo Picasso was a complex and fascinating man, the perfect person to base a historical fiction novel around, it certainly kept my attention, I highly recommend and five stars from me.

The Phoenix Crown

The Phoenix Crown: A Novel by Kate Quinn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Prior to the devastating earthquake on the 18th of April 1906, San Francisco was a jewel of the West Coast of America, a busy city full of self-made millionaires and three days later it was left a smoking ruin. One of the biggest natural disasters in United States history, over thirty thousand buildings were lost and including The Palace Hotel and Grand Opera House and the mansions on Nob Hill.

Thirteen days before the earthquake hit, Gemma Garland an opera singer, travels to San Francisco to meet up with her best friend Nellie Doyle a nomadic painter. Alice Eastwood is a botanist and she works as a curator at the Californian Academy of Science. Suling Feng lives in Chinatown, her parents have recently passed away, her third uncle has arranged for Suling to get married, to an older doctor and she’s planning to run away.

The women are linked via two reasons a boarding house on Taylor Street and knowing Henry Thornton and all are inevitably tangled up in his evil web of lies and deceit. Henry is a rich and charming railway tycoon, he's interested in the arts and has a large collection of Chinese antiques including The Phoenix Crown a relic of Beijing’s fallen Summer Palace and exotic plants that he shows off at his mansion Octagon House.

Henry informs Gemma she has the best soprano voice he’s ever heard and he wants to be her patron, and he pays Suling to use her skills as an embroideress to repair a dragon robe and thinks she's wasting her talent delivering laundry.

Three women start questioning things about Henry, what happened to Reggie Reynolds and then the earthquake hits. Henry Thornton escapes and five years later, Alice discovers The Phoenix Crown is to be worn at the palace of Versailles and at a costume ball, and Henry had it when they last saw him. The ladies are determined this time he won’t slip away and they come from America and Buenos Aires to Paris and hatch a daring plan to catch him out.

I received a digital copy of The Phoenix Crown by Kate Quinn and Janie Chang from HarperCollins Publishers Australia and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The dynamic duo uses real facts and people to cleverly write and weave a captivating historical mystery story. I didn’t know a lot about the San Francisco earthquake and it was the fires that destroyed what was left of the city and how large the Chinatown district was, made up of mostly single men and American’s didn’t like them and they thought they spread diseases, were responsible for crime, prostitution and opium addiction.

This of course isn't entirely true, Chinatown did have honest businesses, such as laundries and shops and families lived there. I admired Suling’s character, she was smart and fierce, and her last name Feng means Phoenix in Chinese. A story about survival, all of the women rising from the ashes, not letting one greedy man get away with the numerous crimes he committed, getting justice and not giving up. I really liked this narrative, something different and five stars from me.

The Austrian Bride

The Austrian Bride: The BRAND NEW heartbreaking WWII novel from Helen Parusel for 2024 by Helen Parusel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Austria, 1938.
After years of unemployment, food shortages, the prospect of change has everyone in Linz feeling hopeful, the Austrian chancellor resigned and Adolf Hitler is visiting and two weeks before Austrians vote in the Anschluss to decide if they want to become part of Germany. The crowds of people are going crazy, Ella can’t help but become swept up in the excitement and she's accompanied by her handsome boyfriend, Maximilian.

Ella’s parents Franz and Marlene aren’t so sure, they witness the spectacle, and no one will speak out due to fear of reprisals and who knows what the average Austrian thought behind closed doors. Things in Linz start to change immediately for Jewish people, being targeted and humiliated in public. Ella and Marlene have always shopped at the Pisinger's department store, now their shop has been taken over and house because of their religion.

Ella enlists in Austria’s first Reich Bride School, for young ladies who are engaged to German officers or Nazi sympathizers, they learn what their duties will be, look after their husband and he's the head of the household, make sure it’s spotless and have large families. Ella uses this as a chance to mix with the German elite, and pass on any information she overhears or finds.

Max changes and he's no longer the polite man she met, he becomes anti-Jewish, harsh and at times Ella is scared of him, her family doesn't discuss politics with him and she's considering breaking off their engagement. With Europe on the brink of another world war, she worries what would happen to her parents, brother Freddie who’s studying in Vienna and the man she secretly loves.

I received a digital copy of The Austrian Bride by Helen Parusel from Boldwood Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Inspired by Adolf Hitler’s ties to Austria and he was from Braunau am Inn, the Annexation and the authors mother being born in Linz during the Second World War.

An interesting story about women, having the courage to stand up for what they think is right and especially when Ella's childhood friend Hedy is classed as Jewish, both Ella and her mother Marlene are secretly involved in the resistance, it’s extremely dangerous, and at a time when you couldn’t trust anyone.

Four stars from me, I liked Ella's character, the descriptions of Linz, the Danube River, what the two women did to help people who were being persecuted and a perfect read for historical fiction fans of Suzanne Kelman, Ellie Midwood and Amanda Lees.

The Girl From London

The Girl from London by Olivia Spooner
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Ruth Best is a young schoolteacher, due to the Second World War her students have been relocated to the English countryside, she reads about The Children’s Overseas Reception Board or the CORB for short and their looking for volunteers who have experience with countries belonging to the commonwealth or the dominions. Children will be sent to Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and accompanying them will be clergymen, teachers, doctors and nurses, the voyage will take three months, the ship will have an escort and it’s still very dangerous due to the German U-boats.

Fergus McKenzie is reluctant to be with the two boys from his school in Glasgow, he promised his mam he would look after his little sister Rosie and he’s one of Ruth’s charges. The children and adults board the Batory, with a mixture of excitement, anticipation and dread. The evacuees have been told their going on a grand adventure, the children will witness amazing things in their new country, and will not have to worry about bombs or rationing and they will eat lots of fresh food and get plenty sunshine.

The youngsters are leaving behind everything familiar, their family, and many are seasick, homesick and feel sad. Ruth makes friends with nurses Betty and Una and Bobby a New Zealander and fellow volunteer who seems to enjoy stirring Ruth up, when he helps her with Fergus and she can see he’s a nice man.

The story has a dual timeline, it’s set in the 1940’s and in 2005, and told from the two main female characters points of view Ruth and Hazel and I had no trouble following this.

Hazel is leaving New Zealand, to work as a pharmacist in London, her gramps drives her to the airport, and gives her a book with a green cover and tells her to read it on the plane. Hazel isn’t a seasoned traveler, she spills her drink all over a man in the airport and to her horror she's seated next to him on the plane. Hazel and Joe are going to be spending the next twenty two hours together, she pulls out the book, it’s about Ruth and what happened to her during the Second World War, she has no idea why her grandfather would have a copy, why give it to her now and Joe becomes just as interested.

I received a copy of The Girl from London by Olivia Spooner from Hachette Australia and New Zealand in exchange for an honest review. It’s a well written and enthralling story inspired by true events and it will stay with you and long after you have read the last page.

As a parent you have to make difficult choices and they didn’t have a crystal ball, the situation in England was grim and it was looking like the Germans would invade, and the guardians did what they thought was best at the time and sent their children overseas. The same applies for the chaperones, they wanted to help and this was their way of doing so. They formed close bonds with the children and it was very difficult for them to leave them once they arrived and then they faced the dangerous return journey home. Women and children suffered, fought bravely and made sacrifices too.

An emotional narrative that explores the CORB program, love, human spirit, resilience, the uncertainty of war, danger and loss. Five stars from me, I was really invested in this book, the characters and how they were all linked together.

Snowy Moutains Dawn

Snowy Mountains Dawn (A Bundilla Novel #4)

Snowy Mountains Dawn by Alissa Callen

Brenna Lancaster is happily single, she runs her own horse trekking business in the Snowy Mountains high country, gives horse riding lessons in the off season and looks after rescue animals. Brenna is a country girl, she lives in jeans and muddy boots and the only girly thing about her is she loves the colour pink.

Wyatt Killian owns successful finance firm in Sydney and he’s a workaholic and tries not to form romantic attachments. Wyatt takes part in a corporate horse-riding retreat, run by Brenna, the whole idea is to switch off from city life, and mobile phones are banned and reconnect with nature.

Brenna and Wyatt get off to a rocky start, but once they hit the trail, Wyatt remembers just how much he enjoys being around horses and riding and brings back memories of the time he spent with his grandparents as a teenager. Wyatt ends up staying in Bundilla longer than he planned, the only place to rent a room is at the pub called The Bushranger and the local match makers and quilting ladies soon have him in their sights.

Brenna lives at Glenwood Station, her grumpy neighbour Arthur lives next door at Strathdale and his family holds a long term grudge against the Lancaster’s and she has no idea why. When Brenna uncovers some old letters hidden in the attic, she assumes they might have something to do with the start of the feud and the rumours of a gang of bushrangers being active in the area and Brenna, her friends and even Wyatt gets caught up in trying to solve the mystery.

I received a copy of Snowy Mountains Dawn by Alissa Callen from Harlequin Australia and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I loved the three previous books in the Bundella Series, Snowy Mountains Daughter, Snowy Mountains Cattleman and Snowy Mountains Promise and I have been waiting for the next installment and Ms. Callen hasn’t let me down.

I knew the story this time would focus on Brenna and two people who seem to be the complete opposite, and are they and sparks certainly fly between them? I enjoyed catching up with familiar characters from the other books, especially Bundy the wandering cattle dog and Brenna's friends Grace and Hettie. Like all of the authors novels, there's a theme and message included in the story, in this case it’s what happens to children when their emotional needs are not met, they carry the damage done through to adulthood, feel they're not good enough, switch off their emotions and think they don’t deserve love and to be loved.

A narrative about two stubborn people and very set in their ways, who have built up walls to protect themselves and the three things help break them down, both are good people, they love horses and solving a mystery from the past. I love reading well written and authentic Australian rural fiction, with utes and good looking blokes, pull on boots, riding horses and wearing a driza-bone coats, boiling a billy in the bush and having a good cuppa and five stars from me.

The Mayor of Maxwell Street

The Mayor of Maxwell Street by Avery Cunningham
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The story is set in Chicago during the roaring 1920s, the beginning of the Prohibition Era in America and the city is full of corruption and gangsters ruled the streets.

Penelope is the daughter of a wealthy coloured horse breeder Ambrose Sawyer from Kentucky, her family are members of the elite black society, after the unexpected death of her brother Elder, and Nelly goes from being a spare to being an heir. To overcome her grief, Florence Sawyer decides Nelly needs to make her debut at a ball in Chicago and marry a rich man and have babies.

For the past year Nelly has been working secretly undercover as an investigative journalist, for the Chicago Defender, sharing the accomplishments and problems of everyday coloured people. Her latest assignment is to find the mysterious Mayor of Maxwell Street, he’s the leader of one of the biggest crime gangs in Chicago and his identity has been closely guarded. Nelly underestimates how dangerous it is sticking her nose in places it's not wanted, not only is she risking her own safety and she’s oblivious to the fact it could hurt others and have a domino effect.

Nelly meets Jay Shorey, he’s bi-racial and originally from Alabama and has reinvented himself in Chicago, he runs a speakeasy and trouble seems to follow him. Discrimination, racism and hatred is still a problem for people of colour in Chicago, Nelly has been shielded from the worst of this due to her family being rich and while she’s sneaking around looking for the Mayor of Maxwell Street she comes across what it's really like to be a black woman, where your own body is a threat and it’s a big shock.

I received a copy of Avery Cunningham’s novel The Mayor of Maxwell Street from Edelweiss Plus and Sourcebooks in exchange for an honest review. This debut book's touted as a great and epic love story and I really don’t understand why?

Yes, Nelly has two men who could be possible love interests, one being Jay Shorey and the other polo player Thomas Escalante Roche and his family reportedly own half of Mexico. I found it to be a rather long and confusing story, it jumped all over the place, maybe because of the narrative being set in Prohibition era Chicago and it's main focus is on the cities underground and in that case Ms. Avery achieved what she set out to do.

To me it was more of a historical detective/mystery type of novel and a very long one, full of violence, gangs, greed, danger, hidden identities, racism, secrets and a young woman who didn’t know what she was doing, I’m still trying to put it all together, please read the book for yourself and makeup your own mind and three stars from me.

The Chocolate Factory

The Chocolate Factory by Mary-Lou Stephens
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In 1921, Dorothy Adwell a war widow works for Cadbury’s at Bournville, England, when she’s given the opportunity to travel to Tasmania and help establish the firm’s new factory being built at Claremont. A fresh start might be just what Dorothy needs, she misses her husband Freddie and like so many women of her generation all she has left with are her memories of the man she loved. During the sea voyage Dot meets Thomas Moreland, she recognizes the signs of a veteran, he has the haunted and tried look, the war took a toll on men physically and mentally and Dorothy would like to help him and ease his symptoms.

Maisie Greenwood is the eldest of three children, she lives in a weatherboard cottage in Glebe, Hobart and her father died in the war. Maisie and her brother both work, their mother takes in mending and Maisie wants her younger sister Lily to finish school and further her education. Getting a job at Cadbury's Factory would take the pressure off her mother and her failing health, Maisie's very anxious when Mrs. Adwell visits their house for her interview and the company likes to see where the potential employees live (no judgement) and get to know their families.

Maisie’s a nervous wreck on her first day of work, the new girls catch the Cadbury’s train, have a guided tour of the unfinished factory, and Mrs. Adwell explains the process of making chocolate, it’s complicated and hard to believe the bitter tasting beans become the creamy sweet treat people can't resist. Maisie enjoys her job, she's mature for her age, Mrs. Adwell notices and makes her a supervisor in her section. Maisie is chuffed with her promotion and she quite likes Frank Sutton, he repairs the machines and she develops feelings for him.

Dorothy and Maisie are both unknowingly caught up in a plot to uncover the recipe for the most popular chocolate in the world Cadbury’s Dairy Milk, spies posing as employees, plant seeds of doubt in people’s minds about their co-workers, use blackmail as a tactic and acts of sabotage.

I received a copy of The Chocolate Factory by Mary-Lou Stephens from Harlequin Australia and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Wow what an amazing story, full of wonderful and interesting characters like Dorothy, Maisie, Frank, Thomas, Gertie and Lily and each one adds a different outlook and perspective to the narrative.

This is more than a novel about building the Cadbury's Chocolate Factory in Claremont, Tasmania, Ms. Stephens explores so many important issues and topics such as, shell shock, Quaker values of social justice, being stewards of the earth, Cadbury's provided health and dental care to their employees, housing, sporting facilities, park-lands, schools and paid night classes for adults to further their education and used Tasmania's milk to make their delicious chocolate.

It's also a story about friendship, being loyal, brave, humble and putting others first, this is one of the best books I have read this year, absolutely outstanding historical fiction and five stars from me. I highly recommend and the author's previous book The Last of the Apple Blossom.

All the Golden Light

All the Golden Light by Siobhan O'Brien
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Adelaide Roberts lives in Belowla, a small town on the South Coast of New South Wales and every family has lost someone in The Great War, or they have been injured, those who return home have issues fitting back into everyday life and Adelaide works as a nurse at the Coast Hospital in Little Bay.
Her brother Joseph was encouraged by their parents to sign up, do the right thing and so he wouldn't be given a white feather. The war has had not only crippled young men in the district who went off to fight, it’s caused financial problems for dairy and sheep farmers, and Ada's father has this issue.

Ada accompanies her father Ned to Meroogan Island, he still owns one of his boats, to deliver supplies to the men operating the lighthouse, and it’s in a desolate and rocky place. Here she meets returned soldier Emmett Huxley, he’s still haunted by what happened to him in France and the island provides the solitude and peace he needs. Adelaide and Emmett are attracted to each other, she discovers her father has made plans for her to marry Donal Blaxland, a local landowner with a large tobacco plantation and it would solve her father with his financial woes.

When one of the men working at the lighthouse is found washed up on Mile Beach, the police take Emmett and Niall McTavish in for questioning and Adelaide is forced to make a difficult choice about her future. Donal’s behaviour is odd and erratic, he disappears for days, comes home and gets drunk, and yells at Adelaide and his housekeeper Irma. Adelaide uncovers why Donal is so unstable, to be safe she must leave him, and that’s easier said than done and she knows Donal will come after her.

I received a digital copy of All the Golden Light by Siobhan O’Brien from HarperCollins Publishers and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The narrative is set in 1918, as we know The Great War is drawing to a close, it gives the reader an idea of what it was like for returned soldiers, their families and the communities they lived in. There’s no glory in war, only suffering, pain and endless darkness.

A powerful and thought provoking debut novel by Ms. O'Brien and a great start to her career as an author, it's obvious Adelaide and Emmett should be together from their first meeting, a story full of yearning and longing and five stars from me.

When We Were Enemies

When We Were Enemies by Emily Bleeker
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Elise is the daughter of an award winning actress Gracelyn Branson and her grandmother was 1940's Hollywood icon Vivian Snow. Elsie’s new boyfriend Hunter pops the question and her mother’s latest partner Mac wants to make a documentary about Vivian Snow, he thinks it would make sense for Elsie and Hunter to get married in Indiana and in the same church as her grandmother and combine the two love stories.

Vivian Santini lives in Edinburgh, Indiana, with her little sister Aria and her strict Italian father. Vivian applies for a job at Camp Atterbury, prisoners of war from Europe are incarcerated here. Vivian works as a translator and they need an extra person to communicate with the Italian POW’s. Vivian sings at the USO club, it’s run by two local ladies and provides entertainment for the troops.

Vivian falls in love with soldier Tom Highward, he’s handsome and Vivian has no idea he comes from a very rich and influential family in Philadelphia. Vivian also meets father Antonio Trombello, he’s an Italian POW and Tom doesn’t like the prisoners, and he hates it when Vivian talks to them and it's part of her job.

Elise arrives in Edinburgh, she likes the small town atmosphere, and she visits the beautiful Holy Trinity Church where her grandparents were married and meets Father Patrick Kelly. Elise goes to the camp, visits the museum and it’s now used as a place for refugees from Afghanistan to live. Mac starts filming the documentary, it makes Elsie feel really uncomfortable and she hates being in the spotlight. Elsie starts looking into her grandmothers past, she’s shocked by what she discovers, all isn’t what it’s been made out to be, is it because Vivian wanted to keep her humble origins a secret or a much more complicated reason?

I received a digital copy of When We Were Enemies by Emily Bleeker from NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing in exchange for an honest review. The Dual timeline story is set in present time and in 1943, told from the two main characters points of view Vivian and Elsie and I had no trouble following it.

A narrative about a family dynamics and history, what it's like to have famous relatives and they do have skeletons in the closet. Four stars from me, I really didn't like Gracelyn's character and I think she was shallow. A story about love, loss, longing, jealousy, racism, self-discovery and one of the characters deciding they want to take a different path in life.

The Boy with the Star Tattoo

The Boy with the Star Tattoo by Talia Carner
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

1942. Claudette Pelletier is a seamstress and she was born with a twisted leg, she didn’t go to school and a kindly Jewish peddler Mr. Baume teaches her to read. Time passes and Claudette works as a seamstress in Loire Valley, in the free zone and at an old French chateau. When Isaac Baume and his son Raphaël arrive, she hides them for a few days and she develops feelings for Raphaël. After they leave, Claudette discovers she’s pregnant and she refuses to name the father of her child. When the Germans are almost banging on the front door, the Duchess Silvia de Castellane and her family leave for Spain, taking Claudette with them and they assure her baby will be safe in the village with the wet-nurse and she has nothing to worry about?

1946. Uzi Yarden is form Youth Aliya he’s searching the French countryside for Jewish children and he's taking them back to Israel. Jewish children have been hidden away during the war, in churches, monasteries and with Christian families. With most of Europe’s Jewish population being murdered in the holocaust, most of the children are orphans, it's important for them to practice their own faith and have a fresh start.

1969. Sharon Bloomenthal is an Israeli intelligence officer, she lost her boyfriend when the submarine he was in goes missing at sea and without a trace. Sharon is recruited by Daniel Yarden to smuggle recruits around France, scope out locations and he works for the Israeli Navy. Five missile boats from the French port of Cherbourg, have been paid for by the Israeli government and haven't been delivered due to the French arms embargo and they want them.

The narrative has a triple timeline it goes between 1942, 1946 and 1969, it's a little confusing at times and I did manage to piece it all together and you have to really concentrate while reading it.

When Sharon discovers Danny came to Israel from France as an orphan, she can’t understand why he isn’t interested in finding out who his parents were and if they could possibly be alive? Danny has his mind on his mission and job and is happy with his life and he can’t be bothered chasing ghosts from the past.

I received a copy of The Boy with the Star Tattoo by Talia Carner from Harper Collins Publishers and Edelweiss Plus in exchange for an honest review. The main part of the story is about Claudette having no idea how badly damaged France would be at the end of the war, people killed and displaced, and trying to find a missing child was extremely difficult, and bit like finding a needle in a haystack.

The author covers real subjects I had never heard of before, like Youth Aliya, the disappearance of the submarine INS Dakar and it’s crew in 1968 and the plans the Israeli government created to get the boats they had ordered from the French. Four stars from me, if you’re a fan of complicated and in-depth historical fiction and then this is the perfect novel for you.

The Secret Pianist

The Secret Pianist by Andie Newton
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Cotillard sisters Gabriella, Martine and Simone like everyone in France have struggled under the German occupation, they continue to run their aunts dressmaking shop and keep their heads down.

A British RAF Whitley is flying over the French coast, part of operation Columbia and they have to release their cargo before they reach the designated target because it comes under attack and they drop fifty messenger pigeons. The sisters save one, they decide to send it back to England and with details about what's happening along Northern French Coast, Guy Burton receives it and he works for The War Office, he has to make sure they're not being given false intelligence and it’s not.

Gaby would do anything to protect her sisters and she’s forced to teach the step-daughter Lauren of a German Commandant Streichner, the locals hate him and anyone who associates with the Germans are considered collaborators, no one will speak to them and boycott their business. The sisters wonder what they have done, have they helped the British forces, or opened up a can of worms and put themselves in more danger, what they don’t know is in Boulogne-Sur-Mer the British spies are in the area, poised for the invasion and so is the French resistance.

I received a digital copy of The Secret Pianist by Andie Newton from HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The author came across some interesting information while researching her previous book A Child of the Reich and she uses this as a basis to write her latest novel.

The narrative is well written, it gives the reader a realistic idea of what it was like to live in France during the German occupation, the food shortages, and curfews, and how people felt about anyone who's a collaborator and others who were on the Germans side. The power someone like Commandant Streichner had, and if you were asked to do something for him you couldn’t say “no”, they used this to get what they wanted, manipulated people and made threats to hurt their loved ones or worse.

Five stars from me, another great novel by Andie Newton, I really liked Gabriella and Guy Burton's characters, how ironic she was composing a piece of music called The Heroines before the war started, it's about women who are warriors and don't know they are one and this perfectly sums up Gaby.

The Lost Van Gogh

The Lost Van Gogh by Jonathan Santlofer
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

For years there have been rumours around Vincent Van Gogh’s death, was it suicide, murder or an accident? The Dutch Post-Impressionist painter was famous for his landscapes, still life’s, portraits and self-portraits and did he paint his last one just prior to his death and it was displayed at his funeral.

Luke Perrone is an artist and the great-grandson of the man who stole the Mona Lisa, and his girlfriend Alexis Verde is the daughter of a notorious art thief Richard Baine.
Alex buys a black and white painting and by sheer accident they discover it's been been painted over and underneath it looks like a self-portrait of Vincent Van Gogh. When it’s stolen from Alex, the couple are reunited with INTERPOL agent John Washington Smith in a dangerous and deadly search that will take them to Amsterdam.

During the Second World War the German's stole thousands of art work and mostly from Jewish collectors, a lot has never recovered and some made its way to America, sold by dealers and is this how the painting ended up in New York?

I received a copy of The Lost Van Gogh by Jonathan Santlofer from Sourcebooks and Edelweiss Plus in exchange for an honest review. The narrative is not only about the missing painting, it’s about the legend of Vincent Van Gogh, the masterpieces he created, the shady side to the flourishing stolen art trade and it links back to the Second World War.

A thriller for art lovers, full of intrigue, secrets, double dealing, lies and I wish I had read The Last Mona Lisa and I might have found the author's latest novel less confusing and easier to follow. Three stars from me, I enjoyed reading about Vincent Van Gogh, his paintings and Anne Frank.

The Star on the Grave

The Star on the Grave by Linda Margolin Royal
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In 1940, the Germans are poised to invade Lithuania, Chiune Sugihara is the Vice-Consul for the Japanese Empire in Kaunas, and he defies his own government's orders and secretly issues thousands of transit visas to Jewish refugees desperate to flee.

In 1968, Rachel Margol works as a nurse in Sydney, Australia and she loves her vibrant grandmother Feika and she doesn’t have a very good relationship with her father Michael. Rachel becomes engaged to Dr. Yamni Poulos, her grandmother decides she has to tell Rachel the truth, she’s Jewish, despite going to a Catholic school and never stepping foot in a synagogue and her fiancée is an Orthodox Greek.

When Feika and Michael arrived in Australia they changed their name from Margolin to Margol and never spoke about their life in Poland, Lithuania and Japan. Rachel feels like her whole world has fallen apart, why they didn't tell her she’s Jewish sooner, her grandmother Feika is going to a reunion in Japan to see Chiune Sugihara, the man who saved their lives and Rachel decides to go with her.

They arrive in Japan, Rachel can't get over how clean it is, she’s shocked to discover her grandmother can speak Japanese and their greeted at their hotel by their tour guide Mizumi. The first place Feika wants to visit is the Jewish Cemetery, they have a rest and meet up with other survivors and many are friends of her grandmothers.

Rachel talks to Judit, she explains what life was like in Poland before the war, once the Germans invaded they slowly started taking away Jewish people’s rights and it got much worse, and that’s why Rachel’s grandparents fled to Lithuania with their son and obtained a transit visa to Japan.

I received a digital copy of the Star on the Grave by Linda Margolin Royal from Affirm Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The author’s debut novel uses real facts to create the interesting and informative narrative, how Chiune Sugihara disobeying orders, and he wrote by hand visas for thousands for Jewish refugees stranded in Lithuania, he saved their lives, including the author’s family and he’s a little known hero.

Many survivors didn’t talk about what happened to them during the Holocaust, this is what happened with the Margolin family, the story looks at the impact trauma had on people, especially children, many witnessed shocking things, the effects of this were passed on to subsequent generations and many had fears of certain situations or things.

Five stars from me, a well written and enlightening debut by Linda Margolin Royal and I enjoyed reading about Jewish traditions, ceremonies and rituals, Feika was my favourite character in the book and I'm sure the author's family are extremely proud of her.

Daughters of Warsaw

Daughters of Warsaw by Maria Frances
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

1942, Warsaw. Sofia works at the Social Welfare Department, through a colleague she’s introduced to Irena Sendler, and she rescues hundreds of Jewish children from the Warsaw Ghetto. Sofia wants to help, she decides to not tell her parents and sister to keep them safe, and they come up with clever ways for Sofia to enter the ghetto, what she witnesses is truly horrific and shocking and the hard for her to accept she can’t help everyone. Sofia risks her life taking in medicine, a little food and taking children out to safety in a variety of ingenious and well planned ways.

Present time, Seattle. Lizzie suffers another miscarriage, she returns home to Seattle to stay with her parents, and she feels like a failure and she needs some time to think and compose herself. Lizzie is in her parent’s attic when she finds a photo of her great-grandmother, she’s with a group of children and dressed as a nurse? Lizzie decides to visit her grandmother Magda in her nursing home, to ask her if she knows why her mother was dressed as a nurse and what happened in Poland during the Second World War and unfortunately her grandmother is confused.

A dual timeline story told two from the main women characters points of view and both are from the same family, generations apart and it's about each finding the courage to keep on going, when a times it seems too hard and difficult.

Lizzie searches on the internet, she contacts a woman called Roksana and she’s a reporter in Warsaw and has written several articles and a photo book on wartime ghettos. Roksana replies and she’s very interested in her family’s story, she thinks Lizzie should visit Warsaw and together they will try to uncover her great-grandmothers past and it’s more dangerous than they could ever have imagined.

Roksana takes Lizzie to see what’s left of the Warsaw Ghetto, one building and a small section of the wall, Jewish men were forced to build it and enclose themselves and their loved ones in cramped, squalid and inhumane living conditions.

I received a digital copy of Daughters of Warsaw by Maria Frances from Avon Books UK and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The debut novel is an emotional story about Warsaw, it being invaded by the Germans, the Polish resistance, helping Jewish children escape the ghetto, hardship, afterwards people immigrated to other countries, many didn’t share what happened to them with their family and they had no idea.

The narrative also looks at Lizzie’s struggle with infertility, miscarriage and how desperately she wants to become a mother, the strain it puts on her marriage to Alex, through her journey to find about her great-grandmother and she discovers that mothering comes in many forms and ways. Four and a half stars from me, and a well written debut novel by Ms. Frances and I'm sure she will have a successful career as an author.

When the Jessamine Grows

When the Jessamine Grows by Donna Everhart
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Joetta McBride lives on a small farm in Nash County, North Carolina, with her husband Ennis, sons Henry and Robert and her father-in-law Rudean lives in a cabin on the property.

Rudean is interested in the talk of a war between the states, he visits town to buy tobacco, catch up with the latest news and afterwards shares his opinions with his grandsons. When it starts, Rudean considers fighting in the war to be the correct thing to do, an adventure and if only he was a few years younger and he supports the Confederate side.

When fifteen year old Henry, influenced by his grandfather’s stories, runs off to volunteer, Ennis wants to wait, he thinks Henry will be sent home due to his age and Joetta doesn't agree and in her opinion he should leave straightway and search for him. Weeks go by without word from either father or son, Joetta and Robert do their best to take care of the farm, feed the animals and get ready to harvest the sorghum and make syrup. All the time gazing down the road looking for Ennis and Henry and both are exhausted.

Joetta offers water and assistance to all, regardless of which uniform they wear, her actions get her into trouble with her neighbours, townsfolk and the Home Guard. Joetta is neutral, she doesn’t own a large plantation and slaves, and their farm has only ever produced enough to feed the family and their animals and as far as she's concerned it has nothing to do with her. Joetta is not welcome anymore, in town and none of her friends will speak to her. She struggles on the farm, determined to keep it going, Robert becomes sullen and unhappy, it’s too much work for a woman and a young boy and it only gets worse. The war, over work and the worry all takes it’s toll on Joetta, food becomes scarce, and everyone in the South are starving.

I received a copy of When the Jessamine Grows from Kensington Publishing and Edelweiss Plus in exchange for an honest review. Donna Everhart looks at the American Civil War from a different perspective in her latest novel, from that of a wife and mother who doesn’t want to take sides and this makes her very unpopular and a target.

Joetta is my favourite character from the book, she was steadfast in her beliefs, her urge to mother and take care of anyone sick or injured was an admirable trait, and especially Charlie and she's a woman that couldn’t ignore her natural instincts. Five stars from me, looking at the war from a lesser known opinion and of course not everyone would have believed in the cause and I like how the author explores this concept.

The Lost Dresses of Italy

The Lost Dresses of Italy: A Novel by M.A. McLaughlin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Verona, 1864. Christina Rossetti, accompanied by her mother Frances and brother William returns to Italy for a long awaited holiday, she’s a successful poet and her latest suitor is keen to get married. After meeting an old family friend of her father’s Giovanni Pecora, she discovers a small ornate box with the three Muses carved into the lid and it has a secret compartment. Christina finds a letter from her father Gabriele Rossetti with an urgent and personal request, he wants her to return a stolen book of poetry and an emerald pendant.

The story has a dual timeline, it's set in 1864 and 1947 and is told from the two main characters points of views, Christina and Marianne and I had no trouble following it.

Verona, 1947. Widow Marianne Baxter is a textiles historian and her friend from college Rufina Rovelli has invited her to visit Italy, two years after the Second World War ended and restore three dresses that belonged to Victorian poet Christina Rossetti. They have been hidden away in a trunk for nearly a century, they were recently discovered at the Fondazione Museo Menigatti and will be part of it's opening display. The owner of the museum Alessandra Forni is rather curt and offish and only gives Marianne a few weeks to restore the dresses, get them ready to display on mannequins and that’s not long enough when handling delicate antique fabrics. Marianne discovers a mysterious letter with a warning message hidden among the dresses, she wants to solve the mystery and this leads her down a dangerous path.

I received a digital copy of The Lost Dresses of Italy by M. A. McLaughlin from the publisher and NetGalley/Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. Inspired by the real-life of Victorian poet Christina Rossetti, her poetry was about humanity, pleasure, divine love, abandonment and relinquishment. Which ties in with Marianne’s quest to restore and display the three gowns, she’s uncovers a sinister secret and is betrayed by someone she trusts and it wasn't predictable and took me completely by surprise.

I enjoyed reading about Italy, Verona, how it was still recovering from the Second World War and the restoration of the three Victorian era gowns. A story full of mystery, intrigue, secrets, murder, history and five stars from me. I'm keen to find out more about Christina Rossetti and read her poetry and she's a fascinating woman.

The Scandalous Life of Ruby Devereaux

The Scandalous Life of Ruby Devereaux by Mandy Robotham
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Ruby Devereaux is ninety, her publisher Grantham & Harris wants her to write one last book and Ruby isn't the type of person to walk slowly away from a challenge. Ruby employees an assistant, the person needs to be able to type, make a decent cup tea, cook and most of all have an open mind and not be easily shocked. Ruby last literary endeavour will be a biography, about herself and she's going to go out with a big bang.

Ruby had a dull childhood, her father was always working and her mum didn’t really like being a mother and burnt everything she cooked. Ruby was sent to the country during the Second World War, here Ruby feels free, and she dreams about her future and has her first crush.

Ruby grows up and starts working at a literary agency in Bloomsbury, her boss mistakenly reads her scribbled manuscript, publishes it and she's officially an author. Ruby travels to New York, Venice, Vietnam, Berlin during the Cold War, back to London and twelve people play an important part in Ruby's life and are a major influence.

Ruby uses what happens in her existence and conversations with people as inspiration for her books, like all authors she suffers from writers block, she’s always searching for something and has no idea what it is. Ruby D. likes to have a good time, attend parties, drink too much, fall in love and sometimes it works out and others times it ends in disaster and it wasn’t always Ruby’s fault.

I received a digital copy of The Scandalous Life of Ruby Devereaux by Mandy Robotham from Aria & Aries and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This book is brilliant, so different to other novels I have read by Ms. Robotham, it made me laugh and Ruby is a unique character, cry, I rode all of Ruby’s highs pardon the pun, her lows and everything in between.

A narrative about friendship, love, messy break ups, heart break, scandal, adventure, war and loss. Five stars from me, I'm sure Ruby rocked her Mary Quant miniskirt, she had great taste in music as well, and when I think of Ruby, one quote comes to mind "it is better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all".

Unsinkable

Unsinkable by Jenni L. Walsh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Violet Jessop is a dedicated daughter and sister, she works as a stewardess, and she survives the sinking of two ships, the Olympic in 1911 and the Titanic in 1912. No one can understand why she keeps returning to sea, Violet needs the money and she’s the breadwinner for her family. Violet's childhood was fraught with illness, her father passed away and her mother is too sick to work, and she has five younger siblings. When The Great War starts, all passenger ships are requisitioned by the navy and Violet becomes a nurses aide. Disaster seems to follow Violet, she’s on the Britannic a hospital ship when it strikes a mine, she survives, once she recovers and she returns to sea.

The narrative has a dual timeline, and is told from the points of view of the two main characters Violet and Daphne and I had no trouble following it.

Daphne Chaundanson grows up feeling unwanted, her mother died when she was a baby, her father Charles Labine is busy with his career, she was raised by a series of nannies, attended boarding school and later studies six languages. Daphne's approached to be a Special Operations Executive and to become a secret agent during World War II, she passes the training and is sent to France. When she sees her first German soldier, the war becomes very real, and her job is to find air drop sites, establish relationships with members of the French resistance, engage in acts of sabotage and she uses a variety of code names and aliases.

I received a digital copy of Unsinkable by Jenni L. Walsh from Harper Muse and Edelweiss plus in exchange for an honest review.

A story that highlights Violet's dedication to her family, she always put them first, this meant she lost the man she loved and she was given the nickname “Miss Unsinkable” and she's a real person. Daphne never felt good enough, and her going to France was to get her father's attention and use her language skills for a meaningful purpose and Daphne's character is based around real women who were Special Operations Executives in France and Secret Agents.

A very interesting book to read, perfect for fans of historical fiction about the Titanic, the Resistance in France, and with an emphasis on strong and brave female characters, please make sure to read the authors notes at the end and four and a half stars from me.

A Maid of Fifth Avenue

A Maid on Fifth Avenue by Sinéad Crowley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Annie Thornton lives in the small village of Ballydrynawn, in County Kerry, she dreams of a different life, her mother Eileen knows she’s unhappy and gives her blessing for her to leave Ireland and travel to America. Annie wants to go but she's worried about her best friend best friend May, who’s married to a bully and there's nothing Annie can do about it.

Annie boards a ship bound for New York and she's never been further than Dingle in her life, Irish women have no trouble finding work in America, the nuns help and there's a big demand for maids. Annie is employed by Mrs. Cavendish, they own a mansion on Fifth Avenue, and she sends letters and money home to her family.

Annie meets an Italian waitress called Elena, her family are very strict and have a man picked out for her to marry. Annie and Elena’s friendship changes, Annie finds herself day dreaming about Elena, both women are confused by their feelings for each other, can women love each other and surely not?

A Maid on Fifth Avenue has a dual timeline, it’s set in the 1920’s and 2022, and told from the two main characters points of view, Annie and Emer.

Emer Molloy leaves Los Angeles, California, to return home to Ireland and she’s suffering from Covid burnout and, her parents own a holiday cottage in Ballydrynawn, County Kerry and she spent her summers here as a child. Emer’s goes for a walk to look at the Fairy Tree, it’s over a hundred years old and the beach and meets a handsome surfer Robert Lynch. He owns a surfing school, Emer takes lessons and can’t believe how much she enjoys it.

Annie and Emer’s lives are intertwined, a hundred years apart, and it’s up to Emer and Rob to try unravel the tangled web of secrets, hidden clues and then lighting strikes!

I received a digital copy of A Maid of Fifth Avenue by Sinéad Crowley from Aria & Aries and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. A fascinating and captivating story about living in a small Irish village and dreaming about exploring the world, the Fairy Tree where people have left messages and tokens for over a hundred years, homesickness, mystery and Annie was my favourite character.

Not only was she a wonderful sister, daughter, friend, unselfish, reliable and loyal. Annie had no idea women loved and were attracted to other woman, my guess is in the 1920’s the topic was never mention, no wonder Annie was so confused and it's a narrative about discovering love is love. A dual timeline mystery, full of unexpected twist and turns and five stars from me.

The Blue Gum Camp

The Blue Gum Camp by Leonie Kelsall
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Charity Farrugia is a thirty four year old school teacher, she's too busy to fall in love and she assumes the last place she will find it is in a paddock. Her mother suffered from dementia, so being the eldest she raised her two younger sisters Faith and Hope. They want to spend a weekend attending a Bachelors and Spinsters Ball and they drag a reluctant and cynical Charity along.

Lachlan MacKenzie is a divorced farmer, after his ex-wife cheated on him, he’s given up on love, and he’s happy being single and his brother Hamish wants to attend the B & S Ball in Yurramukka. Trouble seems to find mechanic Hamish, so Lachlan has no choice but to go with him and make sure he behaves.

Charity is the sensible one, so she's only going to chaperone her sisters, and Hope’s friends Paris and Kaylee. The first hurdle is getting all their luggage into a tiny hatchback, they finally make it to Yurramukka after a few hiccups and the ladies are glamping. Charity meets Lachlan, he’s the first man she’s being attracted to in years and Lachlan feels the same about her, both hate the party scene and general mayhem going on in the camp grounds and the B & S Ball isn't until the following night.

I received a digital copy of The Blue Gum Camp by Léonie Kelsall from Allen & Unwin and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I can understand why Ms. Kelsall is a bestselling South Australian rural romance author, her writing style is realistic and upfront, I could relate to the two main characters and why they were both so reluctant to go to the B & S Ball and wanted to stay single. I'm very keen to read The Willow Tree Wharf and it's waiting for me on my kindle.

The story also includes references to important topics, such as, how do you cope when one of your parents is diagnosed with a terminal illness, grief, denial, infidelity, being the eldest son and inheriting a farm that’s been in the family for decades and the pressure of not being the one to stuff it up, and being the firstborn sister and always being the reliable and dependable one and the stigma and misunderstanding about people with dyslexia.

I loved reading a book set in South Australia, many of the towns mentioned I have visited and my beloved Adelaide hills where I live. I felt so many emotions reading this novel, I laughed and cried and cheered for Charity and Lachlan to become an item and five stars from me.

Twilight Territory

Twilight Territory: A Novel by Andrew X. Pham
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In a small Vietnamese fishing village in French Indochina, Tuyet and her aunt Coi, cousin Ha and daughter Anh all live together and her aunt runs a small shop. Tuyet is a divorced single mother, she meets Japanese major Yamazaki Takeshi, Tuyet is cautious around soldiers and she’s surprise to discover he’s different and not like the others.

Yamazaki Takeshi is from Hokkaido, he’d just finished university when he was conscripted into the Japanese army, he was severely wounded and in 1942 was transferred to oversee Thiet Airbase. Yamazaki knows the Japanese Empire is going to be defeated, it’s just a matter of time and he’s right. Yamazaki has hidden a stash of gold and precious stones, and he wants to use this to one day return to Japan, to paint and go fishing with his father and this leads to him making enemies and they won’t stop until they hunt him down and find out where he's stashed the bounty.

The Viet Minh was an Indochinese Communist Party and Resistance, they wanted independence for Vietnam, the members were anti French Jackals and Japanese Fascists, Yamazaki and Tuyet become involved. This means they spend a lot of time apart, constantly on the move and looking over their shoulders.

I received a digital copy of Twilight Territory by Andrew X. Pham from W. W. Norton & Company and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. A historical fiction saga that spans over a decade, it’s set during the Second World War, Japanese invasion and Vietnam trying to break free from colonial rule, included in the story are widespread corruption, famine and suffering, exploitation of young girls and women, rape and violence.

I really liked and admired the characters of Tuyet and Coi, both are strong, courageous and empowering women, and they had to deal with hardship, tragedy, loss and consequences of the family being involved in the resistance and with the Viet Minh, including homelessness, imprisoned and torture.

The narrative has vivid descriptions of the landscape and scenery of Vietnam, the yummy food, use of natural medicine, culture, traditions, celebrations, rituals and details of Tuyet and Yamazaki romantic relationship. I did learn a lot about French Indochina and Vietnam, I think the novel could have been shorter and four stars.

Code Name Butterfly

Code Name Butterfly by Embassie Susberry
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Paris, 1941. Elodie Mitchell has found living in Paris very different to her hometown of Chicago and where she was raised by her aunt and uncle who have strong Christian values. Elodie is a journalist and studying her master’s degree and she sends articles to a Chicago newspaper and about life in France.

Elly is worried about the Germans invading, she's thinking about returning home, until she meets a handsome stranger and he invites her to a show starring famous American cabaret artist Josephine Baker. Elly gets to go backstage after the performance, she discovers Ms. Baker is involved with an undercover network and Elly's keen to help.

They tell everyone she’s Josephine's cousin, she passes on information and anything she overhears to Grant Monterey. He’s a bit of an enigma, as part of the ruse they have to sometime pretend they’re a courting couple, to throw off any suspicions about them meeting and it makes Elly feel rather flustered. When it gets too dangerous the group flee to the French countryside, they join the throngs of refugees on the congested roads, it’s slow going in the two cars and dangerous.

I received a copy of Code Name Butterfly by Embassie Susberry from Avon Books UK and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed how Christine, Elodie's granddaughter took a DNA test, she wanted to know about her family history and the whole novel is constructed around Elly's secret wartime exploits.

The fast paced narrative is based on the real life of Josephine Baker, an American dancer, singer, and actress, and a member of the French Resistance, and a coloured woman who fought chauvinism, racism and the Germans.

A well written historical fiction story about two brave, courageous and inspirational women, and the friendship and bond formed between them. The balance of characters is perfect and I liked and admired Josephine, Elodie, Polly, Danny, Pierre and the chemistry between Elodie and ex-Harlem Hellfighter Grant Monterey is smoldering hot. Five stars from me and I highly recommend.

Diva

Diva by Daisy Goodwin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Maria Callas was a world famous opera singer, a diva and was known as la the divine one. Maria had one of the best Soprano voices of all time and don't mention her trills, when she took to the stage her performances were perfect and flawless and many of her fans cried tears of joy.

Maria was born in 1923, in Manhattan, New York to Greek parents, her mother Litza was domineering and decided to return to Greece when Maria was thirteen and leave her husband George. Maria never felt good enough and her sister Jackie was her mother’s favourite, Maria sang during the Second World War so they could eat and it didn't change her mothers attitude towards her. Maria married Giovanni Meneghini, he was in charge of her schedule, and he expected her to sing too often and she worried her vocal chords would be damaged from overuse.

Maria encounters rich shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis, she falls madly in love with him and the couple are together for over nine years. During this time Maria meets some of the world most influential people, including Sir Winston and Lady Churchill, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Prince Rainer III of Monaco and Princess Grace. Ari showered Maria with expensive gifts, cruises on his lavish boat the “Christina", despite both being divorced Maria and Ari never married and it was the security and faithfulness she craved and not diamonds.

I received a copy of Diva by Daisy Goodwin from Aria & Aries and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. In my opinion Ms. Goodwin wrote about the real Maria Callas, the teenager who felt her mother didn’t love her, Maria was chubby, she lost weight and constantly worried about putting back on, she always felt unsure, where to preform and how many shows, what songs to sing, should she sign a record contract and give into pressure to make a movie?

When Maria finds out Aristotle Onassis had married the former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, she’s heartbroken and of course he didn’t tell her. For Maria this was a defining moment, with the help of her faithful maid and companion Bruna, Maria decided she wanted to start singing again, and opera is her true love and she’s better than ever. Ms. Goodwin's narrative was fascinating, well written and I rode the highs and lows of Maria Callas’s career, her personal life and five stars from me.

Heart of the River

Heart of the River by Cheryl Adnams
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Isabel Hayward works as an assistant cook at the Riverside Hotel a country pub in Gol Gol, New South Wales and it's very close to the Victorian border. Isabel dreams of becoming a chef, she would have to attend a cooking college in Melbourne and she feels guilty leaving her mum to run the pub without her and it's not the right time.

In 1956, Queensland has had record breaking rain falls, the water will slowly make it’s way down the waterways and the Murray River will reach it’s peek sometime in August. Isabel meets farmer Matteo Sorrenti at a flood meeting in Mildura, he’s the Italian version of James Dean and she can’t stop thinking about him. Ross Burrows a young local man and the son of the region’s wealthiest families is keen on Isabel and she doesn’t feel the same way. Isabel and Matteo's blossoming relationship has many challenges to overcome, the cultural and religious differences, prejudice, Ross's jealously and the worst flood in Australian history.

The whole area is watching the river and listening for the fire siren, they have preparing as best as they can by sandbagging and building levees and have people checking them around the clock for leaks. The low lying areas closest to the river are the most vulnerable, people like Matteo’s family, who grow tomatoes in greenhouses, vegetable crops and fruit and in Buronga. The George Cheffey Bridge connects the town in New South Wales to Mildura, in Victoria and Isabel's isn't fan.

When it’s revealed during the war, Isabel’s father Sam, Ross’s dad Trevor and Matteo’s papa Carlo all knew each other, a shocking secret has been covered up for over fifteen years and the men have never told anyone what happened and why not?

I received a digital copy of Heart of the River by Cheryl Adnams from Harlequin Australia and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The gripping and well written narrative is based around the famous flooding of the mighty Murray River in 1956 and the same year Melbourne hosted the Olympic Games.

The country's still overcoming the terrible war years, the average Australian didn’t like migrants, and called them by derogatory names and were racist. It didn’t matter if their children were born in Australia, it happened and it was wrong. Interracial couples faced decimation and prejudiced, they had to find way to make it work and be strong.

The story also highlights the devastation caused by a natural disaster, crops, houses, roads and infrastructure was swept away, to replace it cost a fortune and took time. The effect not speaking up has on a person and the heavy burden of guilt, injustice and righting the wrongs of the past.

I really liked how the Italian community helped each other and how Isabel and Matteo faced the challenges, both are stalwart and resilient and perfect for each other. I highly recommend the Heart of the River and Ms. Adnams previous book We'll Meet Again and five stars from me.

The Storm We Made

The Storm We Made by Vanessa Chan

Cecily Alcantara is married to Gordon, she has three children and after the Japanese invaded Mayala four years ago and nothing has turned out she's been led to believe. Cecily is scared for her children, her son Abel is fifteen and boys his age disappear never to be seen again, Jujube works at a tea house frequented by groping Japanese soldiers, her youngest daughter Jasmin is only seven and innocent.

Ten years prior, Cecily's a bored Eurasian mother and housewife, she meets charismatic Bingley Chan aka General Fuijwara, and she starts giving him details about her husbands work and any relevant gossip she overhears, she wants Mayala to no longer be under British Colonial rule, and instead be governed by Asians.

Instead, life under Japanese occupation is brutal, with food shortages, curfews, schools close, the Japanese take anything of value and everyone has to bow to them and punished if they don’t do it correctly, young girls and ladies are assaulted and become comfort women, and teenage boys vanish.

The dual timeline story is told from the four main characters points of view, Cecily, Abel, Jujube and Jasmin and their experiences.

I received a copy of The Storm We Made by Vanessa Chan from Simon & Schuster and Edelweiss plus in exchange for an honest review. A generation of Malayan people refused to speak about what happened during the Japanese occupation and I can understand why and it provides the inspiration for the author to write her debut novel.

The historical saga looks at the horror of war, living under Japanese control, the deprivation, desperation, the fight to survive and Cecily is very worried about her family and her peers discovering she was a spy.

Four stars from me, a story about war, family, fear, suffering, displaced loyalty, being brain washed and I thought Cecily was a rather shallow person and it might because she's Eurasian and the British looked down on her and the era the narrative was set in.

The Good Woman's Guide to Making Better Choices

The Good Woman's Guide to Making Better Choices by Liz Foster
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Libby Popovic looks to have a perfect life, she lives in a luxury apartment with views of Bondi Bay, with her husband Ludo, teenage son Harrison and daughter Ava who’s a tomboy. Ludo is a financial advisor, he runs the company with his business partner Maya Labovitz, and they’re always coming up with ideas of how to make money and looking for investors.

Libby is shocked when the police arrive at their apartment, they want to speak to Ludo, he’s jailed for financial fraud, and her friends and family lose money as a result. Libby feels so guilty, she hosted the final investor pitch in their home, not that she knew it was a scam and now the apartment and all of their possessions have been repossessed.

Libby goes to stay with her mum Maggie and aunty Dido in Victoria, they have a goat farm and make award winning cheese. Libby grew up in Beechwood, she's used to living in the country, Ava loves it as well and Harrison seems a bit preoccupied and that’s to be expected considering what’s happened.

I received a digital copy of The Good Woman’s Guide to Making Better Choices by Liz Foster from Affirm Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. A thought provoking and at times hilarious and very relatable narrative about the main character Libby having complete faith in her husband of twenty years, like many women she let him handle the finances, she trusts him and it's a big mistake.

The other characters in the book are wonderful and quirky, Libby’s friend Hazel and her parrot Miss. Maple, aunty Dido, Alexi, Jake, mum Maggie, Rocky and the goats. Libby doesn’t require the finer things in life, she already has what she needs, her family, friends, and morals.

A coming to your senses story, Libby is a likeable character, she's strong, resilient and many readers will relate to the overall theme of the narrative, which is Libby taking off her rose coloured glasses, righting wrongs, looking at life and what she want's from a different perspective and four stars from me.

The Lawson Legacy

The Lawson Legacy by Janet Gover
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Kayla Lawson is an elite wedding planner, she lives in Sydney and her clients are rich and famous. When Kayla discovers she’s unexpectedly pregnant, she returns home to Willowbrook Stud in Scone, New South Wales and to workout what she’s going to do. Kayla knows nothing about pregnancy and babies, she’s never thought about being a mother and having children, she needs to make a life changing decision and soon.

Connor Knight was dragged up, he made mistakes as a teenager and young adult, and he joined a motorcycle gang and ended up in jail. He wants a fresh start, he buys a rundown pub in Scone, it needs renovating and Connor is up for the challenge.

Kayla is reunited with her childhood best friend Jen Harrison, she has two children and her husband Brad is awaiting a trial for a crime he didn’t commit and she’s moved back to Scone to protect her kids from gossip. Jen's the first one to guess Kayla is pregnant, she offers her much needed advice and support.

Connor and Kayla meet, there’s instant attraction between them, but Connor assumes he's not good enough for Kayla, motorcycle gangs are hard to get away from and he worries they will find him and want revenge. Kayla likes Connor, she doesn’t think he would want to be in a relationship with a pregnant woman, she feels unsure about everything and she wonders what happened the poised, confident, and organised and Kayla?

I received a digital copy of The Lawson Legacy by Janet Gover from Harlequin Australia and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This is a standalone book, some of the characters are from authors previous novel, The Lawson Sisters, it was wonderful to catch up with Kayla’s sister Lizzie and her husband Mitch and they have a minor role in this story.

Kayla is such a career orientated and driven woman, so having to deal with an unplanned pregnancy really turned her world upside down, many women find motherhood and being a new parent daunting and doubt their own capabilities and even more so if you’re going to be doing it solo. People have preconceived ideas about anyone who’s been in jail, it’s a stigma, and so is being involved with a motorcycle gang.

I liked the overall theme of the narrative, about overcoming life’s many challenges, it doesn’t always go as planned, it might send you down a different path and you need to be flexible. If a person has been in prison, served their time and learnt from their mistakes they deserve to be forgiven and have a fresh start, don’t judge someone because they have tattoos and like the spunky Connor.

Another well written and thought provoking book from Janet Gover, I laughed and cried, and I couldn't swipe the pages on my kindle fast enough, and Ms. Gover is one of my favourite Australian romantic fiction authors and I can understand why she's won so many literary awards.

The Wilderness Way

The Wilderness Way by Anne Madden
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Declan Conaghan’s father died in the Great Irish Famine ten years ago, since he’s has kept his promise, to look after his mother, brother and sister and keep them out of the workhouse. His family live in a cottage near Gartan, in Donegal, they eke out an existence building and repairing dry stone walls, digging turf and growing tatties.

When their new landlord arrives at his estate Glenveagh, John Adair immediately causes problems with his tenants, he wants to change to way they have lived for decades, he has grand plans of building his own castle, and he uses the law and evicts them.

Declan receives a letter from his uncle Liam in America, he offers the brothers a chance to leave Ireland and they would be able to send money home to help their mother and sister. The American Civil War has just begun, the Union army needs recruits, Declan and Michael board a ship to America, they join the 104th New York Volunteer Regiment and it’s lead by Major General Wadsworth. The brothers know nothing about American politics, they think slavery is wrong, and soon they are fighting in one of the bloodiest wars in history, in places like Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, and back to Chancellorsville for the second time.

I received a copy of The Wilderness Way by Anne Madden from HarperCollins UK and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The historical saga takes you from the beautiful green mountains, glens and woods of Donegal, Ireland, to America the land of opportunity and the two Conaghan brother’s see a lot of it as infantry soldiers fighting for the Union army. Many Irish men fought for both sides during the American Civil War, it provided an escape from poverty, being fed, clothed and paid, led to them joining up in droves and it was an adventure.

The narrative is based around true facts, people, places and events, John Adair was the hated landlord at Glenveagh, it’s now part of a national park and his castle is a tourist attraction. A story about greed, duty, family and what two men were willing to endure to provide for their mother and sister, war, dedication, wanting revenge and justice.

Full of fascinating details, especially about an unsolved murder, the “Derryveagh Evictions”, the battles of the Civil War and how this effected the brothers and their entire regiment. Fours stars from me, and I highly recommend this book and it's released on the 7th of December 2023.

The London Bookshop Affair

The London Bookshop Affair: A Novel of the Cold War by Louise Fein
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

London 1962. Celia Duchesne works in a bookshop, she dreams of getting a better job, maybe as a secretary and leaving Southwark. The shop has recently been sold to Mrs. Denton, her new employer is busy settling in and Celia is left to her own devices. One day Septimus Nelson walks into the bookshop, he’s from America and his visits makes Celia’s job less boring. Around the same time Celia’s best friend Daphne discovers some information at the solicitors where she works about Celia and she stunned and wants to uncover all the hidden facts.

The London Bookshop Affair has a dual timeline, it’s told from the two main characters points of view and alternates from 1942 to 1962 and it’s extremely easy to follow.

France 1942. Anya Moreau is nineteen years old, she just been dropped into France and she’s a pianist or wireless transmitter and she sends messages to London. What Anya does is dangerous, she’s part of a circuit, her other contacts become her friends, Anya is betrayed by a person she trusted and she’s arrested by the Gestapo.

Celia and Anya are connected, Celia wants to find out the truth about what happened to Anya twenty years ago, it’s been hidden by her parents, bureaucracy and the secret services act. Septimus is very keen on Celia, she’s not sure if she’s ready for a romantic relationship, her life is complicated as it is and she doesn’t know what to do?

I received a copy of The London Bookshop Affair by Louise Fein from HarperCollins and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. Inspired by true events and people who were active during the Cold War, there was a real threat of a nuclear war starting between two superpower countries, American and the Soviet Union. England was America's ally and preparing to help, it was full of Soviet spies and Celia discovers this for herself.

A narrative full of twists and turns and it kept my interest from the beginning and the ending wasn’t at all predictable. The story is set in the 1960’s with the invention of TV and the Beatles and a time of social, political and cultural change. With a focus on the Cuban Missile Crisis, Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament a British organization that opposed the development and use of nuclear weapons, Celia and Daphne are members, betrayal, injustice, secrets, mystery, intrigue, danger, courage, bravery, selflessness, forgiveness and empowered women.

Five stars from me, I enjoyed The London Bookshop Affair and the authors previous book Daughter of the Reich and I highly recommend both.

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The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart

The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart by Holly Ringland
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Alice Hart is only nine years old when she loses both her parents in a tragic accident, her life has never been easy due to her father Clem being extremely controlling, her mother Agnes is downtrodden and they never know when he’s going to explode and lash out.

Alice goes to live with her Grandmother June, she owns a flower farm called Thornfield and it’s been in the family for generations. A place where a group of twelve ladies live and work and her June likes to help women in need and it's a type of half-way house.

Alice learns the language of Australian native flowers, they help her to communicate, when she cant say the words and her grandmother hopes given time her voice will return. Alice settles in living with her nana, she goes to school for the first time and all the women at the flower farm mother her. Alice is a Floriographer, a person fluent in the language of flowers and it was popular in the Victorian era, each bloom has a meaning, used to display emotions and feelings.

After Alice overhears a conversation, she discovers she hasn’t been told the entire truth, she feels betrayed and leaves. Alice has no idea where she’s going to go and she ends up in the desert of the Northern Territory and where the sturt's desert peas flower nine months of the year.

The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart spans twenty years, you follow Alice growing up and a unique coming of age story, as an adult and she doesn’t want to make the same mistakes as her mother. Alice always felt like she was waiting for something that’s just never going to come, in the end she discovers whats missing and it’s due to the big secret that's been kept from her and she cant keep running forever.

Holly Ringland cleverly weaves a narrative about family, loss, love, betrayal, the impact of domestic violence, secrets, hope, forgiveness and it's a story inside a story and so much more. Each chapter starts with a description and picture of a flower and it's beautiful ode to flora. Five stars from me and I cant wait to read The Seven Skins of Esther Wilding and Ms. Ringland is an extremely talented author.

The Paris Housekeeper

The Paris Housekeeper by Renee Ryan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Germans are poised outside Paris, those who can are fleeing the city and not everyone can leave. The story is told from the points of view of three women, all choose to stay and due to their individual circumstances.

Camille Lacroix is a chamber maid at the Ritz Hotel, she sends money home to her mother in Dinan, Brittany and to take care of her sister. Vivian Miller is a rich American widow, she’s lived at the Ritz for three years in a beautiful suite, she pays Camille extra money, to act as a ladies maid and do her hair. Rachel Berman works at Ritz as a cleaner and in the laundry. Rachel is scared of the Germans, her father doesn’t think they have anything to worry about, he believes being obedient and following any rules they impose will keep them safe and Rachel doesn’t have his faith.

Of course the German introduce a curfew, then thugs start targeting Jewish people and their businesses. When all Jewish people are ordered to register, Mr. Berman wouldn’t dream of not doing so, after that things start to get worse, men are taken away to work for the Germans, Jewish people are banned from public places and lose their jobs.

Camille is very worried about Rachel, she needs to get her out of Paris and turns to Vivian Miller for help. The American has been using her wealth and connections to obtain travel papers for people in need and that’s why she didn’t leave France.

The German officer’s move into the Ritz Hotel, Hans-Dieter Gunther Von Bauer is extremely high up in the SS, he’s been sent to France to build a concentration camp at the Drancy and he’s keen to date Vivian and much more! Once Vivian is seen in the company of Diti, she’s considered a collaborator and it ruins her reputation and she has her reasons.

Camille has to take the drastic step of hiding Rachel in an underground bunker, she working as a housekeeper for a German officer, she has an idea of how she can get her out of France, but Rachel will need false identification papers and it takes time.

I received a digital copy of The Paris Housekeeper by Renee Ryan from HarperCollins and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. The well written narrative focuses on what it was like living in Paris just prior and once the Germans invaded the city and from the points of view of the three main characters Camille, Vivian and Rachel and two of their families.

The Parisian heard the Germans coming and before they saw them, the sound of thousands of pairs of boots goose stepping, the rumble of tanks, vehicles and motor cycles and officers on horseback. An impressive and imposing sight, and life was going to change and Parisians knew it wouldn’t be for the better and the Germans were ruthless victors.

A powerful and emotive story about bravery, resilience, persistence, friendship, sacrifice and having the courage to do the right thing, not easy considering the circumstances, risk and one simple mistake could have disastrous consequences for all involved. Five stars from me and I have been a big Renee Ryan fan since I read 223 Orchard Street way back in 2018 and I highly recommend her latest book.

Bonfire Night

Bonfire Night by Anna Bliss
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Kate Grifferty is a press photographer, an unusual job for a woman, she attends an anti-fascism protest in East London and here she meets David Rabatkin. He’s a Jewish medical student and his younger brother Simon is a fascist and he later travels to Spain the fight for the republic.

David knows his skills are needed in England, his mum and dad have sacrificed a lot for him to study medicine, they want him to finish his degree, marry a nice Jewish girl and have children.

Kate was raised by her Irish father Frank, her mother died giving birth to her and he sent her away to school, she’s always felt unloved and it made her very independent. Kate has never wanted to get married, she discovers David’s parents would never accept her, despite the feelings they have for each other and he has to choose between them.

Four years later, Kate is living with her much older sister Orla Sherwood in Brighton, she’s owns a boarding house, it’s busy with servicemen staying and the odd holiday maker and so far it’s been a phony war. David is working in a hospital in London, when the Blitz begins, he’s working in emergency and in the basement.

Both Kate and David face many challenges and disappointments, but they have never forgotten their first love and how they felt about each other.

The narrative focuses on the years from 1936 to 1940, a very turbulent time in England, with the Second World War, fear of the country being invaded, the uncertainty, and people being bombed out, injuries and nowhere is safe. Is it possible for love to bridge two different cultures, Kate is Catholic and David is Jewish and it’s not your typical love story.

I received a copy of Bonfire Night by Anna Bliss from Kensington Publishing and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. A narrative is about love, misunderstandings, racism, loss, the Battle of Cable Street, difficulties women faced in the workforce, the significance of Bonfire Night to the main characters and how photo’s documented British life.

Four stars from me, a well written debut full of history, suspense, secrets and the ending isn’t at all predictable.

The Porcelain Maker

The Porcelain Maker by Sarah Freethy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Bettina Vogel is a German modern artist and she meets Max Ehrlich at a party, he’s Jewish and from Austrian and studying to be an architect. They fall madly in love, Germany is on the brink of change, with the ominous threat of Nazism and the rise of Adolf Hitler.

Bettina’s art is labelled degenerative, as we know the Germans hated this style and destroyed paintings, Max and his parents who are still living in Vienna don’t know what to do, they should leave and soon.

The narrative has a dual timeline told from the two main characters points of view, Bettina and Clara, it starts in 1929 and ends in 1994 and it’s very easy to follow.

After Clara’s mother passes away, she’s trying to find her father and why her mum would never tell her who he is. All she knows is he made porcelain, in a factory and near the town of Dachau.

The story is based around the Allach porcelain factory, here the pieces were made using labour from the nearby concentration camp and Heinrich Himmler came up with the idea for both. From 1936 to 1945, the factory made white porcelain figures, mainly cute animals and later household pottery and the pieces had the SS insignia stamped on the bottom of them and Himmler wanted it to represent German culture. When Max was arrested Bettina didn’t know where he is, and she had to make a difficult choice, later she found out he was at Dachau, working at the porcelain factory and she want's to see him.

I received a copy of The Porcelain Maker by Sarah Freethy from Simon & Schuster Australia and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. A story about lost love and the impact the war has on the two main characters Bettina and Max’s romance and relationship. Art is a focal point of the narrative and so is loss, secrets and mystery, afterwards Clara's left trying to put together the pieces of a puzzle, this takes patience and time.

It was really interesting reading about the Allach porcelain factory, I had never heard about it before, how could the beautiful animal figurines be made in such an inhumane place, four stars from me and a great debut novel by Ms. Freethy.

The French Affair

The French Affair: An utterly sweeping and gripping WW2 historical fiction novel for 2023 by Theresa Howes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Iris Foley is working for British Intelligence, she’s given the job to trap a German spy in England, things don’t go as planned and her husband Jack finds out, and he thinks she’s been unfaithful.

Iris leaves for France, her aunt Eva lives in Dijon, when she arrives Iris discovers she’s passed away and she's devastated. Her aunt’s house used to be a place where Iris felt safe and loved, she made herbal tinctures and remedies, Eva's garden is full of plants, bee hives and she published cooking books.

Iris discovers just how much the war has impacted people, her childhood friend is acting possessive and odd, some people think her aunt was a traitor because she had a German officer billeted with her and Iris knows her aunt was loyal to France. Everyone in Dijon is wary, they don’t trust anyone and if a German soldier is harmed and they start shooting French civilians as relation.

Iris can’t believe it when Guy Mason follows her, the man who ruined her marriage, he’s a British civil servant and he’s now strutting around Dijon in a Germany army uniform. Guy is an absolute creep, he makes Iris’s skin crawl, and her task is to kill him, easier said than done. The atmosphere in Dijon is tense, everyone is suspicious, any woman seen with a German soldier is considered a collaborator, and they assume Iris is one because of Guy Mason. It shows how things may not be how they appear, many women were helping the resistance and often they were the last person you would pick.

I received a copy of The French Affair by Theresa Howes from HQ Digital and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. A narrative about the Second World War in France, the Germans took what they wanted, food, wine, art, houses, and what brave and strong women did to help win the war and stop the plundering.

Ms Howes wanted to write a story that highlighted the important roles women played in the Second World War, they fitted in with the population, not as obvious and were certainly underestimated by men and the Germans. Four stars from me and the author achieved her aim in her latest novel.

Back To Bangka

Back to Bangka: Searching for the truth about a wartime massacre by Georgina Banks
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Allied ships are evacuating thousands of women, children and older people from Singapore, the island is on the brink of falling to the Japanese Imperial forces and why did they leave it so late? The Vyner Brooke is one of the last ships to leave and it's overcrowded, aboard are sixty five Australian nurses who are trying their best to stay calm and help.

Two spotter planes fly over the Vyner Brooke, it’s just a matter of time before others return, it’s bombed and sinks. The survivors swim and paddle for hours in the ocean, taking turns to rest in the few life rafts that weren't destroyed, they eventually make it to Radji Beach on Bangka Island, Indonesia.

One of the survivors is Australian Army nurse Dorothy ‘Bud’ Elmes, she did her training at Corowa Hospital, New South Wales, and she decided to join up. Bud is a real character, she has an older sister Jean and her mum and dad and she has funny nicknames for them all. Bud is sporty, she likes to play tennis in her spare time, she’s strong and dependable.

Bud and her colleagues and Matron Irene Drummond tend to the wounded, gather wood for a fire and try to work out what they should do next. A group of women and children set off on foot for Muntok, they don’t have a lot of choice, and two days later the Japanese soldiers arrive at the beach.

Georgina Banks is the great-niece of Bud, as a child she remembers seeing a photo of an army nurse and she’s knows very little about her great-aunt Bud. Seventy-five later, Georgina receives an invitation to a memorial service for her great-aunt and her husband encourages her to attend. Georgina retraces Bud’s footsteps in Indonesia, she arrives back in Australia with a sense she doesn’t really know what happened to Bud and her fellow nurses on the sixteenth of February 1942.

Back to Bangka is a moving and very emotional inter-generational family story; the facts about the Vyner Brooke leaving Singapore, the ship being sunk, and the survivors making it to Radji Beach on Bangka Island is all well documented and it’s what happened afterwards that Georgina wants to uncover.

So many unanswered questions, one person who knew what happened was Lieutenant Vivian Bullwinkle, she survived the atrocity, gave evidence at the Tokyo War Crimes Tribunal in 1947 and did the Australian government make her keep somethings a secret from the public?

A fascinating and well written biography, it included letters from Bud, family photographs and the telegrams sent to her parents, a sad chapter in Australian wartime history, I will never forget the bravery and sacrifice of Dorothy Elmes, and her fellow nurses and five stars from me.

The Camera Never Lies

The Camera Never Lies by David Rawlings
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Daniel Whiteley, wife Kelly, and twelve year old daughter Milly appear to be the perfect family and it’s not the case. Daniel is a successful marriage counsellor and bestselling author, his own marriage is at a crisis point, he discovers his daughter is failing school and they're worried about her self-harming.

The deadline for his second book has come and gone, he keeps fobbing off his publisher, he hasn't written a single word and he just goes blank when he opens his browser. After his grandfather’s funeral Daniel inherits his old Olympus camera, he notices an inscription on the bottom: "No matter what you think you might see, the camera never lies."

Daniel starts using the camera, but every time he has the photo’s developed by Simon, the images threaten to reveal secrets that could end his marriage, career and he would have to hand back the money he’s been paid in advance for his second book. Daniel is at a crossroads of his life, should he come clean admit what he’s done wrong, or keep the secrets that are destroying his self esteem and family.

I received a digital copy of The Camera Never Lies by David Rawlings from Thomas Nelson-Fiction and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. A story about an old camera and it has the power to show people their future in pictures, how they react to it and will it make them change their ways. The price of honesty, telling the truth, there is always more to life than what we see in front of us, don’t tell lies and keep secrets. A somewhat quirky way of delivering a message and meaning in a different style of narrative and three stars from me.

It's Pobably You

It's Probably You by Jayne Denker
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Gillian Pritchard has been single for five years and, her friends think she should start dating and she’s tries online. After chatting to the men and texting, she goes on dinner and coffee dates. What a disaster, she discovers the men seem fine on their profile, it's a different story when she meets them, they have no personality, lack basic manners and conversation skills and some don’t like women with a few curves.

Gillian is a pharmacist in Willow Cove, she knows about food, nutrition, her doctor has pronounced her perfectly healthy, she’s a normal sized women and comfortable in her own skin. Gillian loves gardening, she decides to devote her time to winning the local contest and she’s tired of always coming third.

Noah West moves to Willow Cove after his relationship ends, he has fond memories of spending the summers here with his Uncle Manny as a teenager and he buys a house next door to Gillian. she's mad when her new neighbour stars changing things on their shared boundary, without asking, the stubborn man has no idea what he’s doing in his garden and when she needs to stay focused. It’s hard with Noah driving her crazy, he witnesses a couple of her humiliating dates, she can't stop thinking about him and could her Mr Right be living next door?

I received a digital copy of It’s Probably You by Jayne Denker from Simon & Schuster Australia and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. A funny and entertaining story about the perils of online dating, both main characters struggled after their long term relationships ended and I laughed out loud at the odd actions of her Gillian’s potential suitors.

The narrative looks at relevant topics such as body-shaming, taking advice from someone who knows what they’re talking about, think before you do something and don't make rash decisions, creating a beautiful garden is hard work and rewarding, and a bit like a successful romantic relationship. I'm keen to peruse other books by Ms. Denker, three and a half stars from me, a quick and humorous read.

The Constant Soldier

The Constant Soldier: A Novel by William Ryan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Five years have passed since Paul Brandt made a mistake as a university student in Vienna, he was given two choices, and he either joined the German army or go to prison. Paul was severely injured on the Eastern Front and he’s returning home to his father’s farm in Reichsgua of Upper Silesia and the village has changed since he’s been gone.

A luxurious retreat has been set up for recuperating officers and those who manage the concentration camps nearby and one is called Auschwitz. The hut is run by Obersturmfuhrer Neumann, a few German soldiers and Ukrainian guards and they have a small group of women prisoners, who cook, do the officers washing and sewing. One of the women looks familiar and Paul’s sure she was arrested five years ago with him. Brandt is asked to help train the locals to boost the defences of the valley, bridge and dam and the only males left are boys under the age of thirteen, the mayor and old men.

In the forest to the east, the Soviets are waiting for the signal to advance, one of these is a young Russian woman Polya Kolank, she once built tanks in a factory, including her own, and she now drives one. The woodlands are also full of Soviet infantry, partisans, escaped allied soldiers and they are all ready to start and will be followed by the tanks.

Brandt knows the end of the war is close, despite the propaganda saying the Germans are still winning, he wants to save his family, himself and the female prisoners.

A tense and extremely powerful story following the life of a young German soldier returning home from the Eastern Front and he lost one of his arms, badly burnt his face and upper body. Brandt has seen the brutality of war and but what’s happening near the in the Austrian village where he was born is inhumane and murder, while the SS soldiers are staying at the hut eating, drinking, listening to music and having a great time.

I received a digital copy of The Constant Soldier by William Ryan from Edelweiss and Simon & Schuster in exchange for an honest review. Wow, Mr. Ryan can certainly write a historical thriller, he’s the master at Second World War storytelling and I was hooked from the first page.

The narrative is told from the points of view of Pal Brandt and Polya Kolank a Soviet female tank driver. Full of raw action, a story about a brutal war, persecution, murder, catastrophe and fear of the unknown, no one knows if they would survive the winter of 1944, the Soviet invasion and five stars from me.

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Last Night at the Hollywood Canteen

Last Night at the Hollywood Canteen by Sarah James
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Annie Laurence is a playwright, she writes murder mysteries, after she breaks up from a long term relationship, she moves to Hollywood and has been offered a contract with Pacific Pictures and they want her to write musicals.

Annie wants to meet film critic Fiona Farris, her reviews are full of wit, sly allusions and she’s a powerful woman in glamorous Hollywood. Annie becomes a member of the Ambassador’s Club, they hang out at the Ambassadors Hotel, she discovers the group is full of bitter, cynical people, they are just as unhappy with how their lives have turned out as she is and many are hiding secrets and much more.

When Fiona Farris is murdered, Annie is the prime suspect and because she died in a similar way to what Annie had included in one of her plays, she has to find the real killer, she considers who it could be and starts making a list.

Based on the Hollywood Canteen, a real place where serviceman could grab a free bite to eat, have a drink, and watch a show and dance the jitterbug and before being sent off to the war. It was opened by Bette Davis and John Garfield, staffed entirely by volunteers from the film industry, all the big name stars made an appearance, including the Andrews Sisters, Judy Garland, Bob Hope, Frank Sinatra and Louis Armstrong.

I received a copy of Last Night at the Hollywood Canteen by Sarah James from Edelweiss and Sourcebooks in exchange for an honest review. The historical mystery is full characters who depict what it was like to work in the film industry at the time, lots of things were covered up and would someone kill to keep the truth about them from being revealed and it’s certainly possible.

It has it all from sham marriages, a throuple, plagiarism, greed, drug and alcohol abuse, secrets and lies. Three stars from me, I found the characters hard to connect with and the plot jumped around a lot, but the information at the end of the book about the Hollywood Canteen was really interesting.

Looking For Jane

Looking For Jane by Heather Marshall
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Looking For Jane is told from the points of view of the three main characters Angela, Evelyn and Nancy. When Angela discovers an old letter tucked away in the antique shop where she works in 2017, it's been seven years since it was posted, she starts searching for the recipient, and it takes her back to the 1970’s and 1980’s.

As a teenager, Dr. Evelyn Taylor was forced to give up her baby for adoption, she’s one of over 300, 000 women who were made to this in post-World War Two, Canada and they spent their pregnancies hidden away in unwed mothers homes like St. Agnes’s Home for Unwed Mothers, in Toronto.

Evelyn wants women to be able to choose what happens to their bodies if they find themselves pregnant and don’t want to be. Evelyn joins the Jane Network, they provide safe but illegal abortions and Evelyn faces being sent to jail if she’s caught.

Here she meets a young woman Nancy, who’s told by a doctor if she ever found herself “in similar a position” to call doctors receptionists, ask for Jane and eventually one will give her the number. Nancy starts volunteering, trying to help young women like herself and her cousin who find themselves in trouble.

A woman should having the right to do what she wants with her own body and the consequences of not having a choice, no one cared how they got pregnant and some were victims of rape, from backstreet abortions, maternity homes, young women giving birth in a hospital, scared, alone in a tiny room and occasionally someone would check to see how they were progressing and they didn't have a basic knowledge about what’s going to happen during labour and afterwards and forced to sign the adoption paperwork.

The fictional story has a strong emphasis on women helping other women, motherhood, wanting to be a mother and not wanting to be a mother and all the grey areas in between. What choices childless couples had prior to fertility treatments, they adopted, some told the child and others didn’t.

Secrets are kept by all three characters and their lives are linked and I didn't predict the big revelation towards the end. I can understand why Looking For Jane has been a best seller, and I wouldn't be surprised if it's made into a movie and five stars from me.

The Milliner of Bendigo

The Milliner of Bendigo by Darry Fraser
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Evie Emerson is a milliner in Bendigo, she works for Mrs. Downing and she creates the most beautiful and stylish hats. Her well-meaning friends introduce her to an eligible gentlemen, when he suddenly proposes, Evie tells him she needs a couple of days to think about it, when she refuses and he’s not happy.

The circumstances around their relationship begin to be questioned, did Evie lead him on and he wants to be compensated for his broken heart and breach of promise. A ladies reputation means everything, no one in the community will have anything to do with a woman who isn’t a lady, how can Evie prove she hasn’t done anything wrong and when people snub her? Evie's been left an inheritance by her mother, she’s to share it with her sister Meryl who lives in Cobram, despite contacting her several times she hasn’t received a reply and Evie’s extremely worried.

Fitzmorgan O’Shea is Evie’s long-time friend and he has troubles of his own, he uncovered a couple of crooked police and the coppers are after him. He's on the run and hunting down his next story and Fitz visits a relative in Cobram. It’s like trouble follows the man everywhere he goes, here he discovers a local landholders are being intimidated and threatened so they will give up their riverside properties and one man hasn’t been seen in months.

Raffety Dolan is a wheelwright in Ballarat and he's Fitz’s childhood friend, he’s had a crush on Evie for years, and he’s accepted she loves Fitz. Evie travels to Cobram to find out what’s going on with her sister, she discovers Fitz and Raff are both in town and it’s a dangerous place.

I received a copy of The Milliner of Bendigo by Darry Fraser from Harlequin Australia and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Ms. Fraser knows the area well and combine this with her meticulous research and I felt a connection to the characters and places in the story and due to her writing vivid descriptions.

From traveling the dirt roads of Victoria on horseback, to catching a train to Echuca and booking a passage on a paddle steamer, and people standing on the sandy river banks and waving. The mighty Murray is Australia's longest river, it was the quickest way to travel, used by humans, freight and the water was needed to irrigate crops and water management was an issue from when the land was first settled.

Important topics are included and discussed in the narrative, like being a spinster and what society thought about unmarried women and gay men in 1898, menopause and how women struggled with the condition, depression and post-natal depression, narcissistic tendencies and dealing with a stalker and the dangers of sunstroke and how to treat it.

My favourite characters are, Evie, Mrs. Downing, Mr. Kingsley, Fitz and Raff, Robbo and Jenny Robinson, Bluey and Patto. Five stars from me, another superb Australian historical fiction tale from Darry Fraser, both the cover and the story are perfect.

Sunshine through the Rain

Sunshine through the Rain by Penelope Janu
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Primrose Cartwright is a country vet in Ballimore a place where she’s created a home for herself and her collection of rescued animals. Which includes horses of various shapes and sizes, a donkey and a couple of goats.

Prim is the youngest of three girls, they’re very close and they had to be. Primrose’s mother had a stroke when she was seven, her eldest sister Phoebe raised her younger siblings Primrose and Patience and their father wasn’t a very nice man.

The new vet in town is Blake Sinclair, he works at the zoo and has the reputation of being a bit of a ladies man and the rumor is he has a new girlfriend every week. Blake parents are doctors, he was raised by nannies and when he was old enough he was sent off to a private boy’s school and he stayed with his Scottish grandfather at his farm during the holidays. His parents aren’t very happy with his choice of career, leaving the UK and want him to return.

Prim is unique, she loves her job and believes animals including live stock should be treated fairly, given appropriate pain relief for all procedures, stress kept to a minimum and not everyone agrees with her. Prim was involved in an incident with one of the big time livestock breeders in the area Douglas Farquhar, she came across something dodgy with his program, when it was investigated he was proven innocent and Primrose lost customers and legally she can’t discuss the case.

I received a digital copy of Sunshine through the Rain by Penelope Janu from Harlequin Australia and NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased and honest review. Ms. Janu writes wonderful Australian rural fiction, with a little bit of mystery, suspense and characters who are strong and yet vulnerable and especially when it comes to romance. Despite the obvious chemistry between Prim and Blake, she's very hesitant about forming any sort of attachment to him or accepting his help and is Blake really a heart breaker?

All of the authors stories are meaningful, insightful and this time the narrative includes important information about topics such as stuttering and anxiety, child abandonment, physical and metal well being, bullying and engaging in risky behavior as teenagers and young adults.

Ethical farming, breeding of livestock and the use of hormones, keeping mammals, reptiles and birds in zoos and prioritize animal welfare. Five stars from me, I read and thoroughly enjoyed Ms. Janu's previous novel Shelter from the Storm and I highly recommend both books.

A Different Kind of Gone

A Different Kind of Gone by Catherine Ryan Hyde
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Jill Moss is nineteen, she goes on a hiking trip with her boyfriend Jake and she goes missing near the Utah/Arizona border. Norma Gallagher works at a local bar in Stoot, she’s also a search and rescue volunteer, she gets the call, Norma and her hound dogs meet the coordinator at the car park of the camping ground and she sets off on horseback looking for any trace of Jill.

Norma finds Jill, she hiding behind some rocks and in a small cave. Jill is scared of her boyfriend Jake Willis, he’s hurt her in the past and he’s threatened to kill her. To protect Jill, Norma promises to not tell anyone where she is, drive her home to her parents house in California and it’s not something she would normally do. Jill’s parents Owen and Teresa don’t trust Jake, they want the whole thing kept a secret, from the police, press, public and Norma agrees.

Five years later, Jake is caught trying to strangle his wife Wanda, the police arrest him for the attempted murder of Wanda Willis and the murder of Jill Moss. Jake is about to stand trial, Norma knows he didn’t kill Jill, her parents won’t come forward and tell the truth and they think Jake is finally getting what he deserves. Norma has to decide if she’s going to break her promise, who would she tell and will they believe her and will she get into trouble with the law?

I received a digital copy of A Different Kind of Gone by Catherine Ryan Hyde from NetGalley and Lake Union publishing in exchange for an honest review. The well written narrative explores the lengths parents will go to protect their daughter and keep her safe. Norma herself was in an abusive marriage, no one would believe her and she lost custody of her children.

Norma is a rather private person and a loner, she's lives with the consequences of what she did for Jill and she's spent five years looking over her shoulder, wondering if she made the right choice and what would you do in the same situation? Four stars from me, a story about loving someone you shouldn’t, how do you end a relationship with them, forms of domestic abuse and is there such a thing as karma!

The First Day Without You

The First Day Without You by Melissa Hill
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Leonie Hayes escapes her life in Dublin, she travels to San Francisco and hopes a change of scenery will mend her broken heart. She moves into a Victorian era house on Green Street, it’s been converted into apartments, she leases one and it needs a good clean.

This is how she finds a bundle of unread love letters and hidden at the back of a wardrobe. Leonie contacts the real estate agent to see if he has a forwarding address for the last residents, she’s the first tenant and they have no idea. With no clues, Leonie tells her new neighbour Alex Fletcher about the letters, she can’t think of who they would belong to and the two women work together on solving the mystery.

Alex is a news reporter, for a small local TV station and they do a segment called Today by the Bay. Leonie and Alex both have their own relationship problems and not that they have shared them with each other. They begin the difficult task of trying to solve the mystery of who's the sender and recipient of the love letters?

I received digital a copy of The First Day Without You by Melissa Hill from Edelweiss and Sourcebooks in exchange for an honest review. It tells the story about Nathan writing letters to Helena, regretting the choices he made, he wants her to know that he still loves her and pleading for her to forgive him and he has no idea she’s never received them.

Leonie and Alex don't know how old the letters are, in trying to piece together and solve the mystery it makes both of them confront their own relationships, what went wrong and are they really over?

I enjoyed reading about the major landmarks and places to visit in San Francisco, from the Golden Gate Bridge, to the Island of Alcatraz and the infamous penitentiary, Chinatown, Fisherman's Wharf and of course Leonie has a bowl of soup served in a sourdough bowl.

Michelle Hill is the queen of chit lit, I can understand why and a narrative combining lost love, unopened letters, a tour of San Fransisco and with the many twist and turns makes for a quick, enjoyable read and three and a half stars from me.

The Sewing Factory Girls

The Sewing Factory Girls: An uplifting and emotional tale of courage and friendship based on real events by Posy Lovell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Ellen Kelly lives in the Scottish town of Clydebank, with her father Allan, mother Gert, granny Sal and sister Bridget and she’s the third generation of proud women in her family to work at the Singer Factory. Over twelve thousand people are employed here and it's the most modern factory in Europe, it takes forty one pairs of hands to make one machine from the start to finish.

Bridget works in the office, she’s a typist and so does her fiancée Malcom, Ellen, Gert and Sal are busy making Bridget’s wedding dress and she's given a traditional Wentworth send-off, she’s pushed around the factory floor in a cart and in a mock wedding dress and one of Ellen’s creations.

Sadie Franklin starts working at the Singer Factory, she nervous on her first day and Ellen shows her the cabinet polishing room. Sadie’s father recently passed away, she’s the breadwinner in her family, supporting her mum and three younger siblings and they live in Gorbals, Glasgow.

After Bridget’s wedding, a new manager starts running the factory, Mr. Beresford, he wants to make changes and use the new philosophy of scientific management, he lays of some employees and others are expected to work longer hours and for less money. Ellen is mad, after a few days she’s exhausted, Ellen thinks about going on strike and Sadie agrees. The strike escalates, others from the factory walk off the job and the members of the Industrial Workers of Scotland become involved.

Bridget is caught in the middle she has to choose between her new husband who doesn’t believe in the strike or her sister and she becomes very disillusioned with her marriage and job. She meets a suffragette, Ida McKinley they hold secret meetings, a subcommittee of the Women’s Social and Political Union and some of the members get up to mischief and all for a good cause.

I received a digital copy of The Sewing Factory Girls by Posy Lovell from Orion Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. An empowering and well written story about the women who fought to improve the working conditions at the Singer factory in 1911 at Clydebank, Scotland.

Women held everything together in the household, earn money to help support their families and at the time they’re not given a lot of credit for what they do and I found this a double standard. An inspiring narrative about courage, the fight for change and to be paid a fair wage.

The ladies form a unbreakable friendship, they support everyone in need and it's a true sisterhood. Five stars from me, perfect for historical fiction readers who like true stories about inspirational women and set during the industrial boom in Scotland.

The Winthrop Agreement

The Winthrop Agreement by Alice Sherman Simpson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

When sixteen year old Rivkah Milmanovitch leaves her village in Lithuania her mother tells her she's making a big mistake, her husband Jacob promises he will be waiting for her in New York and he fails to show up when her ship docks. Alone and pregnant, she makes her way to the Lower East Side tenements and where her childhood friend Lottie Aarons lives.

Lottie and Rivkah work at the sweatshops sewing, Lottie is going to night school and studying shorthand and typing. Rivkah gives birth to a daughter, Miriam, she’s determined her child will have a better life in America, Mimi doesn’t know her mother was once a carefree young girl, all she remembers is an exhausted woman who works six days a week and struggles to make ends meets.

Frederick Winthrop is a wealthy man, he lives on Fifth Avenue in a mansion, the youngest of three brothers there’s something odd and sinister about him and he likes young girls. He meets fifteen-year-old Mimi in a park, she’s easily seduced, to avoid scandal Fredrick’s older brothers Thomas and Jonathan step in and help her and she’s one of the lucky ones.

Her aunt Lottie is a bookkeeper and works for the Winthrop’s, she advises Mimi to take the opportunity she’s given, keep what happened with Fredrick a secret and tell no one. Mimi opens her own couture dress shop, she makes beautiful gowns for New York’s wealthy heiresses and her big break comes when she designs a wedding gown.

But Mimi always has to be on guard, she makes sure she doesn’t go anywhere that Fredrick Winthrop could be, she’s nervous she might bump into him again, she has every reason to fear him and she doesn't have many friends.

I received a digital copy of The Winthrop Agreement by Alice Sherman Simpson from Edelweiss and HarperCollins publishing in exchange for an honest review.

Set during the Gilded Age in New York City, a story about the struggles of young immigrant women, they work in the shirtwaist factory, with poor ventilation, the windows are locked and they spend hours bent over a sewing machine and in bad lighting.

All come to America for a better life, and it’s very hard for them to break the cycle of poverty and they live in the crowded tenements. Many of the women were abandoned by their husbands, it was very common and you can see how they were easily taken advantage of and were the perfect prey for a monster.

A combination, part historical fiction and thriller, I found it rather far fetched and unbelievable. Three and a half stars from me, I enjoyed reading about Rivkah immigrating to America and passing the medical check at Ellis Island and Mimi mentoring students from the Manhattan Trade School for girls at her boutique and Lottie was my favorite character and most likeable.

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Talk to the Heart

Talk to the Heart by Rachael Johns
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Adeline Walsh grew up on a dairy farm in the small country town of Walsh, Western Australia, Adeline thinks she’s better than everyone else until one day she discovers a long hidden family secret and it makes Adeline reconsider her standing.

Adeline decides she’s going to become a nun, she will give up her expensive clothes, breeding Maremma dogs, move to Smallton, in Victoria and start her training at The Sisters of Grace Convent. Adeline vowing to be chaste, obedient and give up all her worldly goods made me laugh and at least she's a practicing catholic and that's one thing she doesn't need to change.

Life in Smallton and the convent is nothing like Adeline expected, the other sisters are lovely, a big family, they all help each other, work together and support people in the community. For Adeline it gives her time to reflect on what she’s done in the past, she can turn over a new leaf and her sins will forgiven.

Mother Catherine kindly let's her bring her dog Bella to the convent, through one of her exploits and escapes she meets Holden Campbell, and at first Adeline can’t see past his long unkempt hair, beard and tattoos. Adeline discovers behind scruffy exterior beats a heart of gold and he and his brother Ford are foster parents to teenage boys who’ve had a tough childhood.

Adeline's had quite a lot of experience in fund raising and obtaining grants back home in Walsh and she offers to help Holden fill out applications and for a worthy project he wants to start. Adeline finds Holden attractive, she's committed to being a nun and it’s the happiest she’s ever been and she doesn't want to muck it up. Will she be able to resist temptation, Holden has made it very clear he doesn’t believe in love and being in an exclusive relationship?

I received a digital copy of Talk to the Heart by Rachael Johns from Harlequin Australia and NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review. Wow, this was my favourite book out of the three in the Rose Hill trilogy and Ms. John’s certainly exceeded my high expectations with her latest novel.

A story that highlights some really relevant topics and brings them to your attention like, foster children and how financial support ends when they turn eighteen, youth homelessness, and families come in all shapes and sizes. You shouldn’t judge people by their appearance, especially those with body art and don't own a hairbrush.

Being a nun has changed over the years, they have fun and are part of the community. People can can change, Adeline does, she accepts she was a bully, selfish, shallow, and vain and your typical mean girl, and she's sorry for her behaviour and want's to make amends.

An emotional, uplifting, moving and hilarious narrative by Ms. Johns, I highly recommend reading all three books in the Rose Hill series, Talk of the Town, Something to Talk About and my absolute favourite Talk to the Heart and five big stars from me. Perfect for fans of The Sound of Music, heroes with a bad boy image and body art.

A Woman of Courage

A Woman of Courage by Tania Blanchard
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Hannah Todd has just finished her teaching studies in Durham, when her parents buy a public house called The Ox and Plough in Ebberfield, in Northern England. Hannah joins them, they need help due to her father's health problems and she’s going to teach at the parish school.

Hannah is horrified when some of her students arrive at school hungry and don’t have decent footwear and warm clothing. Hannah decides to hold meeting and a small group of women gather, and they want to improve the lives of the children in the district, they come up with some excellent ideas and a wealthy patron provides the funds.

Hannah dreams of living in London and wants to be a Suffragette, her idol is Millicent Fawcett and she later forms The National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies. They lobby for women to have marital and parenting rights, protect children, improve literacy and adult education, public health and sanitation, and for Parliament to give women the right to vote and pass the bill.

Hannah discovers women in Ebberfield are being abused by their husbands, she can’t understand why they stay with the men that hurt them, it’s because a man has his rights and women don't have money of their own or a safe place to go. Hannah's shocked to discover domestic abuse is happening in all walks of life and you don’t know what goes on behind closed doors or is hidden by long sleeves and dresses.

Women bore the brunt of life’s hardest trials and yet they were seen as the weaker sex and not fit to fulfil the full duties of citizenship and be able to vote.

I received a copy of a Woman of Courage from NetGalley and HaperCollins Publishers Australia in exchange for an honest review. Ms. Blanchard is one of my favourite Australian historical fiction authors, this book is set in a different era to her others and it's magnificent and makes you think about what it was like to be a woman in the 1890's.

The beginning of social change in England, women are questioning what they can and cannot do, deciding if they want to marry and constantly being pregnant, be financially independent and are starting to speak up and find their voice.

Things like vaccination is in it's infancy, theories about germs, illness and where to go for treatment and what's available, and people having access to books, adult education and a clean water supply in country towns are all mentioned. For me the characters in the narrative are diverse and suit the time period, Hannah is the leading lady and a trail blazer, a perfect example of why women should be given the right to vote, she's smart, looks at things from a different perspective and comes up with an alternative solution to issues and problems. Five big stars from me, superb and I can't wait to read the sequel next year.

Penelope in Retrograde

Penelope in Retrograde by Brooke Abrams
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Penelope Banks lives in San Francisco, she writes romance novels and is returning home to Southern California to spend Thanksgiving with her family. It’s been ten years since she visited, her dad is the CEO of United International Engineering, her twin sister Phoebe and her fiancée Falon both work for him and Penny feels like a failure and she's never been good enough.

Things don’t get off to a great start when her plane lands at the airport, her mum thinks it’s not safe for her to use a ride share, maybe she should’ve listened, because her fellow passenger just happens to be her old neighbour, high school boyfriend and partner in crime and ex-husband Smith Mackenzie.

When she finally arrives everyone is waiting out the front of the house, as they didn’t believe Penny will actually show up, her mum Sylvia, dad Carter, Phoebe and Falon, Grandmother Rosie and Martin Butler and her mother invited him because she doesn’t like to have an uneven number at her dining table and she's trying to find Penny a husband.

Penny is rather surprised by Martin Butler, he’s rather good-looking, and he’s her father’s work colleague, she asks him to be her pretend boyfriend so she doesn’t look like a loser, Smith has a new girlfriend and want him thinking she's been pining for him for all these years.

Penny and her fellow writers Chelsey and Jackie and members of The Smut Caven want to open a romance only bookstore, and she's waiting for the perfect time to make her pitch to her father and Phoebe keeps telling her that she and Falon have big news to share and Penny has to wait.

Meanwhile Penny has to deal with her over the top southern belle mother, her grandmother Rosie is ninety six, she likes a drink and isn't growing herbs in her greenhouse, her clothes and comfy birkenstocks are not up to her mother's lofty standards, Martin turns out to be a nice guy and not all what she’s expecting, her dad has a bit of a scare and Phoebe discovers her perfect love story might be about to unfold in the last place on earth she wants to be.

I received a copy of Penelope in Retrograde from NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Brooke Abrams debut novel is a hilarious, four days of mayhem, madness, full of quirky characters and it turns out Penny isn't the disappointment to her family and no one is perfect. Fours stars from me, a quick read and a humorous story.

The Warsaw Sisters

The Warsaw Sisters: A Novel of WWII Poland by Amanda Barratt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In August in 1939, twin sisters Antonina and Helena Dąbrowska wave goodbye to all the able bodied men who leave to defend Poland against the threat of German invasion and their father is one of them. The next day, the Germans start bombing Warsaw, sitting in basements around the city, with very little food and water, people pray and worry about loved ones fighting.

The German army is unstoppable and a month later the sisters hear a strange sound and it’s stomping of thousands of boots as the German march into Warsaw and they have no idea what's happened to their father.

Antonina is a music student and she's a pianist, she knows Marek Eisenberg a Jewish violinist, they hear rumors about the German's building a wall and creating a ghetto. In October 1940, all Jewish people living in Warsaw have to move into the designated area in the overcrowded ghetto and it's later sealed off. Antonina decides to help and she becomes a member of network of women who risk their lives to shelter Jewish children and move them onto the next safe house.

Helena works as a secretary for a German official and he’s an accountant and tax examiner for his government. Helena decides to join the Polish underground army, as the Soviet’s get closer to Warsaw, they are preparing to fight to free their homeland from the German occupation, they form battalions, gather what weapons they can scavenge, make petrol bombs and wait for the signal.

Both sisters are involved in the Polish resistance, if discovered they would be killed or sent to a concentration camp, so for the first time ever they keep secrets from each other and this drives a wedge between them.

I received a copy of The Warsaw Sisters by Amanda Barratt from Revell Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review. I knew Poland was invaded by the Germans during The Second World War and I had no idea how bad it was and this is a well written and extremely powerful story.

Ms. Barratt’s narrative looks at the war from the two sisters points of view and it highlights the major and tragic events that happened during the German occupation of Poland. Inspired by ordinary people who endured terrible hardship and what took place over five years, the building of the Warsaw ghetto, the Katyn massacre, the Warsaw ghetto uprising, the battle of Warsaw, the terrible repercussions for the innocent civilians at Wola and Ochta. The Germans destroyed over 80% of Warsaw’s buildings, almost the entire city was reduced to rubble and it was a smelly wasteland.

A story about courage, sacrifice, resilience, survival, urban guerilla warfare, everyday Polish men and women taking up arms and it was the largest nonmilitary fight by an European resistance during the Second World War. Five stars from me, this is one of the best historical fiction books I have read, I will never forget what happened in Poland and I highly recommend.

For Once in My Life

For Once In My Life by Karly Lane
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Jenny Hayward is a divorced mother of three adult daughters, a nanna and she cannot believe she's fifty years old and the time has flown. It only seems like yesterday she was packing school lunches, yelling at her kids to do their homework and thinking about returning to the workforce.

Jenny's best friend Beth encouraged her and looked after the girls, so Jenny could study nursing, follow her dreams and her ex-husband certainly didn't. She works at the small community hospital in Barkley, where she has a multipurpose role and she loves her job.

Her husband of twenty seven years left her two years ago for a younger woman, Jenny’s transformed the master bedroom into her own space and she’s quite happy being single. Jenny has no idea her daughters and Beth have secretly created a profile on a dating app for her and she's thrust unexpectedly into the world of online dating and she’s not happy about it. Jenny dates are not what she’s expecting, she discovers men lie on their profiles, she gets tired of getting hit on by the sleazy ones and she's disillusioned by the whole experience. The barman at the newly renovated Coach House hotel witnesses her disastrous dates and humiliation, it quickly gets around Barkley Jenny’s finally dating and she feels embarrassed.

The only man she’s attracted to is Nick behind the bar, Jenny’s sure she’s more than a decade older than him and she doesn’t want to be seen as a cougar. Like many women in their fifties, Jenny doesn’t think she’s attractive, she’s had three babies and she lacks confidence. Her daughters and Beth notice that Nick is certainly keen, why is it OK for men to date much younger women, if it’s the other way around the woman is judged and Jenny needs to throw caution to the wind and live a little.

I received a digital copy of For Once in My Life by Karly Lane from NetGalley and Allen & Unwin in exchange for an honest review. This is the first book I have read by Ms. Lane, it certainly won’t be my last and the author is known for writing small town Australian country fiction and she does it superbly.

The narrative covers important topics such as having to deal with your ex, grown up children who still live at home and being a working mother, it doesn’t matter how old your children are you still worry about them and it’s very hard to keep a secret in a small town and let alone two!

How many single older women no longer feel attractive and they find dating daunting, the negative thoughts and feelings that are caused by what a women sees in the mirror and they worry about their bodies no longer being perfect, I blame society for this and five stars from me.

The Woman with a Purple Heart

The Woman with a Purple Heart by Diane Hanks
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Annie Fox is a career army nurse, she’s stationed in the Philippines when she’s unexpectedly transferred to a small hospital at Hickam Field, an air force base in Honolulu, Hawaii. Annie is forty eight, she served in The Great War and she’s sure the army has sent her to the tropical paradise as a way of saying she’s getting too old and maybe it’s time for her to retire.

The hospital is small, it only has forty beds, and Annie's in charge of the five nurses stationed there, Sara, Monica, Kathy, Winnie and Irene. Annie's only been at Hickam Field for a month, when on morning of December the 7th 1941, she hears an odd buzzing sound and sees the first Japanese Zero fighter plane approaching Hickam's Parade Ground and the pilot starts firing.

No one is prepared, many of the men are still in their barracks, and the Japanese want to destroy the planes and airfield. Soon the hospital is over flowing with wounded, Annie experience from The Great War is vital, she knows what to do in the situation and tells her nurses.

The hospital is running out of supplies, Annie drives into Honolulu to gather more blood, nurses and ambulances. The two main hospitals are overflowing with wounded and dying military personal and civilians, they give her what they can spare and they don’t have any extra staff.

Annie knows the nurses who work at the Japanese American Community Center, they offer to help, she visits The Hotel district, the prostitutes are willing to donate blood and volunteer. You can imagine what the guard on duty and others think when Annie arrives back with her assortment of helpers, Japanese nurses and prostitutes, it’s a crisis and more wounded are arriving every minute.

Annie is friendly with Kay Kimura who runs the center, she has two children Elizabeth and Thomas and her grandmother was born in Japan. At the time one third of Hawaii’s population are of Japanese heritage, martial law is declared, a strict curfew and rationing is enforced.

Annie can’t believe it when Kay is arrested as a suspected subversive taken away by the FBI and no one knows where she is. Everywhere you look in Honolulu it's damaged or destroyed, the hospitals are still full of wounded and the wrecks of the Arizona and Oklahoma are visible in the harbor and why would they care about the fate of one Japanese woman and especially now.

I received a digital copy of The woman with a Purple Heart by Diane Hanks from Edelweiss and Sourcebook in exchange for an honest review. Set during one the most turbulent times in American history and on it's darkest day, the author looks at the actions of a real life heroine First Lieutenant Annie Gayton Fox, she showed remarkable courage, professionalism, calmness, compassion, quick thinking, leadership and was the first woman to be awarded a Purple Heart.

Ms. Hanks also highlights the tension and ill feeling in Hawaii at the time towards the Japanese Americans who called the island home, they were all taken away and send to internment camps. Five stars from me, a well written narrative about war and friendship, looking outside of the box and from a different perspective and don't underestimate what women can do and achieve.

Mrs Winterbottom Takes a Gap Year

Mrs Winterbottom Takes a Gap Year by Joanna Nell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Alan and Heather Winterbottom are both GP’s and they have worked hard in their rural medical practice in East Dorset and after forty years it’s time to take down their shingles and retire.

The couple have two adult daughters, a lovely home and a pet dog Stan. While Heather dreams of finally been able to take an extended holiday, explore the Greek Islands, and break free from the restraints of everyday life and travel the world.

Alan has different ideas, he decides to join an Organic Gardening Club, installs a greenhouse, he plans to grow his own vegetables, reduce his carbon footprint and Heather finds it all rather boring. The Winterbottom’s looked forward to retiring, they underestimated how big a change it would be and it’s a major life event. Heather is at a cross roads and at a family lunch, Heather announces she’s decided to take a gap year, escape her life and marriage, travel to Greece and read The Odyssey. Her family are shocked, why a sixty six year old woman want to go on a holiday on her own, is it even safe and is she having some sort of late midlife crisis?

Heather arrives in Cephalonia, she books three days of activities, what happens to her is hilarious, Heather decides she wants to discover the real Greece and at a much slower pace. Heather meets Dennis, he owns his own boat and offers to show her places not in the travel brochures. Heather makes it clear she’s married, not interested in a holiday fling, but Greek men have a certain charisma about them and will she give in to temptation?

I received a digital copy of Mrs Winterbottom Takes a Gap Year by Joanna Nell from NetGalley and Hachette Australia & New Zealand in exchange for an honest review. Ms. Nell's latest thought provoking novel is an in-depth and at times a humorous tale about a woman suddenly waking up, looking in the mirror and feeling like her use by date is running out and she has no time to waste.

Full of vivid descriptions of Greece, the beautiful islands and swimming in the sea, food, wine, the relaxed lifestyle and historical places. A narrative about Heather fulfilling a promise she made to a her dear friend Esme, finding herself along the way, maybe Heather doesn’t appreciate what she has and she too critical of Alan. Ms. Nell has a way with words, I haven't laughed so much in ages and five stars from me.

Child of the Ruins

Child of the Ruins by Kate Furnivall
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

1948, Berlin. The Second World War has ended, Germany has been divided up into zones and due to the Russian blockade over two millions people rely on the American air drops of food, clean water and medicine to survive and a plane lands every thirty seconds in West Berlin.

Anna Wolff and her mother Luisa live in their apartment in East Berlin, her father was killed in the war and the two women survived the allied bombing, the Russians taking the city and the mass rapes. A few months later she meets Major Timur Voronin a Russian officer, Timur is different to the others and he promises to write to Anna when he was transferred to Warsaw, she never heard from him and now he’s back.

Anna has a three year old son Felix, the last time she saw him he was a three month old baby and she has been looking for him ever since. For some reason trouble seems to follow Anna, she’s not sure if she’s being paranoid but a few dangerous events have happened when she has been out and about and she wonders if someone is trying to kill her?

Ingrid Keller is married to Otto, her father owned a circus before the war, and she and her knife throwing accomplice Fridolf busk on the streets of West Berlin to make money. Both women start working at the Tempelfot Airport, Anna unloading planes and Ingrid in a mobile food van. Anna is looking for any information about Felix, earn money and they receive a hot meal. Ingrid is keeping track of what’s happening on the base and she's associating with both American and Russian spies

In post-World War Two Berlin, the Soviet forces want the allies out of Germany, to have complete control, spies are everywhere, widespread corruption and people are snatched of the streets. An evil man has Anna in his sights, he will do anything to get what he wants and an unlikely hero steps in to help Anna, her mother and her band of waifs.

I received a digital copy of Child of the Ruins by Kate Furnivall from Hodder & Stoughton in exchange for an honest review. A sweeping historical saga, that has you sitting on the edge of your set, it’s intense, gripping, full of action and acts of espionage. You feel like your living in Berlin at the time, a beautiful city reduced to rubble, packs of orphaned children prowl the streets, looking for food and somewhere to sleep for the night, everyone is desperate, still traumatized by the war, uncertain and nervous.

I have been a big fan of Ms. Furnivall's since I read, The Far Side of The Sun ten years ago, once again she has blown me away with a story full of twists and turns, an ending that wasn't predictable and five stars from me.

Voices in the Dark

Voices in the Dark by Fleur McDonald
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Sassi Stapleton receives a call from her uncle Abe to say her grandmother Cora is unwell, Sassi and her dog Jarrah hop in her ute and start the long drive to Barker. Being a country girl Sassi knows it’s important to stop and have a break, stay alert and be on the lookout for kangaroos.

Sassi is less than an hour from Barker, when a roo jumps in front of her ute, she rolls down a steep embankment and she's trapped in her vehicle. Abe contacts Detective Dave Burrows he’s in charge of the Barker police station, he sends a search party, they find Sassi, luckily she’s not badly hurt and unfortunately her grandmother passed away and she didn't get to say goodbye.

Sassi was raised by her gran and pa, her mother Amber lives in South Africa, the family are shocked when she arrives and instantly the atmosphere become tense. Amber was only sixteen when Sassi was born, her relationship with her parents has been sporadic and she left Sassi with them when she was five.

After the funeral, it’s clear Mr. Stapleton needs proper in-home care, he had a stroke a few years ago, his speech is slurred and he can’t walk unaided. Abe runs the family farm, he’s married, has twins boys, he's the only male to take care of his fathers personal needs and he's too busy. Rasha moved to Barker from the city, she’s Sudanese, and she’s willing to be Mr. Stapleton's career. The family are really happy, Amber treats her like a maid and then they notice he has bruises.

An investigation into what’s happened to Mr. Stapleton begins, everyone is questioned, including Abe, his wife Renee, Sassi, Rasha and Amber. Detective Burrows looks into the case, he’s got years of experience under his belt, both Rasha and Amber seem uncomfortable and he has a pretty good idea of who’s not telling the truth and why.

I received a digital copy of Voices in the Dark from NetGalley and Allen & Unwin in exchange for an honest review. Fleur McDonald is one of Australia’s most popular and prolific rural fiction authors, I can understand why and her character Dave Burrows has featured in previous books and he's a legend.

I enjoy reading stories set in small Australian country towns, it has a character driven plot and I really liked Sassi, Abe and Renee, Dave and his wife Kim, Mia, Hamish the ambo, twins Jimmy and Harry and of course Jarrah. A story about long kept family secrets, unknown resentment, lies and greed. Solving the mystery of who's been hurting a defenseless Mr. Stapleton and it's a very low act and unanswered questions about Sassi's father. Five stars from me, I'm keen to read other books by Ms. McDonald and I highly recommend her latest novel.

The Talented Mrs Greenway

The Talented Mrs Greenway by Tea Cooper
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Greenway family are stonemasons and builders in England and Francis is a promising architect. He and Mary Fripp marry and not long after he's convicted of forgery, Mary feels like it's her fault and Francis is transported to Terra Australis, and the Colony of New South Wales.

Mary follows as soon as she can, with her are her three children George, William and Frankie, she has no idea what’s happened to Francis and she can’t wait to be reunited with him. Mary’s first husband James Fripp was a nasty man, her father thought he’d left Mary, their house Manali and his investments in good hands, and this wasn’t the case at all.

Mary is full of nervous anticipation about living in the new Colony, she can put the past behind her and have a fresh start. Mary’s a resourceful woman, she's her husbands greatest supporter and she can see Sydney Town has potential. By chance Mary meets Elizabeth Macquarie and it seems like she has finally met a like-minded friend, but due to Francis being a convict and Mrs Macquarie has to be careful who she associates with.

Set during the time when Lachlan Macquarie is the Governor of New South Wales, Francis Greenway is eventually appointed the Civil Architect and Assistant Engineer, he designed classic colonial buildings and some still stand today. Lachlan Macquarie thought men like Francis, who served their time or were emancipists should be treated fairly and given a second chance and the gentry or exclusives didn’t approve of his ideas. He wanted to stop the Colony of New South Wales being seen only as a place to send criminals and to make space in England's jails and instead as a free settlement.

An agent is sent from London to check on what the governor doing, his superiors in London think he's spending too much money, he agrees the buildings are to elaborate and convicts would of more use working for landholders and not as builders laborers. This has a flow on effect for the Greenways, Francis doesnt think he has been paid fairly for his work, he's known for being temperamental and could this be used against him?

I received a digital copy of The Talented Mrs Greenway from Harlequin Australia and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Using real facts and fiction Tea Cooper has written an articulate and detailed story about the very beginning, planning and construction of the city now know as Sydney and the woman who stood beside one of Australia's first architects and maybe had an influence on how he designed the classic buildings.

Mary Greenway was a remarkable woman, a wife, mother and artist, but most of all she was smart, resilient, resourceful and wanted women to have the same opportunities as men. I had never heard of Francis and Mary Greenway prior to reading this book and Ms. Cooper always writes about fascinating historical times and the people who helped make Australia what it is today and five stars from me. Out of all Tea Cooper's books, this is my favourite and I highly recommend.

Hold My Girl

Hold My Girl by Charlene Carr
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Katherine Matheson is happily married to Patrick, they struggled for seven years to have a baby and she gave birth to their miracle baby Rose almost a year ago. Katherine is a perfectionist, her husband has a good job, they have a nice home and she makes sure it’s spotless. Kathleen is of African American heritage, she noticed when Rose was born her skin is lighter than she thought it would be and she put it down to genetics doing odd things.

Tess Sokolowski was married, she and her husband tried to have a baby for years and she attended the same IVF clinic as Katherine and sadly Tess’s baby girl was born still. Tess is now divorced, broke, works in a laboratory testing water samples, she never finished her degree, and she doesn’t make the best lifestyle choices and her parents won't speak to her.

Just before Rose’s first birthday, Katherine and Tess get a message from the fertility clinic, a mistake was made, their eggs were switched and both women are shocked. Everyone involved has to have a DNA test, Katherine is scared she’s going to lose the daughter she loves and for Tess it means she might be a mother and something she'd accepted she would never be.

The three people involved have to decide what they want to do, find out their legal rights, are they prepared for a long and drawn out custody battle, use discriminating personal information they can find out about each other to their advantage, prove who would provide Rose with a better life, is Ellen entitled to see Rose and have visitation rights and should they all sue the IVF clinic?

I received a digital copy of Hold My Girl by Charlene Carr from Edelweiss and Sourcebooks in exchange for an unbiased and honest review. Ms. Carr with care and understanding has written a narrative that explores what it's like to be infertile, how common it is and people don’t talk about their struggles, how it makes a women feel, the impact it has on relationships, going through the invasive fertility treatments and ups and downs of IVF, what makes a mother and how mothering comes in many forms.

This made me think my own struggle to be a mother, ten long years, I felt broken and angry, insecure and a complete failure. Looking back, the biggest mistake I made was I didn’t talk to people about how I felt, I should have spoken up when someone said something inappropriate or insensitive and unfortunately it happened all the time. Five stars from me and if you know someone who’s struggling with infertility be kind, the story mentions stillbirth, pregnancy loss and rape.

October in the Earth

October in the Earth by Olivia Hawker
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Adella is the wife of preacher Irving Wensley, his church is in Harlan County, Kentucky and she stands by his side and never questions his choices. Most people think Adella is lucky, she has a rich husband, a nice home and the one thing she longs for is children and the couple haven’t been blessed with little ones.

When Adella discovers her husband’s long term infidelity, she’s mad and decides to leave him. Dressed in men’s clothes Del turns her back on the strict life she's lived as a preachers wife, a coal train is rolling through the valley and she stows aboard. Del has no idea where she’s going or what she’s going to do and the only thing she can think of is getting away from her cheating husband.

Del meets Louisa Trout, she takes the novice under her wing and explains the rules and code of being a hobo, the safe places to stay or jungles in larger cities and her plan is to travel west. Louisa destination is Wenatchee to pick apples, earn enough money and so she can be reunited with her son. As Del and Louisa travel across America, it’s gripped by a terrible depression, they see abandoned houses and dried up crops in the fields, families traveling the roads and because the banks have foreclosed on their farms, hardship and smothering dust storms.

I received a copy of October in the Earth by Oliva Hawker from Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased review. A liberating and at times dangerous action adventure story, and without her experienced companion Del wouldn't have latest long on her own and she would've been an easy target.

The narrative focuses on the unique relationship and friendship formed between the two main characters, traveling the rails, the hobo lifestyle, going where the tracks lead them and with a few deviations along the way. Another wonderful novel by Ms. Hawker and I have been a big fan of hers since I read One for the Blackbird, and One for the Crow. An epic journey across depression ravaged America, it's about self-discovery, giving more than you take, honesty, types of love and four and a half stars from me.

The Letter Tree

The Letter Tree by Rachel Fordham
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Laura Bradshaw adores books, reading and stories that end happily ever after. Since her mother died seven years ago, her father Stanley has changed, Laura is left home with the kindly housekeeper Mrs. Gaskin and her pet bird Tybalt. Her father owns the Bradshaw Shoe Company, all he worries about is taking down his competitor, Campbell Shoe Company and they were once business partners and friends.

When she can, Laura likes to visit the Buffalo Zoo, it’s near her house and she loves animals. Laura started writing poetry when her mother died, she left a poem in a tree trunk at the zoo, she was shocked to find someone had left a letter in it's place and for years she and the unknown “boy with the pine-cones” have been corresponding.

Isaac Campbell is the heir to the Campbell Shoe Company and one of Buffalo's most eligible bachelors. Isaac's thoughts are consumed by discovering who's the mystery woman he exchanges letters with at the zoo and she uses the name “wishing girl.”

As children Laura and Isaac were friends, when their fathers had the falling out they are not allowed to speak to each other and have been caught up in the messy breakup. Isaac want's to uncover the reason for the Bradshaw-Campbell falling out, he starts looking into what happened at the time and hires a private investigator.

I received a digital copy of The Letter Tree by Rachel Fordham from Edelweiss and Thomas Nelson publishing in exchange for an honest review. The author uses real public places in Buffalo, NY from the 1920's in the narrative and I found this extremely interesting. I enjoyed discovering the family history between the Bradshaw's and the Campbell's, what caused the feud and it full of drama, confusion, mystery and suspense.

The well written story by Ms. Fordham it's told from the two main characters points of view and using a Romeo and Juliet scenario. Five stars from me, a sweet, clean and wholesome romance and suitable for all ages to read.

Someting to Talk About

Something to Talk About by Rachael Johns
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Tabitha Cooper-Jones is everyone's friend in her hometown of Walsh, Western Australia and she makes the best ice-cream. Tab’s life hasn’t been easy her mum passed away when she was a little girl and she lost lower part of her arm to cancer as a teenager.

Tab and her sister-in-law Meg run an ice-cream parlor and café in Rose Hill and they use all locally sourced produce and milk. Tab loves her brother Lawson, nephew Ned, she’s the assistant coach of his cricket team, she drives her van to practice and she gives the kids a free ice-cream afterwards. Tab has given up on finding a man and love, her last serious relationship was ten years ago, she really wants it to be a mother and she’s looking into doing this solo.

Fergus McWilliams takes a temporary teaching job in Walsh, he’s recently broken up with his fiancée and he needs some space. A handsome and young single man in a small town has a target back and even the mum's of the kids in his class get a bit giggly around him. Ferg fills in as the cricket coach and Tabitha is his assistant and he finds her rather prickly.

Living in Walsh it’s impossible for them to not to be at the same place at the same time, Fergus and Tabitha are attracted to each other, the sparks fly and there is defiantly sizzling chemistry between them.

The second book the Rose Hill trilogy, Something to Talk about is a heart-warming and thought provoking story about the two main characters overcoming obstacles and stop being so stubborn, learning to trust again and forgiving people who have hurt them in the past. Five stars from me, I can’t wait to read the third book in the series, Talk to the Heart and Rachel John’s is one of my favourite Australian rural fiction authors.

Talk of the Town

Talk of the Town by Rachael Johns
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Lawson Cooper-Jones is a widower, he has an eight year old son Ned and runs the family’s dairy farm. His wife Leah passed away four years ago, the matchmakers in town have tried to set him up and failed and Adeline Walsh has been sending out signals that she's interested in him and he dodges her like the plague.

Lawson is driving through Rose Hill with Ned and he gets a flat tire. The town has been deserted since the 1970’s, he’s shocked to discover a young woman called Meg Donald has bought the old and derelict general store. Meg keeps to herself and is shy, it’s a hot day and she offers Lawson and Ned a drink and entertains Ned while his dad changes the flat.

Meg thinks the old place is haunted, she hears noises at night, she notices things get moved and Lawson offers to help her solve the mystery around the general store and why it has a resident ghost. Meg makes friends with Archie at the petrol station, Lawson’s sister Tabitha and she starts to feel hopeful and for the first time in years.

Adeline Walsh makes it her personal mission to uncover the truth about Meg, she discovers her real identity and history, and she tells Lawson and his and Meg's fledgling romance ends. Both Meg and Lawson are miserable, Tabitha tries to talk some sense into her big brother, she points out no one is perfect and people make mistakes, some are bigger than others, if they have paid the price for doing the wrong thing and turned their life around and don’t they deserve a second chance?

A wonderful and well written narrative from Rachael Johns, her books always have great characters and messages and lessons included. Like honesty is the best policy, drugs ruin young lives and people need professional help to handle grief, you can't keep a secret in a small country town and dairy framers work hard, it's possible to find forgiveness in your heart and start a fresh. Five stars from me, this is the first book in the Rose Hill trilogy and I’m very keen to read the next book, Something to Talk about.

Christams at the Wartime Bookshop

Christmas at the Wartime Bookshop (The Wartime Bookshop #3)

Christmas at the Wartime Bookshop by Lesley Eames
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Once again it was wonderful catching up the residents of Churchwood, they live in a small village in Hertfordshire and especially members of the busy bookshop. They use the church hall, here they have a cup of tea and a chat, exchange books, and mend and make over clothes.

The four main members of the bookshop are Naomi Harrington, Kate Fletcher, Alice Lovell and Bert Makepiece. All want to bring back to magic of Christmas and especially for the children and the men in the nearby convalescing home.

Naomi lives in the grandest house in the village, her husband Alexander Harrington has not only been unfaithful, he has a secret family and she feels like a complete fool. Naomi has to fight to keep her home Fox Field, she worried how much of the money in the trust fund remains, she needs to employ at solicitor to sort out the mess and she's never had financial problems before.

Alice is newly married to Daniel Irvine and she’s sure he’s been sent to North Africa. Alice still visits Stafford House, where she reads to the patients and writes letters for those who can’t. Alice thinks she might be expecting a honeymoon baby, she’s both over joyed and concerned about having a baby during a war.

Kate works and lives on Brimbles Farm, her father Ernie is still as mean and grumpy as ever. When her twin brothers Fred and Frank joined up, her father finally gave in an employed two land girls Pearl and Ruby. Her secret romance with fighter pilot Leo Kinsella is going well and they write long letters to each other. Kate tries to make time to visit the bookshop, then family hears that one of the twins has been severely wounded and he’s been sent to a hospital in London.

Bert is a market gardener, the big man has a huge heart, does what he can to help everyone in Churchwood and I think he has a bit of a crush on one of the mature ladies and she's oblivious. A new family has move into the village, despite everyone’s attempts, Evelyn Gregson keeps to herself and home-schools her two boys. Around the same time, things start going missing in Churchwood and from the surrounding farms, milk, vegetables and fruit, this makes members of the bookshop concerned that someone in the community is struggling, too ashamed to speak up and or is it due to another reason?

I received a copy of Christmas at the Wartime Bookshop by Lesley Eames from NetGalley and Random House UK in exchange for an honest review. The story and characters realistically portray life in a small English village during the Second World War, the challenges people faced and especially those with a wounded family member, how the person feels about being disabled, most young men would be really angry and lash out. It also highlights a topic that's still relevant, what can be done if someone's being bullied in the armed forces and hazing needs to stop.

Planning the Christmas play provides a distraction from the war, brings people together, boosts moral and they have to be very creative in making costumes and dealing with setbacks. I have read the two previous books in The Wartime Bookshop Series, The Wartime Bookshop and Land Girls at the Wartime Bookshop and I really enjoyed them. This time I cried and happy tears, I have really grown fond of the characters, I have a soft spot for them and I'm looking forward to the next book in the series and five big stars from me.

The Royal Windsor Secret

The Royal Windsor Secret by Christine Wells
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Cleo Davenport grew up at the Shepheard’s Hotel in Cairo, Egypt, she’s been looked after by her guardian Serafina, she’s heard rumours her father is the Prince of Wales and people refer to her as “The Princess.” Cleo and her friend Brodie, have a great time riding horses in the desert and visiting the zoo and have no idea what the future holds for them.

An opportunity presents itself a year later for the orphans to travel to England with Lord and Lady Grayson. The journey by sea gives them time to learn their manners, brush up on their social skills and make sure they use the right cutlery. Both Serafina and her sister Lady Grayson think Cleo needs to make her debut, her clothes has aren’t up to scratch, once she arrives in London and Lady Grayson takes her to Paris to get a whole new wardrobe.

Cleo visits the Cartier showroom while in the city of lights, she dreams of designing jewellery and working for the master. Cleo want's to solve the mystery surrounding her parentage, she has some information, and she contacts the woman she thinks is her mother and she has a very checkered past!

Cleo travels back to London, she can't just walk up to the Prince of Wales and ask him if he's her father, when he's crowned the King of England, he marries divorcee Wallis Simpson, he has no choice but to abdicate and his new royal title is the Duke of Windsor.

Chloe goes back to Paris, when the German's invade Poland it becomes too dangerous for her to stay, she returns to London, Chloe joins the FANY’s and she’s sent to Lisbon. Here, Chloe hears talk about the Duke of Windsor and Wallis Simpson being on the Germans side and he's the new British Governor of the Bahamas. Chloe worries about Brodie who's joined Scots Guards, she feels very confused about her feelings for her childhood best friend and why is her life always so complicated?

I received a digital copy of The Royal Windsor Secret by Christine Wells from HarperCollins Publishers Australia and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Using the well known theory the Prince of Wales had a relationship with a high class French courtesan during The Great War and she's one of the many women before Wallis Simpson and who knows what skeletons The Duke of Windsor possibly had in his closest?

The reader is taken on a historical fiction journey and one that you won’t forget in Ms. Well’s latest engrossing and well written narrative. It’s full of interesting details about Cairo, London, Paris and Lisbon and the iconic Shepheard's Hotel and it's famous guests, the intricacies of jewellery design and how it’s made. A story brimming with intrigue, secrets, greed, lies, schemes and I'm not sure who I disliked more Wallis Simpson or French courtesan Marguerite Miller and five stars from me.

I'll Be Seeing You

I'll Be Seeing You by Karen Triplett
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

In the autumn of 1963, five young ladies begin college at the University of Washington in Seattle and it's a big change from high school. Linzi, Marie, Jody, Helen and Dorothy, all want to further their education, without giving into their parents and societies pressure to get married and have children.

The girls settle in and share dorm rooms, find their way around the campus and begin studying. Socially they are invited to parties, sporting functions and here they meet eligible men, who have one thing on their mind, Linzi, Marie, Jody, Helen and Dorothy have to decide how far they will let their dates go, the girls only have a basic idea about sex and contraception.

The 1960's is one of the most turbulent times in history and many things changed, from the assignation of John F. Kennedy, protests about civil rights, America’s involvement in the Vietnam War and the draft, the rights of women, forced adoptions and what was thought about unwed mothers, the invention of the pill and who’s allowed access to it and the silly idea it will make women promiscuous.

I received a digital copy of I’ll Be Seeing You by Karen Triplett from Rhododendron Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Through all of this the women remain best friends, they support each other during the good times and the bad, the numerous challenges and will they be able to fulfilling their ambitions and how many graduate?

It was interesting reading about the University of Washington, Pan Am's R&R flights home from Vietnam, and the places the Peace Corps went and work they did. The restaurants in Seattle, the changes in fashion, hairstyles and music was a major influence of the time. The Beatles, Peter Paul and Mary, The Righteous Brothers and The Beach Boys. Three stars from me, the story did drag a little, I was pleased when the pace picked up and I enjoyed the ending.

The Woman at the Wheel

The Woman at the Wheel by Penny Haw
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In 1859, Cäcilie Bertha Ringer is ten and she listens to her father talk about his work and he’s a master builder in Pforzheim, Germany. One day she goes into his study, sitting on his desk is the family bible, her father has entered his children’s births on the front page and written alongside her name are the words "Unfortunately, only a girl again." The man she looks up to, adores, he hurts her feelings and she’s the only one out of his seven children who's interested in his job.

Years later, Bertha’s mother is worried that she’s not married like her older sisters, she meets Carl Benz at a Monastery, and her mother isn’t impressed by the slightly disheveled bridge building engineer. Bertha is determined to marry Carl, she's happy to have a long engagement and her mother’s probably got her fingers crossed Bertha will change her mind.

The newlyweds move to Mannheim, it’s a hundred kilometres from Pforzheim, they use Bertha's dowry to start Carl's business and welcome their first child. Carl is a dreamer, an inventor and unfortunately he chooses the wrong people to go into partnership with, this happens more than once and each time they couple have to start over. Replacing machinery and tools and Bertha knows people are making jokes about her husband and his crazy ideas.

Bertha continues to support Carl, she has an unwavering belief he will design the first automobile, unlike other men he shares his ideas with Bertha and he listens to her opinions. At a time when most men didn’t see any point in educating their daughters past the age of twelve, women married young and motherhood quickly followed.

Bertha and Carl have children, Bertha juggles babies, home life, Carl being in his workshop for hours, and helps him with his jobs and manages the family’s meager finances. Finally Carl has his prototype finished, he doesn't have the confidence to promote his work, officials are standing in his way, and Bertha comes up with a plan with the help of her two sons, they keep it a secret from Carl, it will either be a success or an absolute disaster. Bertha has no idea how Carl with react when he finds out, she could be risking years of his hard work and her marriage.

I received a digital copy of The Woman at the Wheel by Penny Haw from Sourcebooks and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. Like in her first book, The Invincible Miss Cust, Ms. Haw likes to write about real women who break the stereotypes of the time and Bertha Benz certainly did this and so much more.

Carl Benz credits his wife to his eventual achievement and the evolution of his business Mercedes-Benz Marque and wealth. Bertha was the only person who stayed aboard his ship and navigated the uncharted waters with him and didn’t bail out on him. Bertha holds a record, let’s just say she was courageous, adventurous, diligent, brave and unstoppable when she decided to do something.

Five stars from me, I enjoyed reading about both Carl and Bertha Benz, it’s a unique and inspirational love story and a true partnership.

Four Seasons in Japan

Four Seasons in Japan by Nick Bradley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Flo is an American living in Tokyo, she’s just broken up up with her girlfriend, she’s stuck in a bit of a rut and she's not sure if she should move back to Oregon. One day, she finds a book on the train, it’s written in Japanese and Flo desperately wants to find the author Hibiki.

Kyo failed his university entrance exams, and he goes to live with his strict grandmother Ayako in her humble house in Onomichi and she runs a small coffee shop. Kyo's mother is a doctor, so doing well at cram school is extremely important and so he can resist the exams to get into medical school.

Kyo likes to draw, he’s a manga artist and a very talented one. Kyo is to spend a whole year with his grandmother, four seasons and he’s not impressed. At first he resents living with Ayako, she’s clever and makes a lazy Kyo accompany her on her daily walks, gets him away from his phone they start to talk and he meets other residents of Onomichi.

I received a copy of Four Seasons in Japan by Nick Bradley from NetGalley and Random House UK in exchange for an honest review. Mr. Bradley’s novel is wonderful, it’s a story within a story, and it’s about family, one that's experienced a lot of tragedy, becoming part of a community, and self-discovery and you’re taken on a journey. Kyo learns a valuable lesson, his life is his own and he needs to do what he wants and it might mean disappointing his busy mother.

At first I wasn’t sure if I would like the narrative, it’s very different to what I would normally read and often I struggle to make sense of this type of "quirky" book. I enjoyed reading about Japan, it’s culture, traditions, life in a small village, how Ayako wore a kimono, I was really engrossed in the tale and wanted to know what was going to happen next between Kyo, Ayako, in the cat alley and with Coltrane aka Mick Jagger. Four stars from me, I struggled to connect with Flo’s character, maybe this was deliberate to tie everything together and a brilliant debut.

The Little Venice Bookshop

The Little Venice Bookshop by Rebecca Raisin
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Luna and her mum Ruby are close, the pair have travelled the world, as a child Luna can remember living in Thailand and Ruby now lives in a tiny house in a commune in Australia.

When Ruby passes away, Luna and her friend Gigi go to Missoula, along with her honorary aunt Loui and they plan her mum's funeral and it’s not your typical ceremony. While cleaning out the tiny house, Luna finds some old love letters written by a man called Giancarolo, he lives in Venice and owns a bookshop overlooking the canals.

Luna and Gigi set about finding Giancarolo, Luna is quite a good detective, and she finds La Libreria Sul Canale, the owner is a grumpy man and he’s looking for staff. All Luna needs to do is convince Giancarolo to employ her, he gives her and a Spanish guy Oscar a trial.

The first thing that needs to be done is sort through the piles of dusty and water damaged books and Giancarolo reluctantly agrees. Luna and Oscar come up with an idea to save the bookshop, get tourists through the door and Giancarolo doesn’t just collect books he also takes in stray cats they live in the shop and all have literary names.

Luna has looked for clues in the shop, anything to do with her mum Ruby and doesn't find anything. The only way she will find out if Giancarolo is her father is by showing him the letters and she has no idea how he will react?

I received a digital copy of The Little Venice Bookshop by Rebecca Raisin from Edelweiss and HarperCollins in exchange for an honest review. A narrative set in the beautiful city of Venice, Luna discovers her mum has been keeping a secret and it's a big shock. If you like stories about bookshops, cats, grumpy men and solving a thirty year old mystery, I recommed reading The Little Venice Bookshop and three stars from me.

The Novelist from Berlin

The Novelist from Berlin by V.S. Alexander
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Marie Rittenhaus wants to be independent, her father died in The Great War and she lives with her mother a strict Lutheran and she finds it suffocating. Marie moves to Berlin, she hangs out at the Leopard Club, her friends give her the nickname Niki, they smoke, drink and pick up men for the night.

Here she meets Rickard Länger, he’s a movie producer for Passport Pictures and Niki auditions for a minor role. Niki marries Rickard, he has a nice apartment, it gives her security and no more worrying about how she's going to pay the rent. In her spare time Niki writes a book called The Berlin Woman using a pseudonym, it becomes a best seller until the Germans start banning books and burning them and including hers.

Niki is shocked to discover Rickard is producing propaganda and anti-Jewish films, she flees with her daughter Laura and goes to stay with her mother Freida and it doesn’t take long for Rickard and the brown-shirts he’s involved with to find them.

With her books blacklisted, her identity exposed it’s too dangerous for Niki to stay in Berlin and she escapes to Amsterdam. Niki and her friend Emil know it’s only a matter of time before the Germans invade the Netherlands and they work for the Dutch resistance. Niki has to return to Berlin, she takes drastic precautions because her name is on a wanted list and she desperately wants to find Laura?

I received a digital copy of The Novelist from Berlin by V.S. Alexander from Kensington Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Mr. Alexander uses Irmgard Keun as inspiration for his own book, she’s was a novelist who wrote about the new modern German women and like the main character Niki.

A well-researched story and about everything Niki experienced during one of the most volatile times in history. The stock market crash, the night of the long knives, fleeing to the Netherlands, the allies bombing Berlin, waiting for the Russians to invade and what would happen afterwards, Germany being divided up into four zones, Berlin Airlift and the building of the Berlin Wall. Perfect for readers who enjoy historical fiction based on strong and brave women, what they do to survive and four stars from me.

The Starfish Sisters

The Starfish Sisters by Barbara O'Neal
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Phoebe and Suze are twelve when they meet in a small coastal town in Oregon, famous for the sea stacks known as the Starfish Sisters, Suze has recently moved there with her father an evangelist preacher and Phoebe visits her grandmother Beryl in summer.

Phoebe and Suze become best friends, they considered themselves sisters, and they share their teenage troubles, hopes and dreams. Suze’s home life is terrible, her father makes her dress in old fashioned clothes and he won’t let her cut her hair, his punishments are extreme and she’s an outsider at school. The girls keep in contact via Beryl, Suze's father wouldn’t approve of her writing to a friend and he won’t let her be in the school play.

Decades later, Suze is a famous actress, she’s starred in movies and on television and she’s attacked out the front of her house in Hollywood Hills by a member of a racial white supremacist sect. Phoebe is a successful book illustrator and fabric designer, she’s divorced and lives in Beryl's cottage. Her daughter Stephanie has been offered a job in London, Phoebe is dreading her two girls moving overseas and she loves spending time with her granddaughter Jasmine and like her she did with Beryl.

Phoebe and Suze had a falling out, Phoebe knows Suze will be struggling from the attack, it will bring up memories of her childhood and living with her father. Phoebe holds out the olive branch to Suze and visits her house overlooking blue cove, this means both women have to confront things that happened in their friendship and both reconnect with men who they knew as teenage girls, Phoebe with Ben and Suze with Joel.

I received a copy of The Starfish Sisters by Barbara O’Neil from Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The dual timeline narrative delves into the two main characters friendship over the years, how it ebbs and flows, both have experienced heartbreak, and Phoebe feels guilty because she kept a secret from Suze and she was jealous.

I really admired Suze’s character, once a broken, shamed teenager and she vowed to stand up for other girls in her position, speak up and use what happened to her to bring about change. Five stars from me, a story about the power of friendship, with age comes wisdom and it’s never too late to make things right. I'm keen to read Ms. O'Neil's previous book, When We Believed in Mermaids and I can see why she's a best selling author.

Take the Long Way Home

Take The Long Way Home by Rochelle Alers
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Claudia Patterson was born in 1940 in the coloured town of Freedom, Mississippi, it was founded by freed slaves and it’s still dangerous to live there and because the Ku Klux Klan are very active in the area. Claudia parents both run their own businesses, her father Earl is a barber and her mother Sarah a hair dresser and Claudia is an only child.

Claudia and her grandmother Earline save the life of a severely beaten teenage boy called Denny Clark, it becomes unsafe for Claudia to stay in Freedom, as her name has been linked to the white boy and he later goes on to be a leader of the Klan. Claudia leaves and goes to stay with her aunt Mavis, who’s the assistant principal at a private coloured girl’s school in Biloxi and family visit her on the weekends.

Claudia graduates high school and she goes to Hampton College and studies business. Claudia marries Robert Moore, and they move back to Mississippi, he works for the Student Nonviolent Coordination Committee, Robert becomes involved with the civil rights movement and Claudia believes he hid what he was really doing from her and this leads to his death.

Claudia leaves the South, she has had enough and her best friend from college Yvonne lives in New York City and she invites her to visit. Claudia still encounters prejudice here, she’s not sure if it’s because of the colour of her skin or due to being an educated woman? Here she meets Ashley booth, a Wall Street executive and a successful one, he’s afraid to commit and when Claudia is given the chance to work for an international bank in Italy she seizes the opportunity.

Giancarlo Fortenza owns Fortenza Motors, he met a teenage Claudia years ago when she was visiting her aunt Virgie in France and now the twelve year age difference isn’t such an issue and is Claudia ready to put her heart on the line again?

I received a digital copy of Take the Long Way Home by Rochelle Alers from Kensington publishing and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The narrative focuses on the life of a coloured woman, spanning over seventy years and it’s told from her point of view, she faces racism, discrimination, sexism and hatred.

Education and being fluent in three languages are pivotal in Claudia being able to leave America, live in another country and like many coloured people she was tired of waiting. Martin Luther King was a civil rights activist in America at the time and through nonviolence and using civil disobedience and he tried to bring about change.

I can understand birth control and women being able to control when or if they had children was a major advancement in the 1960's, but I got sick of reading about Claudia’s sex life, it was over the top and irrelevant. My favourite characters were, Claudia's grandmother Earline and her two aunts Mavis and Virgie and all three were strong and influential women and I gave the book three and a half stars.

The Three of Us

The Three of Us by Kim Lock
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Elsie and Thomas Mullet are newlyweds in 1960 when they move into their house in Gawler, South Australia. Elsie was forced to resign from her typing job, she tries hard to be a housewife, she discovers there’s only so many times you can clean the bathroom and wash sheets, she feels isolated and bored.

Thomas works for Mr. Bagnoli at his store, he sells new electrical appliances, vacuum cleaners, fridges and washing machines. Thomas likes his job, he does in home demonstrations and sometimes travels.

Aida Glasson is eighteen years old, unmarried, has a secret and lives on the same block of land as the Mullets. Elise sees Aida peeking out of the window one day, both women are lonely and they meet when Aida helps Elsie with her sick chicken and gives her badly needed cooking advice.

Instead of picking out his wife’s flaws, Thomas is considerate and open minded. Thomas Mullet is a man before his time and not your average Aussie bloke, he want's Elsie to be happy and he understands she’s different. The Mullets don’t have your typical marriage, family’s as we know come in all kinds of configurations and you never know what goes on behind closed doors.

I received a digital copy of The Three of Us by Kim Lock from Escape Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Spanning fifty years it's a story about marriage, unwed mothers and how badly they were treated, complex relationships, how love can come in many forms and types.

A tender, moving, selfless, emotional and thought provoking narrative from Kim Lock and five stars from me.

Gum Tree Gully

Gum Tree Gully by Mandy Magro
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Samantha Evans returns home to Gum Tree Valley after eleven years, her best friends Shea and Jack are finally getting married and she’s the matron of honour. Samantha has been living in London, her business is doing well and something she would have never achieved living in Queensland.

Returning to Gum Tree Valley is rather bitter sweet, it takes Samantha back to growing up on a farm, riding horses, hanging out with her group of friends, the huge crush she had on Connor, a care free time and until one night it all tragically changed.

Connor runs an Angus cattle farm, he works hard, feeding stock and repairing fences and has the muscles to prove it. Connor is harboring two tragic secrets, and one is about his recent health scare and the others about the last night of high school. Samantha soon realizes how much she’s missed Australia, Gum Tree Gully, her friends and Connor.

With the lead up to the wedding, Samantha and Connor help with the last minute plans, and they attend the hens and bucks nights. Samantha is being pulled in different directions, she knows she needs to return to London, her heart is telling her to stay and she doesn’t know what to do?

I received a digital copy of Gum Tree Gully by Mandy Magro from Harlequin Australia and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The narrative is full of wonderful characters like Samantha, Shea, Connor, Jack, Judith, Oyster and cute little Amaya. It’s about living in North Queensland and working hard, they sure like their food and a cold beer, the Aussie sayings make me laugh out loud and Connor using them, the music playlist was full of familiar songs and you can't have a wedding in Australia without doing the nutbush.

A story about coming home, importance of friendship, facing your fears, being vulnerable and grateful for what you have, reconnecting with a lost love and dealing with the pain of the past. I couldn't swipe the pages of the book on my kindle fast enough, Mandy Magro nails it once again and five stars from me.

An Invitation To The Kenndys

An Invitation to the Kennedys by Emily Hourican
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Kathleen “Kick” Kennedy moves to London in 1938 and her father Joseph P. Sr. is appointed as America’s 44th Ambassador to the United Kingdom. Kick is a bit of a tomboy, she likes to play football with her brothers, swim and go sailing.

Kick is very different to her English peers, because of her father’s position she’s invited to social events, here she meets William ‘Billy’ Cavendish, the future Duke of Devonshire and his parents wouldn’t approve of Kick being a suitable match for their son and heir.

Lady Brigid Guinness has seen her older sisters marry and have children and she’s not in a hurry to join them. Her brother-in-law Henry ‘Chips Channon’ is married to her older sister Honor, he thinks he’s found her the perfect man for Brigid and he’s a German prince.

Chips invites the Kennedy’s, friends Maureen and Basil ‘Duff’ Blackwood, his sister-in-law Brigid Guinness and Prince Fredrick of Prussia to Kelvedon Hall in Essex, his newly renovated country estate and some uninvited people turn up! Brigid and Kick discover that beneath the facade of politeness, most marriages and the couples are unhappy, the women aren’t prepared for being wives and mothers, children are raised by nannies, men are often unfaithful and have mistresses.

With war clouds quickly gathering in Europe, Joseph Kennedy Sr. has been sent to England and to prevent another World War from starting, his antiwar stance doesn’t go down well and with the next generation of Englishmen who are prepared to fight.

During the week at Kelvedon Hall, Kick and Brigid become friends, Kick swims laps of the pool, plays tennis and she want's to win and she’s a ball of energy. Kick and Brigid notice the atmosphere at Kelvedon Hall is tense, everyone is jumpy, is it because of their marital problems, differences in political sides and the threat of another war?

I received a digital copy of An Invitation to the Kennedys by Emily Hourican from Hachette Ireland and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The author was inspired by true events and real people to write her latest novel and it includes some fictional characters. Ms. Hourican has thoroughly done her research and she includes the growing anti-Jewish sentiment in Germany in her narrative.

The Kennedy’s are a large Irish-American Catholic family, they have nine children, it's an issue with the people they're mixing with and most are members of the Church of England. I didn’t know a lot a Kathleen Kennedy and she sounded so full of life, fun and effervescent. I admired her mother Rose, she was steadfast in her faith, she wanted to raise her children to make a difference in the world and they did. My favourite quote from the book is "bad deeds begin with vicious thoughts and foolish words and it’s so true." Five stars from me, I find the Kennedy family fascinating and I'm keen to read, The Guniess Girls series by Ms. Hourican.

Back on Track

Back on Track by Tricia Stringer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Ketty Clift’s Couture is a dressmaking business in Sydney, Ketty the owner decides to reward her six hardworking staff members with a surprise trip on the Ghan. Ketty's noticed there’s friction between members of her team, hopefully the time away will make everyone feel more connected and in sync with each other. Ketty has lost a couple of customers, a rumour is going around that she’s on the verge of retiring and it’s not true.

Carlos is Ketty's friend and the Spaniard is staying in Australia for a year, he's wanted to go on an iconic train journey and she invites him along and they have plans for the last stop in Adelaide. Going on the trip are Judith she’s second in command and a pattern designer, Birgit and Tien are dressmakers, Lacey is in charge of technology and Ning does embroidery.

Ketty thought she knew her employees well and now she’s not so sure. Judith gets her nose put out of joint easily, Birgit has just broken up with her boyfriend and looking for a replacement, Lacey is struggling financially, and Tien is a germaphobe and she not fond of creepy crawlies and Ning's son want's her to retire and is harassing her about it.

As the train snakes it's way through the top end, Ketty meets her fellow passengers, a married couple, a secretive man, a mature lady who looks familiar, Carlos doesn’t seem himself and Judith thinks he's taking advantage of Ketty's kindness?

Rather than reuniting her workers, the trip seems to be doing the complete opposite, poor Ketty is dealing with endless complaints and drama. I have been a passenger on the Ghan, it's a wonderful experience, Ms. Stringer makes you feel like you're aboard the train and all the ladies have to do is look out the train window and see how amazing the Australian outback is and stop being so negative.

I received a digital copy of Back on Track from Harlequin Australia and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Tricia Stringer excels at exploring the complexity of relationships, she's a people person and so is the main character Ketty. You get to know her employees, their backgrounds and families, personal struggles and issues. Ketty and Carlos are characters from Ms. Stringer's previous book, Table For Eight and it was wonderful to catch up with them again.

Five stars from me, I loved reading about Alice Springs, Cooper Pedy, opal mining and living under ground and traveling on the Ghan. The narrative also looks at topics such as homelessness, aging, people making assumptions about mature women and how derogatory and disrespectful it is.

Under a Gilded Sky

Under a Gilded Sky by Imogen Martin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ginny Snow and her younger sister Mary Louise live on a farm in Missouri and their father passed away a two years ago. During a snowstorm Mary Louise finds an injured man, she brings him home and the drifter was thrown from his horse. Two young women living alone have to be careful, Ginny pretends her father is sick upstairs and while she nurses her patient.

Ginny works hard, every morning she dons her dads old leather coat, tends the horses and cattle and Mary Louise takes care of the housework and cooking. Lex Carlton fought for the union towards the end of the American Civil War, Ginny’s father was an abolitionist, living in Missouri they have to be careful and it’s a border state with divided loyalties.

Ginny misses Lex when he leaves, she realises a little of her heart has gone with him and she has to accept it’s not meant to be. When the farms finances take a turn for the worse, Ginny and Mary Louise face losing their home and their only link to their parents. Ginny runs through everything she can do to save it, she has limited options and it might not be enough.

Ginny’s a talented pianist, when her aunt Josephine asks her to play at the governors ball she reluctantly agrees, she has no idea that she and Lex will cross paths again and can a down to earth country girl cope with the glamorous high society life in Boston?

I received a copy of Under a Gilded Sky by Imogen Martin from Storm Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The debut novel is set during the start of the Gilded Age, Ginny's character is a strong and resilient young woman, she’s never thought about falling in love until she meets a handsome drifter called Lex, they share an unlikely passion for books, music and standing in their way is his family and Ginny’s pride.

Four stars from me, I enjoyed reading about the remote Missouri plains and a women running a ranch, traveling by buggy and train, changes in women's fashion and the grand houses in Boston, and the budding romance between the two main characters and I’m keen to read Ms. Martin’s next book.

Under the Java Moon

Under the Java Moon by Heather B. Moore
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Rita Vischer is six, she lives with her mother Mary, father George and younger brother Georgie in Java, when Holland declares war on Japan and everyone is scared, Rita has had an idyllic childhood, her family are well off and live in a nice bungalow.

Her dad builds a bomb shelter in the back yard, Rita hates being woken up in the middle of the night by the air raid siren, at first it’s a false alarm and not for long. Rita’s mother is pregnant and grandmother Oma is staying with them and Rita’s father George is helping the Dutch navy.

The Japanese invade Java Island and the government surrenders, the Japanese have a list of rules everyone must follow and this changes. The Vischer’s are told to pack, leave the house and they walk to Tjident women’s camp, in Batavia a suburb of West Java. Ita worries her father won’t be able to find them when he returns home, thousands of women and children are living and sleeping in any space they can find.

When Captain Kenichi Sonei takes over the camp from the civilian authorities, the conditions get worse, rations are cut, women and children are made to stand for hours in the hot sun for roll call and beaten for making a minor mistake. Due to the poor sanitation and overcrowding, lice and rats, illnesses like dysentery and malaria spread quickly.

George Vischer is aboard a minesweeper and it's torpedoed, he and the other survivors make into a dingy and are floating in the Java Sea. The castaways want to make it to the northern tip of Thousand Island, exposed to the elements, soon the men are hungry, sun burnt, thirsty and exhausted. George and the others are caught and are sent to the Glodak Goal, in Batavia the it's where men and teenage boys are imprisoned, the conditions here are worse, he worries about Mary, his children and their unborn baby.

I received a copy of Under the Java Moon by Heather B. Moore from Edelweiss and Shadow Mountain Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Over 100,000 Dutch citizens were interned by the Japanese from 1942 to 1945, those who survived, many wanted to forget and try to find forgiveness.

Rita Vischer Elliott with her family’s encouragement tells of her childhood experiences in a prisoner of war camp, what she witnessed, endured, was subjected to during the time and how she felt about it as an adult. An inspirational and moving story, Mary Vischer made sure her children knew they were loved, mattered, despite being so hungry they ate snails, she never gave up hope and kept her children safe.

I highly recommend reading this book, you will learn about life in Java before the Second World War, the Battle of the Java Sea, internment camps and what the Indonesian people thought about being ruled by the Dutch and five stars from me.

Sisters Under the Rising Sun

Sisters Under the Rising Sun by Heather Morris
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Norah and John Chambers have to make a difficult choice, they send their eight year old daughter Sally with Norah’s older sister and her two sons who are leaving Singapore. The Japanese army are quickly invading the Pacific, Norah and John, her sister Ena Murray and brother-in-law Ken remain behind with the sisters elderly parents.

Nesta James is a pint-sized nurse and a member of the Australian Army Nursing Service, along with English and Dutch civilians they flee on one of the last boats to leave Singapore aboard the SS Vyner Brooke. The chances of the merchant vessel making it’s way to Australia without being seen by the Japanese would take a miracle, a couple of days later they are spotted off the coast of Indonesia and the bombed SS Vyner Brooke sinks to the bottom of the ocean.

Stranded in the sea, Norah, John, Ena and Nesta and the other survivors make it to Banka Island, the lucky ones are captured by the Japanese, beginning their time as prisoners of war and their captors don’t care about the Geneva Convention. The camps are squalid and over crowded, the women and children are separated from the men, with no sanitation and clean drinking water, barely given enough food to keep them alive, sickness spreads quickly and are constantly relocated. The women come up with ideas to keep going, everyone has to pitch in and help and they from a choir and voice orchestra and preform concerts to boost morale.

I received a copy of Sisters Under the Rising Sun by Heather Morris from Echo Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. A story about women and children being caught up in a war, what they had to endure over three and a half years was horrific, including physical and mental abuse, depravity and war crimes. The narrative is based on inspirational and real people, including nurses Nesta James, Vivian Bullwinkle and Betty Jeffery, civilians Norah Chambers, Ena Murray, Margaret Dryburgh, Audrey Owen, Mrs. Hinch and Dutch nun sister Catherina.

The ladies maintained the belief they would survive, showed courage and bravery, stuck together and overcame difficulties, they never gave up and found a solution, formed friendships and some kept a secret and shared the joy of music and singing. Five stars from me, Heather Morris and the survivors families wanted the world to know it wasn't only men who were Japanese prisoners of war in Sumatra, women suffered the same hardships and lived with the trauma for the rest of their lives.

The Stockwell Letters

The Stockwell Letters by Jacqueline Friedland
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ann Greene is an abolitionist, she becomes ill just before her twenty-fourth birthday, and her beau Wendell Phillips proposes and they marry. Her illness left the doctors at the time puzzled, she suffered from extreme fatigue and pain and was often bed ridden.

Wendell was an attorney, he quit his job to focus on speaking out against slavery, and he was a member of the American Anti-slavery Society and the Boston Vigilance Committee. Both Ann and Wendell didn’t eat sugar or wear clothes made from cotton as it was grown and harvested by slave labor.

Anthony Burns is a slave in Richmond, his owner leases him out to other people, at the time of his escape he's working for an apothecary, Master Millspaugh and he hides in the bowels of a ship and make his way to Boston, Massachusetts. Anthony is eventually arrested, imprisoned and the court case that follows is a farce, despite him having legal representation and due to the fugitive slave act. People take to the streets and protest, the national guard is brought in and Anthony is doomed.

The narrative looks at the plight of young southern women, many are only teenagers and when they become brides too much older men. The character in the novel Colette Randolph is ruled by her husband, a beautiful decoration for his home and under pressure to produce as many children as she can and it's a form of bondage.

I received a copy of The Stockwell Letters from Ingram Publisher Services and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. The author Jacqueline Friedland uses real and fictional characters to call attention to the evils of slavery in the South and the abolitionists in the Northern states, men like Wendell Phillips who championed for the enslaved, downtrodden, persecuted and rights of women. Putting their own lives in danger, social status, relationships and funded the cause.

Anthony Burns was a young man who in his twenty two years, was branded and had his right hand broken and a slave. He was said to be a smart, kind, godly and industrious and Ms. Friedland portrays this in her novel and how other influential African American people including Reverend Leonard and Octavia Grimes supported runaways like Anthony. Four stars from me, I like historical fiction based on real people and this is both a well written and thought provoking book.

The Bravest Soldiers

The Bravest Soldiers by Elaine Schroller
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sophie and Joe Parker return home to Sydney, accompanying them is Sophie’s widowed other Lily Holt and Marianne Ryan a French seamstress and aspiring fashion designer. Marianne grew up in Villers-Bretonneux, her father Will stayed in France after the end of The Great War and married Helene and is in charge of the war memorial. Marianne and her brother Chris went to a school rebuilt by donations from Australia, her parents want her to be safe and Chris is determined to fight.

Sophie was a nurse and Joe a soldier in The Great War, they both know the devastation a war causes and it’s only a matter of time before Australia becomes involved and their adult sons Sam and Jean-Luc. Sam is an aerial surveyor, Jean-Luc a winemaker and Joe is the head inspector of forensics in New South Wales.

Four days after the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbour they attack Darwin and the war in the South Pacific ramps up. The Japanese have already invaded Ambon, Borneo and Celebes, they have their sights set on Timor and Java and the American’s use Darwin as an air ferry route and they want to disrupt this. Sam joins the 4th Squadron of the RAAF, he trains new pilots and then guides American bombers through the New Guinea jungle. Jean-Luc joins the 7th Division of the Australian army, he sees action in, Syria, Lebanon and the Kokoda Trail in New Guinea.

Joe's handling the public’s retaliation towards Australian’s of Japanese heritage, illegal alcohol being brewed and making sure American troops understand the language differences and order is kept. Sophie is busy helping the Red Cross and looking after three young children Teddy, Katie and Cora O’Brien. The Australia public is giving their all to help fight the Germans and Japanese, sending care packages overseas, knitting and making Anzac biscuits, collecting scrap metal and digging vegetable gardens for victory. Marianne starts sewing parachutes in a factory, she and the other girls add notes of encouragement, and she makes over dresses for her friends and writes to Sam.

I received a digital copy of The Bravest Soldiers the second book in The Immense Sky Saga by Elaine Schroller from BooksGoSocial and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. It carries on from the first book Dare Not Tell and I enjoyed catching up with the Parkers, Kelly’s and the other memorable characters like Moira and Thomas Kelly, and military journalist Edmund Stone. During a war, women step up and shoulder the burden on the home front, Sophie, Marianne, her mother Lily, aunt Flora and Sophie’s housekeeper Moira all do this and so much more.

Despite Ms. Schroller being American, she does an outstanding job writing about The Second World War in Australia, from understand the language and slang, attitudes towards people of Japanese decent, enforcing the black out and building trenches in backyards, rationing, role of the women’s land army, coast watchers and native messengers, Aussie soldiers fighting in the jungles of New Guinea and the physical and mental toll it took on them. Marianne was the stand out character in the narrative, she's beautiful, funny, thoughtful, independent and forthright, and Sam certainly notices, four stars from me and I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.

The Book of Beginnings

The Book of Beginnings by Sally Page
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Jo Sorsby volunteers to run her Uncle Wilbur’s stationery shop and she has happy childhood memories of spending her summers helping him. Jo’s life hasn’t turned out how she’s expected, she’s recently broken up with her long-term boyfriend James and she’s at a loose end.

When Jo opens the door for her first day of trading, Jo has no idea she's about to meet three people, who will change how she feels about friendship and herself. Ruth Hamilton is known as “the runaway vicar” she left her parish in Scotland and she’s made her way to London. Malcom Buswell is a regular customer of her uncles, a distinguished older gentleman and he’s writing a book. Eric the viking, he works next door and Jo’s dreamy Nordic warrior is an optician.

Jo likes her new world surrounded by pristine notebooks, writing paper, envelopes, fountain pens, browsing customers and ringing up sales. However, sometimes Jo feels like everyone else has a plan for their future, a purpose and she has been left behind and without a clear pathway to follow.

Jo finds herself making unexpected friendships and forming a connection with two people who are the complete opposites of each other, Ruth and Malcom. Jo invites them both for a meal and Malcom returns the favour, he takes them to the Highgate Cemetery and it's the final resting place of some very famous people and it’s haunted by ghosts and the two women go for a bracing morning dip in the Kenwood ladies pond on Hampstead Heath.

I received a digital copy of The Book of Beginnings by Sally Page from HarperCollins UK and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Another uplifting and inspirational narrative from Ms. Page and she certainly has a style of writing that grabs your attention and heartstrings from the first page and doesn’t let them go and you will still be thinking about the characters long after you have finished the book.

A story about the importance of old and new friendships and what Jo, Ruth, Malcom, Erik, Finn and Lucy share with each other, understanding, wisdom, comfort, joy, fun, laughter and memories. Five stars from me, I highly recommend The Book of Beginnings and the author’s previous novel, The Keeper of Stories.

The Keeper of Stories

The Keeper of Stories by Sally Page
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Janice is a cleaner, she's married to Mike and they have a grown up son Simon. Janice spends her days catching buses, cleaning people’s houses, some of her customers are nice to her and others don’t consider she’s a human being and has feelings.

To pass the time while she’s scrubbing a toilet, dusting or doing a task that the home owner despises she notices her clients talk and she puts together their stories. Janice’s head is full of her stories, she has been doing this for as longs as she can remember, some having meaning and others are floating around in her mind.

Being a cleaner is like being invisible, she has heard some downright fascinating and odd things and she never repeats what she's heard. Some of her clients treat her like a friend, Fiona a widow and her son Adam, Geordie the famous opera singer all do and others she creates funny nicknames for. Like Mrs. “YeahYeahYeah” who treats Janice like dirt, the reason she continues to clean her home is because she takes her adorable fox terrier for a walk and they both enjoy getting away from the woman.

Janice starts cleaning for Mrs. B, she's Mrs. YeahYeahYeah’s ninety two year old mother-in-law, she doesn’t want anyone poking their nose in her house in Cambridge and she knows her son is up to know good. Mrs. B is an educated women, she and her late husband were involved in the war and it’s was all very hush hush. Mrs. B wasn’t born yesterday, she might be old and frail but her mind is as sharp as a tack and she's smart. Mrs. B discovers Janice is a keeper of other people stories, she knows Janice has her own important story to tell, she is hiding her true self behind her duster and apron and she's built a wall around her heart and hides her feelings.

I received a copy of The Keeper of Stories from Edelweiss and Blackstone Publishing in exchange for an honest review. The author Sally Page’s debut novel, a delight to read and the characters were so different, unique and fascinating. My favorites were Janice, Fiona, Adam, Decius the vegan dog, Mrs. B, Stan, Euan the bus driver and Fred. A charming story about life, it makes you think, especially about how some people are treated by others, don't let people take you for granted and treat you badly.

I haven’t laughed so much in ages, this book is full of humour, whit and great lines. Mrs. B is an absolute hoot, a legend, utters the odd bad word, she’s flipping marvelous and so is Janice. Five stars from me and I can't wait to read the authors new novel, The Book of Beginnings.

A Beautiful Rival

A Beautiful Rival by Gill Paul
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Elizabeth Arden or Florence Nightingale Graham was born in Canada, her eldest brother encouraged her to move to Manhattan in the late 1880's and she worked as a waitress and at a beauty salon. Elizabeth opened her first Red Door Salon in 1910, by 1915 she expanded her business overseas and in 1934 she opened her day spa in Maine. Elizabeth wanted women to understand that make up was proper and appropriate and not just for floozies. She was the sole owner of her company Elizabeth Arden Inc. and at the time she was one of the wealthiest and most successful women in the world.

Helena Chaja Rubenstein was born in Kraków Poland, her parents were Jewish and she was the eldest of eight daughters. Banished to Australia by her father when she refused an arranged marriage to an older man and she lived with an uncle. Helena Rubenstein opened her first beauty salon in Melbourne in the late 1880's, followed by Sydney, London, Paris and finally in the shadows of The Great War she moved to New York. Helena Rubenstein liked to promote her "scientific" knowledge, her creams were made with “herbs” from the Carpathian Mountains and I guess she needed something to hide the smell of lanolin. Helena was the first in the industry to promote women having different skin types and she employed beauticians and members of her own family to work at her company Helena Rubinstein Inc.

Both ladies were ruthless, competed against each other and tried to get the upper hand in marketing and packaging, having a larger and better range of products, celebrity endorsements, giving out samples and a gift with purchase, planting spies and stealing staff and one employed the others ex-husband. Two women who were pioneers of the beauty industry, both managed to stay in business during two world wars and weathered America’s Great depression.

I received a digital copy of A Beautiful Rival by Gill Paul from the publisher in exchange for an honest review, it was a really fascinating and engrossing narrative and I enjoy reading about ambitious women. Ms. Paul looks at the rivalry between cosmetic queens, each changed the beauty industry in their own way, with their creams and lotions, sold the promise of youthfulness and the subtle use of cosmetics to enhance a ladies best features.

Did they hate each other who really knows, they did see the other as a rival, a competitor in the way of their successes and both altered the truth about some aspects of their childhoods and lives. Gill Paul is one of my favourite historical fiction authors, her research is thorough and she chooses influential women who have paved the way for future generations and five stars from me.

The Poppy Sisters

The Poppy Sisters: Step into the past with this captivating historical novel, filled with heart-wrenching moments and unforgettable characters by Deborah Carr
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Phoebe Richardson is a member of the Voluntary Aid Detachment service, she's stationed at the base hospital in Étaples France, here they treat men straight from the trenches, and they are wounded or sick, exhausted and filthy. This is how Phoebe meets Captain Archie Bailey, he’s one of the men she’s attending to and much to his embarrassment, she discovers Archie is an architect and from Sandsend. Falling in love and forming attachments with patients is strictly forbidden, but Archie and Phoebe do and knowing he will be send back to England to finish his recovery and then return to the front.

Celia Richardson is a qualified nurse, she working at a POW camp on the Island of Jersey and one of her patients is Lieutenant Otto Hoffman and he’s an Austrian doctor. Despite warning Phoebe about keeping her distance from patients, Celia discovers Otto isn't the monster she thought he would be, he was conscripted into the German army and her attitude towards to the enemy changes.

Both Phoebe and Celia struggle through the war years, in Phoebe’s case her health suffers and she goes to Cornwall for a much needed rest. Celia likes Otto, but her parents and brother were killed in a Zeppelin attack and is it possible for them to be together and what would Phoebe think?

I received a copy of The Poppy Sisters by Deborah Carr from HarperCollins UK and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The story gives you a realistic idea what it was like in England, France and Jersey during The Great War, the wounds and medical procedures, comradery and friction between hospital staff, bond between siblings, bravery and having to being stoic and treating prisoners of war and show them compassion.

The character driven narrative focuses on the resilience of Celia, Phoebe, Archie, Otto, Jocasta and Louis, developing feelings and wartime romantic relationships, love and longing, waiting for the war to end and the outbreak of the Spanish flu. Another well written historical fiction story by Ms. Carr and I hope there is a sequel as I would like to know what happens between Celia and Otto and five stars from me.

The Lost Manuscript

The Lost Manuscript by Mollie Rushmeyer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ellora Lockwood is married to Alexander, they have been separated for almost a year, she’s living in Minnesota and Ellora's had their divorce papers drawn up. Alex offers her a job teaching history at Alnwick Castle in Northumberland and for the summer. The place where her grandmother June went missing from and it gives her the opportunity to try and find out what happened to her Nana and she's dreading seeing her estranged husband. Ellora and her best friend Lanae travel to England together and she’s going to be a student advisor and provide emotional support for her bestie.

June was trying to find a medieval illuminated manuscript, it’s over twelve hundred years old and Ellora wonders if it has anything to do with her grandmothers disappearance? Ellora follows up any clues and leads, she visits the tea rooms June loved, talks to members of The Lost Artifact Society, London Library, considers local stories about the “White Lady” a ghost who haunts nearby Clare Hall and links to Vikings and if they were in Northumberland when the manuscript was written? When, Ellora starts receiving threatening messages, she reports it to the police who are investigating her grandmother’s case, could June have met with foul play and is her own life in danger?

I received a digital copy of The Lost Manuscript by Mollie Rushmeyer from HarperCollins and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. A fascinating Christian based mystery story about a valuable twelve hundred year old manuscript, where has it been hidden for centuries, who was the scribe and was it a woman, what happened to June and her extensive research and journal?

The two main characters of Ellora and Alex coming to terms with what went wrong in their marriage and the reasons why they grew apart, can it be saved and the possibility of them ripping up the divorce papers. Ellora and Alex make a great team and how communication is a must for a successful marriage, four stars from me and I’m keen to read the authors previous book, The Bookshop of Secrets and I have purchased a copy.

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The Queen of the Valley

The Queen of the Valley by Lorena Hughes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Martin Sabater owns a cocoa plantation called Valle del Cauca, in Columbia and he’s holding a gala spectacular, when he rides off into the night and disappears. His cocoa trees have been neglected and Martin’s hacienda is now a Catholic hospital run by Dr. Farid Manzur and there has been an outbreak of cholera and he and his nurses are trying to stop it from spreading.

Three months later Purificacion de Lafont is navigating Colombian back roads by car when an earthquake hits, it saves her from bandits and she takes on another woman’s identity. Posing as a nun Sor Puri arrives at the hacienda, she wants to find Martin, she’s keeping her real identity a secret and she knows him very well. Puri owns a chocolate store in Ecuador, she has a contract with Martin and has received her order of cocoa beans.

Lucas Ferreira is Martins friend, he’s a photographer and he wants to solve the mystery of what happened to his best mate. He finds Sor Puri the nun snooping around, he finds her annoying and offers to help her. The head nurse is a nun Sor Camila, she is the sister of Dr. Manzur, she made a mistake years ago and her family have been punishing her ever since.

With three people are all trying to find out what really happened to Martin Sabater, Lucas, Purificacion and Sor Camila, slowly they uncover clues, and it’s a story full of lies, dishonesty, infidelity, greed, secrets, hidden gems, illegitimate children, a love triangle and a family feud.

I received a copy of The Queen of the Valley by Lorena Hughes from Edelweiss and Kensington publishing in exchange for an honest review. Set in Columbia in 1925, during the Cali earthquake and the characters in the story have more than aftershocks to worry about!

A historical mystery about the disappearance of a charismatic man, everyone is hiding something and you have to piece it all together and to find out what really happened to Martin Sabater. I have read the authors previous novel The Spanish Daughter, it helped me workout the complexity of the characters in the new book, their connection to each other and I can understand why some readers have struggled to make sense of the narrative. The Queen of the Valley is a standalone novel, however I would suggest reading The Spanish Daughter first and four stars from me.

The Enemy at Home

The Enemy at Home by Kevin O'Brien
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Nora Kinney’s husband Pete joined the army, he felt it was his duty being a doctor and leaving her home with their seventeen year son Chris and twelve year old daughter Jane. Nora also feels guilty about leaving her children, Jane is OK but her son is at an awkward age, he’s not happy at high school and has trouble making friends.

Before the war, Nora was a housewife and now she’s considering getting a job. Nora starts working at Boeing B-17 plant in Seattle, part of the assembly line and she’s shown how to use a riveting gun. Nora isn’t prepared for the men’s attitudes towards women working at the plant, some of them are downright rude and condescending. When America desperately needs women to replace men who have joined up, build planes and wasn't the welcome she was expecting.

Nora doesn’t know things are about to get worse in Seattle, a man has been attacking women who work in factories, one of Nora’s friends from the Boeing B-17 plant is one of his victims, and he strangles them with a pair of pantyhose, dresses them in an apron and draws a smile on his target's face.

Nora is scared, the atmosphere in America is already tense, Japanese people have been interned and the country is worried about being attacked, everyone has to follow the blackout rules and are anxious. Nora starts looking at the people she knows differently, trying to figure out who it could possibly be and she considers? The nasty men at work, a bully in her son’s class, someone who wanted to rent her apartment and even her own son!

I received a copy of The Enemy at Home by Kevin O’Brien from Edelweiss and Kensington Publishing in exchange for an honest review. The historical aspect of the narrative is really interesting, it highlighted how women’s roles changed during the Second World War, many re-joined the workforce, juggling housework and looking after children, rationing, scrap metal drives, blackout rules, constantly worrying about getting a telegram and receiving bad news about a loved one.

The thriller side to the story certainly kept me on the edge of my seat, with a serial killer on the lose, it was full of nail biting suspense and lots of twist and turns. I didn't guess who the maniac was, fours stars from me and I'm keen to read other books by Mr. O'Brien.

Dare Not Tell

Dare Not Tel by Elaine Schroller
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Joe Parker is a member of the 57th Australian Infantry Battalion and during The Great War he’s sent to France, his bother Robbie joined up earlier and he survived Gallipoli campaign. France, when Robbie's listed as missing in action, Joe is devastated and the one thing that keeps him going are the friendly letters he receives from an American nurse he met by chance.

Sophie Holt is a nurse at the American Field Hospital, she lived in Australia as a child and one day she meets Aussie digger Joe Parker. They keep in contact and when the war ends, Sophie and Joe go their separate ways and until fate brings them back together.

In 1939, the Parkers are on a world tour, they decided to visit France and before they return home to Sydney. As they get closer to the Australian War Memorial at Villers-Bretonneux, Joe’s nightmare’s return and he wonders what his wife would think if she knew what he did during the war? Joe manages to hold it together at the memorial, Sophie can tell he’s struggling and he won’t tell her why.

They decided to visit the French Alps, stay in a beautiful guest house and their room has views of the mountains. While walking the alpine trails and the deep in chamonix valley, the couple find two German artifacts from The Great War, German and Italy are now allies and Joe’s worried their already sending spies into the area and he's a detective inspector in Australia.

The dual timeline story is about Joe making peace with his past, set twenty years apart, after all this time Joe thinks he’s conquered his demons, moved on with his life and it’s not the case.

Australia sent over two hundred and fifty thousand men to fight in The Great War, over four years, they fought in Turkey, Egypt, and Belgium and in the trenches of France. Young men like the main character Joe, he knew he was going to fight and nothing could prepare him for what it was really like.

The noise and smell, waiting to go over the top and having to lead his men into the unknown. Shooting a person you can see in the distance is much easier, than when you have to look a German soldier in the eye who want’s to kill you, make a split second choice and one that still torments him.

Elaine Schroller historical saga, is a tale about love, loss, secrets, mystery, regret, feelings and how fighting in The Great War impacted many ex-soldiers and their marriages. I really liked how each chapter began with an Australian poem, four stars from me and I look forward to reading the next book in the series, The Bravest Soldiers.

The Girls Who Fought Crime

The Girls Who Fought Crime: The Untold True Story of the Country’s First Female Investigator and Her Crime Fighting Squad by Mari Eder
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Mary “Mae” Foley was born to immigrant parents in 1886, her family lived in the Gas House District a part of Manhattan and an area of New York where gangs ruled the streets and as a child she witnessed fights, assaults and thefts.

Mae grew up fast, she could stick up for herself and after she graduated high school Mae worked as a clerk in the Tenement House Department and as a case worker for the Welfare Department and then she joined the New York Police Reserves.

Mae was a wife and mother but this didn’t stop this from her joining the New York Police Department, a specialty division was formed and it eventually grew to have over two thousand female members and Mae was one of the original sixty seven women who started. Mae was part of the “Masher Squad” they made sure women were safe on the streets, catching the subway and in movie theaters.

Mae wore her police uniform and badge with pride, when she was finally issued with a gun she was given a special purse to keep it in and it also had a compartment to hold her lipstick. While pounding the beat over her career, Mae arrested rapists, owners of speakeasies that popped up all over New York during probation, bootleggers, a serial killer, she attended rallies that were pro German and because during the Second World War they were worried about spies.

I received a copy of The Girls Who Fought Crime by Mari K. Edger from Edelweiss and Sourcebooks in exchange for an honest review. Mae Foley was a women who helped change societies views about women, they could be a wife, mother, and work and at one of the most stressful jobs. Mae loved her family, her job and going on cruises. She understood women were entitled to have down time, a holiday and her husband wasn’t a keen traveler and so she went on her own. Mae was a real character, strong and I admired her tenacity and four stars from me.

The Girls Who Stepped Out Of Line

The Girls Who Stepped Out of Line: Untold Stories of the Women Who Changed the Course of World War II by Mari K. Eder
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Girls Who Stepped Out of Line is a novel written about fifteen women who fought, served, and did the unexpected and extraordinary things during the 1930’s to 1940’S. I have chosen to share six women’s stories that I found inspirational, most waited over fifty years for what they did to be recognized and many paved the way for women of today.

Alice Marble was an American tennis Player, she won Wimbledon in 1939, during the war she was an editor for D C Comics and they created the character of Wonder Woman. Alice played tennis exhibitions matches for the troops, and undertook dangerous spying missions to expose where the money the Germans were stealing was being sent and she was wounded. Alice later went on to promote women’s tennis, she gave lessons and taught Billy Jene King.

Elizabeth Peet McIntosh was living and working as a journalist in Hawaii when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbour and she wondered what was going on. Elizabeth could speak Japanese, in 1943 she was asked to join Office of Strategic Services, and she transmitted fake broadcasts to the Japanese troops, altered postcards and was one of the first women to use physiological warfare against the enemy and later went on to join the CIA.

Ida and Louise Cook were English sisters who worked as secretaries for the civil service, they loved Opera and made their own evening dresses. They smuggled Jewish people out of Germany, wearing the persons jewellery and furs in plain sight, so the refugees could sell them and establish a new life. Ida wrote romance novels for Mills & Boon and she used this money to buy a flat in London, where displaced people could stay and they both lobbied for people to donate money and help.

Katherine Flynn Nolan was a nurse and a member of The Fifty-Third Field Hospital, she landed on Utah Beach on the fifteen of July 1944 and she served on the front line in France, Holland, Belgium and Germany. If you were a wounded soldier, no matter what side you fought on you would have wanted to be receive emergency treatment by these remarkable nurses and only four percent of their patient succumbed to their injuries while in their care and Kate was reunited with one of the men she saved fifty years later.

Major Charity Adams, she was one of the first African American Officers in the US army, she was sent to England and waiting for them was a two year back log of mail. The Women of the 6888th Central Postal Battalion worked seven days a week, in three shifts and sorted 65,000 items of mail a day and it took six months to clear the huge mountain of mail. The parcels contained food, it was rotten, full of maggots, and some of the mail was damaged and wasn't addressed properly.

Mari K. Eder's book highlights how these remarkable women had the chance to do more that they'd been allowed to do before, they were trail blazers, most couldn't talk about what they did and they defied societies expectations of what women could do. Four stars from me and I can't wait to read the authors next book The Girls Who Fought Crime and it's about America's first female police officers.

A Wedding for the Cornish Girls

A Wedding for the Cornish Girls by Betty Walker
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Alice Fischer is now eighteen, she lives with her Uncle Joe and Aunty Violet on their farm in Cornwall and she's approached by George Cotterill from Eastern House. Someone wants her to report to a special unit in Bude, it's a seaside resort in North Cornwall and the whole thing is very hush hush.

Penny Brown is a land girl and Uncle Joe is her boss, the two other girls she works with gave her the name ‘Pickles’ she's getting tired of how they have been treating her and it might be time for a change. She contacts her supervisor, Penny can be transferred and someone needs a dairy hand in Bude.

Florence Pritchard lives in Bude, the young widow owns a boarding house and it’s called Ocean View Guest House. Alice and Penny are her new guests and she has a three year old son Billy. Two soldiers from the Second Battalion of the US Rangers arrive, they have been sent to the area to find accommodation for the rest of their unit and Florence panics.

Florence feels overwhelmed, Staff Sergeant Miles Miller, explains they won’t all be staying at her boarding house, any vacant room in Bude will be requisitioned by the US army and they will open a “chow house” to feed the hungry men.

Alice is being put through her paces, learning self-defence, map reading and survival tactics and she assumes they are looking for recruits for the Secret Intelligence Service and Alice hopes she passes.

Penny is working for Mrs. Roskilly, her family own a dairy and a grocery shop in Bude. Penny's not a confident person, her boss pounces on any mistake she makes and is a tyrant. Penny meets fisherman John Pascoe, he’s classed as an essential worker and feels like people judge him because he’s not fighting in the war. Penny likes John, he kind and he wouldn't be interested in dating her?

I received a digital copy of A Wedding for the Cornish Girls by Betty Walker from Avon Books UK and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I have read the previous fours books in the popular Cornish Girls Series, it's wonderful to catch up with familiar personas again and some new ones. The story is told from the three women's points of view, Alice, Penny and Florence and I felt a connection to the characters. Especially Alice, Penny, Florence, Billy, John, Miles, Violet and Sheila.

The narrative is set on the north coast of Cornwall, sharing a border with Devon and so far in 1943 it hasn't been damaged by the war. I had never heard of the Second Battalion of the US Rangers before, they were sent to Bude to train on the beach and rugged cliffs and in preparation for D-Day. The story focuses how you women at the time over the age of eighteen had to do war work, bullying and who was exempt, how dangerous and important fishing was to the food supply in England, the impact the American's had when they arrived in a village and people's attitudes towards them, how it was vital to report any suspicious behavior, wartime romances and the lead up to the the big push.

This book and the others in the series are perfect for fans of historical fiction sagas, please write a sixth book Pam Weaver, I loved it and five stars from me.

The Paris Assigment

The Paris Assignment by Rhys Bowen
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Madeleine Grant is studying French literature at Sorbonne University, the lonely young English woman meets a charming Frenchman Giles Martin and he sweeps her off her feet. The couple marry, they have a son Olivier and when Germany invades Poland and Giles is concerned.

Giles has two reasons why he should be worried, he’s part Jewish and he’s also a communist, he wants to join the resistance and he thinks Madeleine and Oliver should go to England. Madeleine and Olivier reluctantly leave, she and Giles promise they will see each other again and once the war is over.

Madeleine gets a job teaching French at a secondary school, she has to make a difficult choice about Olivier, she discovers during a war nowhere is safe and mix ups can happen.

Madeleine is approached by the Baker Street Irregulars, as she can speak fluent French, she’s recently lived in France and they want to send women into the country and they can mix in with the population and won’t stand out as much as a man. Madeleine passes her training, she’s given a code name and flown to France. Once she lands Madeleine works as a courier and she passes on messages.

Madeleine discovers that being an SOE is dangerous, they warn everyone in training what the Germans are capable of and unfortunately Madeleine discovers this first hand. Madeleine won’t leave any stone unturned to find out what happened to her loved ones, she travels from London to Paris, and back again and even crosses the ocean to Australia.

I received a copy of The Paris Assignment from NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing in exchange for my honest review. Rhys Bowen has written a fast faced paced story about one women's quest for justice, the main character Madeleine never gives up, she’s brave and resilient. I did find the parts of the narrative set in France and during the war a little predictable and over the top. However, Ms. Bowen has done considerable research about what happened in Australia, I'm glad she draws attention to this subject her latest novel and three and a half stars from me.

Daisy and Kate

Daisy and Kate by Meredith Appleyard
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Daisy Miller never thought she would end up couch surfing at her age, and staying with her granddaughter and in the town where she met her estranged husband Charlie Toogood. Daisy takes her dog Jess for a walk every morning and she has this odd feeling she’s being watched and she has no idea it’s her ex-best friend from her nursing days Kate Hannaford is peeking out of her curtains and she can’t believe Daisy's back.

Kate lost her husband Dennis suddenly a year ago, they sold their farm and had just finished building a lovely house in town. Kate is facing the reality of spending her retirement years alone, she and Dennis were unable to have children. Kate keeps busy by joining the local book club, but her hearts not into it and she's miserable.

Daisy and Kate were the best of friends, they worked together at the local hospital over thirty years ago and when Daisy married Charlie their friendship started to go down hill. Both Daisy and Kate are lonely and it’s very awkward when they first see each other. Daisy and Kate have to face the past, work out why their friendship ended, it’s painful for them both and especially for Kate.

I received a digital copy of Daisy and Kate by Meredith Appleyard from NetGalley and Harlequin Australia in exchange for an honest review. In her latest novel Ms. Appleyard looks at how women do need a best friend, someone who they can confide in, be there for them know matter what life throws at them and during the good times and the bad.

A story about the power of friendship and it brings up some very important and relevant topics as well. Such as homelessness amongst older women, infertility and the impact it has on marriages and it's never too late to reconnect with a long lost friend and it might change your mindset if you do. A beautifully written book and it has a stunning cover, Ms. Appleyard's stories always make me feel emotional, I can relate to the issues the characters faced and five stars from me.

The Hidden Book

The Hidden Book by Kirsty Manning
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Mateo Baca is a Spanish prisoner at Mauthausen concentration camp, the Commandant Weber is in charge and he gives him the job of taking the prisoners identity photographs and it means he doesn’t have to work in the mine. He’s ordered to create five photo books to be given to high ranking German officials, he creates a sixth book, when it gets too dangerous to keep hidden in the camp he gives it to a local woman who lives in the nearby Mauthausen village.

The people living in the town are aware of what's happening in the camp, if anyone complains, they face being imprisoned themselves and are scared of Germans. Lena Lang works a secretary at a tool manufacturing factory, every morning she sees the prisoners march past, she feels sorry for them and the guards are brutal.

The story has a dual timeline, it’s told from multiple points of view and including, prisoners Mateo, Nico, Jakub and young Santiago's, and two women, Lena and Hannah's and it's set over seventy five years and from 1944 to 2019.

Hannah Campbell is thirteen and she lives with her mum on a farm in New South Wales, Australia and she's very excited when her Yugoslavian grandfather visits. He brings with him a parcel wrapped in calico,and Hannah's mother Roza quickly hides it. Like most teenagers Hannah is curious and when he mum isn’t looking, Hannah finds the book and it’s full of terrible images of starving people. Hannah grows up and she studies history, she realises what the photo’s represent and it becomes her quest to discover why her grandfather had the book of photos and was he a prisoner at Mauthausen?

I received a digital copy of The Hidden Book from Allen & Unwin and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Kirsty Manning uses the true information of how war criminals were found guilty due to photographic evidence and a book of photos from the time was found in a shed in Australia in 2019, how it made it's way to Australia is a mystery and it's since been donated to the Sydney Jewish museum.

Mauthausen was a concentration camp in Austria, held here by the Germans were political and Soviet prisoners of war and Jewish men. The conditions in the camp were terrible, everyone was starving, and they had to work in the mine, climb up steep stone steps and wearing wooden clogs. Reading about the conditions in the camp is harrowing, the commandant in charge was a monster and so were the guards.

Lean's character in the novel gives you an idea of what it was like for Austria's citizens living near the camp, Roza's character was a child of a survivor and she didn't want to think about the past. Her daughter Hannah's character was my favourite and knew it was important to look back at her family's history, to honor those who endured the unthinkable conditions in Mauthausen and pay a tribute to them with her historical studies. Once again Ms. Manning has written a well researched and compelling narrative, about war, humanity at it's worst, courage, over coming adversity and loss and five stars from me.

The Lost Orphan

The Lost Orphan by Pam Weaver
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In 1941: Sisters Amelie and Mireille Osborne have grown up, they still keep in contact with their foster parents Norah and Jim Kirkwood, they live in Worthing and it’s on the South Coast of England. Amelie is training to be a nurse and Mireille joined the WAAF's and they still haven’t been able to locate their younger sister Linnet.

Amelie and Mireille are both very wary of men due to how they were treated by their nasty step-father and he’s made it difficult for them to find Linnet. Amelie meets Bob Kane an orderly as the hospital, he’s good looking and charming, and Amelie falls under his spell and Mireille gets angry with Norah and refuses to contact her.

Mireille can speak French, she's approached to train as a Special Forces Executive, Mireille passes and is dropped into France. Her main role is to support and encourage the French people to resist the Germans. Of course once she’s in France, she has to do more, she sends radio messages to London, she’s aware the average life span of pianist is six weeks and her family in England have no idea where she is.

Living on the West Coast of England, everyone is aware troop numbers are building up, ready for the big push, nurses like Amelie are told to be ready, the Germans are losing ground in France and this makes things harder for the French people and Mireille

I received a copy of The Lost Orphan by Pam Weaver from Avon Books UK and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and it’s the sequel to The Runaway Orphans. I like stories where I get to catch up with familiar and memorable characters and this is perfect series and book for readers who enjoy historical fiction sagas.

It gives you a realistic idea of what it was like to live in England and France during the Second World War and the challenges people faced. A narrative about war, evacuees, how difficult it was at the time to find someone missing, sisters and the bond between them, danger and secrets. Also the story has a strong emphasis on showing kindness and helping others and sticking together during hard times and never giving up hope. Five stars from me and I highly recommend both, The Runaway Orphans and The lost Orphan and I like Pam Weaver’s style of writing.

The Secret Midwife

The Secret Midwife by Soraya M. Lane
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

1995: On the fiftieth anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz the London news appeals for any information about the identity of a brave Polish midwife who save hundreds of lives and has never been found. Listening is an elderly woman and her daughter and she is shocked when her mum declares she is the person they are looking for.

1942: Emilia like her mother before her is a midwife, she attends the women in her Polish village and she cycles through the German check points and it’s the perfect cover. Hidden in the area are pregnant Jewish women, she includes them in her rounds, her father is worried she’s taking a huge risk and sure enough someone betrays her.

Emilia finds herself aboard a train, she has no idea where she is going and her destination is a concentration camp called Auschwitz-Birkeneau. On arrival Emilia is stunned by the SS guards yelling at them to get off the train, their German Shepard dogs snarling and snapping, everyone is put into different lines and she can see emaciated people wearing what looks like stripped pajamas. Emilia starts the long and degrading process of her incarceration in Auschwitz.

The next day she’s sent to work as a midwife, she’s horrified by what she witnesses, she’s saved from being severely punished by Doctor Aleksy Gorski. Emilia, Doctor Aleksy and her new friend Lena come up with a dangerous plan, to save as many pregnant women and babies as they can and with the hope that one day they will be reunited.

The dual timeline narrative isn’t easy to read, the Holocaust was brutal and inhumane and nothing is left out. Even worse was the treatment of young innocent teenage girls, pregnant women and newborn babies.

I received a digital copy of The Secret Midwife by Soraya M. Lane from Amazon Publishing UK and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Ms. Lane uses as a basis for her latest outstanding historical fictional story, the real life written testimonies of a Polish doctor, midwife, a gynecologist and what they did while prisoners at Auschwitz.

They wanted to save as many women and babies as they could and they also wanted to world to know what happened in the camp and for the perpetrators to be made accountable. An emotional and heartbreaking story about Auschwitz, one that will stay with me for a long time, it moved me to tears and five stars.

The Girl From Norway

The Girl from Norway by Emma Pass

Hedda Dahlström lives in Kirkenes, a town in Norway, and two things make her life hard, her abusive husband Anders and the Germans. One day Hedda has no option but to flee Kirkenes quickly, she takes her six year old son Eirik with her and they head for the coast on foot. By sheer luck she and Eirik make it and are hidden on a fishing boat bound for the Shetland Islands, the seas are rough, Eirik is already unwell from living rough and he’s suffering from seasickness. Hedda is worried about the boat being spotted, shot at by German plane and sinking.

Bill Gautier is Canadian, he was a member of a RAF bombing crew and a wireless operator. Bill makes a big mistake, his career is in tatters and he’s sent to the Shetland Islands. His new post is at Svarta Ness, on the island of Fiskersay, he’s part of a group of men who work around the clock, searching the horizon for German planes or ships and they send out an alert. Bill was rather skeptical when he was first arrived in the Shetland Islands, it’s in the northernmost region of the United Kingdom, a remote place and the weather can be wild. But, it also has is good points, he makes friends with the men he’s working with and the locals, it’s the perfect place to reflect on what he’s done and how he can make amends.

Hedda and Bill meet on the island of Fiskersay, both are fleeing from the trauma of the war and they can't escape it, as the Shetland Islands are very close to Norway and used by the resistance and allies to shuttle refugees, intelligence and supplies via the network known as the Shetland Bus.

I received a digital copy of The Girl from Norway by Emma Pass from NetGalley and Aria & Aries in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed the story and it’s full of endearing and memorable characters like Hedda, Ingunn, Marianne, Bill, Flight Lieutenant Jackson, Elizabeth, Donald and Lewis. I was fascinated by the links between Norway, the Shetland Islands, Norse traditions and it's Viking heritage.

The descriptions of life on the Shetland Islands, the Scottish people and their broad dialect, how they still lived in crofts, the beautiful scenery and remoteness. The wartime historical fiction story is set between 1942 to 1946 and it's about healing minds, bodies, hearts, and an unlikely romance and five stars from me.

The President's Wife

The President’s Wife by Tracey Enerson Wood
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Edith Bolling is a widow, she turned her deceased husband’s jewellery business around and enjoys her independence. Edith is friends with President Woodrow Wilson’s first cousin Helen Bones and through her they meet. President Wilson had recently lost his wife Ellen, he has three grown up daughters, Margaret, Jessie and Eleanor.

Woodrow Wilson proposes to Edith very early on in their relationship, she thinks it’s too soon and they must wait. The president and Edith have quite a few things in common, both were born in Virginia and Woodrow woos her with romantic letters during their courtship. Edith and Woodrow marry on the 18th of December 1915, in a small ceremony at her house and Edith becomes the First Lady of the United States.

Despite the President wanting America to remain neutral, they become involved in The Great War and Edith want's to help raising money for the war. Edith is aware of the food shortage in Europe, she encourages Americans to start planting fruit and vegetable gardens.

The war years take their toll on Americas 28th President and Edith does what she can to lessen his burden and it ages him. Edith is the initial First Lady to travel overseas with her husband to Europe for the peace talks, the treaty of Versailles is being drawn up, the possibility of creating a League of Nations and to prevent another world war in the future.

Despite president Wilson’s health being careful monitored, his body starts to fail and Edith becomes his Stewart, with her help and guidance he manages to finish his term of office.

I received a digital copy of The President’s Wife from Edelweiss and Sourcebooks in exchange for an honest review. Tracey Enerson Wood bases her historical fiction novels on real women, using true facts and I didn’t know a lot about Edith Wilson prior to reading the book.

Edith was married to Woodrow, of course he spoke to her and shared his thoughts, she was his confidante and only Edith knows if she crossed the line. Edith Wilson was a woman who loved her country, her husband, did she influence his presidency and make crucial decisions while Woodrow was unwell? I discovered American politics is rather complicated, times and people's opinions have changed. I really enjoyed the authors previous books, The Engineer's Wife and The War Nurse and I gave The President's Wife four stars.

The Girl From The Papers

The Girl from the Papers by Jennifer L. Wright
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Beatrice Carraway dreams of making it big as an actress, as a child her parents entered her into baby competitions and pageants. Unfortunately it didn’t work out, in the late 1920’s she working as a waitress in a diner and she lives with her mum Emma and sister Eleanor in West Dallas.

The Great Depression is dragging working class people further under, even with both Emma and Beatrice working, they struggle to pay the rent, have enough to eat and they don't want Eleanor to leave school. Beatrice still auditions for roles, she’s never successful and she feels like a failure. Until she meets Jack Turner at a party, he sweeps her off her feet and showers her with gifts. People warn her Jack Turner is a petty thief, he steals cars and Beatrice thinks he's changed.

Like all criminals Jack gets mixed up with the wrong crowd, soon Beatrice is drawn into his life of crime, after a robbery the couple are given names and they make it into the papers. Soon the couple can’t stay in one place for long, they change their appearance and vehicles. Beatrice longs for a normal life, she loves Jack and can’t understand why he has to keep coming up with crazy schemes and get involved with a crime gang, and Beatrice is worried they will be caught or killed in a violent shootout.

I received a digital copy of The Girl from the Papers by Jennifer L. Wright from Tyndale House Publishers and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. A novel based around the notoriety of celebrity based criminals Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow who were active and famous in American during the great depression and we know it didn’t end well for them.

Ms. Wrights narrative represents the time period, the choices the two main characters made, it certainly wasn’t the path Beatrice would have followed on her own and Jack lead her straight into trouble. Three and a half stars from me, a story about crime, bad choices, and how people can turn their life around, with faith and you really only need the forgiveness of one man and he's the ultimate judge.

Right Where We Belong

Right Where We Belong by Jackie Ashenden
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Indigo Jameson has issues with trusting people due to her childhood, especially men and good-looking ones. She lived with her grandmother, her father and mother deserted her as a baby and you can understand why she has problems. Indigo and her friends Isabella Montgomery and Bethany Grant move to the Brightwater Valley in New Zealand from Deep River, Alaska and they open a gift and craft shop called Brightwater Dreams. Indigo knits and dyes her own yarn, she looking for another place to live and with a shed to store her wool.

Levi King and his friends Chase and Finn Kelly run Pure Adventures NZ, they take people on action tours, hiking, kayaking, horse riding and perfect for adrenaline junkies. Levi is a ladies man, he’s never met a woman yet that doesn’t succumb to his charm and except Indigo and she’s so prickly around him he gives her the nickname 'hedgehog'.

Levi makes Indigo an offer to solve her housing crisis, she’s skeptical and he either makes her mad or blush. Isabella and Beth give her advice, Indigo's not sure if she can follow it and lacks the confidence.

I received a digital copy of Right Where We Belong by Jackie Ashenden from Edelweiss and Sourcebooks in exchange for an honest review. It was wonderful catching up with the local characters featured in the previous two books, Find Your Way Home and All Roads Lead To You and they live in a beautiful and remote area in New Zealand and on the South Island.

Indy might be shy but a strong and successful man like Levi is the perfect match for her. It was interesting reading about their budding relationship, it certainly wasn’t lacking in chemistry, attraction and drama. Five stars from me and my favourite book out of the three novels in the Small Town Dreams Trilogy.

The Forgotten Shore

The Forgotten Shore by Sarah Maine
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Archie Maxwell is severely wounded during the Second World War, he returns home to his father's Scottish estate Rosslie and every night he has terrible nightmares. Archie fought in France, with the 51st Highland Division, they were corned by the Germans on the cliffs of St Valery and only a few men survived.

His father, the Baronet of Rosslie or Sir Andrew Maxwell has recently remarried his much younger wife Jillian and she seems happy growing her victory garden and sharing the produce. Archie and his older brother Andy lost their mother when they were young, the Baronet is a rather stern man and not one to show his emotions.

The story has a dual timeline and it’s told from the points of view of the two main characters, Archie and Eva, it's set in the 1940’s, 1966 and in 1980 and it's easy to follow.

Eva Bayne is a journalist, her boss discovers the Baronet of Rosslie has passed away at the age of ninety six and the family are holding an auction and he's sends Eva to investigate. The heir of Rosslie, Archibald Maxwell disappeared decades ago, he has been heard from since 1945, they need to know if he could possibly be alive and to settle the debt riddled estate.

As a child Eva’s father was a doctor, he worked in Canada and in a small town called Heart’s Response in Newfoundland. Eva can remember a man living in Heart’s Response in the 1960’s, his name was Tam and after seeing a picture of Archie Maxwell she's positive it’s the same person. Of course they think Eva was too young to be sure it was Archie, it was fifteen years ago and causes a lot of debate.

I received a digital copy of The Forgotten Shore by Sarah Maine from NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton in exchange for an honest review. The dual timeline fictional narrative looks at the odd and strained relationships between the characters of Archie, his older brother Andy, their father Sir Andrew Maxwell and his second wife Gillian. It centers around the Second World War and Archie struggling to cope, life in the small villages in the West Coast of Scotland and Northumberland.

A story about love, loss, post traumatic stress disorder, lies, deception, forgiveness, a big cover up and a secret is revealed. My favourite characters were Archie, Eva, Ross and Kenny the gardener and perfect for fans historical mysteries, set in remote places and four stars from me.

At The Foot Of The Cherry Tree

At The Foot Of The Cherry Tree by Alli Parker
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Gordon Parker is only eighteen years old when his father gives his permission for him to join the Australian army and he leaves the family farm in Ringwood, Victoria. After basic training he’s sent to Japan as a member of the British Commonwealth Occupation Forces, he stationed in Kure and he helps in the medical clinic.

Nobuko Sakuramoto survived the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, she moves to Kure and works as a maid at the army base. Nobuko is sixteen, she’s scared of the enemy soldiers and they provide her with two much needed meals a day.

Gordon and Cherry fall in love, the Australian army doesn't want soldiers having relationships with Japanese women, many do so in secret and they won't give permission for couples to get married. Gordon returns to Australia, he promises Cherry they will be together again and he has no idea the reception he’s going to receive when he arrives home. His parents are concerned for his and their other children’s well-being, the Australian public don’t like Japanese people and I can understand why.

Cherry is in Japan, where the attitude towards women having relationships with Australian soldiers is taboo, despite being married to Gordon she’s considered a fallen woman, she subjected to verbal abuse and she's terrified. Gordon fights for he and Cherry to be together again, she’s pregnant with their first child, it takes four years of writing letters, making phone calls, lobbying, frustration and tears to achieve his goal.

I received a digital copy of At The Foot Of The Cherry Tree by Alli Parker from HarperCollins Publishers Australia and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. A remarkable story about love and overcoming prejudice, and one man’s perseverance to bring his Japanese wife to Australia, he challenged the governments 'White Australia Policy' and managed to obtain a visa. Gordon Parker was an extraordinary man, he never gave up, with determination, he had faith and conviction.

Based on a true story, Alli Parker's debut novel about her grandparents is outstanding, it's emotional, moving and it made me cry in a good way. Five stars from me, a must read about Australia's first Japanese war bride and the couples lasting family legacy.

A Bakery in Paris

A Bakery in Paris by Aimie K. Runyan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

1870: The Prussian army have reached the gates of Paris, the city is completely surrounded and they enforce a blockade and try to starve the population into surrendering. Lisette Vigneau parents are from one of the oldest and wealthiest families in Paris and they live in the centre of the city. Lisette is rather unconventional and headstrong and she sneaks into the kitchen to watch, help and learn from the families cook.

One day Lisette is without a chaperone, her mother would have a fit if she knew and Lisette meets National Guardsman Theodore Fournier. Lisette runs away from home and to be with Theodore, she opens a small bakery and to bring hope and sustenance to the poor neighborhood of Montmartre. Soon the Parisians are starving, only rich have stock piled food and can afford the black market prices, Lisette could return home, she decides to stay with her beloved Theo and her new friends.

The story has a dual timeline, it’s told from the points of view of the two main characters Lisette and Micheline, the women are related and it kept my attention.

1946: Micheline Chartier lost her father early in the war, her mother disappeared without a trace two years ago, and at nineteen she's looking after her two younger sisters. Madame Dupuis her kindly neighbour has helped Micheline, she pays for her to attend the prestigious baking academy and so she can open a bakery in the empty bistro below their apartment. Laurent Tanet started at the academy before Micheline, he’s a very nice young man and is there for her when she struggles during lessons, they both develop feelings for each other and with her mother still missing Micheline feels guilty.

I received a digital copy of A Bakery in Paris by Aimie K. Runyan from William Morrow and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The narrative highlights how both Lisette and Michelle had to deal with the brutality of war, cope with the loss of loved ones, overcome obstacles and they shared the fondness for baking and Micheline finds solace and inspiration in grandmothers journal. I loved how Ms. Ruyan included throughout the book, recipes for the delicious French baked treats and ones you would find in a patisserie.

I didn't know a lot about the Franco-Prussian War prior to reading this novel and in 1871 the Prussia army defeated France, ending French dominance in continental Europe, creating a unified Germany and causing political tension in France. Once again Aimie K. Ruyan has written a really fascinating book, about two strong and resilient women and five stars from me.

I'll Leave You With This

I'll Leave You With This: A totally heartbreaking and gripping page-turner by Kylie Ladd
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When Daniel O’Shea is tragically killed, his sisters decide to donate his organs and they gather every year to celebrate his life. The four sisters are dissimilar, Allison is the eldest and followed by Bridie, Clare and lastly Emma.

Clare has an idea, she wants to try and contact the donor recipients, this isn’t an easy thing to do, some people want to remain anonymous, it can make them feel guilty and each of the sister's reacts differently.

Allison is an obstetrician, she’s married and has twin sons. She feels like she juggling too many things, leaving no time for herself and her family. Clare is in a relationship with Sophie, it’s just ended due to Clare’s obsession with wanting to have a baby and it’s made her feel like a failure. Bridie is a film director, she had one hit a decade ago and since then her career has stalled. She's married to Tom, he’s an actor and is on the brink of making it big. Emma is the youngest, she’s was bullied at school she found solace and safety in the bible class and at church.

The sisters have drifted apart, due t0 being busy and both their parents have passed way and Daniel. Maybe finding out who received Daniel's organs might reunite them, they love each other and they need to reconnect.

I received a digital copy of I’ll Leave You With This from Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This is the first book I have read by Kylie Ladd, she handles the subjects of death, organ donation, miscarriage, infertility and IVF in understanding and tactful way.

The story focuses on relationships, between the sisters, their partners, children and friends. It’s an honest, sympathetic, at times amusing narrative, full of interesting and real characters. My favourites were, Allison, Bridie, Clare, Emma, Jason, Joel and John Thomas. Five stars from me, I’m listed as an organ donor, it’s truly a gift and improves the recipient’s lives in ways you can’t image and you discover this between the pages of this outstanding novel.

A Time To Live

A Time to Live: A sweeping, heartrending historical fiction novel for 2023 by Vanessa de Haan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Freddie is the second son, he plans to join his business partner in Ceylon and grow tea. Just as The Great War ends, his parents receive a telegram and his older brother Edward and the heir of Coombe Hall is missing in action and presumed dead.

Freddie now has to sacrifice his own hopes and dreams to try to fulfill his brothers role. Littlecombe farm has been sold to the Cottam's and Freddie likes their daughter Celia and her attitude. Despite being attracted to Celia, Freddie has to marry for money, feelings have nothing to do with the match and otherwise his family will lose the estate.

After The Great War, things change in England, this leads to the general strike, coal miner’s hours increase and they are paid less. Transport workers and those employed in heavy industry downed tools and went on a sympathetic strike to support them.

The labouring families who rented and worked for Freddie’s grandparents and parents for generations have left, Freddie's struggling to keep Coombe Hall going and even with his wife’s dowry. Celia wants to help returned servicemen, many are suffering from psychological problems, the effects of shell-shock and the peace and quiet of the countryside in Devon might help?

Freddie and Celia find themselves on different sides, as the Viscount of Damerel Freddie has done what’s expected of him and in doing so he’s changed and Celia doesn’t like the person he’s become. Freddie is keeping a secret, one that could change everything and he might not be the rightful heir?

A sweeping historical saga set in Devon, at the end of The Great War and leading up to the start of the Second World War. A time of social change in England, many families like the Freddie’s struggled to keep their estates afloat, due to their sons dying or being injured in the war, paying taxes and the up keep of huge houses and lavish gardens and not being able to find staff.

I received a digital copy of A Time To Live by Vanessa de Haan from HarperCollins UK and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Spanning twenty years, it looks at the lives of an upper crust English family, warts and all and perfect for fans of Downton Abbey. Four stars from me, I’m keen to read Ms. De Haan’s previous book, The Restless Sea.

The Cypress Maze

The Cypress Maze by Fiona Valpy
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Beatrice moves to Italy to work as an English tutor, with the threat of war clouds looming she isn't worried until she finds herself stranded in the country and declared an enemy alien. Beatrice is very lucky to meet Francesca, she takes her home to Villa delle Colombe and to meet her husband Edoardo. He knows the peace in the valley won’t last, he and his workers build a maze made out of cypress and it’s his backup plan. Francesca takes in children, who have lost their homes due to the war, soon the children are rosy-cheeked and healthy. When the Allies sign an armistice with Italy, their peaceful valley in Tuscany becomes ruled by the Germans and the fighting gets closer.

The story has a dual timeline and it’s told from the two main characters Beatrice and Tess’s points of view, from 1940 to 2015, seventy five years apart and it's easy to follow.

Tess arrives at Villa delle Colombe for a holiday, Beatrice is an old school friend of her mothers and is delighted to have her stay. Tess is a young widow, she’s struggling with the death of her husband and Tuscany is the perfect place to find some solace. Beatrice is notified the new owner of the villa has been found and Tess helps her get it ready and make him feel welcome. Marco is a young man from Rome, he's walking around taking photos and notes and they have a horrible feeling he’s going to sell it to a developer.

Beatrice decides it’s time for her to share her war time experiences, she asks Tess to write it down for her, and she discovers it was safe haven not only for Beatrice, local men hiding from being conscripted, children, members of the resistance and an allied soldier. Maybe this will help Beatrice make peace with the past, Tess as well and Marco to understand the villa was a safe haven for his father as a child.

I received a copy of The Cypress Maze by Fiona Valpy from NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK in exchange for an honest review. Once again Ms. Valpy has written a historical fiction story that makes you feel a connection with the characters and what happens to them. Set in beautiful Tuscany, you can picture in your mind the rose and vegetable gardens, children playing in the maze and Silvana cooking pasta in the kitchen.

I found it interesting reading about how the estate was self significant, growing it's own fruit and vegetables and during the hard war years they gathered herbs, mushrooms and other plants, and when food and medicine was scarce. It’s also a story about grief, something Beatrice has experience with and she’s helps Tess cope with her feelings of loss and the maze's secret is finally revealed. I have been a fan of Ms. Valpy's since I read her first book, The Beekeeper's Promise, she written another interesting dual timeline story you can totally immerse yourself in and five stars from me.

The Woman in the Castello

The Woman in the Castello by Kelsey James
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

In 1956, Silvia Whitford travels to Rome with her mother Lucy and daughter Lulu. She is an actress, she has only had some minor roles, she has an interview for a part in la dolce vita and when arrives at the studio she's told it has been cancelled.

Silvia is broke single mother, she has nothing to return to in America and she starts looking for work. No one will hire her, Silvia has only one choice, to visit her Italian aunt, she has never met her and her mother refuses to talk about her sister. Gabriella Conti lives in a crumbling castle, it’s a steep walk from the nearby town and it's located on the edge of a volcanic lake.

The medieval Castle is the location for a new horror movie called The Revenge of the Lake Witch, Silvia gets a role and she’s to play Bianca. The Castle is a creepy place, full of winding stone staircases, endless rooms full of damp furnishings, cobwebs, decay and the mice.

When Gabriella vanishes, Silvia is worried, no one else seems to be concerned by her aunts disappearance, she hears all kind of weird noises in the night and her aunt told her the castle is haunted. Silvia has no choice but to consider her aunt has met with foul play, she starts snooping around the castle in-between takes, the director, producer and other actors are all potential suspects.

I received a copy of The Woman in the Castello from Edelweiss and Kensington Publishing Corp in exchange for an honest review. This is the first book I have read by author Kelsey James, I would class it as a historical thriller and it’s certainly set in the perfect location.

A story about long kept secrets from the Second World War and intertwined with a feud between the two sisters, the other cast members of the movie are all rather vain, sinister, and mysterious and this adds to the spooky theme of the narrative. A quick read, three things I liked about the novel were; the location, the stunning cover and sweet little Lulu. Three stars from me and I didn't guess who was the bad guy.

Women of the Post

Women of the Post by Joshunda Sanders
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In 1944, the Bronx, New York City, Judy Washington is sick of the way she and her mother have been forced to live, they struggle to pay their rent and every day they have look for work. Early in the morning they join the crowd of desperate coloured women at the “Bronx slave Market” hoping a white woman will select one of them to clean her house and for a pittance. Judy’s husband Herbert is fighting overseas, she hasn't heard from him in months, or been sent any money and she’s had enough.

Judy joins the Women’s Army Corps or the WAC, she does six weeks of basic training at Fort Des Moines, Iowa and in charge is Second Officer Charity Adams and she's one of a handful of coloured female officers in the American army.

Judy becomes friendly with other women in her unit, Stacy, Bernadette and Mary Alyce who only found out she was coloured after she joined the army and it was a huge shock. The women are from Missouri, Chicago, Vermont, and the South. After finishing basic training the recruits are keen to find out where they will be sent, the only issue is the army has no idea what to do with it's coloured female members and eventually they decided to send them to Birmingham, England.

Here, there's a back log of mail, it’s stored in an abandoned school, and it needs to be sorted, prioritized and forwarded on to be checked again by the censors. The army knows the importance of mail to it’s serving members and no mail means low morale amongst the troops.

The women are part of the 6888th Central postal Battalion, the only unit of coloured women to serve overseas during the Second World War. The ladies work hard and in cold conditions, three shifts and six days a week, and they sort over 65,000 letters and packages a day. Many have been stored for so long, the envelopes are open, or have been damaged along with the addresses and it's like solving a huge puzzle.

I received a digital copy of Women of the Post by Joshunda Sanders from Edelweiss and HarperCollins in exchange for an honest review. Ms. Sanders did extensive research into the all coloured female battalion of the Women’s Army Corps and read a memoir written by a veteran of the 6888th Central Postal Battalion and combined it provided the inspiration for her own fascinating novel.

A story told from the points of view of the three main characters, Judy, Charity and Alyce, three coloured women who wanted more, a break from cultural, social, racial, economic and sexist restrictions. They formed a sisterhood and life long friendships, with solidarity and support, and they faced racism, with resilience, grit, dignity, perseverance, and integrity. Five stars from me, a narrative with a strong emphasis on self discovery, doing the unexpected and testing the boundaries at the time.

Ladies of the Lake

Ladies of the Lake by Cathy Gohlke
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When eleven year old Adelaide MacNeill has to leave Prince Edward Island she’s heartbroken and her half-brother is sending her to Lakeside Ladies Academy in Connecticut. Her parents have just died, her older brother isn’t compassionate and Addie attending boarding school means he can get on with his own life. Here Adelaide makes friends with, Dorothy, Ruth and Susannah, over the next five years the girls get up to a bit of mischief and grow close.

The girls refer to their group as the "Ladies of the Lake," when they graduate in 1910, the young women vow they will always be there for each other and will meet at the schools gazebo every two years. This is before the love for the same man causes Dot to be jealous of Addie, and America is now fighting in The Great War, the man they both love his parents were born in Germany, and their family is the target of vandalism and hatred. Adelaide is visiting her brother and sister-in-law in Halifax in December 1917, when two boats collided in the harbor and no one could predict the catastrophe that's about to happened.

Seventeen years later, Rosaline Murray is an author, she lives in Halifax and she receives a call from Dorothy, she's the headmistress of Lakeside Ladies Academy and she invites her to attend her daughter Bernadette’s graduation. For over eighty years the prestigious school has educated daughters of diplomats, senators, and the countries elite. This causes Rosaline to reflect on the past, one that she’s been determined to forget and hide from. How can she not attend Bernadette's valedictorian graduation ceremony, but she's kept secrets from her and she doesn’t want to face anyone and the ghosts of her childhood?

I received a copy of Ladies of the Lake by Cathy Gohlke from Tyndale House Publishers and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Ms Gohkle latest novel explores the friendship and sisterhood between four young girls attending a private school and how it's tested by jealousy, competition, secrets, lies, bullying, shaming, misunderstandings and arguments. The well written and captivating narrative focuses on the role each of the young women plays in the problems within the friendship, and how they find the path to exoneration and reconciliation.

Based around true facts about a girls school in Connecticut, author Lucy Maud Montgomery and an orphaned girl from Prince Edward Island. An inspirational story about faith and the importance of telling the truth and most of all forgiveness. Five stars from me, my favourite and the most memorable characters were Adelaide, Dorothy, Mr. and Mrs. Meyer, Jonas and Stephen, Bernadette and Portia. I highly recommend this book and Ms. Gohlke's previous novel, A Hundred Crickets Singing.

Forever Hold You Peace

Forever Hold Your Peace by Liz Fenton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Olivia Abbot's parents pay for her to travel to Italy, during her summer vacation she meets Zach Carter. They fall in love, Olivia can’t believe it when Zach pops the questions and she accepts. The newly engaged couple can’t wait to return to California, start planning their wedding and they don't want a long engagement.

They decide their four divorced parents should meet and go out for brunch, Olivia's mum June and father William, and Zach’s mum Amy and father Troy. After such a whirlwind courtship, both families don’t want Olivia and Zach rushing into getting married and plan on discussing this with them. At the brunch, June is late and when she walks in and see’s who’s sitting at the table, she bursts into tears and runs outside. Years ago June and Amy were best friends, they had a huge falling out and haven’t spoken to each other in twenty six years.

Olivia and Zach had no idea their mothers were once friends, both women are now enemies, and they turn organizing the wedding into a competition and a vindictive one. Olivia and Zach are confused and hurt, when the long kept secret is revealed, and the reason why their mothers friendship ended and they start to question if they should get married.

June and Amy have to bury the hatched, not in each other’s backs and try to get Olivia and Zach to see they are perfect for each other, love is worth fighting for and they start planning how to reunited the love birds.

I received a digital copy of Forever Hold Your Peace by co-authors and friends Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The stories main focus is on relationships, young love, divorced parents, complicated family dynamics, rivalry, drama, secrets, a big mistake, June getting over feeling resentful and angry towards two people and being able to forgive them. Four stars from me, for readers who believe in love, and with a few twists and turns in the plot to keep you invested.

A Nurse's Tale

A Nurse’s Tale: An extraordinary and moving historical novel inspired by a true story of WW2! by Ola Awonubi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Princess Adenrele Ademola is from Nigeria, she’s the daughter of King Papado Ademola the Alake of Abeokuta and she trains to be a nurse in the 1930’s at Guy’s Hospital in London. Here she makes friends with fellow students Violet Dobbs and Elvina Thompson and Violet encourages Ade and Elvina to go to dances and have fun while they can.

When the Blitz starts, Ade doesn’t return home, she passes her nursing exams and starts training to be a midwife. Despite being from a royal Nigerian family, in England Ade is judged by the colour of her skin, she faces terrible racism, people say rude things to her and including patients she's helping.

The story has a dual timeline, it’s told from the two main characters points of view, Adenrele and her great-niece Olayemi and eighty years apart.

Yemi Akindele is a graphic artist in Lagos, she’s given the opportunity to travel to England and their compiling a list of Nigerian women who have been trailblazers in the past hundred years and she takes with her great-aunt’s diaries. At a Gala night, Yemi meets Dr. Michael Benjamin and he's trying to find out information about his grandfather Cyril, he was born at St Timothy’s a home for unwed mothers and a mixed race baby. Yemi and Mike discover the connection between their families, they know whose Cyril’s parents are, a coloured Flight Sergeant, one of Ade’s nursing friends and why did Cyril end up in an orphanage in near Derby?

In their quest to solve the mystery Mike feels very attracted and drawn to Yemi, she not ready to being a romantic relationship, she’s returning to her job and family in Lagos at the end of the year.

I received a copy of A Nurse’s Tale by Ola Awonubi from NetGalley and HarperCollins UK in exchange for an honest review. The novel is full of fascinating information and is inspired by a true story, Adenrele being a princess, her training to be a nurse in London, like everyone during the Second World War she endured the bombings and blackouts, food and clothes being rationed.

I must admit I knew very little about Nigeria, its history, culture, heritage and traditions and now I do. A narrative about two strong women, both were ambitious, loyal to their friends and loved ones and overcame life’s challenges. Four stars from me, a great debut novel and perfect for readers who enjoy historical fiction full of long buried secrets, and learning about different cultures and I want to make Jollof rice.

The Air Raid Book Club

The Air Raid Book Club by Annie Lyons
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Gertie Bingham and her husband Harry opened Bingham Books in the Beechwood High Street as newlyweds in 1911 and since he passed away she misses him terribly. Gertie and Harry weren’t blessed with children, Gertie has Hemingway her Labrador for company and she’s thinking about retiring.

With the threat of another war looming, Gertie is approached by her friend Charles who works for the Red Cross to take in a Jewish child from Germany as part of the Kindertransport program. A nervous Gertie is waiting at the train station, her evacuee Hedy Fischer is from Munich and she’s fifteen years old. Hedy misses her parents and brother Arlo and Gertie feels way out of her depth. She tries hard to help Hedy learn English, she introduces her to one of her young sales assistants from Bingham Books and enrolls her in high school.

When the Blitz begins, Hedy and Gertie sit in the Anderson shelter in the backyard and invite their new neighbors a young mother Elizabeth and her son Billy to share it with them. Hedy reads stories to Billy to take his mind off the noise, and during this time she and Gertie decide to start the Air Raid Book Club. It’s held once a month in the basement of Bingham Books, attended by regular customers, nearby traders and friends.

Choosing a book to read always is a challenge, with so many choices and everyone gets somethings different out of each novel. The book club is a huge success, from fire wardens to housewives, they need something to occupy their minds, take their mind off their problems and it boosts morale. They expand the program to cater for children and send care packages overseas to prisoners of war and here books are in high demand.

As the war drags on, the bookshop and book club become very important to the community, unlikely friendships are made and others are repaired and bonds are formed. While, Hedy anxiously waits for news about her family, she knows Arlo has been sent to Germany to work and she has no idea what’s happened to her parents.

I received a digital copy of The Air Raid Book Club by Annie Lyons from Edelweiss and HarperCollins in exchange for an honest review. Oh my goodness, it is one of the best books I have read this year and I was bawling my eyes out by the end. A narrative about war, friendship, hope, love, the power of books and reading and many of the book club member’s believed knowledge and using their minds would help England be victorious.

They read and enjoyed books from a variety of genres and some of the authors are; Jane Eyre, Agatha Christie, Louisa May Alcott, Pearl S. Buck, Georgette Heyer, Charles Dickens and Lewis Carroll. The characters are wonderful, some are delightful and sweet and others are crotchety and downright grumpy. Most of all it's a story about relationships, connections, and families come in all sorts of packages, forms of mothering and kindness and five big stars from me.

The Girl in Lifeboat Six

The Girl in Lifeboat Six by Eliza Graham
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In 1941, Romilly Brooks has recently lost her mother, she applies for a job as a nanny and is shocked when she's hired. Romilly is to travel with eight year old Freddie Landau and Mrs. Dekker aboard the Lucknow. Freddie has been staying with a host family in England and his grandmother wants him to live with family in New York.

The ocean liner is grand, Romilly hasn’t seen so much food in years, the ship is being escorted only part of the way and after that they should be out of range of the German U-boats. The captain makes it very clear from the start, everyone must always wear a life jacket, take part in the drills and make their way straight to their assigned lifeboat.

Romilly meets fellow passenger Edward Witney, he's handsome and charming and she wonders why he isn’t fighting in the war. She notices him talking to a lady with short black hair, no one knows who she is and Romilly thinks he's keeping a secret. One night a German torpedo hits the ship, Romilly and Freddie are thrown into the cold Atlantic Ocean. Romilly knows they have no chance of survival in a small raft, eventually they see lifeboat six, but it’s full and someone makes the selfless decision to trade places.

I received a digital copy of The Girl in Lifeboat Six by Eliza Graham from Storm Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Ms. Graham has written an emotive story about children being sent across the sea to safety during the Second World War, but the Germans were prowling the ocean waiting to destroy any allied ships and with no regard to who was on board. Surviving against the odds, Romilly has to deal with the flashbacks about the harrowing time she's with young Freddie and the others aboard the lifeboat and wondering if she made the right choices.

I felt a real connection with the characters of Romilly, Freddie, Smoky, Mrs. Dekker, Ahmed and Ruth. The narrative includes information about the lobbying from aviator Charles Lindbergh and the America First Committee, they didn't want the US fighting in the war and of course this was prior to Pearl Harbor. Four and a half stars from me, at nineteen Romilly was mature beyond her years and her relationship with Freddie was heartwarming, I have been a fan of Eliza Graham’s novel's since I read You let Me Go, and I highly recommend both books.

Home to Echidna Lane

Home to Echidna Lane by Eva Scott
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Lacey Kane left the small Tasmanian town of Whitton thirteen years ago, she didn’t think she could reach her full potential unless she moved to the mainland and went to university. From the outside Lacey’s life looks perfect, she and her husband Carter work on morning television and they have two sons. Live the Australian public discover her husband has betrayed her, Lacey was clueless and she needs to put some distance between them and time to think.

Lacey returns home to Echidna Lane, to stay with her parents Joyce and James and they are delighted. Her sons Harry and Ollie have never been to Tasmanian before and her eldest son isn’t happy with their current living arrangements and situation. Joyce gives Lacey time to lick her wounds, she knows her daughter can’t hide away forever and what's happened isn't a secret.

Shane Morrisey went to school with Lacey, she was popular and he was a shy skinny teenager. Shane now owns and runs a walnut orchard, he’s a widower and has a daughter Matilda. He had a big crush on Lacey years ago, Shane is really good friends with her parents and he tries not make a fool of himself around her and he doesn’t want to have his heart broken again.

Lacey starts to look at life in Tasmania and living on Echidna Lane from a different perspective, she finds comfort in the things she once hated, like the fresh air, beautiful countryside, spending time with her parents, her dad is a wonderful cook and story teller. The boys get to experience things they have never done before and making memories with their grandparents.

Lacey has to make a decision, her time in Tasmania has given her a chance to re-evaluate her life, reflect and move forward.

I received a digital copy of Home to Echidna Lane by Eva Scott from NetGalley and Harlequin Australia in exchange for an honest review. A wonderful story about discovering what’s really important in life and it’s not fame and fortune. There is no place like home and being with your family, making new friends and catching up with old acquaintances, familiar places, and feeling like you belong. The characters in narrative are realistic and funny, especially Matt and Bella they made me laugh out loud and included throughout the book are the recipes for the yummy food they made with walnuts. I enjoy reading Australian small town rural romantic fiction and with a handsome Aussie bloke in a flannel shirt and Lacey might as well! The first novel I have read by Ms. Scott, it won't be my last and five stars from me.

The Paris Agent

The Paris Agent by Kelly Rimmer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Charlotte Ainsworth has no idea her father wasn't a mechanic during the Second World War, he was in fact a British agent working in France and a brave one. In the summer of 1970, Charlotte is stunned when her dad Noah tells her the truth, she really can’t imagine her father being SOE and she wondered if her mum knew. Noah was wounded towards the end of the war, he fractured his skull, so he can’t remember somethings and others are jumbled up in his mind. Noah wants to thank the agent that saved his life during the war and he needs closure.

Charlotte wants to help her father, she finds out the name of a professor and a military historian who have both been looking into the English Secret Operations Executives service in France, unfortunately some of the personal files have been destroyed and others are marked as classified.

Charlotte discovers her father knew two women operatives while in France, Chloe and Fleur and of course these are not their real names. Despite national security being tight and agents being thoroughly screened by the team at Baker Street, Charlotte uncovers someone might have been working as a double agent, a lot of the SOE’s were arrested towards the end of the war, around the time her father was wounded and was it because of the traitor?

The narrative has a dual timeline alternating from 1944 to the 1970’s and it’s told from the points of view of Chloe and Fleur while they were serving in in France and on leave in England.

At first women agents where used as couriers and wireless operators in the field, but as the war went on and while planning for D-Day invasion they needed them to do more and they did. The women had to speak fluent French, blend in with the population and these agents worked alongside their male peers, carrying out acts of espionage, sabotage, reconnaissance, they knew how to fire Bren light machine gun and use explosives.

I received a paperback copy of The Paris Agent by Kelly Rimmer from Hachette Australia in exchange for an honest review, once again Ms. Rimmer has blown me away with her latest impeccably researched and engrossing book, she uses real details and I learnt new and interesting facts about the Second World War. A story about duty, revenge, secrets, betrayal, lies, loss, bravery, sacrifice and love. My favorite characters were Noah, Chloe, Fleur, Charlotte, Theo, Ms. Elwood and Wrigley the dog. I became a big fan of Kelly Rimmer’s when I read her first novel, The Things We Cannot Say, a superbly composed historical fiction story and five stars from me.

The Escapades of Tribulation Johnson

The Escapades of Tribulation Johnson by Karen Brooks
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In 1679, Tribulation Johnson leaves her home in Chartham, Kent and travels to London to stay with her widowed cousin. Tribulation is happy to get away from her puritan father Howell Johnson and she will miss her older sister Bethan. Tribulation is tall for a woman, and her father has made sure she’s very aware of her faults and he's glad to be rid of her!

Arriving in an unforgettable way in London and Tribulation discovers her cousin Aphra Behn is a former spy and traitor’s mistress, now a playwright and she takes in lodgers to make ends meet. At Dorset Garden Theatre, Tribulation has a small role in a play and suffers from a bad case of stage fright, Aphra encourages her to write, speak up and not be so meek. At a time when women didn’t have a voice, let alone write for a living and Aphra is blazing the trail for future generations of opinionated women. Helping Tribulation navigate the way are Aphra, her companion Nest and actor Jonathan Rickman makes Tribulation’s heart flutter and is he really what he seems?

With a Popish Plot to overturn the monarchy and Charles II and it’s a volatile time to be living in Restoration London. England is full of theatrics and the audiences are unruly, politics, plotters, spies, scandals, religious differences, cultural barriers and it’s getting ready to explode! Aphra’s loyalty is questioned to her country and to King Charles II and has she being lying to a gullible Tribulation and could the cousins be caught up in the ultimate betrayal?

I received a copy of The Escapades of Tribulation Johnson by Karen Brooks from NetGalley and Harlequin Australia in exchange for an honest review. Dr. Brooks is a wonderful historical storyteller, and the six hundred and forty four pages were a delight to read, with just the right amount of literary drama and ebbs and flows. A narrative about the first woman to make a living as a writer and playwright in England, Aphra Johnson Behn, she paved the way for women to speak up and about anything, and her prose was radical for the time.

Tribulation’s fictional character is funny, delightful, bumbling and she discovers a big secret about herself, it’s her light globe moment and she's rather smitten with the elusive Mr. Rickman. Five stars from me, an absolute pleasure to read and I highly recommend.

Escape to Tuscany

Escape to Tuscany by Kat Devereaux
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Stella Infuriati is a teenage school girl when she joins the resistance in the village of Romituzzo, she attends high school in Castelmedici and it’s the perfect cover. The Germans have made it very clear, anyone caught helping the resistance hiding in the hills of Tuscany will be jailed or killed and including women.

Her parents have no idea what Stella is doing, they adore her brother Achille and he’s their favorite child. Stella’s father is a mechanic, Achille and his friends are communists, he disappears on his motorbike and is most likely off in the hills fighting the fascists and Germans. Despite the danger, Stella continues transporting notes, weapons, medicine and with help from father Anselmo. As the war gets closer to Romituzzo and men have to hide because the Germans are sending them off to work in Germany or hunting down any they assume are involved in the resistance.

The dual timeline debut historical fiction novel is set in central Italy between 1944 and 2019 and told from alternating points of view of the two main characters Stella and Tori.

Victoria McNair lives in Scotland and is devastated when her beloved grandmother Margaret passes away. Her husband Duncan was fine when they first got married, but slowly over time he’s became controlling, and he dishes out hurtful verbal abuse. After her grandmother’s funeral, Tori decides her marriage is over and she travels to Florence. Tori and her Grandmother used to visit the city together when she was a child, her Italian is a little rusty and she wants to find two of her grandmother’s friends.

Tori needs to hire a lawyer to sort out her tenancy agreement, work permit and to put in her application for permanent residency. Marco is really helpful and handsome, he discusses Tori’s situation, and he will help her with the mountains of paperwork that needs to be filled out and submitted over the next couple of weeks. Tori is a freelance writer, after speaking with her agent, and they come up with an idea about her writing a novel set in Italy? In her search for information about her grandmothers past and idea's for her book, Tori uncovers hidden secrets, about what happened to Achilles and why his sister Stella disappeared at the end of the war and the connection they both had to her grandmother!

I received a copy of Escape to Tuscany by Kat Devereaux from Aria & Aries and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. It was interesting reading about the war in Tuscany and it's provinces, the different sides, and how women made perfect carriers for the resistance, they hid items in bags, prams and even in their hair. The narrative focuses on relationships, both of the main characters didn't get along with their mothers, were subjected to verbal abuse and Tori's growing attraction to Marco. My favorite characters were Stella, Tori, Marco and father Anselmo. A great way to start of her writing career by Ms. Devereaux, I love stories set in Italy and about women overcoming difficult situations life throws at them and five stars from me.

Vita and the Birds

Vita and the Birds by Polly Crosby
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Eve Blakeney and her four brothers spend every summer staying at their grandmother’s old fisherman’s hut in Suffolk and with their mother Angela. They love visiting their granny Dodie, and they swim, hold bonfires on the beach and tell spooky stories. The old derelict cathedral of the Marshes can be seen in the distance and it’s made from sheets of glass and once belonged to Goldsborough family. The kids are told to stay away from it due to it being dangerous, run down and there have been rumours about a girl disappearing in the area years ago?

Years later, Eve's mother has passed away, Eve returns to the cottage, to try to come to terms with losing her mum and sort through the piles of sand covered belongings dating back to her granny's time. Dodie was a painter, as Eve goes through the boxes of clutter, she finds old paint, brushes, an old dress, birdcage and some letters.

The story has a dual timeline, it’s told from the three main characters points of view, Eve, her grandmother Dodie and a lady called Vita. It alternates between 1997 and goes back to 1938 and it's extremely easy to follow.

Lady Vita Goldsborough lives under the thumb of her controlling older brother Aubrey, she spends most of her time at their Suffolk estate and he works in London. Vita loves birds, she watches them fly over and at times she wishes she was one. A lonely Vita meets local surrealism artist Dodie Blakeney, the women become good friends, and they spend time in the Cathedral of the Marshes. A big hot house, full of plants, exotic fruit trees, and a pond. Aubrey does nothing but drink, criticize Vita when he's home, the family fortune is dwindling and Vita doesn’t trust him.

As Eve sorts through years of possessions and happy memories, she works out her grandmother and Vita knew each other. Eve thought Dodie held a grudge against them, she didn't want to speak about the Goldsborough family and it's all rather odd. Eve uncovers a decade old secret and she wonders if her mother Angela knew the truth and how she would have felt about it?

I received a copy of Vita and the Birds by Polly Crosby from NetGalley and Harlequin Australia in exchange for an honest review. If you like well written and composed stories full of hidden secrets, mystery, and intrigue, dangerous and strange circumstances and set in an old creepy rundown building this novel would be the perfect for you. Ms. Crosby covers topics such as a mothers love from her children, how there are many kinds of love and most of all you should love yourself. Five stars from me, a perfectly balanced dual timeline historical mystery, I didn't guess the big secret and the book wasn't at all predictable.

The Curious Kidnapping of Nora W

The Curious Kidnapping of Nora W by Cate Green
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Nora Wojnaswki is only days away from becoming the oldest women in the world, her family have planned a party for her and they made the mistake of not asking Bubby what she wanted! Her great granddaughter Debs Levene has been busy organizing the celebration, booking caterers, inviting guests, some are traveling from overseas and asking Nora's Rabbi to attend.

Nora isn’t your average old lady, her body might be failing and she knows what she wants. Nora gets a family member to sign a form letting her leave the nursing home, she goes to live with one of her caretakers Arifa Hashmi and her son Nasir. Nora likes Arifa, her hands are gentle, she takes her time and she tries to beat her playing cards. Of course Nora’s family are horrified, how can a fail old lady leave a nursing home and move in with two people they don’t know and trust?

I received a copy of The Curious Kidnapping of Nora W by Cate Green from HarperCollins UK and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The fictional story makes you consider aging from an older person’s point of view, how Nora has lost her independence, her beloved husband, all she has left is the memories, and her remaining family want her to break a Guinness World Record and it's something she doesnt give two hoots about!

A story about two mothers having one thing in common, how ordinary women get caught up in a war and they both lost a child during this time and a half of their heart went with them. Cate Green’s debut novel brings up topics such as survivors guilt, keeping their child's death a secret, getting revenge and Bubby has done this by living so long. Unfortunately innocent children are still being killed in wars, some leaders never learn from history and mistakes of the past and three and a half stars from me.

The Life She Wanted

The Life She Wanted by Anita Abriel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Pandora Carmichael's father is a tennis coach, they live in a cottage on the Van Luyen's grand estate Riverview in Hyde Park, New York. Pandora has always been treated like one of the family and she grew up playing alongside Archie and Virginia.

Pandora dreams of being a dress designer, she attends a party with Virginia, and so do Archie's friends from Princeton. Pandora has grown up surrounded by wealth, she's not from their class and her father wants her to enroll at a secretarial school. Pandora is surprised when a handsome banker proposes, her mother-in-law helps her plan their lavish wedding, and she can’t wait to have children of her own and maybe one day open her own boutique.

Unfortunately, Pandora doesn’t have a crystal ball, she has no idea a shocking scandal is about to be published in the newspapers and followed by a tragedy. Pandora leaves Hyde Park, she travels to the French Rivera and stays with one of her fathers tennis protégés. This gives Pandora time to think, let the situation in America cool down and plan her next move. Pandora hears about the Wall Street Crash, it’s not until she returns to the United States that she understands how bad things are, she has to start again, and workout how she make and sell her own line of women's sportswear?

I received a copy of The Life She Wanted by Anita Abriel from NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing in exchange for an honest review. The narrative looks at life in New York in the 1920’s and how wealthy family’s lived, sons were expected to follow in their father’s footsteps and daughters marry well, and everyone owned multiple homes. Pandora discovers a family’s reputation is everything, they don’t want it tarnished and it’s all a facade.

You follow Pandora from New York, to the French Riviera, and Paris and back home again. A story about Pandora growing up, she's rather young and naive at the beginning, her passion for clothes and fashion, she overcomes adversity and disappointment, has a fresh start and finds love. I recommend The Life She Wanted and the authors previous book, The Light After the War and four stars from me.

Snapshots from Home

Snapshots from Home by Sasha Wasley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Edith Stark is excited to start teaching science at York’s Girl Private School, it’s in a small town in Western Australia and she's desperate to leave home. Her father has never been an easy person to live with, since her brother Aubrey died at Gallipoli and he’s worse. Mr. Stark is controlling, he wants Edie to get married, and he's considering suitable candidates. Edie becomes friends with her fellow teachers, she enjoys living in the boarding house and dreads visiting her father.

Aubrey loved taking photographs, he taught Edie how to use a camera, she’s contacted by YMCA to take part in the Snapshots From Home League, soldiers fill out requests forms for photographs, they need volunteers from all over Australia to take the portraits and Edie agrees to help in her area. Kitty Macmillan is one of Edie’s students, she knows where everyone lives in York and offers to be her assistant. In her spare time with a chatty Kitty showing her the way, Edie takes photos of soldiers new babies, families, homes and even a potty calf!

Edie has to deal with the most annoying man at the town’s photography gallery, he’s a conscientious objector and gets into trouble for his political views. Australian soldiers have been fighting in The Great War for over three years, Edie's proud of her brother and is patriotic. However, Edie notices lower class people don’t have the opportunities wealthier people do, she starts taking in what's happening around her and she realises how unfair it is.

I received a copy of Snapshots from Home by Sasha Wasley from Pantera Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. It’s a page turning and uplifting story about life in Australia during The Great War, the characters in the narrative are all pleasant and unforgettable including; Edie, Florence, Kitty, Eleanor, Mrs. Mason, Mary, Nora, Lily, Theodore and a big secret I didn't see coming is reveled!

I had never heard of the Snapshots From Home League, it was a wonderful idea and can you imagine how important the photos were to our diggers fighting overseas. Ms. Wasley makes you consider what the majority of Australians thought about conscientious objectors at the time, the introduction of the card system in work places, lock out rules, women being paid less, the great strike and the second vote for conscription referendum in December 1917. A well written Australian historical fiction novel, very different to the authors previous books. Reading it made me feel emotional, very proud to be an Aussie, and five stars from me.

A shadow in Moscow

A Shadow in Moscow by Katherine Reay
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

After losing her family towards the end of World War Two, Ingrid Bauer marries Leonid Kadinova, he works for the soviet embassy and they move to Moscow. It doesn’t take long for Ingrid to start questioning what her husband does at work and he’s changed since their whirlwind courtship in Vienna. Ingrid discovers no one asks too many questions in the Soviet Union, people are taken in for questioning and are never seen again.

When the couple finally have a child, Ingrid doesn’t feel like such a failure, and she worries about the world her daughter is going to grow up in and if her husband is working for the KGB? Ingrid’s mother was English, her parents wanted to make the world a better place and Ingrid decides to follow in their brave footsteps.

Anya Kadinova attends Georgetown University, in Washington, DC as part of the Foreign Studies Initiative, her time in the United States has been eye opening, she can’t believe the freedom people have, what they can buy, and no empty shelves in the grocery store. The hardest thing Anya has to do, is leave Scott O'Neill, tell him they have no future together and return to Moscow. Anya’s being watched in America, I did wonder if she would try to disappear and seek asylum? Her parents live in Moscow, I guess she’s worried about them and has no choice but to catch the plane home.

The Cold War has started and the arms race, when her childhood friend Dimitri is killed by the KGB, Anya has had enough, and she contacts the CIA. She smuggles top secret Soviet military plans and information out of radar and technology research facility where she works. At a time, when almost every phone line is tapped, secret cameras are hidden everywhere, and she's searched at the end of each shift. Anya has to become extremely careful, hold her nerve, be inventive, tell no one and including her parents.

The Dual timeline story is told from the two main characters points of view, Ingrid and Anya, and from 1944 to 1985. You read about life in Vienna towards the end of World War Two, in Moscow and Washington, DC. At first I found the narrative a little confusing and slow, and the author picks up the pace.

I received a copy of A Shadow in Moscow by Katherine Reay from Edelweiss and HarperCollins Focus in exchange for an honest review. A well written and fascinating story about the Cold War, the rivalry between the Soviet Union and America and their allies, the space race and psychological warfare, espionage, spying, secrets, lies, the KGB and the CIA. Women were underestimated, especially in the Soviet Union, they made perfect spies and five stars from me. If you like historical fiction stories full of tension, drama, strong female characters, this novel would be a must read, and so is the authors previous book; The London House.

The Light on Farrallon Island

The Light on Farallon Island by Jen Wheeler
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

In 1859, Lucy Riley takes a job on Farallon Island, it's located thirty miles from the coast of San Francisco and she will be teaching the lighthouse keepers children. Called the Devils Teeth, the remote islands landscape is rugged, the home to thousands of seagulls and once a year murre birds lay their speckled eggs amongst the rocky cliffs and outcrops.

Lucy has multiple secrets, she isn’t using her real name and the island is the perfect place for her to hide. Will Sisson has lived on the island for eight years, he’s confused when he sees Lucy for the first time and later she discovers why. He's in charge of the murre egg collection enterprise, he overseas the eggers, while working they wear special egg shirts so not to crack their fragile shells, once washed in sea water, the eggs are stored in a shed, and transported to the mainland and eaten.

Lucy lives in a cottage called Stonehouse, she enjoys her job teaching Mr. Pollard's and Mr. Clifford’s children, while the third light housekeeper Mr. Salter refuses to let his wife and daughter mix with the others and his daughter doesn't attend school.

The island is a creepy place, full of deadly cliffs, the waters are infested with sharks, the seagulls constantly attack people and Lucy thinks it might be haunted? While parts of the story are fascinating and based on real facts, the narrative is rather confusing and due to it constantly going back to Lucy's troubled past and having to piece it together.

I really liked Will Sisson and his dog Banquo, the information about how goods, people and animals were transported by ship and transferred to the island, the murre birds, whale migration, operating the lighthouse and these facts were interesting. I wish Jan Wheeler's debut novel, The Light on Fallon Island wasn't full of doom and gloom, maybe there was a hidden meaning that I missed and three stars from me.

A Perfect Vintage

A Perfect Vintage by Chelsea Fagan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Lea Mortimer runs her own business LeMor Consulting, she specializes in transforming rundown French country estates into luxury hotels. In her mid thirties Lea is a career woman, by choice she has no children and is single.

Her latest project is in the Loire Valley, Lea leaves for France in three weeks, and she’s surprised when her recently separated cousin Stephanie Bryce and her daughter Maya want to go with her. Lea checks with the owner, he doesn’t mind and his large chateau has room for two extra people. Lea's a professional, and she's never mixed her private and work lives together!

The transformation of Hotel Chateau Victoire has started, parts have been turned into luxurious guest suites, the stables will become a health and wellness spa, a new restaurant will be opened, serving Maghrebi and regional French cuisine, they plan to hold cooking lessons and eventually the vineyards will be overhauled. Alain Levesque is the owner of the Chateau, he’s a widower and has three children Gabriel, Theodore and Chloe.

With a lot to still do to finish the final stages of the properties makeover, Lea doesn’t need a distraction and she starts a secret relationship with her bosses much younger son. Soon Lea’s mind isn’t completely on her job, she’s never mixed business with pleasure before and it’s extremely risky. Like most family’s the Levesque’s have one member whose a trouble maker, a black sheep and he’s determined to cause problems.

I received a copy of A perfect Vintage by Chelsea Fagan from NetGalley and Osray Press in exchange for an honest review. It’s a story about renovating a rundown French chateau into a trendy boutique hotel, the amount of planning it takes and it needs to be done by a professional. Lea’s character has a fear of committing to a relationship, when she starts sneaking around with a much younger man, she’s worried about people finding out, it could ruin her business reputation that’s she’s spent years building and is she making a biggest mistake of her life?

It makes the reader think and question the stereotypical views of older women dating younger men, why should Lea fear being judged, what about her morals and their two consenting adults! Combine this with the narrative being set in France and at a stunning chateau, the family dynamics on both sides, jealousy, a nasty ex-husband and it makes for an interesting, steamy and drama filled story line. Four stars from me and I’m keen to read other novels by Ms. Fagan.

Untethered

Untethered by Ayesha Inoon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Zia is a young Muslim women living in Colombo, Sri Lanka, she did well at the girls school she attended and would have liked to go to university. Her parents expect her to marry, after meeting Rashid Hassan once and their marriage is arranged. Zia has lived a very sheltered life, she’s been protected by her family’s wealth, traditions and her faith. Zia's mother assures her that she and Rashid are well suited, everything will be fine and can you imagine marrying a stranger?

With the growing political unrest in Sri Lanka, Rashid decides they should immigrate to Australia, once he's settled, he sends for Zia and their daughter Farah. Zia leaves her family for the unknown, she has never travelled without a chaperone before and she’s bound for Canberra. Zia notices Rashid is a little short when they arrive, he’s prone to moodiness and it doesn’t take long for her to discover why. Australian has a complicated and expensive visa process, Rashid has found it hard to get a job as a software engineer despite his university degree, high profile position in Colombo and he finds it deeming.

Zia is living in a strange country, she has no friends, feels isolated and she misses her family and comfortable life in Sri Lanka. Zia has more freedom in Australia, but Rashid's behaviour is unpredictable, when they suffer another setback and devastating loss, Zia doesn’t know what she’s going to do and she and Rashid grow further apart.

I received a copy of Untethered by Ayesha Inoon from NetGalley and Harlequin Australia in exchange for an honest review. The narrative explores topics such as arranged marriages, Sri Lankan culture, family, traditions, faith, and being a migrant. The challenges they faced moving to Canberra, adapting to a colder climate, negotiating the red tape and discrimination, financial issues, loneliness and isolation, the pressure it puts on relationships, how it affects men differently and especially someone like Rashid. Four stars from me, I’m a first generation Australia and I could certainly relate to some of Zia’s struggles, I had nothing but admiration for her character and I can understand why Ms. Inoon has won awards for her debut novel.

The Guest House by the Sea

The Guest House by the Sea by Faith Hogan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Willows is a guest house in Ballycove, Ireland and it has stunning views of the Atlantic Ocean. Esme Goldthrope has been running the holiday house for years and like the house she’s getting older. Esme’s sight is going, she and Marta are busy getting the Willows ready for the summer season, when Esme does something silly and she will be out of action when the holidaymakers arrive.

From her chair in the entry hall, Esme passes out helpful advice, shares her wisdom and gets one of the guests to read a meaningful quote from one of the visitors books her late mother collected over the years. People stay at the guest house for a variety of reasons, for a quick getaway, a work trip and some have stayed there before and it’s a place full of happy memories.

Cora Doyle lives nearby, she's been married to Michael for over thirty years, her son has recently got hitched and Cora needs some “me time." Niamh Brophy is a busy career woman from Dublin, she must make a life changing decision and the peaceful location is perfect place to do so. Phyllis Courtney is Esme’s best friend, her family have been staying at the Willows for years, and she’s visiting with her husband Kurt, son Rob, grandson Josh and she’s physically and mentally exhausted. Joel Lawson is an engineer, he’s working in Ballycove and checking the church roof.

I received a copy of The Guest House by the Sea by Faith Hogan from NetGalley and Aria and Aries in exchange for an honest review. It’s a thought provoking and insightful narrative about Esme, the Willows and what each of the guests gets out of staying at the holiday house and so much more. Esme shares her wisdom, kindness, gives helpful advice and guidance and new friendships are made. As women we want to do the right thing for everyone else, it's not being selfish to put yourself first and this really resonates with me. Five stars and I’m very keen to read Ms. Hogan’s previous book; The Ladies Midnight Swimming Club.

The Paris Daughter

The Paris Daughter by Kristin Harmel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Paris, 1939: Elsie LeClair and Juliette Foulon meet at Bois de Boulogne a park and they become friends. Juliette is married to Paul, they have two boys Claude and Alphonse and own a bookshop called Librairie des Rêves and are expecting another baby. Elsie is married to Oliver, a talented painter and the couple are having their first child. Elsie has been concerned by her husbands erratic behaviour, he’s goes out a lot and comes home drunk.

Both women are due to have babies around the same time, they do and when Germany invades Belgium. It’s amazing how quickly things can change, Elsie discovers what Oliver has been doing is dangerous, the German's will be looking for her, she has to flee Paris and she leaves her daughter Mathilde with Juliette. Elsie is heartbroken leaving Mathilde behind, she knows other mothers have had to the same thing to keep their children safe, and she trusts Juliette and Paul. Mathilde likes to play with Claude, Alphonse and her best friend Lucie and she will be fine?

Unfortunately nowhere is safe during a war, the allies are bombing Paris, Juliette and Paul have done what they can to prepare the children, everyone has a gas mask and they have practiced mock air raid drills and getting into the cellar.

When the war finally ends, Elsie returns to Paris as soon as she can, the bookshop has been destroyed, along with the whole neighborhood, where are the Foulon’s and Mathilde? Elsie volunteers at Hotel Lutetia it’s being used as a repatriation center and it might be a way of solving the mystery, hundreds of people are returning from hiding, concentration and prisoner of war camps. As the years pass Elsie blames herself for leaving Mathilde, she accepts she will never see her again, until a person from her past gives her some information and she travels to New York to find out what really happened to her daughter?

I received a copy of The Paris Daughter by Kristin Harmel, from Edelweiss and Simon & Schuster in exchange for an honest review. In her latest narrative Ms. Harmel looks at what it was like to be a parent during the Second World War in Paris, the food and fuel shortages, the constant worry about the city being bombed and unfortunately they don’t always land where they should, what lengths a mother will go to keep her children safe, the physiological impact of war, losing loved ones, and what people do afterwards to cope.

I have read the authors previous book, The Book of Lost Names, I did wonder if, The Paris Daughter would be as good, despite the narrative being a little predictable, Ms Harmel reason for writing historical fiction is “if we know more about the past, we are better prepared to face the future and whatever comes our way.” I got the meaning behind her story, based around true facts and four stars from me.

The Spectacular

The Spectacular by Fiona Davis
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Marion Brooks is nineteen, she lives with her father Simon and sister Judy in Bronxville. Marion dreams of being a dancer and performer, her father has other ideas and he wants her to marry and settle down.

Marion auditions to be one of the Rockettes, a member of Radio City Music Hall’s famous dancing troupe and she assumes she won' be selected. When Marion is chosen, she can’t believe it, she dreads telling her father and his reaction. The rehearsals begin, the days are long and the girls are put through their paces by the producers and choreographer. They perform four times a day, each show goes for ninety minutes and it has to be perfectly synchronized.

For sixteen years the “Big Apple Bomber” has been terrorizing New York, he has been planting bombs all over the city, he chooses crowded and busy places and the police haven’t been able to catch him. One night a bomb explodes in Radio City Music Hall, Marion is sure she saw a suspicious man sitting in the front row and she tells the police.

Through her friend and fellow dancer Bunny, Marion meets Dr. Peter Griggs, he’s physiological resident and she can’t stop thinking about something he told her a few weeks ago. Peter uses information about a person’s past, upbringing, childhood, anything that’s happened to them to cause mental trauma and he’s noticed patterns in his patients. At first the police are very skeptical about letting Dr. Griggs look at the evidence, with another close call and the pressure on them to find the “Big Apple Bomber” they finally listen to Dr. Griggs.

Marion has a personal connection to the investigation, a sad one and she’s determined to help catch the culprit. In doing so, Marion looks at her own life and the choices she's made, she questions her relationship with her father, what happened to her mother, can she continue to perform with the Rockettes, and is she putting the crowd and her fellow dancers in danger?

I received a copy of The Spectacular by Fiona Davis from Edelweiss and Penguin Random House in exchange for an honest review. Once again an ingenious Ms. Davis uses a New York City Landmark and true facts to write her latest engrossing historical fiction novel. A story about the Rockettes and Radio City Music Hall, I had no idea the dancers literately worked, ate, were measured for their costumes, had access to medical treatment and could sleep in the building if needed.

The narrative looks at people's idea's in the 1950's, the main character Marion's father didn't think dancing was respectable profession, when in fact it took a lot of dedication, training, skill and he should have been proud of his daughter. The friendship and bond formed between the dancers and it was a prestigious sisterhood. Five stars from me, using the new concept of psychological profiling made the story really interesting and one of the best books I have read this year.

The Traitor Beside Her

The Traitor Beside Her by Mary Anna Evans
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Justine Byrne is working as a welder in the Washington Navy Yard, she and her friend Georgette have just finished their training to be secret agents. Justine is sent to Arlington Hall, it was once a women’s college in Virginia and the United States Army are using it for military intelligence purposes. Justine is surprised when Georgette is also posted at Arlington Hall, they are given new identities, clothing and cover stories.

Hundreds of men and women work at the facility, they collect scrambled German communications and decode them. Justine is fluent in German and a math whiz, she’s not at Arlington Hall for her language skills, three women have gone missing, and a traitor is passing on top secret information.

Justine and Georgette mingle with the other ladies living in the women’s dormitories at Arlington Farms and they have no idea who they can trust. Time is running out for Justine to find the culprit, both she and Georgette are in danger of their cover being exposed and this will put their lives in danger.

I received a copy of The Traitor Beside Her by Mary Anna Evans from Edelweiss and Poisoned Pen Press in exchange for an honest review. A Second World War mystery, with an emphasis on espionage, secret agents, spies and cryptanalysis. Georgette is a native speaker of Choctaw, she’s training to be a code talker, as we know this confused the Germans and I’m keen to learn more about this subject.

I haven’t read the author’s previous book, The Physicists Daughter and the first book in the series and maybe this is why I found the plot moved at a slow pace? Suitable for readers who enjoy historical fiction/mysteries series with strong and intelligent female characters, I didn't guess the spies identity and three and a half stars from me.

The House of Lincoln

The House of Lincoln by Nancy Horan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ana Ferreira family escaped religious persecution in Madeira, Portugal, they immigrated to the United States in 1849, and she was nine years old and couldn’t speak any English. Ana was intelligent, she picked up used newspapers, she wanted to improve her reading and know what was going on in her new country.

When Ana's fourteen she starts working for Mary Lincoln looking after her two youngest boys Tad and Willie. Abraham Lincoln was absent a lot, Mrs. Lincoln was left to hold the fort, and she felt like a woman who couldn’t manage her own home and emotions.

Ana’s best friend growing up is a coloured girl, Callie Patterson, Cal and her family are free. Cal might be free, but she faces racial prejudice every day, she carries her papers with her everywhere and one day Ana discovers people in Springfield are involved Underground Railroad and she keeps the secret.

The House of Lincoln takes readers on a literary trip through the huge changes in America, from Abraham Lincoln being a traveling lawyer living in Springfield, becoming a politician, a member of the Republican Party, his debates with Stephen Douglas, being elected as 16th president, the confederate states succeeding, the Civil War, his tragic death and Ana experiencing the racial riots in 1908.

Nancy Horan not only gives you an in-depth look at the lives of Abraham and Mary Lincoln, she explores the friendship between two young girls, what happens to them growing up, during the war and afterwards. I have always found Abraham Lincoln a fascinating man, he came from humble beginnings, he cared deeply about three things his family, America and ending slavery. Thanks to Edelweiss and Sourcebooks for my digital copy in exchange for an honest review and I'm keen to read the authors previous book, Loving Frank and four stars from me.

The Last Lifeboat

The Last Lifeboat by Hazel Gaynor
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Alice King lives in Kent, the school she taught at was closed due to the war and she’s been volunteering at the local library. Alice likes to read, the only traveling and adventures she’s experienced have been found between the pages of books. After seeing a spitfire crash, Alice applies to be an “Auntie” or a chaperone for children being sent to Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Jamaica as part of the governments Children’s Overseas Reception Board. The CORB is planning to send twenty thousand children to safety and they need teachers, clergymen, and healthcare workers to accompany them on the sea voyage.

Lily Nichols is a widow, she lives in London and has two children Georgie and Arthur. When the blitz begins, Lily is terrified her children will being hurt or killed and she has to make an extremely difficult decision. Lily is notified that Georgie and Arthur application is successful and they will be going to Canada aboard the S.S. Carlisle. Crossing the Atlantic is dangerous, the German U-boats are patrolling the ocean and everyone is assured it’s safe because they are part of a large convoy.

Told from the points of view of the two main characters Alice and Lily and their lives will be connected by a terrible tragedy.

I received a copy of The Last Lifeboat from the publishers in exchange for an honest review and Hazel Gaynor was inspired to write her latest book based on true facts and it looks at the Second World War from a different perspective. In 1940, the British government didn’t know if the German army could be stopped, they were poised to take the Channel Islands and England might be next. Parents had to make the tough decision to send their children overseas, they had no idea the ship the wasn’t going to be escorted the entire way to Canada and the British navy’s procedures if it was attacked.

Alice found herself aboard a cramped lifeboat for days, with six children, crew from the ship, the cook and a stowaway. A story about fighting to survive, being exposed to the elements and rough seas, having to limit food and water intake, keeping up morale, not knowing if they would be found and never giving up. The poor parents in England being notified that the S. S Carlisle had been sunk, they had no idea what had happened to their children and the situation was looking grim. Both the CORB program and the Mass-Observation record where everyday people wrote down their thoughts and experiences during World War Two in a diary, were two things I had never heard of prior to reading Ms. Gaynor's moving and heartening novel. Five stars from me, one of the best books I have read this year and you won't regret buying a copy.

The Radcliffe Ladies' Reading Club

The Radcliffe Ladies’ Reading Club by Julia Bryan Thomas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Alice Campbell has taken the biggest risk of her life, she left Chicago and moved to Cambridge in Massachusetts. Here she finds an old building, the perfect place for her bookshop and she lives in a little flat upstairs.

Opening the Cambridge Bookshop for Alice is fulfilling a lifelong dream, she’s created her own refuge, it’s her calling and she’s finally gained her independence. Alice is an avid reader, she knows the power of books, and reading brings her comfort, knowledge and she wants to share this with others. Alice comes up with the idea of holding a book club, she’s has flyers printed up and gives one to a young lady who’s just started attending Radcliffe College.

In September 1954, Tess Collins, Caroline Hanson, Evie Miller and Merritt Weber are all eighteen, they move out of home for the first time and to attend Radcliffe College. Tess and Caroline are roommates and so are Evie and Merritt. Tess, Evie and Merritt all come from similar backgrounds and Caroline’s family are rich. The four young ladies become friends, Tess comes up with the idea of attending the first book club and it's held once a month. With Alice guiding the way, they discuss a wide range of topics and issues, share what they think about each book and how it makes them feel.

Their first year of college should be about studying hard and passing, and in their free time having fun, the girls go to the book club, movies and dances. One of the group has a life changing experience, the others notice she isn’t right, they don’t know what to do and it has series consequences for all of them.

I received a copy of The Radcliffe Ladies' Reading Club by Julia Bryan Thomas from Edelweiss and Sourcebooks in exchange for an honest review. The book explores societies expectations of young women at the time, people presumed they only attended college to look for a husband or to fill in the time before they marry a nice man and settled down and have children.

The engaging and thought provoking narrative is centered around how books and reading draws people together, everyone's perception of the stories chosen can be vastly different and it leads to some rather heated discussions. Five stars from me, I enjoyed reading about the college sisterhood, friendship, career aspirations and Alice's kind and mature influence, I highly recommend The Radcliffe Ladies' Reading Club and Ms. Bryan Thomas's previous historical fiction novel, For Those Who Are Lost.

One More Time

One More Time by Mandy Magro
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Grace Burrows and Charlie Wilson know each other, they both grew up in Sapphire Bay and years ago they shared a sweet first kiss.

Grace is about to celebrate her seventieth birthday, her daughter Hope has been busy planning the party and Grace has just received some bad news. Charlie is a Vietnam veteran, he’s suffers from undiagnosed PTSD and has terrible nightmares. Charlie has made mistakes in his life, he’s hurt the people he loves and others.

One More Time is a story with a sliding doors scenario, Grace and Charlie are at a cross road, by magic Charlie is given a chance to take a different path and the plot explores if two goodhearted people can find forgiveness, move forward and maybe have a second chance at love!

Charlie returns home to Sapphire Bay and he stays at his grandparents house Moonflower Acres, he’s been fighting in the Vietnam War and he plans on going back. He and Grace meet again, both enjoy to dance slowly and the chemistry sizzles between them, of course they fall in love and their future looks bright. Charlie struggles to live as a civilian, he loves Grace with his heart and soul but he can't cope with the awful war memories, he's chronically tired and he makes terrible decisions.

I received a copy of One More Time from NetGalley and Harlequin Australia in exchange for an honest review. I like it when an author tries something different, Mandy Magro takes a risk with her latest book and it works brilliantly. The narrative is about Grace and Charlie, how fate stepped in and changed the direct of their lives. A story about war, post-traumatic stress disorder, alcoholism, being a veteran and a civilian. The effect it has on their wives, children, health, decision making, struggle, adversity, never giving up, making amends, second chances and hope.

Five stars from me, not your typical romance and love story and it will make you think about life, relationships, fate and destiny.

The Paris Deception

The Paris Deception by Bryn Turnbull
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Sophie Dix and her brother Dietrich fled Germany for France, Sophie hated being a member of the Bund Deutscher Madchen and Dietrich had finished his compulsory Wehrmacht training. Now, her brother Dietrich is gone, the Germans have taken over Paris and Sophie is a qualified art restorer.

Sophie reluctantly takes a job at Jeu de Paume gallery, restoring damaged pieces for the German art commission known as ERR, she works in the Martyr's Room, modern works of art are stored here and Hitler isn’t a fan. In Germany degenerate art has been burnt, Sophie is worried the same thing will happen to oil and water colour paintings, and rare collages, sculptures and tapestries taking up space at Jeu di Paume.

Fabienne Brandt ran away from her family’s chateau and vineyard, to be an artist in Paris, after her husband was killed and she lost her passion for painting. Sophie arrives at her sister-in-law Fabienne's apartment with a stolen painting, she wants her to paint a copy and help save the original. With the right paint and old canvases Fabienne and Sophie start replacing original paintings with forgeries and Fabienne smuggles them out of Paris.

Fabienne arrives at Chateau Dolus, her mother isn’t happy to see her and her father is more forgiving. Working for her parents is Sebastien, she broke his heart when she ran away to Paris, she has to hide the paintings in the old chateau, hold her nerve, continue make regular visits home and deal with her feelings for Sebastien.

I received a copy of The Paris Deception by Bryn Turnbull from Edelweiss and HarperCollins in exchange for an honest review. It’s a well written, engrossing and interesting story about two women taking huge risks to save precious artwork from either being taken to Germany, swapped with other dealers or being destroyed. The story highlights the impact the Second World War and the Germans had on the art world, it’s estimated over 22,000 pieces passed through Jeu di Paume in four years, stolen from Jewish houses and bank vaults.

Using real and fictional characters, Ms. Turnbull explains what it was like to live in Paris at the time, the Germans constantly checking identity papers, Jewish people disappearing and being rounded up, food shortages, men being sent to Germany to work, and the penalties for helping the resistance or a Jewish person. Five stars from me, a historical novel for fans of art, with an emphasis on strong women role models and ethics.

Land Girls at the Wartime Bookshop

Land Girls at the Wartime Bookshop by Lesley Eames
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It was wonderful catching up the residents of Churchwood, a small village in Hertfordshire and especially members of the bookshop. They use the church hall for the bookshop, here they have a cup of tea and a chat, exchange books, hold fundraising events and collect donations to be sent to London.

Churchwood is looking for a new vicar, Cecil Wade isn’t happy with a local man filling in as a lay preacher, his choice is a rather stern clergyman and his snobby wife. This makes members of the bookshop nervous, including Naomi Harrington, Kate Fletcher, Alice Parkinson and Bert Makepiece and they don't want it to be changed or closed.

The story is told mainly from the points of view of the three main characters, Naomi, Kate and Alice and included in the narrative are their current personal issues, how Bert supports them and especially Naomi.

Naomi lives in the biggest house in the village, her husband Alexander works in London, and the length of his phone calls and visits home have become less frequent. Naomi knew it wasn't a love match when they got married over two decades ago, now she's worried Alexander only married her for money and is he being unfaithful?

Kate works and lives on Brimbles Farm, her father is hard task master and she has four messy older brothers. When two of her brothers join up, Kate is flat out trying to keep up with jobs on the farm and all of the household duties. Kate misses her visits to the bookshop, it’s the first time she’s had friends and felt included in the community. By chance Kate meets fighter pilot Leo Kinsella, she’s confused by her feelings for him and keeps it a secret. Two land girls arrive at the farm to help and Kate’s thinking they might be more of a hindrance and her brothers keep distracting them!

Alice is engaged to Daniel Irvine, she worries about him fighting in the war and wants it to end. Alice hurt her hand in an accident years ago, she would really like to find a part time job and of course she will continue reading to and writing letters for the patients at the hospital.

I received a copy of Land Girls at the Wartime Bookshop by Lesley Eames from NetGalley and Random House UK in exchange for an honest review. The story and characters realistically portrays life in a small English village during the Second World War and the challenges people faced. The Bookshop is an important meeting place, here they find out who in Churchwood needs help, especially when someone is dealing with the loss of a loved one, has a new baby, is lonely or becomes ill. Reading provides a distraction from the war, brings people together and boosts moral. Five stars from me and I can’t wait for the next novel in the series by Ms. Eames and make sure you read both, The Wartime Bookshop and Land Girls at the Wartime Bookshop.

Such Good Friends

Such Good Friends: A Novel of Truman Capote & Lee Radziwill by Stephen Greco
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Marlene is employed as a housekeeper by Lee Radziwill in 1961, she’s only twenty one and previously worked for an elderly lady. Her duties include doing the laundry and making beds, she's in charge of the kitchen, dining and entertaining areas. Caroline Radziwill is married to Prince Stanislaw Radziwill, he owns houses in both New York and London and the couple have two young children. Lee is Jackie Kennedy’s younger sister, and Lee feels like she lives in the First Ladies shadow.

During her time working for Lee, Marlene meets her famous friends and including Jackie and President Kennedy, Gloria Vanderbilt, Aristottle Onassis, Gore Vidal, Andy Warhol and author and playwright Truman Capote. After writing Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Truman is extremely successful and likes spending money. Lee becomes one of his “swans” and Lee is cast as the leading lady in the TV adaption of Truman’s Laura and it's a flop.

Lee, Truman and Marlene witnesses many extraordinary events during the 1960’s and 1970’s. First the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and later his brother Bobby Kennedy, the political upheaval in America and demonstrations over the countries involvement in the Vietnam War. Unfortunately Truman's life spirals out of control, he's drinking too much and taking drugs, and he and Lee have a major falling out. Truman has a tendency of sharing things he’s been told in confidence and private information about people.

I received a copy of Such Good Friends by Stephen Greco from Edelweiss and Kensington Publishing in exchange for an honest review. The story is told mainly from Marlene’s point of view and she was Lee Radziwill’s fictional housekeeper from 1961 to 2005, she was there for Lee's ups and downs, divorces and often the referee between Truman and Lee. Marlene has secrets of her own, she never talks about the first seventeen years of her life and she wants to be a writer.

The story gives you a glimpse into the private lives of Truman Capote and Lee Radziwill. Truman was a novelist and screenwriter, openly gay, and he was in a long term relationship with Jack Dunphy. Lee was a sister, mother, wife, princess and socialite, later a public relations executive and interior designer. I had never heard of Truman Capote and Lee Radziwill prior to reading this book, three and a half stars from me, the narrative moved at a slow pace and maybe it’s just me who thought so?

Mrs. Porter Calling

Mrs. Porter Calling by A.J. Pearce
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

London, April 1943.
Emmeline Lake loves her job working at the Women’s Friend magazine, readers write to her about their problems and she provides helpful advice. English women are struggling, their husbands have been away fighting in the war for years, and they have been left behind to juggle raising children, working, lining up for food and making everything stretch.

When, the new owner of the magazine arrives, the Honorable Mrs. Cressida Porter, she decides to make changes and despite having no publishing experience. The editor Guy Collins (Emmy's brother-in-law) tries to steer Mrs. Porter in the right direction, she won’t listen and the faithful readers of Women’s Friend are in for a shock.

Mrs. Porter doesn’t like Emmy’s advice column at all, she thinks it rather common, dreary and depressing. "The Egg" takes over the meeting room, she wants Emmy to write about society engagements, weddings and Emmy’s not impressed. Upper class women start sending in letters asking Emmy for guidance, the poor dears are struggling to find domestic staff and missing children who have been sent to boarding school. Emmy feels like the regular readers of Women’s Friend have been let down, abandoned and she’s failed them.

Emmy has the support of her best friend and housemate Bunty, Thelma Jenkins and her children, George, Margaret and Stan. Soon Guy, Emmy, Bunty and her friend Harold Thomas and the staff at Women’s Friend are trying to save the magazine before Mrs. Porter loses the loyal subscribers and advertising accounts. When a tragedy happens, Emmy, Bunty, Guy and Harold all step in and help the Jenkins family.

I received a copy of Mrs. Porter Calling by A. J. Pearce from NetGalley and Pan Macmillan in exchange for an honest review. The third book in The Emmy Lake Chronicles is just as delightful as the two previous books, Dear Mrs. Bird and Yours Cheerfully. With a cast of wonderful characters, clever use of the English language and quaint sayings. Mrs. Porter Calling is suitable for a variety of readers and age groups, I absolutely adore Emmy and Bunty and five stars from me. In the next installment, I hope Bunty finds happiness and she deserves it and Emmy gets to spend time with her husband Charles.

The War Nurses

The War Nurses by Anthea Hodgson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In 1941. Nurses Minnie Hodgson and Margot McNee leave Perth aboard the Queen Mary and the luxury liner has been converted into a troop carrier. Matron Drummond and Matron Paschke are in charge and everyone is excited when they arrive safely in Singapore.

Minnie and Margot become friends with fellow Australian nurses Beth Scanlon, Lola Llewellyn and Hatty McArthur. At the hospital they treat soldiers for minor ailments, in their leisure time they go swimming and visit Raffles Hotel. Beth enjoys a drink and gambles and Lola likes to sing and has a beautiful voice. The nurses send letters home to their families, letting them know their perfectly safe and not to worry.

This quickly changes, Singapore become a Japanese target and it’s the gateway to controlling the entire Pacific. At the last minute, sixty five Australian nurses and civilians flee Singapore and aboard the SS Vyner Brooke. The Japanese have the upper hand, it’s just a matter of time before the boat is sighted and attacked. In the resulting chaos, the friends are separated and try to make it to land.

Margot, Beth, Lola and Hazel are taken to a prisoner of war camp and it’s the first of many, and the other group of survivors, including Minnie are washed ashore on Banka Island and stranded on the beach. Everyone is scared of the Japanese, they have heard rumors of what they have done to captured allied soldiers, nurses and civilians and they pray it's not true.

Anthea Hodgson wants the members of the 8th division of the Australian Army Nursing Service to never be forgotten, her own family has ties to one of the brave nurses and inspired her to write, The War Nurses. It’s a story about war, survival, courage, determination, loyalty, friendship, duty, comradery, enduring years of imprisonment, malnutrition, and suffering from tropical diseases. One group of nurses made the ultimate sacrifice for their country, they were massacred by the Japanese, not an easy book to read, I cried a lot and five stars from me.

The House in the Olive Grove

The House in the Olive Grove: The sweeping, emotional, romantic escape for summer 2023 from the author of ONE LAST LETTER FROM GREECE by Emma Cowell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Maria Leventi runs a successful cookery school in the village of Petalidi, Greece, and despite it being her home town, a group of locals don't like her and think she's weird. Maria has always been a bit of an outsider, someone is sending her nasty text messages, leaving odd displays by her beehives and Maria is worried.

Kayla Moss is an English food journalist and television host. Prior to leaving for Greece on a work assignment, Kayla uncovers her husband has been keeping a devastating secret from her, and she’s not sure if she can forgive him? Alessandra Rossi is a Roman jewellery designer, she’s just received some bad personal news and she hopes a week in Greece will take her mind off her problems and recharge her batteries.

Maria has built her cooking school on her deceased fathers land, she grows her own produce and keeps bees. Maria takes Kayla and Alessandra through the steps to recreate her delicious dishes, the women chat as they cook, at first Kayla doesn’t approve of Alessandra and her free spirited ways. As the days pass, Maria, Kayla and Alessandra share information about their family's dynamics, all three women have experienced pain and loss, and an unlikely friendship and bond forms.

I received a copy of The House in the Olive Grove by Emma Cowell from NetGalley and Avon Books UK in exchange for an honest review. In her latest narrative, the author skillfully describes in detail the sights, sounds, traditions and delicious food Greece is renowned for. The characters of Maria, Kayla and Alessandra are all very different, you become emotionally invested in their struggles, tragedies, relationships and triumphs. A story about the joy of cooking, sharing food, friendship, kindness, self-reflection, forgiveness, second chances and the sweetness of honey. Four stars from me, I enjoyed both The House in the Olive Grove and Ms. Cowell's previous book, One Last Letter from Greece. I wish I could jump on a plane, fly to Greece and eat moussaka and baklava.

The Ship's Midwife

The Ship's Midwife by Peta Miller
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

In 1850, Sarah Hallow and Bridie Marley board a ship bound for Australia and they share a tiny cabin. The Lady Susan will take over a hundred days to reach Brisbane and Captain Edward Brigham is in charge of the vessel. Sarah dreams of following in her deceased mother’s footsteps and practice midwifery in Australia, Sarah and Bridie safely deliver a baby aboard the ship and are elated. Bridie is Irish, she has the habit of saying the first thing that enters her head and she made me laugh.

The ship is overcrowded, especially in steerage, here over two hundred people are tightly packed in. With limited water, poor sanitation and ventilation and it doesn’t take long for the passengers to start feeling ill and the ships doctor is worried. At the time they didn’t know typhus was spread by lice, they carried the bacteria and it was deadly.

Sarah, Bridie and Dr. Waterford do what they can for the sick, it’s not long before the first person succumbs to the disease and is buried at sea. Everyone aboard the feels vulnerable, stuck in the middle of the ocean, and they start to run out of fresh supplies, drinking water and storms batter the ship.

Peta Miller’s novel is inspired by true events, a ship did leave England in 1850 bound for Brisbane, two weeks later typhus struck, and once the vessel made it to Queensland they had to spend weeks in quarantine on Stradbroke Island. It’s very interesting looking at the voyage from the main characters points of view, Sarah and Bridie are only teenagers, can you imagine embarking on a trip to a new country at their age, and they didn’t know each other prior to leaving!

The Ship's Midwife is a stirring and emotional story about adventure, survival, friendship, camaraderie and banding together, loss, love and admiration. The wonder of seeing Australia for the first time, with it's strange vegetation, animals, birds, beaches and hot climate. A great debut novel by Peta Miller and the start of her career as a published author, thanks to Harlequin Australia for my digital copy, and fours stars from me.

The Shakespeare Sisters

The Shakespeare Sisters by Juliet Greenwood
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Rosalind Arden lives near the village of Brierley at Strafford-upon Avon and in the county of Warwickshire, with her father Leo and stepmother Alma. Rosalind has three sisters Bianca, Cordelia and Kate and two brothers Will and Jamie. Her father is proud of his ancestry, one of the oldest family's in England and the great William Shakespeare once stayed at Arden House.

The house is old and it’s in need of extensive repairs and the tenant cottages in the village are just as bad. Mr. Arden’s solution to his money problems is to find his daughters rich husbands, Bianca is busy planning her wedding and her father has picked out a suitable candidate for Rosalind.

Rosalind has told her father she will never marry him, he’s a creep and her father won’t listen. Rosalind meets Guy Thompson, who she does fancy and her papa forbids her from seeing him. Leo Arden’s is consumed by keeping his estate and he’s too conceited and vain to admit he’s being selfish. England is on the brink of fighting in another war, when it begins, Will, Jamie and Guy enlist and men from Brierley. Miss. Parsons is the local school teacher and she runs the museum and she decides it’s time to give the sisters their leather bound works of Shakespeare and within the pages each will find a hidden message from their departed mother.

Rosalind moves to London, she takes photographs of the awful destruction caused by the German bombs and sells them to a women’s magazine. Like all English families it’s only a matter of time before they lose a loved in the war, Rosalind returns to Arden House, her stepmother needs her, her frail father might have no choice but to sell some of the estates land and Rosalind waits to here from Guy.

I received a copy of The Shakespeare Sisters by Juliet Greenwood from NetGalley and Storm Publishing in exchange for an honest review. The first book in the series focuses on Rosalind, living in Brierley, and her trying to find the hidden message from her mother between the pages of Shakespeare’s Comedies, moving to London and the long war years. I liked the characters of Rosalind, Alma, Guy, Kate, Jamie, Miss. Parson’s and all are charming. The history of Arden House, found on the grounds are; a possible Roman mosaic, jewellery and a Anglo-Saxon burial ground. I look forward to reading the next book in the series and four stars from me.

The Enemy of Love

The Enemy of Love by Annabelle Thorpe
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Umbrain town of Amatino in Italy, becomes a strategically important location for the Germans during the Second World War, it has an airfield, train line and it’s close to Rome. For years the di Luca and Capaldi families have been friends, they serve traditional local food at their restaurant Casa Maria and wine from the Capaldi Vineyard.

Sophia di Luca always though her father would leave the trattoria to her, but in Italy, women are expected to marry, have children and not run a business. He's arranged for Giorgio Capaldi to return from Rome, he left Amatino when his wife and unborn child were killed during an Allied bombing raid.

Sophia and Giorgio’s grandmother Elena have been keeping the restaurant doors open, it’s not easy due to food shortages and lack of supplies. Giorgio and Sophia are both suborn and strong willed and it doesn’t take long for the temperature to rise in the kitchen!

When Mussolini’s dictatorship falls, Gruppenführer Messell a senior group leader is sent to Amatino, he and his SS troops are looking for returned Italian soldiers, or men who have ignored their call up papers, Jewish people and members of the resistance. Everyone is worried, Sophia about her widowed mother, sister and her teenage brother Matti. Giorgio is concerned about his brother Russo, his grandmother Elena, her friend Isaac and the people hiding in the churches crypt. The resistance see it as their duty to steal, spy, and engage in acts of sabotage against the Germans and they have no idea this will lead to terrible repercussions for the people of Amatino.

I received a digital copy of The Enemy of Love by Annabelle Thorpe from NetGalley and Aria & Aries in exchange for an honest review. The author takes you back to wartime Italy and what it was like living in a small village, you discover the importance of the thousand year old tunnels built underneath the town and how the resistance hid in the nearby mountains. My favourite characters were Sophia, Giorgio, Elena, Matti, Father Massimo and Isaac, and it’s a story about family, traditions, food, war, and loss, tragedy, finding the strength to carry on and love. Four stars from me, I’m keen to read Ms. Thorpe’s next book, and I hope it's about Giorgio and Sophia's relationship?

The Tiffany Girls

The Tiffany Girls by Shelley Noble
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In 1899, Mr. Louis Tiffany is busy planning two things, his daughter’s wedding and what he’s going to display at the Paris World’s Fair in 1900. Mr. Tiffany employs over three hundred workers at his studio on Fourth Avenue, Manhattan and at Stourbridge Glass Company in Corona, Queens.

At Tiffany Glass and Decorating Company, the Women’s Division are working longer shifts, to finish the four seasons panels and the talented female artists are known as the " Tiffany Girls.” Mrs. Clara Driscoll is in charge, she has to keep track of the budget, employ and train new employees.

Emilie Pascal flees Paris and boards a ship bound for New York, her father Dominique is an art forger and a nasty man. She dreams of working for Mr. Tiffany, Emilie is given a week’s trial, she moves into a boarding house and shares a room with Grace Griffith.

Grace spends her days cutting glass for Mr. Tiffany's windows panels and at night she pretends to visit her sick aunt. Grace is living a double life, she’s a political cartoonist under the pseudonym of G.L. Griffith and she sells her drawings to the Sun newspaper.

Mr. Tiffany uses favrile glass, to create his windows for churches and decorative landscapes, and later to make chandeliers, desk sets and lamps. All of his designs are inspired by nature, he's the leader of the Art Nouveau and Aesthetic movement in America. His famous dragonfly and dandelion lamps are in fact designed by Clara Driscoll and with help from her assistant/artist Ms. Alice Gouvy. Using a pattern, glass is selected and cut by the talented and highly skilled women, characters like Grace, Emilie, Dora and Lotte, and the rules for working women are very strict. Ladies who get engaged or marry are not allowed to continue working for Mr. Tiffany and this is mentioned in the narrative.

I received a copy of The Tiffany Girls by Shelley Noble from Edelweiss and HarperCollins in exchange for an honest review. A thoroughly researched and eloquently written novel by Ms. Noble, you read about Mr. Tiffany’s revolutionary glass business, how he created the beautiful and colourful pieces with lots of help.

He employed women, they worked as artists, designers, glass cutters, and the only part of the extensive production they weren’t involved in was making the glass and soldering. Five stars from me, Mrs. Driscoll wrote letters to her mother and sisters and the author uses the fascinating information gained from these as inspiration to write her ingenious book.

The Letter Reader

The Letter Reader by Jan Casey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

London, 1941. Connie Allison's husband Arthur is in the Royal Navy, she's keen to do her bit and Connie joins the WRNS. After basic training, Connie becomes a letter censor, she has to check all correspondence and make sure sensitive information doesn’t get into the wrong hands. Connie has to thoroughly scrutinize the letters and packages, remove or cross out anything that doesn’t pass and report something suspicious higher up.

Connie enjoys her job, she makes friends, and Connie receives a promotion and she works at a variety of bases all over England. During her time as a censor, Connie reads people’s private thoughts, including written declarations of love, bad news and secrets. After the war ends, Connie's demobbed, and she’s looking forward to settling down with Arthur and starting a family.

Doncaster, 1967. Arthur works as an engineer, he accepts a transfer to a new power station and it’s in South Yorkshire. Connie is invited to coffee mornings at her neighbours houses, they all have children and unfortunately she and Arthur haven't been blessed with little ones. Arthur has always been an old soul, as the years go by and it’s become an issue for Connie, she isn’t happy and her husband hasn't noticed.

Arthur gives Connie permission to visit her brother and sister-in-law in London, how kind of him and he organizes the whole trip. Connie still remembers a couple of letters that stood out from the thousands she read, and she uses her free time in London to find out what happened to the senders and it gives her a new lease on life.

I received a copy of The Letter Reader by Jan Casey from NetGalley and Aria & Aries in exchange for an honest review. The dual timeline narrative is really interesting, all mail had to be checked during the Second World War, it needed to be read by someone and I had never considered who performed this vital task.

The story emphasizes the line that’s crossed in a relationship when one person through manipulation or being overbearing makes their partner conform to their own wants and needs, this type of behavior is wrong and it’s an important message conveyed by Ms. Casey. Four stars from me, I highly recommend, The Letter Reader and the author’s previous book, The Women of Waterloo Bridge.

The Castle Keepers

The Castle Keepers by Aimie K. Runyan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The Castle Keepers is made up of a trio of novellas written by historical fiction authors Aimie K. Runyan, J’nell Ciesielski and Rachel McMillan. It follows three generations of the Alnwick family, they own crumbling Leedswick castle and it’s near the English village of Birchwick in Northumberland.

In 1870: American socialite Beatrice Holbrook has a disastrous season in New York looking for a husband, her rich parents take her to England and here she meets Charles Alnwick. The quiet and dignified man with a limp, she and Charles marry and become the future Marquess and Marchioness of Northridge. English aristocrats married wealthy American heiresses, it topped up their families dwindling fortunes and the women were given the nickname" dollar princesses."

1917: Elena Hamilton is an artist and she uses her skills to paint masks for men who have been disfigured in The Great War and she’s asked to travel to Leedswick castle for a private commission. Tobias Alnwick lost an eye and left side of his face was severely damaged in the war, he’s extremely self-conscious and he’s the grandson of Charles and Beatrice.

1914: Alec Alnwick has returned from the Second World War, he's Tobias and Elena's son and is plagued by horrific nightmares. Doctor Brigitta Mayr, is a Viennese psychoanalyst, she visits Leedswick castle and here she and Alec create a rehabilitation center for men suffering from physiological issues. The men help in the castles gardens and do woodwork and the hope is one day they will be able to return to their families.

The three novellas focus is on the lives and brides of the heirs of Leedswick castle, the strained relationships they all had with the people living in Birchwick and the truth behind the scandal that caused this? The castle gardens are a main feature of each story, one section is both beautiful and deadly. I really enjoyed the first two novellas, I was starting to lose interest while reading the third and it's a shame. I have really enjoyed previous historical fiction books by Aimie K. Runyan, J’nell Ciesielski and Rachel McMillan, I will stick to reading their single compositions in the future and three and a half stars from me. Thanks to Harper Muse and NetGalley for my digital copy of The Castle Keepers and in exchange for an honest review.

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Francie Nolan lives in Williamsburg, Brooklyn with her mother Katie, father Johnny and brother Neeley in the early 1900's. They live in the crowded tenements, Katie works as the buildings janitor to pay the rent, every morning she makes sure the halls and steps are scrubbed clean and her hands are cracked and sore from using lye soap. Johnny works as a waiter, he drinks too much and struggles to keep a job and Francie loves her dad despite his faults.

The family are poor, they struggle to put food on the table, Francie and the other neighborhood children line up at the bakery to buy day old bread and Katie uses this as a base for many of the families meals. Katie is determined for her children will get an education, it's their only way out of he slums and be the first in the family to receive a diploma. Francie is a sensitive young girl, she likes to read on the fire escape and write stories. Katie has the support of her sister Sissy, in times of need, loss and hardship. Unfortunately living where they do, life is difficult and it's just a matter of time before tragedy strikes the Nolan's.

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith is set in the turn of the century, an American Classic novel and I can understand why. A time of great change, from motor cars and the beginning of The Great War. A poignant story about an eleven year old girl, you look at living in Brooklyn from Francie's point of view, her fears, hopes and dreams for the future. Five stars from me, I was so happy when the ebook was finally available to read in Australia and it certainly lived up to my expectations.

The Money Club

The Money Club by Fiona Lowe
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Izzy Harrington lives with her fiancé Brad Quinn in Glingilly, he’s a successful entrepreneur and businessman. Izzy is waiting for Brad to come home, he’s late and Izzy has her bags packed and she’s going to tell him their relationship is over. Izzy hasn’t been happy for a while, Brad refuses to go to couples counseling, she feels like a beautiful ornament and Brad likes to show her off, and he doesn’t take her seriously.

Suddenly, people are knocking on the front door demanding to see Brad, when the local police arrive and a city detective, Izzy braces herself for bad news. It’s not what she’s expecting, they think Brad has done a runner with his client’s money, and because Izzy has her luggage sitting by the door and they assume she’s going to meet up with him?

Izzy has nothing to do with Brad’s business dealings, she’s offered to help him and he always gives her the brush off. Brad’s running two investment schemes, Elite and Fortune, and Brad’s family, childhood friends and their parents have all invested money. People are waiting out at the front of Villefranche, with no sign of Brad and they hurl abuse at Izzy and she’s scared. The search for Brad is ramped up, his parents Bevan and Judy have no idea where he is and they were away at a health retreat when he disappeared? Izzy starts looking back at her extravagant lifestyle with Brad, she trusted him with her own money as well and she’s a victim.

Caught up in the scheme are, Mike, Birdie, Jack and Lucy Essen. The Essen and Quinn families have been friends for decades, Mike and Birdie have lost their superannuation and Jack and Lucy’s house is on the line. When people are faced with the pressure of financial ruin, they go through stages and the stress has drastic consequences. Their future is no longer secure, retirement plans are cancelled, for the first time they have trouble paying their utility bills and mortgage, and it has a major impact on their mental and physical health and relationships.

I received a copy of The Money Club by Fiona Lowe, from NetGalley and Harlequin Australia in exchange for an honest review. Once again Ms. Lowe has delivered an interesting, thought provoking and relatable story, it makes you consider the awful position the main characters are in, do they have any chance of getting their money back and I felt so sorry for them. A narrative about money, greed, lies, loss, deception, pressure, conflict, blame, get rich quick schemes, a mysterious disappearance and is Brad the only one involved? Five stars from me, I highly recommend The Money Club, it's packed full of drama and the authors previous book, A family of Strangers.

Just a Regular Boy

Just a Regular Boy by Catherine Ryan Hyde
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Roy Blake plans to leave Pocatello and he’s sold his house, and he’s purchased some land in the wilderness near the Canadian border. Roy thinks everyone is out to get him, society is falling apart and he wants to be free. Roy is a survivalist, he's moving to live in a little cabin in the woods, with no running water or cooking facilities, he plans on supplementing his stockpile of food by hunting and fishing.

This would be fine if it was just Roy, he has a son Remy and he’s confused and upset when they arrive at the cabin. Roy assures him they will be fine, Remy might only be five and even he can see his father’s plans are not practical. Roy has a medical condition, just before Remy’s eight birthday he goes hunting and doesn’t return. Remy is alone, he’s scared and he doesn’t know what to do? Remy sets out on foot, he takes what little food he has left and starts walking towards the Canadian border. A severely injured Remy is found, he’s silent and filthy, and people have been talking about a wild wolf boy in the area!

Anne and Chris are foster parents to teenagers Peter and Janie and when Anne hears about Remy she wants to help him. Remy needs around the clock care, extensive physiotherapy and the doctors are not sure what the impact of being alone in the wilderness has done to his mind? Remy slowly begins to trust Anne, he wants reassurance that nothing bad will happen to him again and Anne has been instructed to gently tell him the truth. Is the world a bad place, sometimes, they can’t shield Remy from everything, he watches the news and they have to explain about the Covid pandemic.

I received a copy of Just a Regular Boy from NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Catherine Ryan Hyde has a way of writing stories about obscure subjects, she always has a meaning tucked between the pages and a purpose. The narrative makes you consider what it would be like to be a young boy abandoned in the woods, what an idiot his father was and how he made his son think the world is a bad place. Anne has to confront her own fears of being abandoned to help Remy, it’s a story about feeling vulnerable, scared, you can’t hide from the truth, life is for living, families come in all sorts of configurations and hope. Four and a half stars from me and Catherine Ryan Hyde's books always make me feel like an emotional wreck.

Falling Hard for the Royal Guard

Falling Hard for the Royal Guard by Megan Clawson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Maggie Moore has just moved in with her dad, he’s a Beefeater and a career soldier. Maggie broke up with her boyfriend of seven years Bran, he’s calling her nonstop and driving her crazy. Maggie lives and works at an interesting place, the Tower of London and it’s a busy tourist spot. Maggie has always been a bit of a history buff, she sells admission tickets and her boss Kevin gives her a hard time for being late.

Maggie meets a soldier whose a member of the Royal Guards, Freddie Guildford, he and his garrison spend a week guarding the gates, wearing the iconic bearskin hat and the public do all sorts of funny things to try and get a reaction out of them. Maggie hasn't had much luck in the romance department, Freddie's friends encourage her to create a profile on Tinder, and all the men are either creeps or down right odd. The one person Maggie does fancy is Freddie, for some reason she always makes a fool of herself when he’s around and she has a habit of tripping over or falling flat on her face.

I received a copy of Falling Hard for the Royal Guard by Megan Clawson from NetGalley and Avon Books UK. I haven’t laughed so much while reading a book in ages, Maggie is a curly haired pocket rocket and a clumsy one. Included in the story is information about the one thousand year old Tower of London, The Ceremony of The Keys, The Ravens and the Crown Jewels are kept here. A place of intrigue, imprisonment, execution, torture and of course the odd ghost is still lurking around. You can tell the author has a personal connection to the iconic London landmark, and is Freddie Maggie's knight in shining armour and you will need to read the book to find out!! Five stars from me and I thoroughly enjoyed the romantic comedy.

Shadows We Carry

Shadows We Carry: A Novel by Meryl Ain
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The Shadows We Carry is the sequel to The Takeaway Men and we catch up with the troubled Lubinski family. It’s now the late 1960’s, twins Bronka and JoJo are getting ready to head off to college, Bronka wants to be a journalist and JoJo dreams of being an actress.

Their parents Aron and Judy immigrated to America from a displaced persons camp in Poland at the end of World War Two, Aron’s cousin Izzy sponsored them and he still works at one of their New York bakeries. Aron even now has terrible nightmares, from living and what happened in the Kielce ghetto, all he wants is for his girls to marry good Jewish men and have children.

Aron doesn’t know, but a Nazi who sent people to the gas chambers at Auschwitz is working and living nearby and he’s hiding in plain sight. Bronka meets a Catholic priest, Father Stan was born in 1943 to Jewish parents who died during the Holocaust, a catholic family raised him and they immigrated to America when he was a toddler.

America is involved in another war, this time in Vietnam, young men who are not old enough to vote are being sent to fight, and people are protesting about the war, conscription, poverty and racism. When John F. Kennedy is assassinated, the whole country is in shock and Aron is worried about what else could happen?

Bronka and JoJo like other second generation Holocaust survivors, they don’t know about their family’s ancestry, their parents don’t want to talk about what happened in Poland, they have many unanswered questions and it effects their self-esteem, decision making and relationships.

I received a digital copy of Shadows We Carry by Meryl Ain from Edelweiss and Ingram Publisher Services in exchange for an honest review. Ms. Ain looks at the scars World War Two left on the Holocaust survivors and their children. Men like Aron could have easily given up and many did, he started again, remarried and his daughters can live free from religious persecution, embrace being Jewish and it's customs. Three and a half stars from me, Aron is such a troubled man, it's really sad what happened to him and in the end he was determined not to let Hitler win.

The Moonlight Gardening Club

The Moonlight Gardening Club by Rosie Hannigan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ruby moves back to Castletown Cove, her wealthy husband James died eighteen months ago and she's lonely in Dublin. The newly renovated house by the sea was to be their retirement home, now it’s a place for Ruby to hide and she’s still in mourning.

Frankie is a single mum, she has a six year old son Dillon and she works as a cleaner. Frankie’s grandmother Aggie raised her, she passed away six months ago and she and Dillon live in Aggie’s rundown cottage in Castletown Cove. When, Ruby and Frankie meet for the first time it doesn’t go well, a simple misunderstanding and it’s easily rectified.

One night Ruby is going for a walk, she stumbles across a lush garden and a group of people taking care of it. At first Ruby doesn’t know what to make of the mixture of quirky volunteers in The Moonlight Gardening Club, they are busy planting flowers that look their best at night and by starlight.

Ruby left Castletown Cove thirty years ago, when a secret from the past is revealed, both Ruby and Frankie’s worlds are turned upside down and Ruby feels terribly hurt, betrayed and foolish.

I received a digital copy of The Moonlight Gardening Club by Rosie Hannigan from NetGalley and Avon Books UK in exchange for an honest review. This is Ms. Hannigan’s debut novel, I’m very impressed by both the narrative and her writing style. An emotive story set in picturesque Ireland and it’s about loss and grief, new beginnings, unexpected friendships, helping someone in need, how gardening can help soothe the soul, and take people’s minds of their problems, brings them together and provides motivation. Ms. Hannigan writes with tenderness and empathy and four stars from me.

An American Beauty

An American Beauty by Shana Abe
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Arabella Duval Yarrington is only a teenager when the Civil War ends, she lives in a decimated Richmond, Virginia with her mother Catherine and her four siblings. Arabella works nights at a gambling parlor, she wears a low cut purple gown and serves champagne.

Arabella is seventeen when she meets Collis Huntington in Richmond, he’s a much older railroad baron and a multimillionaire. They have an affair, Arabella and her family move to New York, Collis buys her a house in Manhattan and he lives not far away on Park Avenue with his wife Elizabeth and daughter Clara.

Arabella pretends she’s a southern widow, no one really knows if she was ever married to Johnny Worsham and she uses his last name. After being dirt poor and going hungry Arabella is determined to never be in that situation again, and she starts investing money in land and property.

Everyone knows about Collis and Arabella’s relationship, including his wife, daughter and extended family. When Elizabeth passes away, the couple have a small wedding later in the year and Arabella becomes the new Mrs. Huntington.

New York’s elite society doesn't accept Arabella, like Astors and Vanderbilts and the members of The Four Hundred. The fashionable and extremely rich people who thought they were the ones who really mattered in New York. Collis and Arabella didn't care, he's busy expanding the railroad, and they buy a country estate in Westchester County.

Arabella's life has always been shrouded in controversy and mystery, her date of birth is questioned and where she was born, did she only serve drinks in the gambling parlor, was Collis her son Archer's father and numerous people tried to blackmail her over the years?

I received a copy of An American Beauty by Shana Abe from Edelweiss and Kensington Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Ms. Abe’s narrative is as interesting as her main character, Arabella Duval Huntington, who was once the wealthiest woman in The Gilded Age, she amassed a huge art and jewellery collection, she was a philanthropist, and donated money to charities, hospitals, universities and the Huntington Library in California.

Shana Abe takes you back in time, she creates her historical fiction story around a young lady who survived the lean Civil War years and the Confederates burning Richmond. It makes you think about what you would do if you were in Arabella's place, she used her beauty and brains and four stars from me.

Fifth Avenue Glamour Girls

Fifth Avenue Glamour Girl by Renée Rosen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Gloria Downings father has been arrested, he’s been accused of committing investment fraud, and the family loses everything and Gloria's friends no longer speak to her. Gloria wants to become invisible, she changes her name and appearance and for the first time in her life, she has to find a job and be independent.

Estée Lauder is married to Joe and they have a young son Leonard. Estée makes beauty products in her kitchen, she’s currently selling them at a beauty parlor and her dream is to see them displayed on the shelves of an up market department store.

Estée and Gloria meet in 1938, the two women become best friends, and yet they don’t share their secrets. Estée is passionate about her products, she carries samples around in her purse, and she gives women skincare and makeup advice. Sometimes Estée oversteps the mark, she goes too far and it doesn’t put her off!

Gloria starts working at Saks Department Store, she's a natural sales women and with customer service. Estée thinks her products are far better than her big name competitors including; Helena Rubinstein, Elizabeth Arden, Max Factor and Revlon. Estée wants her skincare range sold in Saks Fifth Avenue, she needs to meet with the exclusive board of buyers and deliver her pitch. Estée discovers getting an appointment with them isn’t easy, and she puts pressure on Gloria to help her and Estée doesnt handle constructive criticism well.

Estée and Gloria navigate the world of being working women, at a time when it wasn’t the norm and especially for mothers. Estée is extremely ambitious, this causes problems in all of her relationships, and she pushes herself to breaking point.

I received a digital copy of Fifth Avenue Glamour Girl by Renée Rosen from NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group in exchange for an honest review. A well written story about two women living and working in New York City, and the ups and downs of their friendship and careers. Estée Lauder might have been pushy and at times a down right rude woman, but you have to admire her work ethic, and she was the first in the industry to do revolutionary things and she created a beauty empire.

Estée demonstrated how to use her products in store, gave out free samples and a gift with purchase. Gloria and Joe were my favorite characters, they put up with Estée's demands, she was bossy and a drama queen. An incredible historical fiction novel, I was completely hooked from the first page, one of the best books I have read this year, and five big stars from me.

The Golden Doves

The Golden Doves by Martha Hall Kelly
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

American teen Josephine Anderson moves to Paris with her parents, a couple of months later the Germans invade the city, her father is in Rome and his wife, daughter and sick mother-in-law are stranded. Parisian teen Arlette LaRue lives with her grumpy aunt, she’s infatuated with Gunther, and he's a member of the 12th SS Panzer division and they have a brief liaison.

The young women become involved in the resistance, gathering intelligence, passing it onto the allies and the Gestapo offer a reward for information about their identity. The Golden Doves are caught, detained for a week and sent to Ravensbrück in a cattle train. Arlette and her baby Willie stay in a special section of the camp and it’s for mothers and their babies. Dr. Snow a German, does heinous things to Josie’s mother Lylou a Jewish singer, and one day while Arlette is working, Willie and all of the babies disappear.

Ten years after the Second World War ends, the two women haven’t been able to overcome their terrible experiences, the shocking things they witnessed and live everyday with mental and physical scars.

Josie is employed by the U.S. Army intelligence in Fort Bliss, Texas and she’s given the assignment to help hunt down Dr. Snow, and Arlette is working in a coffee shop in Paris, it’s run by Ravensbrück survivors, and she’s still trying to find Willie. Arlette is contacted by Luc Minau, his grandmother sponsors a children’s camp in French Guiana, he thinks Willie might be one of the orphans and she flies to Cayenne.

I received a digital copy of The Golden Doves by Martha Hall Kelly from NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine in exchange for an honest review. After doing extensive research, Ms. Kelly writes a long and sometimes drawn out narrative about two young women helping the resistance and how they survived being imprisoned at the women’s only concentration camp Ravensbrück. Where terrible medical experiments were performed on women, they were starved and no mercy was given.

It’s told from the two main characters points of view, Josie and Arlette, who are busy trying to untangle an elaborate web of lies, secrets and it’s exceptionally dangerous, they don’t know who they can trust and what the elusive Dr. Snow looks like? Please read the authors notes at the end, Ms. Kelly explains how the Nazi’s escaped being captured, with help from civilian sympathizers and the Vatican. Many lived in South America, German scientists worked in America as part of Operation Paperclip and four stars from me. Due to be released on the 18th of April 2023, I found the story a little over the top and unbelievable.

Only the Beautiful

Only the Beautiful by Susan Meissner
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

California, 1938. Rosanne Maras is only sixteen when her parents and young brother die in a car accident. The owners of the vineyard where her father worked Celine and Truman Calvert are appointed her legal guardians. Rosie sleeps in a room off the kitchen and is employed as a maid by the Calvert's, Celine isn’t the easiest person to get along with and Rosie tries her best to please her. Ever since she was a toddler, Rosie sees colours and they represent sounds, it was hard for her to concentrate at school and her mother made Rosie promise to never tell anyone.

Rosie is lonely, she confides in one person about her ability, they take advantage of her innocence and she falls pregnant. Rosie is sent away by a vindictive Celine, she assumes she’s going to stay at an unmarried mothers home and instead she’s taken to a psychiatric hospital. Here Rosie is one of two hundred and fifty patients, she holds on to the hope of being able to keep her baby and despite her medical condition.

Austria, 1947. Helen Calvert is a nanny, she works for a family in Vienna and witnesses for herself the terrible results of Adolf Hitler’s program to produce a pure Aryan race and one without children and adults with disabilities. Helen arrives back in America, she stays with her sister-in-law Celine, she seems very agitated and Helen is shocked to hear what has occurred with Roseanne Maras. Helen met Rosie when she visited her brother before the war, she was a sweet girl and Helen wants to find both Rosie and her baby?

Helen slowly uncovers what happened to Rosie after she left the vineyard and it’s absolutely shocking, she discovers Rosie doesn’t have a psychiatric problem at all, and her condition is called synesthesia. It's the blending of the senses and the person may hear colours and feel sounds. Helen thought the Germans were the only ones obsessed with eugenics, to keep certain traits from infiltrating the population and the same practices has been taking place in America for years.

I received a digital copy of Only the Beautiful by Susan Meissner from Edelweiss and Penguin Random House in exchange for an honest review. Ms. Meissner explores difficult, unethical subjects and practices in her latest book, and it’s written from the two main characters of Rosie and Helen’s points of view. A story about the stigma surrounding unmarried mothers at the time, inhumane medical treatments and procedures, and taking away a person’s rights and injustice. A powerful narrative about an ordinary person who does something extraordinary, her fight for change and five stars from me.

The Vienna Writers Circle

The Vienna Writers Circle by J.C. Maetis
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Café Mozart is the middle of Vienna, here cousins Mathias Kraemer and Johannes Namal meet their literary agent Julian Reisner, they write crime thrillers, the men discuss the book market and what’s happening in the war. The three men are members of Freud’s Circle, a group of scientists, philosophers, psychiatrists, mathematicians and authors who hold secret gatherings.

When Hitler invades Austria, he joins Austria and Germany and it becomes an Anschiuss and despite this being a clear violation of the Treaty of Versailles. Heinrich Schnabel is an SS officer and he’s in charge of finding “hidden Jews” and members of the Freud’s Circle in Vienna. Everyone in the circle have been instructed to destroy photos, as the Germans could use them to identify Jewish academics and anyone listed as troublemakers.

Mathias, Johannes and their families have no choice but to take drastic measures, they move, change their names and identities and hide in plain sight. This takes incredible courage and nerves of steel, one simple mistake could mean being sent to a concentration camp or being interrogated and executed. Despite taking every precaution and covering their tracks, eventually Heinrich Schnabel discovers one of the cousins true identities, and he finds himself aboard a cattle train and bound for a concentration camp.

I received a digital copy of The Vienna Writers Circle by J. C. Maetis from NetGalley and Penguin General UK in exchange for an honest review. At the time, ten percent of Austria’s population had some Jewish blood running through their veins, like the characters of Mathias and Johannes and they did everything they could to hide this. They sold their homes and assets prior to Anschiuss, had false identification papers made and changed their names, moved to another suburb, and some Jewish people resorted to having facial surgery. The narrative focuses not only on the bond between the cousins, you discover just how many laws and changes the Germans introduced after the 13th of March 1938 and how they targeted Gypsies.

A well written and interesting historical fiction novel about Vienna and the links the group and men had to Sigmund Freud the famous neurologist, it’s a story about war, betrayal, imprisonment and percussion, greed and how being a published author was like having a double edged sword. Five stars from me, a historical mystery and with a gripping, cleverly orchestrated and unpredictable plot.

The Swiss Nurse

The Swiss Nurse by Mario Escobar
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Swiss Nurse is based on the heroic actions of an extremely brave woman Elisabeth Eidenbenz, and what she did during the Spanish Civil War and World War Two. Mario Escobar uses the testimonies of Spanish refugees, who crossed the Pyrenees mountains into France, where the French government set up two internment camps and they lived in atrocious conditions, and information he uncovered about the Association to Aid Children in War and the Elne Maternity Hospital to write his latest book.

The story is told from the points of view of the three main characters, Isabel Dueñas, a Spanish seamstress who has flee Barcelona to escape the Fascist troops and she want's to be reunited with her American born husband Peter Davis and he's fighting for democracy. Elisabeth Eidenbenz is a Swiss teacher and nurse, she leaves Spain with a group of orphaned children, eventually they arrive in France, and Elisabeth is shocked by the conditions at the internment camps. Women and children are living on a beach, with no proper shelter, clean drinking water, many are suffering from malnutrition, it’s a breeding ground for diseases and corruption.

When Germany invades Poland, another refugee crisis begins, Elisabeth has opened her maternity hospital in Elne and in an abandoned mansion. Here she takes care of pregnant women and children and she helps and hides Jewish people fleeing percussion. Elisabeth’s work in Spain and France is paid for by voluntary donations, once the war begins it stops and she becomes associated with the Red Cross and this gives her some protection.

I received a digital copy of The Swiss Nurse from Edelweiss and Harper Muse in exchange for an honest review. The narrative is about Elisabeth Eidenbenz, Isabel Dueñas and their association with aid workers, Ruth Von Wild and Karl Ketterer. How during times of great humanitarian crisis, they discover the power of friendship, solidarity and they believe all people should be equal, no matter their race or religion and be able to live in peace.

I can understand why some people have found the story hard to follow, you do need to really concentrate while reading the novel, as it's told from alternating points of view and locations, and it’s certainly worth the effort. Once again Mr. Escobar has written about a little know time in history, ironically while a war is raging in the Ukraine and an humanitarian crisis is happening. I'm a big fan of Mario Escobar, I tell anyone who will listen to read Auschwitz Lullaby, and I feel the same way about The Swiss Nurse, five stars from me and I'm left pondering why don't leaders of power hungry countries learn from previous dictators mistakes?

The House Is on Fire

The House Is on Fire by Rachel Beanland
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Richmond, Virginia 1811. At the city’s only theatre, the Charleston-based company Placide & Green are getting ready to hold two performances on Boxing Day, first a play called, The Father and second a pantomime named Raymond and Agness. All three levels are packed for the nights performance, over six hundred people are in the playhouse, including children and they have no idea disaster is about to strike!

The story is told from the points of view of the four main characters, some are attending the performance, one is working back stage and two are slaves, one is watching from the coloured gallery and another helps rescue stranded patrons.

Sally Henry Campbell is a widow, she’s in one of the third floor boxes, with her sister-in-law Margaret and brother-in law Archie. Cecily Patterson is in the coloured gallery, she's happy to get away from her masters son for the night and she’s to meet her mistress Miss. Maria Price at a designated spot at the end. Jack Gibson is a teenage stage hand, he changes over the sets and props used in the production and he wants to be an actor. Gilbert Hunt is a coloured blacksmith, he dreams of no longer living apart from his wife Sara and them both being free.

When the theatre suddenly goes up in flames and in the chaos, Sally, Cecily, Jack and Gilbert have to make decisions quickly, some need to get out of the burning building and others help people leave, a couple look for survivors and nurse the injured afterwards. The fire spreads rapidly from the fly gallery, the people on the third floor are stranded, and most of them are women and some get knocked to the ground during the stampede. Based on the true story of the Richmond Theatre fire, it’s the first urban disaster in the United States and who’s to blame?

I received a copy of The House Is on Fire by Rachel Beanland from Edelweiss and Simon & Schuster in exchange for an honest review. Once again Ms. Beanland has written a historical fiction masterpiece, using a real tragic event as a basis to create her narrative around and she does this perfectly. The author explains what caused the fire to start and the attempts made to cover it up and who the culprits tried to blame.

The characters are remarkable and unforgettable, and you’re given an idea of what it was like living in Richmond in the early 1800’s, on the night of the fire and afterwards. More women perished than men, many of the injured were nursed in nearby homes and at the time Richmond didn’t have a hospital. It’s a story about class, race, slavery, tragedy, bravery, loyalty, lies, redemption and the fight to survive and how two men became heroes. I highly recommend reading, The House Is on Fire and the authors previous book, Florence Adler Swims Forever and five big stars from me.

Under the Cover of Mercy

Under the Cover of Mercy by Rebecca Connolly
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In 1914, Edith Cavell is the head nurse at Berkendael Medical Institute in Brussels and she works for the British Red Cross. The German army are poised to invade Belgium, Edith and her second in charge Elizabeth Wilkins are trying to keep the trainee nurses from panicking and the enemy are getting closer everyday.

Edith and her team of nurses take care of wounded from both sides and they don’t decimate. When the German’s arrive, a high ranking officer visits the hospital, and his name is Governor von Lüttwitz. He makes it very clear, any allied wounded will be kept under guard, and he doesn’t want them escaping and returning to the British lines.

Edith’s father was an Anglican minister, she’s an theists and believes God is always guiding her. When members of the Belgian resistance bring two wounded British soldiers to the hospital, Edith's afraid what the Germans will do with them after they leave her care, she provides medical treatment and until they can escape across the border to the Netherlands.

The hospital becomes one of the many safe houses scattered around Belgium, the Germans start doing random checks, they search the entire building, paperwork and to see if it matches the patients. This causes Edith, Lizzie and the other nurses a lot of stress, they have to be extremely careful and it’s exhausting doing this and caring for the wounded and keeping up their training schedule.

Based on a true story, Edith Cavell was born in Norwich, England, she dedicated her life to nursing and God. Edith never wavered in her strong beliefs, she wanted to save as many British and French soldiers as she could, and she had no idea what would happen to her if she was caught and the sentence the Germans would give her and the others involved in the network?

I received a digital copy of Under the Cover of Mercy by Rebecca Connolly from Edelweiss and Shadow Mountain Publishing in exchange for an honest review. A remarkable narrative about a Red Cross nurse, one I had never heard of prior to reading this superbly written book and Edith’s actions were truly awe inspiring, and she was an exceptionally brave lady. A story based around WW I, fortitude, selflessness, humanity, loyalty, devotion, faith, sacrifice, nursing and five big stars from me.

Lost in Paris

Lost in Paris by Betty Webb
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Zoe Barlow is an American artist living in post-World War One Paris, four years ago she was banished from the family plantation Beech Glen, in Alabama and by her older brother Brice and nasty step-mother.

Zoe has made friends with other artists, writers and members of Paris's bohemian crowd, including Hadley and Ernest Hemingway. Ever Wednesday she invites guests to her apartment for a poker night, they play cards, her housekeeper Madeline prepares a feast and they wash it down with lots of wine.

One day Hadley calls Zoe in a panic, she was catching a train, when a bag containing Ernest’s latest manuscript, went missing and she thinks it might have been stolen. Zoe offers to try to find it, she hires cabdriver Avak Grigoryar to ferry her around and she follows up any leads. They drive to the French countryside, in a derelict hut in the forest near Le Mesnil-Theribus, they find the bodies of a Russian man and his daughter. The rumours start circulating immediately, the young woman is of course Princess Anastasia Romanov, Zoe disputes this theory as it makes no sense and why would she be living in squalor?

Inspector Henri Challiot is assigned to the murder case, he questions both Zoe and Avak. Zoe realises the missing manuscript isn’t the criminals main objective, when other acquaintances are killed, her apartment in ransacked and her paintings are damaged and Zoe starts carrying a gun for protection.

I received a digital copy of Lost in Paris by Betty Webb from Edelweiss and Sourcebooks in exchange for an honest review. Ms. Webb’s latest novel looks at life in Paris during the 1920’s, a city full of war widows, orphans and men and women who have been injured during the war. The main character Zoe has some interesting friends, authors, artists and a Moulin Rouge dancer. At the time Paris is full of displaced Russians, this could be the reason for the tension in the city and Zoe is keeping secrets of her own. Three and a half stars from me, a historical fiction mystery and with possible ties to the Bolsheviks and Russian criminals.

After the War

After the War by Anita Frank
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

All over England the church bells are ringing on the 8th of May 1945, the war in Europe is over and people are celebrating. Gwen Ellison feels confused and apprehensive, she’s spent the last six years running her fathers farm in Berkshire, with the help of her land girl Nora, housekeeper Muriel and kindly neighbour Ted. Gwen has a young son Tom, six years ago she married Jack Ellison, she hasn’t seen him since, Jack promised he would never return and will he keep his word?

Jack Ellison left Newcastle in a hurry in 1939, he caught a train and arrived in Berkshire, near the village of Helvedon. Jim Hughes offers him a job, he needs someone to help him over the summer on his farm, and in exchange is a food and board. Jack knows nothing about harvesting crops, milking cows, drenching sheep, he learns quickly and enjoys living in the countryside. Both Jack and Gwen have secrets, when Gwen can no longer hide hers, Jack offers to marry her and on the day war is declared.

Jack keeps a photo of Gwen and Tom in his pocket during the war, he’s wounded many times, and he manages to make it to the end and Jack returns to Berkshire. At first Gwen thinks Jack hasn’t kept his part of the deal, when a person from her past starts stirring up trouble, Gwen needs Jacks support and she sees another side to her husband.

I received a copy of After the War by Anita Frank from Edelweiss and HarperCollins in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed reading about living and working on a farm in England during the 1930’s and 1940’s, how much it changed in a decade, with the use of machinery and the impact the war had on farmers and their families.

A story about secrets, over coming past mistakes, friendship, the possibilities of love, and making a fresh start. The characters of Gwen, Jack, Tom, Jim, Muriel and Ted are all wonderful, they made the story a memorable and moving one, and I highly recommend this post World War Two novel, a nice change of pace and a different wartime narrative and five stars from me.

The Hidden Life of Aster Kelly

The Hidden Life of Aster Kelly: A Novel by Katherine A. Sherbrooke
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In 1948, Aster Kelly is tired of being a model in New York, she wins a fashion design contest and she moves to Beverly Hills and her prize is an apprenticeship with fashion designer Fernando Tivoli. Fernando is busy trying to secure the contract with Galaxy Studios, and to dress four of Hollywood’s biggest stars, Gary Cooper, Rita Hayworth, Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart.

The only job he has available is as a model and body double and Aster takes it, and she meets the charismatic head of Galaxy Studios Mr. Sawyer and his newest star Christopher Page. Aster is drawn into the glitzy world of Hollywood, she becomes romantically involved with Mr. Sawyer and is friends with Fernando and Christopher. Aster isn’t prepared for the other side to Hollywood, to be famous actors and actresses have to make huge personal sacrifices, maintain a good public image, lots of things are covered up and it’s all about making money at the box office. When Fernando business and reputation are questioned, Aster makes a split second decision and it will change the course of her life.

The Hidden Life of Aster Kelly has a dual timeline, it’s told from the two main female characters points of view and I had no problems following the interesting narrative.

In 1975, Lissy Horowitz is determined to become a Broadway star, there is lot of competition and she's lost track of how many auditions she's done, and Lissy has to excel at three things; singing, dancing and acting. Lissy finally gets her big break, but the musical isn’t getting great feedback from the previews and the producers are desperate for it to be a success. Lissy doesn’t know a lot about her father, she knows he was an actor in Hollywood, he died when she was a baby and afterwards her mother Aster moved to Martha’s Vineyard. Lissy makes a decision, long buried secrets will be revealed, it will shake the foundations of the strong relationship she has with her mother and Lissy will be left questioning her heritage.

I received a copy of The Hidden Life of Aster Kelly by Katherine A. Sherbrooke from Edelweiss and Simon & Schuster in exchange for an honest review. The author has written an engrossing and absorbing historical saga about Hollywood and Broadway, it highlights the price people paid for fame, how they lived under a microscope and the control studios and producers had over them. A story about friendship, non-traditional families, and a mothers bond with her daughter, fashion, power, sacrifice, lost love and hidden secrets. Five stars from me, it certainly kept me guessing until the last page and the end wasn’t at all predictable.

A Girl With A Knife

A Girl with A Knife by Alina Rubin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ella Parker is extremely upset when her mother dies in childbirth, her father the Earl of Greenwoods doesn’t seem to care and he’s a difficult man. Ella plans her escape, she doesn’t trust her father, and she assumes he will either marry her off or have her locked up in an institution.

Ella leaves Newcastle for London, aboard the Pamela, she meets the ships surgeon Doctor Joseph Pesce, he offers her a place to stay in London and he lives with his sister Matilda. Ella dreams of being a doctor, in the early 19th century in England, only two options are available for women involving medicine, one is to be a midwife and the other is to become a nun and devote her life to god and nursing the sick.

Ella learns a lot working alongside Doctor Pesce and she's not squeamish, unfortunately universities only accept male students to study medicine, and Ella changes her name, dresses as a young man and enrolls. Ella dissects cadavers, conducts experiments, cares for the sick, works in the maternity ward and overcomes her fear of childbirth and obstetrics. Ella’s friends with a fellow student Oliver Higgins, she tutors him and she admires the skills of the chief surgeon Doctor Richard Miller.

Ella has to make a decision about a patient, her actions save the young mans life and she’s now the top candidate to be Doctor Miller’s apprentice. Not only does Ella have to worry about her father finding her, she has to maintain her secret identity, if they discover she is a woman, Ella will be thrown out of medical school, she won’t be able to sit for her final exam and her skills will be wasted!

I received a digital copy of A Girl With A Knife from the author Alina Rubin and in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed reading the book, it highlighted the difficulties women faced becoming a doctor, the diagnosis, treatment and pain management options mentioned were relevant for the time, and the narrative explores new medical techniques and ideas around infection control when they were only theories. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series, No Job For A Woman (Hearts and Sails #2), the perfect choice for readers who like medical inspired historical fiction and four stars from me.

Hang the Moon

Hang the Moon by Jeannette Walls
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Duke Kincaid owns most of Claiborne County, his extensive portfolio includes: the Big House, Emporium, sharecroppers land and the dogtrot houses they live in. He makes his money, from sales at the Emporium, rent and a lot of his tenants pay in distilled whiskey.

Duke has been married several times, he has two daughters Mary and Sallie and a young son Eddie. Sallie doesn’t remember a lot about her mother Annie, she died during an argument with Duke, he married Katherine not long after and Eddie is their son.

Sallie is like her father, her head is full of ideas and she’s a quick-witted, Eddie is shy, very smart and not a rough and tumble boy. When Sallie tries to teach Eddie the skills he needs to keep Duke happy, it back fires and Sallie is sent away to live with her mother’s sister Faye.

Nine years later, Duke sends a car to pick Sallie up and she returns to Claiborne County, since she has been gone somethings have changed, but Duke controls his kingdom with an iron fist and he always gets what he wants. Sallie has to establish her role in the family, which isn’t easy and she has so many extended family members who are waiting to pounce and especially if anything happens to Duke!

Sallie Kincaid is only eighteen, all her life she has had to be strong, resilient, adapt when things change and Duke rules her world. The one person she can rely on is her aunt Faye, she's there when times are tough and protects her, she provides a shoulder to cry on and gives Sallie womanly advice.

Sallie has to rebuild her father’s legacy, to do this she needs money, prohibition has made the price of alcohol sky rocket, Sallie becomes a bootlegger, she and her crew transport liquor at night and it’s a risky business. Sallie has to keep one step ahead of the law, she also has to deal with the Bond brothers, their family have had a long term feud with the Kincaid’s and it’s getting out of hand.

I received a copy of Hang the Moon by Jeannette Walls from Edelweiss and Simon & Schuster Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Ms. Walls has written a story about probation in America or the 18th amendment in the 1920's, alcohol was made by hidden stills in the South and it was used as a form of currency. The main character Sallie is a brave young woman, she's resourceful and clever. Sallie has to deal with the loss of multiple people she loves, she picks herself up and keeps going. I admired Sallie because; she acts fast and has some ingenious ideas, she wont settle for less than she deserves and especially from the men in her life, she has spunk and she thrived in a male dominated world, and four stars from me.

The Lonely Hearts Book Club

The Lonely Hearts Book Club by Lucy Gilmore
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Sloane Parker is a librarian at the Coeur d'Alene Public Library, she loves her job and books. Sloane is engaged to Brett, and her mother-in-law is busy planning their wedding. Arthur McLachlan is a grumpy old gentleman, all of the library staff run and hide when he arrives and the chief librarian Octavia deals with his issues. One day Arthur enters the library, he meets Sloane, he finds her far too nice and she doesn't understand Roman history.

Sloane isn’t scared of Arthur, she enjoys his regular library visits and she not bothered by his mild insults and cankerous behavior. One day Arthur doesn’t show up, Sloane is worried, and it’s against the libraries policy to visit members at home, as the days pass, Sloane is really concerned, and she doesn’t care about the rules and she wants to make sure Arthur is alright.

Arthur has been in hospital, of course he checked himself out early, he has nurses caring for him at home and they don’t last long. Sloane meets Arthur's neighbour Maisey Phillips, over the years she has tried to help him and he always sends her packing. Arthur needs help, Sloane offers to keep an eye on him and while sorting through his massive book collection.

Maisey starts dropping off food, slowly others become involved in supporting Arthur’s and they start, The Lonely Hearts Book Club. The members of the book cub are: Sloane, Arthur, Maisey, Mateo, Greg and Arthur isn’t happy when an old work colleague returns and wants to join.

I received a copy of The Lonely Hearts Book Club by Lucy Gilmore from Sourcebooks Casablanca and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. It’s an engaging and at times amusing narrative about unexpected friendships, helping an elderly person and them admitting they do need a hand, mother and child relationships, how love of books and reading brings a mixture of people and personalities together and companionship. Five stars from me, an enjoyable read, it's an uplifting and appealing story.

In a Thousand Different Ways

In a Thousand Different Ways by Cecelia Ahern
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Alice Kelly is eight when she notices everyone has a color, it displays what the person is feeling, their mood and much more. Alice lives with her mum Lily, older brother Hugh and little brother Ollie. Lily isn’t the best mother, due to being an alcoholic and having bipolar disorder and Hugh acts as a parent. When, Hugh finishes high school, he leaves for university and Alice starts having problems.

Alice doesn’t like bright sunlight, seeing people’s colors gives her a headache and she doesn’t like people touching her. Alice starts wearing sunglasses to school, the teachers don’t understand why she needs them inside and they suggest she attends Clearview Academy. A school for teenagers who have behavioral problems, Lily is happy not to have to deal with her odd daughter and Alice makes her first friend Gospel.

Lily isn’t well, Alice has finished school and she becomes her mothers full time career. Looking after Lily isn’t easy, and Alice does it and as a hobby she starts growing plants. Alice moves to London, she finds herself a little flat, becomes friendly with her neighbour Naomi and she struggles to find a job. Alice wears a mask, sunglasses, gloves, and she won't shake anyone's hand and this comes across as her being rather strange.

I received a copy of In a Thousand Different Ways by Cecelia Ahern from NetGalley and HarperCollins UK in exchange for an honest review. I have read the authors previous books, P.S. I Love You and Postscript, two well written and emotional narratives. I felt rather confused when I started reading In a Thousand Different Ways, I wasn’t sure if I would even finish the book to be honest and I persevered. It’s a story about a young woman's struggles, and Alice is a unique individual, highly sensitive, she’s ruled by the colors she sees and people’s auras. Alice has to come to terms with her gift, she can read a person, so this comes in handy as it keeps her and others safe, she’s also blessed with a green thumb and it opens lots of unexpected opportunities for her. Please read the book for yourself, make up your own mind and I many have missed some some vital points in plot or dialog and three and a half stars from me.

Well Behaved Women

Well Behaved Women by Caroline Lamond
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Adelaida Leventon is born in 1897, and she’s the third child of Yakov and Sarah, and her father is a respected pharmacist in Yalta. Her parents marriage isn’t a happy one, her father is a difficult and violent man and her mother leaves. No one explains anything to Adelaida, she misses her mother and she's gone. Yakov sends eight year old Adelaida away and when she returns home, her father physically abuses her and she doesn’t know about her parents divorce.

Adelaida decides she wants to be an actress, she leaves the Crimea and moves to Moscow, her family refuses to give her money and Alla has to sell her body to pay her rent. Alla meets Parel Orlenev, they tour Russia, Europe and England with his theatre company and eventually they move to America. When Alla arrives in America, she can’t speak a word of English and she has to learn quickly. Alla becomes one of Hollywood’s highest paid silent movie actresses of the 1920’s and she lives in a mansion on Sunset Boulevard and throws wild parties.

Maybelle Crabtree was born on a farm in Kentucky, when her father passes away, she’s sent to live with her aunt and uncle in California. One day while handing out fliers promoting her uncles evangelist church services, she meets Josephine Colbert, and she asks her if she would like to attend a party? Maybelle arrives at Sunset Boulevard, she has no idea the parties being held at Alla Nozimova’s house, and she’s shocked in a good way. The roaring twenties, a break from tradition and a new modern era, and Maybelle's aunt thinks she attending a sewing circle with a friend. Maybelle eventually starts working at Metro Pictures, in the costume department and she moves in with Joe.

The story has a dual timeline and is told mainly from the points of view of the two main characters, Alla and Maybelle. Both women have secrets, about their pasts and previous relationships, if the truth is uncovered it would have serious consequences and especially for Alla’s acting career and she’s no longer a young starlet.

I received a copy of Well Behaved Women by Caroline Lamond from NetGalley and HarperCollins UK in exchange for an honest review. A fascinating and compelling narrative about one of Hollywood’s first leading ladies, it's full of real facts about Alla Nozimova, a Russian/American actress and who went on to be director, producer and screenwriter. Alla rubbed shoulders with some very famous people including Rudolph Valentino and Charles Bryant, many of them cheated on their spouses or remarried without their divorce being finalized and it was swept under the carpet. Alla was bisexual, she and circle of friends had to be very careful and at a time when you could be jailed for being in a same sex intimate relationship. A story about the ebbs and flows of Adelaida Leventon's extraordinary life, a person sexuality should be irrelevant and Ms. Lamond emphasizes this. Five stars from me and please read this wonderful and enlightening novel.

A Home Among the Snow Gums

A Home Among the Snow Gums by Stella Quinn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Hannah Cody and her brother Josh run a veterinary practice in their home town of Hanrahan together, in the Snowy Mountains and she refuses to travel far. Hannah was a victim of cyberbullying while she was studying medicine in Sydney and she had to change courses, Hannah finds it hard to trust people and she’s not interested in dating. Hannah has her close circle of friends in Hanrahan, a mixture of people and personalities, and they want Hannah to spread her wings. All of them mean well, including her bestie Kylie, Vera her soon to be sister-in-law, Kevin and Marigold and Graeme the manager of local café.

Tom Krauss has been an officer in the Royal Australian Navy for seventeen years, he returns home to Hanrahan due to his father's declining health, Tom's been discharged from the Navy as he’s no longer medically fit and he's keeping it a secret. Tom always had a soft spot for Hannah, he had feelings for her as a teenager and it didn’t seem right dating his best friends little sister. Tom has a piece of shrapnel lodged near his spinal cord, he has to be very careful what he does physically and he’s considering having surgery and it’s exceptionally risky. Bruno Krauss owns Ironbark Station, he breeds stock horses, he's won prizes in campdraft tournaments and golden belt buckles. Bruno can no longer ride, everyone thinks Tom should take over from his father, they don't know he can’t ride, or lift anything heavy and he's in pain.

When Kevin suggests Hannah start competing in campdraft tournaments, she begins practicing to stop everyone nagging her and Hannah's horse Skippy is happy to get out of the stable. Hannah has decided to try and get over her fear of leaving Hanrahan, she realises her biological clock is ticking, she wants to have a baby and the only man that makes her heart flutter is Tom, and Hannah and Tom end up very confused by each other’s odd behavior.

I received a copy of A home Among the Snow Gums by Stella Quinn from NetGalley and Harlequin Australia in exchange for an honest review. A page turning Australian rural fiction story, it’s full of funny local characters, their antics and conversations made me laugh. I had never heard of campdrafting before, to win a rider works a cow out of a heard, skilfully controlling their horse and in the fasted time. Cyberbullying is a serious problem, I’m glad Ms. Quinn explores this topic in her book and emphasizes the damage it does to the victims self-esteem, the humiliation and embarrassment it causes and physiological issues. I love reading books set in the picturesque Snowy Mountains, the road to romance isn’t an easy one for Hannah and Tom, both have to overcome a series of major obstacles. Five stars from me and I'm keen to read Ms. Quinn's previous novel, The Vet From Snowy River.

Once We Were Home

Once We Were Home by Jennifer Rosner
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ana and her baby brother Oskar, are smuggled out of the Polish ghetto, their mother and sick father remain behind. Farmers Agata and Jozef Dabrowskis, agree to look after Ana and Oskar and of course they have to change the children's names. As time goes on, Ana remembers her parents and Oskar doesn’t, when a woman from the Jewish reclamation organization snatches them, Oskar is very upset and Ana is hopeful.

Roger, grows up in a monastery in France, he and his friend Henri like to have fun making up stories and telling jokes. His aunt lives in Jerusalem, she has been looking for Roger for years and the church has been reluctant to give him back. Father Jacques and Roger cross the Pyrenees Mountains into Spain and he eventually makes it to Israel. Roger lives with his aunt, uncle and their five children and Roger misses his best friend and Brother Jacques.

Renata, has finished her degree at Oxford University, she travels to Jerusalem and she's an archaeologist. Renata’s mothers has recently passed away, she was always told by her to say she was born in Switzerland and not Germany. Renata is grieving for her mum, she wishes she asked more questions about why they left Germany and now it’s too late.

Twenty years later, the three main characters of Ana, Oskar and Roger are trying to make a life for themselves in Israel, all are dealing with issues from their traumatic childhoods, nightmares, having trouble forming romantic relationships, not sure if they want to get married and have children. Renata and Roger meet, and everything is going fine until she mentions one thing!

I received a copy of Once We Were Here by Jennifer Rosner from Edelweiss and Flatrion Books in exchange for an honest review. In her narrative, Ms. Rosner explores what happened to Jewish children during the Holocaust, how far desperate families went to protect their children and I can’t imagine how traumatic this experience was for the parents and children. Some children lived with Christian families and attended church, many were hidden in orphanages and monasteries, and others spent years hidden in attics and behind false walls.

Thousands of Polish children were kidnapped, given to German couples to raise and as part of the Lebensborn program. Numerous were never reunited with their parents, they didn’t know their real names, where they were born, others felt guilty for not looking after younger siblings as instructed and that’s a terrible burden for a child to carry. A historical fiction story that makes you think about life, family heritage and culture, persecution and religious beliefs and the repercussions. I highly recommend, Once We Were Home and the authors previous novel, The Yellow Bird Sings and four stars from me.

The Collaborator's Daughter

The Collaborator’s Daughter by Eva Glyn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Fran Thomson is extremely upset when her beloved step-father dies and she’s spent the last two years taking care of him and her mother passed away seven years ago. Fran has two younger siblings, Andrew and Patti who isn’t very nice to Fran and she tried everything to repair her toxic relationship with her sister. After her step-father’s funeral, Fran feels lost, despite having the support of her son and best friend. Fran wishes she'd asked her mother more about the past, Fran was born in Dubrovnik, Croatia and towards the end of the Second World War. Her parents Branko and Dragica Milisic, lived in the seaside town and Fran’s real name is Safranka.

Fran travels to Croatia, she shocked to discover her father was shot for being a collaborator in 1944, and her mother told her he was a hero, Branko was a member of the Ustase, he was stationed at the island of Lopud, and where Dubrovnik's Jewish population was interned by the Italians.

Fran meets a university student Vedran at a coffee shop and he introduces her to his uncle Jadran. The widower offers Fran some advice, not everyone who was executed by the partisans were guilty and she needs to look into her father’s past and put the missing pieces of the puzzle together. Jadran encourages Fran to visit the Jewish museum, and he also takes her to the island of Daksa and the markets. Fran enjoys spending time with Jadran and he’s a good-looking man, Fran hasn’t been in a relationship for forty years and she doesn’t know if he feels the same way and she lives in Sussex.

I received a copy of The Collaborator’s Daughter by Eva Glyn from NetGalley and HarperCollins UK in exchange for an honest review. As Ms. Glyn explains in her notes at the end, it was difficult to write about what happened in Dubrovnik during WW II, as there wasn't a lot of information available, her new book couldn't have a dual timeline and she wrote it from the main protagonists Fran's point of view. This was the right choice, so many women can relate to Fran, she spent years raising her son as a single parent and looking after her aging parents and suddenly she finds herself sixty five, retired and alone. Fran enjoys navigating the city of her birth, Croatia's beautiful scenery, food and culture. Five stars from me, a touching story about a woman embracing her heritage, letting go of the past and moving forward.

Go as a River

Go as a River by Shelley Read
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Victoria Nash is only twelve when her mother passes away, she becomes the homemaker for her father, brother Seth a troublemaker and uncle Ogden. They live near a little town called Iola, in Colorado, her family own a farm and orchard. Nash peaches are the best, big and juicy and they have a roadside stall and people drive for miles to buy their fruit.

Wilson Moon is a handsome young drifter, he arrives in Iola and he’s quickly chased out of town. Wil is an American Indian, he was taken away from his parents as a toddler and he has no idea what tribe he belongs to. It was hard for Torie growing up without a mother, she had no one to explain womanly things to her and she’s now seventeen. Wil and Torie meet each other on a street in Iola, two lost and lonely souls, they see each other in secret and fall in love, until Wil disappears.

Torie makes plans to hide in the mountains, she secretly starts gathering supplies and storing food to take with her. Torie stays in a deserted hunters shack and it’s much harder to survive in the wilderness than she anticipated, Torie has to make a difficult choice and a very distressing one. Torie returns home, she discovers the government is talking about buying land in Iola, and two nearby towns, and to build the Blue Mesa Reservoir. Anything left behind could be auctioned off or burnt and then entire valley would be submerged under water.

I received a copy of Go as a River by Shelley Read from NetGalley and Random House UK in exchange for an honest review. Inspired by the real story of a reservoir being built in Colorado during the 1960’s and Ms. Read has created a phenomenal debut novel. I can’t believe this is the authors first book, the amazing narrative has as many twists and turns as a mighty Gunnison River and it’s tributaries. A historical saga spanning decades and it's about a young woman's ability to overcome difficult and challenging times and adversity. Tories meaningful friendships with characters Ruby-Alice and Zelda who provided help and guidance when she really needed it. Torie never gave up, she remained humble and always grateful. Five stars from me, the ultimate coming of age story, a captivating and hope filled one.

The Hidden Letters

The Hidden Letters by Lorna Cook
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Cordelia Carr-Lyons lives at her family’s estate Pencallick House in Cornwall, she has two brothers, Edwin is the eldest and Clive the youngest is a right handful. The tranquil existence they have in England is under threat, with rumours of a war starting and Cordelia’s worried about Edwin.

Isaac Leigh is a landscape architect, he and his brother David work together and design formal country gardens. He’s been employed by Lord Carr-Lyons to renovate the grounds at Pencallick House, and Isaac and David move around a lot due to their job .

Cordelia needs to do something to take her mind off all the war talk, she speaks to Gilbert the head gardener and Isaac and they both believe the estate needs to produce more food and especially fruit and vegetables. Her mother is horrified by Cordelia digging in the dirt and thinks it’s very unladylike. War is declared against Germany, all of the men from the area are joining up together, forming a pal’s battalion and will be a part of the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry.

Cordelia is very busy helping Gilbert with the gardens, and she and Isaac write to each other. His letters from Europe are read by the sensors, despite this, Cordelia discovers the conditions in the trenches are terrible and all the men are freezing. When she doesn’t hear from Isaac in December 1914, she fears he’s fallen in battle, Cordelia checks the newspaper lists and she has no idea what’s happened to him? Cordelia goes to visit an old school friend, she’s living in the Lake District, and it’s the perfect place for Cordelia to workout what she’s going to do and she doesn’t want to believe she's never going to see Isaac again?

I received a copy of The Hidden Letters by Lorna Cook from NetGalley and Avon Books UK in exchange for an honest review. The articulate narrative by Ms. Cook gives you a realistic idea of what it was like during WW I, for the men fighting in the trenches and the women left behind in England. I felt so sad, when I read that all the men of military service age left Pencallick House and Pencallick Village together, I knew most of them would be killed and wounded. A sweeping historical saga about war, duty, family, social change, sacrifice, loss, and unexpected love. Five stars from me, The Hidden Letters made me cry, Ms. Cook’s writing was emotive and I found it really moving.

Daughter Dalloway

Daughter Dalloway by Emily France
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Emily France cleverly uses characters from Virginia Woolf’s classic novel Mrs. Dalloway, as the inspiration to create her own novel, the main character is Elizabeth and she’s the only daughter of Clarissa and Richard Dalloway.

London, 1952, Elizabeth Dalloway is forty-six years old, she’s married to Theodore Titcomb and the couple are childless. Elizabeth feels like a failure, she’s nothing like her sophisticated mother, the popular socialite was organizing flowers for her party in 1923, when she disappeared and hasn’t been seen since. Elizabeth has always felt like she’s walked in her mother’s shadow, as a child, a teenager and now as a grown woman.

During the great London fog, Elizabeth isn’t expecting visitors, when Rose Purvis arrives and she gives her a small box that her mother misplaced. It contains a medal, engraved with inscription from Clarissa Dalloway and the recipients name is Septimus Warren Smith. Elizabeth wonders about his connection to her mother, would he have anything to do with her disappearance and she’s determined to find him.

London, 1923, Elizabeth Dalloway is seventeen, a bright young thing, the war is over and after surviving the Spanish flu epidemic and everyone wants to celebrate. Mrs. Dalloway hosts upper-crust parties, the Prince of Wales is a guest and Elizabeth would prefer to be with her bohemian friends. Her mother wants Elizabeth to make a suitable match, she already has a candidate, Elizabeth isn’t ready to get married and her wish is to have fun and she does.

Octavia Smith lives in Stroud, Gloucestershire, her father owns a farm and a brewery. Her eldest brother Septimus left home because of his mothers actions, five years later Octavia hasn’t heard from him and is he lying in France in an unmarked grave? Octavia travels to London to find information about Septimus, she’s an easy target for pickpockets and she doesn’t make it out of Paddington Rail Way Station without falling prey to one. When she meets Redvers Moore, Octavia is wary and he and his brother appear to be honest, they promise to help her find Septimus and is Octavia a magnet for criminals?

Fate works in mysterious ways and Elizabeth and Octavia are bound to cross paths. Both women are a similar age in the 1950’s, they discover the truth about Clarissa and Septimus, and it’s not what I was expecting at all.

I received a copy of Daughter Dalloway by Emily France from Edelweiss and Blackstone Publishing in exchange for an honest review. The story is told mainly from Elizabeth and Octavia’s points of view, and the two women have to deal with the consequences of their own impulsive behavior and decisions. The polished and thought provoking narrative cleverly explores the intricate workings of the human mind and how mental health problems were diagnosed at the time, including melancholy, postnatal blues, shell shock and four stars from me.

No Life for a Lady

No Life for a Lady by Hannah Dolby
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Violet Hamilton is twenty eight, she can clearly remember the day her mother Lily left their house in Hastings, she was going to visit friends and she never returned. Violet’s father alerted the police, they looked into her disappearance, Lily was seen near St Leonards Pier, the police assume she drowned and her father ordered the staff pack up all his wife's possessions and store them in the attic.

Ten years later, Violet’s father has been trying to marry her off for years, what he doesn’t understand is after her mother went missing, Violets friends stopped talking to her, they cross the street when they see her and some men no longer treat her with the respect she deserves.

Violet doesnt want to get married, her greatest wish is to find out what happened to her mother and she secretly hires a private detective to look into Lily's disappearance and she doesn’t want her father to know. Mr. Knight uncovers some shocking information about Lily, what her mother had been doing for the months prior to her vanishing, Violet didn't have a clue and this makes her extremely curious and she now wants to investigate the case herself.

In 1896, a lady of her social standing shouldn’t go out in public without a chaperone and could never be a sleuth, and Violet comes up with some clever ways and reasons to leave the house. Violet is frustrated by her lack of life inexperience, she has no idea about basic things a grown woman should know and what she has been told is rather vague and couldn't possibly be correct?

I received a copy of No Life for a Lady by Hannah Dolby from NetGalley and Aria and Aries in exchange for an honest review. The narrative is based around a long term missing person’s case, and the main character Violet wanting to break free of the silly rules women are forced to follow and start working as a private investigator. Violet wants to test society’s boundaries, at her age she’s considered a spinster any way, she makes some amusing blunders along the way and discovers the possibility her mother is still alive.

An Edwardian mystery and a humerus coming of age story all rolled into one narrative and Violet is a rather inquisitive and funny character. I enjoyed reading about how she outsmarted the creepy suitors her father found and her hilarious verbal exchanges with Benjamin Blackthorn and Maria Monk and four stars from me.

The Last Pary at Silverton Hall

The Last Party at Silverton Hall by Rachel Burton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In 1952, on the foggiest night in London’s history, Vivien bumps into Max, after a whirlwind romance, Max proposes and Vivien accepts. Max is a banker, he comes from a wealthy family, he sweeps Vivien off her feet and before she knows it their getting married. After the wedding, they move to the Norfolk coast, Max has bought an old house and he calls it Little Clarion.

Vivien loves living in Norfolk and by the sea and she begins her day swimming in the waters of Silverton Bay. The nearby estate Silverton Hall is about to be sold, the last heir Lord Harrington has passed away and an American buyer is going to turn it into a hotel. One last party is held at Silverton Hall, Max and Vivien are invited, she's not prepared for what Max tells her afterwards, it changes her life and their marriage.

In 2019, Isobel is upset when her grandmother Vivien passes away, she left Little Clarion to Isobel and not to her daughter. Gina is Vivien and Max’s only child, she lives in America and with her husband. Isobel resigns from her job as an art teacher, leaves London, she drives to Norfolk and she needs a sea change. She’s shocked by how rundown the house is, it’s been invaded by mice and the electrical wiring and plumbing hasn’t been updated.

Spencer Hargreaves owns an antiques shop in the village called Odds & Ends, he was a good friend of Vivien’s, he’s going to help Isobel with sorting through her grans furniture and his grandson Nick renovates and restores old houses. Eighteen years ago, Nick and Isobel spent a summer together, a teenage Isobel had to leave suddenly and nothing in her life went as planned afterwards. While cleaning out her grandmother’s years of clutter, Isobel discovers an old photograph, it was taken at the last party at Silverton Hall and it makes her question how well she knew her grandmother!!

The story is told from the two main characters points of view, Vivien and Isobel’s and it has a dual timeline that’s easy to follow and the narrative is written seven decades apart.

I received a copy of The Last Party at Silverton Hall by Rachel Burton from NetGalley and Aria & Aries in exchange for an honest review. The stories main focus is on Isobel trying to discover what happened to her grandmother in the 1950’s, why did Vivien say she had never been to Silverton Hall, when clearly she had and more than once. For Isobel to discover the truth about her grandmother, she needs find out more about her grandfather Max and it's like putting together a jigsaw puzzle that's missing a few pieces.

Isobel eventually uncovers the hidden facts, her grandmother and others were deceived, betrayed, tricked and it affected relationships within the entire family. I enjoyed reading the authors notes at the end, with Isobel’s and Nick’s play list of music, they had great taste in bands and I have read and liked Ms. Burton’s previous book, The Secrets of Summer House. The Last Party at Silverton Hall, is a perfect choice for readers who enjoy dual timeline historical fiction stories, based around an old houses and debt ridden English family estates, with hidden secrets and four and a half stars from me.

A Woman's Work

A Woman's Work by Victoria Purman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Australian women look forward to reading the latest edition of The Australian Women’s Weekly, it has advice and information, about raising children, fashion, recipes and advertises new products. The Weekly also runs competitions, in 1956, it's a cooking contest and they have a list of ingredients to use, and the major prize is six hundred pounds, the winning recipe will be published in the magazine and it's more money than most of their husband earn in a year.

The story is told from two main characters points of view, Kathleen O’Grady, is married to Peter a mechanic, the couple have five children and live in a modest home in St. Kilda. Ivy Quinn is a war widow, she’s a single mother to her twelve year old son Raymond and she works as a doctor’s receptionist.

Kathleen is a busy housewife, she has a set weekly routine and she hates having to cook tea every night for her hungry family. Ivy works full-time, she and Raymond live on quick and easy meals and often they come out of a can. For both women, winning the money would be life changing, Ivy would be able to spend more time with Raymond and Kathleen could buy a much needed washing machine and some luxury items for herself.

Kathleen and Ivy need guidance and inspiration to expand their cooking repertoire, Kathleen’s mum offers to help her and she’s noticed her daughter is struggling to cope with motherhood, Kathleen is worn out and has lost her spark. Raymond tells Ivy about the competition, she needs to learn basic cooking skills, a colleague from work offers to help her and she worries Raymond isn’t getting enough vitamins.

As the months pass, the seasons change and so do the lives of Kathleen and Ivy and they start to like the time they spend in the kitchen. Kathleen has been stuck in a rut, she enjoys trying new recipes and preparing food for her family, and she still longs for some time to herself. Ivy and Raymond enjoy preparing food together, she becomes more confident in the kitchen and they spend quality time with Ivy’s cooking coach. Due working at the doctors surgery Ivy realises women are struggling, she wants to help them, this means facing her own past, traumatic memories and taking a big risk.

I received a digital copy of A Woman’s Work by Victoria Purman from NetGalley and Harlequin Australia in exchange for an honest review. Ms. Purman writes authentic and original historical fiction about the lives of Australian women, her latest novel is set in post-war Melbourne and in 1956. During lead up to the first Olympics held in the Southern Hemisphere, the hype around a national magazine cooking competition and how winning anything would make most women's lives easier.

The Australian Women’s Weekly had a national focus, regardless of class and age, women from all walks of life could find information, inspiration and guidance between it's pages. Once again another impeccability written and researched narrative by Ms. Purman, set in a time when it was still a man’s world, society had rigid ideas about a women’s roles and Australian men were rather sexist and stubborn, however things were slowly starting to change and for that we should all be very grateful. Five stars from me, I learnt so much from reading this enlightening book by Ms. Purman and she's leading the way by always delivering accurate, empathetic and informative Australian historical fiction.

The Lost English Girl

The Lost English Girl by Julia Kelly
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Vivian Byrne grew up in Liverpool, her parents are Catholic and extremely strict. She was raised to know her place, follow in the footsteps of her older sister Kate, marry a hardworking Catholic man and have children. When a young and naive Vivian meets Joshua Levinson, it’s a case of infatuation at first sight and she falls pregnant. Both are still teenagers at the time, Joshua offers to marry Viv and do the right thing by her.

Vivian’s mother is furious, her daughter has committed a sin and with a Jewish man. Joshua has always dreamt of being a famous Jazz musician, after he marries Vivian, he’s offered a way out of his predicament and he grabs it. The Levinson's are heartbroken, his younger sister Rebecca is furious, and a pregnant Vivian has to continue living with her parents, she's a disgrace and her mother never lets her forget about the mistakes she has made.

Five years later, Kate is sending her three school age children to the country and the English government has started Operation Piped Piper. Maggie is too young to go with them, the parish priest finds a couple who live in a village near Henley-in-Arden, they offer to look after Maggie and Viv reluctantly lets her go. The Thompson's are a wealthy and childless couple, Viv tries to visit Maggie when she can, Vivian feels like Mrs. Thompson would prefer her to say away and let her be Margaret’s mother.

Joshua returns to England, his dreams of making it big in New York City failed, and he’s decided to join the Royal Air Force. How can he repair the damage and hurt he caused his parents, sister, Vivian and the daughter he’s never seen and make them understand how much he regrets what he did?

When The Blitz begins, Viv is working as a postie delivering mail and Liverpool is a target. Tragically she learns that nowhere in England is safe from the deadly German bombs, and of course she receives no sympathy from her parents. Kate, the Levinson family and her work colleges all support Viv and together they get through the hard war years and loss of loved ones.

I received a copy of The Lost English Girl by Julia Kelly from Edelweiss and Simon & Schuster in exchange for an honest review. The well written and insightful narrative considers the repercussions of the mass evacuation of children during WW II, some felt abandoned by their parents, particularly younger ones didn’t understand why they were sent away and it permanently changed the relationship they had with their parents and others. Ms. Kelly story examines the stigma of teenage pregnancy and interfaith marriage at the time, how one single mistake can change the course of a person’s life, is it possible to forgive the individual who hurt you, and the lengths a mother will go to keep her daughter safe and could a child be lost or stolen in the chaos of a world war?

I felt so many emotions while reading this poignant historical fiction novel, I'm a mother and what would I have done if I was in the main characters situation, keep a box of tissues handy because you will need them and five big stars from me.

Sunrise Over Mercy Court

Sunrise Over Mercy Court by Fiona McCallum
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Howard and Elsie Manning have been married for fifty nine years, to say their soulmates would describe their relationship perfectly and that’s not to say they don’t notice each others faults. They raised their two daughters Janine and Corinne to be decent humans, while running their accounting business and they retired fifteen years ago.

Like everyone they found the Covid pandemic a struggle, all the activates they enjoyed were cancelled, grocery shopping became a nightmare, they spent time in lock down and together. Now, on the other side of Covid, with their seventy ninth birthdays approaching and they were born on the same day, so many things have changed, many of their friends have passed away and like many older people they feel invisible and are find doing everyday tasks a real challenge. They’re not as agile as they once were, both have various aches and pains and even getting up of the floor is a big struggle.

Maisie their beloved canine companion has recently passed away, all of her things have been packed away and all they have left are the memories. Taking Maisie for her daily walk, her always greeting them at the front door, the sound of her nails tapping on the floor and keeping them company while they pottered around the house.

Howard and Elsie are considering ending their lives together, peacefully, while they can make the choice, under their own terms and they investigate ways. Neither are fans of pain, mess, they don’t want to botch the job and they discover it’s a lot harder than they thought. One day they get an unexpected knock at their front door, new neighbours have moved in next door and they will have a major impact on Howard and Elsie life and the decisions they make.

I received a copy of Sunrise Over Mercy Court by Fiona McCallum from NetGalley and Harlequin Australia in exchange for an honest review. I thought this was going to be the most depressing and negative story I have ever read and I was pleasantly surprised. The narrative looks at what’s it’s like to be an older person, trying to live in a world that’s constantly changing, everything moves at a faster pace and while you’re getting slower and circle of friends is getting smaller. Ms. McCallum makes you walk in an older persons shoes, you see things from their point of view and it’s very confronting and especially if your own parents are a similar age to the two main characters.

Howard and Elsie start to notice the little things around them and what they don’t want to lose, it's a story about finding hope when you least expect it, laughter really is the best medicine, and the joy found in making new friends. Four stars from me, a slow moving and thought provoking novel by Fiona McCallum, about aging and living life to it's fullest.

The Fancies

The Fancies by Kim Lock
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Abigail Fancy returns to Port Kingerton, in South Australia after she left dramatically twenty three years ago and when she was sixteen. Abigail has finished her second prison sentence, she’s not sure what sort of welcome she will receive from her parents and she needs somewhere to stay and she's broke.

Port Kingerton is a tiny beach side township, most of the men go to sea and catch crayfish for six months of the year. Everyone knows everyone’s business, it only takes twenty four hours for the local grapevine to spread the word that Abigail is back and the same day a human thigh bone is found on the beach.

Abigail’s family have lived in the area for over a hundred years, her grandfather Old Dick (Richard) has dementia, and he lives with his son Young Dick and daughter-in-law Nell. Young Dick is a cray fisherman, the licenses are handed down from father to son and Nell's busy looking after her horses. The whole town is in a tizz, they remember why Abigail left all those years ago and now she’s back a convicted criminal. Abigail’s arch rival, Jessica Bram still lives in Port Kingerton, they have hated each other since kindergarten, and their grandfathers had a big fall out years ago and Old Dick still mutters the odd comment about it.

A story about the town’s black sheep returning, everyone has an opinion about Abigail Fancy, her character is funny and flawed and the things she says, my mum would wash her mouth out with soap and I haven’t laughed so much in years.

I received a copy of The Fancies by Kim Lock from NetGalley and Harlequin Australia in exchange for an honest review. The narrative is told from three different perspectives, with larger-than-life characters and be prepared for the odd swear word, dry Aussie sentiment and sense of humor. I liked Ms. Lock's style of writing, it's a chronicle about the past and full of secrets, mystery, family feuds and skeletons in the closest. People are quick to judge others, especially young women and the trials of living in a small country town. Five stars from me, The Fancies is one heck of a tale and I’m keen to read the authors previous book, The Other Side of Beautiful.

The Secret Book Of Flora Lea

The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In 1939, Hazel Linden is fourteen and her little sister Flora is five, they leave London and are part of Operation Piped Piper. The girl’s father was killed at the start of the war, their mum is working for the war department and the safest place for them is in the country.

The two evacuees find a new home with Binsey Aberdeen and her son Harry and in a small village in Oxfordshire. The sisters are close despite the age gap, Flora has her toy bunny Berry for comfort and Hazel tells her stories and together they create a magical place called Whisperwood. Here there is no war and worries and it’s their own private world and fairy tale. When, Hazel is distracted for a few minutes, Flora disappears, immediately everyone starts looking for her and the police believe she drowned in the Thames River. Hazel blames herself, she promised her mother she would look after Flora and she failed.

Twenty years later, Hazel works at Hogan’s Rare Book Shoppe, on her last day, she unwraps a new book and is shocked when she reads the title. It’s a newly published children’s picture book and it’s called Whisperwood and the River of Stars. Hazel has been offered a job working at Sotheby’s and she’s going on a holiday with her boyfriend to Paris in a couple of weeks and she doesn’t know what to do? All sorts of things are going through her mind, could the author be linked to Flora’s disappearance, the only two people who knew about the story was Hazel and her little sister and could Flora still be alive?

I received a copy of The Secret Book Of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry from NetGalley and HaperCollins Publishers Australia in exchange for an honest review. The dual timeline story is set in 1939 and later in 1960 and it’s very easy to follow. A tale about war, sisters, secrets, magic, consequences, guilt and never ending grief. Ms. Henry’s book sweeps you away to another time and place, the story is told in a spellbinding way and where anything is possible. A narrative that grabbed my attention from the start, full of interesting characters, possibilities, about the power of fairy tales, make believe and books. Five stars from me, a delightful book and one that would be a suitable choice for a wide range of readers and ages.

Goodnight from Paris

Goodnight from Paris by Jane Healey
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Drue Leyton is an American actress living in Paris in 1939, under the dark cloud of another world war and she's just married her French husband Jacques Tartière. All men are called up for duty, Jacques fails the medical and he leaves Paris to be a liaison for the British troops arriving in Brittany.

Drue’s agent organizes for her to meet with Jean Fraysse, he wants her to do a radio broadcast, five nights a week and be the Voice of America. Drue is lonely without Jacques, with her maid/friend Nadine for company and she decides to let her fellow American's know about the tension and nervous waiting game going on in France and what the Germans are doing in occupied countries.

Drue chats to some very famous people on her radio segment, including Dorothy Thompson and she was one of the first journalists to interview Hitler, Josephine Baker and Sylvia Beach from the bookshop Shakespeare and Company. Drue is supposed to keep to the script and what's been approved by the French ministry of Information, she likes pushing the boundaries and even Franklin Roosevelt listens to her broadcast. The Germans and the war are not a European problem but a world one and Drue soon finds herself on a list and if caught the Germans threaten to kill her.

Drue, Nadine and most of the staff at Radio Mondail leave Paris and travel to Vichy, France. Drue isn’t safe here, she has to move to the French countryside, she rents a villa in Barbizon and uses her married name. At this stage, I did wonder where the narrative was going and I thought the story was only about Drue working for a radio station in Paris and it was going in a totally different direction.

Goodnight from Paris is based on a true story and the incredible wartime experiences of Drue Leyton Tartière, she is a truly inspirational woman and a brave one. Drue helps the French underground resistance, she and a network help save and hide downed American, British and Canadian pilots.

I received a copy of Goodnight from Paris by Jane Healey from NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Ms. Healey is one of my favourite historical fiction authors, because she writes stories about real women who do extraordinary things, and her latest book is amazing and I want to learn more about Drue Leyton Tartière. A woman who was smart, loyal, fearless and courageous, I felt complete admiration for her and I was amazed by everything she achieved and endured, and five stars from me. I highly recommend reading Goodnight from Paris and the authors previous books, The Secret Stealers and The Beantown Girls.

The Last Carolina Girl

The Last Carolina Girl by Meagan Church
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Leah Payne and her father Harley live in Brunswick County, NC, and her dad works as a lumberjack. They live in a little shack on Mr. Barna’s property, she’s friends with his son Jesse and maid Tulla. Leah loves the beach and the ocean and when she grows up she wants to build a house on the coastline. Leah’s devastated when her father is killed in a logging accident, and she’s being sent away to live with a foster family. This means leaving behind everything she has ever known, Jesse, Tulla, the remains of their home and her parent’s graves.

Leah is taken to Matthews, North Carolina, it’s nowhere near the ocean and she’s staying with the Griffin family. Leah feels like a fish out of water, Mrs. Griffin is a nasty woman, Leah though she would be part of a family and instead she’s a maid and nothing she does is right!

Mrs. Griffin likes to entertain, it makes Leah nervous and everything has to be absolutely perfect. Doctor Foster is a visitor at the house, he talks about something called genetics and it makes Leah feel uncomfortable and confused. Mrs. Griffin has a vendetta against Leah, she discovers she has blank spells and she’s just waiting for the right time to put her plans into action.

I received a copy of The Last Carolina Girl by Meagan Church from Edelweiss and Sourcebooks in exchange for an honest review. The author came across the controversial medical practice carried out by the state’s eugenics board in the 1930’s and by delving into her family history. Based on an idealism of improving the genetic quality of a population and after a brief medical diagnosis, young women’s lives were changed and in a cruel way.

Leah’s story is one of profound loss, firstly her father and home, her bond with nature and the beach, she wasn’t allowed to attend school and they tricked her into having surgery. A tender and heartbreaking coming of age story, the plot is full of twists and turns that I didn't see coming and a stunning family secret is revealed. Four stars from me, perfect choice for fans of The Girls in the Stilt House, The Last Carolina Girl has a similar theme and pace.

Prize Women

Prize Women by Caroline Lea
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Toronto Canada, childless millionaire Charles Millar a known prankster leaves behind a fortune and the money will go to a woman who has the most children from 1926 to 1936. It became a contest, known as the Great Stalk Derby and as the deadline approaches the media ruthlessly peruses the mothers who are in the race to win the money.

Friends, Lily di Marco and Mae Thebault are two of the women who could possibly be in the running to win the cash, they come from very different backgrounds and due to their circumstances they desperatly need it. Liliana is the daughter of Italian migrants, she marries the sweet talking Tony, who struggles to keep a job, drinks too much and knocks her around. When an earthquake hits Chatsworth, New Brunswick, Lily flees the destruction with her son Matteo and she assumes Tony has died.

When she arrives in Toronto, she meets Mae Thebault, her husband Leonard owns a steal works, and she has five children and needs someone to help her. Mae is struggling being a mother, she’s constantly pregnant, tired and she's at the end of her tether.

The two women become best friends, Lily understands how Mae feels and helps her, men didn’t have a lot of sympathy or empathy towards women at the time, and they were expected to bear as many children as the couple were blessed with, look after them and not complain. Set during a decade when two major things occurred, the Wall Street Crash and the Great Depression, so many men were out of work and businesses went bankrupt, people struggled to feed and clothe their families, and it caused rioting in Toronto.

I received a copy of Prize Women by Caroline Lea from Edelweiss and HarperCollins in exchange for an honest review. The author uses a real historical case as bases to create her story around, it’s extremely interesting and the topics covered really make you think. The narrative explores the truths about motherhood, women’s roles at the time, what was expected from them and it was no laughing matter. It looks at the choices women had, contraception wasn’t affordable and most men wouldn’t consider using it and it brings up the debate about women’s rights over their bodies and much more. Ms. Lea explores the boundaries of friendship, motherhood, pregnancy, child loss, poverty, racism, abuse, prejudice, desperation, and the lengths a mother will go to protect, look after a sick son and feed her children.

Five stars from me, I’m keen to do some further reading about Charles Millar, the Stork Derby Fortune and the court-case.

Becoming Mrs Mulberry

Becoming Mrs Mulberry by Jackie French
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Agnes Glock is a medical student in Edinburgh, Scotland, and once The Great War ends she plans to marry her fiancé Huw and return to Australia and practice medicine together. A couple of years later, her friend Hortense or Puddin Mulberry asks Agnes to help her save the family fortune and rescue her brother Douglas who’s suffering from shell shock. When they find Douglas, he's been mistreated, the only solution is for Agnes to care for him, and they marry and travel back to Australia. Agnes is portrayed as a gold digger by the press and it's not true, she wanted to help Douglas and Puddin and move on from the loss of her fiancé during the war.

Four years later in the Blue Mountains at Wombat Hills, Douglas is still suffering from shell shock and is mute. Ange’s has employed ex-soldiers to work in the house and around the property, she has built ten cottages for families of men suffering from physiological and physical issues to live in and created a caring circle of support.

Agnes is a kind person, she discovers a young girl being used as an exhibit in a circus, and she rescues her. Agnes thinks the girl is suffering from a rare endocrine problem, the circus owners claim she was living with dingoes, Agnes takes newly named Diane to see a doctor in Sydney and discovers her ex-fiancé Huw is very much alive. Diane brings the Mulberries closer, Douglas starts to speak and together they try to solve the mystery of where Diane came from, was she stolen from her real parents and are they looking for her or did they give her because of her disability and do they know she's been badly abused and neglected?

I received a copy of Becoming Mrs Mulberry from NetGalley and Harlequin Australia in exchange for an honest review. Jackie French has written a narrative that really grabs your attention from the first page, it covers wide range of topics and has a fascinating cast of unforgettable characters. A historical fiction story about the lasting impact of WW I, the physical and metal injuries both men and women suffered from, especially shell shock, the lack of treatment and how many struggled to cope with civilian life. Agnes provides a peaceful, much needed retreat at Wombat Hills and she hasn't finished.

Agnes is my favourite character, she’s the best wife, friend, carer, crusader and selfless person. Five stars from me, I laughed, cried, cheered and I have never read a book like, Becoming Mrs Mulberry, and Ms. French has written a literary treasure and a real gem!

We'll Meet Again

We'll Meet Again by Cheryl Adnams
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Elizabeth and Maggie Cardwell are excited when they travel to Hawaii with their parents and it’s very different to Canberra, Australia. Mr. Cardwell was an officer in the Australian Navy for thirty years, and he’s meeting with the American Navy on behalf of the Australian government. Both countries are concerned about the Japanese activity, Australia especially is in a vulnerable position as most of it's army are fighting in Europe and Africa. Hawaii is beautiful, blue skies and a tropical paradise, Elizabeth and Maggie meet the Baker brothers on Waikiki beach. Cody teaches Maggie to surf, Elizabeth and Tom tag along as chaperones and try to stop the young couple from getting into too much mischief.

The Cardwells board a ship home to Australia, they have no idea that Pearl Harbor is only days away from being attacked by the Japanese, and they find out while still at sea. When they arrive home, Elizabeth wants to join the Women’s Royal Australian Naval Service, her mother has a hissy fit, and her dad comes up with a compromise. While Maggie waits patiently to hear from Cody, she dreams about being a star in Hollywood and a famous singer.

Elizabeth is a secretary in Darwin, she works for the Australian Navy and the port is a busy one. US supply ships take ammunition, food and soldiers to the East Indies and New Guinea. Maggie disappears, her family have no idea where she is, Maggie's trying to find a job singing and she discovers the seedy side of men and Kings Cross.

During the chaos of Pearl Harbor, Cody is out surfing and Tom is an electrician aboard the USS Oklahoma. The brothers are separated, one believes the other has died, the Baker brothers and Cardwell sisters forge their own paths and during a war anything is possible!

I received a copy of We’ll Meet Again by Cheryl Adnams from NetGalley and Harlequin Australia in exchange for an honest review. I learnt so much from reading this enlightening narrative, about Pearl Harbor and the Japanese attack on Darwin ten weeks later. The characters are interesting, their wartime experiences really help you understand what it was like at the time, including the tension and differences between the allied troops and the American forces and the attempts made by both sides to make things more amicable.

The Australian public wasn’t told the truth about what happened in Darwin, please read the authors notes at the end, Ms. Adnams shares some of the statistics and a comparison between the two Japanese aerial attacks and I was shocked. A remarkable historical fiction story about family differences, siblings, friendship, music, camaraderie, drinking beer in Darwin and wharfies, trauma, shell shock, loss, falling in love and five big stars from me.

The Paris Notebook

The Paris Notebook by Tessa Harris
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Katja Heinz lives with her widowed mother in Hamburg, Germany, her mutti hasn’t been the same since her father died and she’s suffering from a mental illness. Katja begins working for Doctor Ernst Viktor as his receptionist and she has no idea he wants her type up secret medical records. The doctor treated a patient years ago during The Great War, he kept a notebook of his findings, the person was suffering from a severe psychological and personality disorder and his name is Adolf Hitler.

With the rise of Adolf Hitler’s popularity in Germany and the threat of another war starting and Doctor Viktor knows the information he has is extremely important. It’s also very dangerous, if anyone discovers the journal or the manuscript Katja's been typing, his and secretaries lives are on the line.

Doctor ViKtor wants his medical notes and thoughts about the dictator published, he and Katja travel to Paris. Here Katja meets two people who will have an influence on the decisions she makes, her safety and future. One is Irish journalist Daniel Keenan and the other is Sylvia Beach the American owner of the bookshop called, Shakespeare and Company. Katja and Doctor Viktor are being watched, at the clinic, and their movements around Hamburg and in Paris. Not only do they have to worry about German spies, Doctor Viktor has made enemies at the hospital and they would do anything to get rid of him.

Shakespeare and Company isn't just a bookshop, it's a lending library, a gathering place for authors, book lovers and lost souls. Daniel’s an avid reader, he hangs out at the bookshop because he’s lost his way, his wife and daughter were tragically killed and the two people who understand how he feels are Sylvia and especially Katja whose father was murdered in Germany. Doctor Viktor, Daniel and Katja over the course of seven months, try to get his notebook published, they face many obstacles, setbacks, accusations, enemies and so much more!

I received a copy of The Paris Notebook by Tessa Harris from NetGalley and HQ Digital in exchange for an honest review. The narrative looks at the lead up and the start of the Second World War from another angle and it’s told from a different perspective. Once again a well-researched and written historical fiction story by Ms. Harris, full of real facts, and with elements of suspense, mystery, with so many twists and turns and I certainly didn’t predict the ending. Five stars from me and I highly recommend this book and two others I have read by Tessa Harris, Beneath a Starless Sea and The Light We Left Behind.

The Paris Sister

The Paris Sister by Adrienne Chinn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Paris Sister is the second book in, The Fry Sisters series and it begins after the end of, The Great War, going into the decade known as the Roaring Twenties and ends just before the Wall Street crash.

Cecelia and her husband Frank Jeffries decide to move to Alberta, Canada, Frank wants to be a wheat farmer on the prairie and Celie is expecting the couple’s first child. Celie misses her old life, taking photographs and writing newspaper articles, Frank doesn’t want Celie working outside of the home, and he’s very moody and jealous.

Etta is married to Italian artist Carlos Marinetti, he's been accused of murder, Etta travels to Paris to sell his paintings and they need the money to pay the lawyers fees. Etta's drawn into Paris’s heady social scene, of never ending parties and she mixes with self-indulgent people like; F. Scott Fitzgerald and his wife Zelda, Ernest and Hadley Hemingway. Etta’s not keen to return home to Capri and sort out the latest mischief her daughter Adriana has gotten into and her poor aunt Stefania is getting too old to cope.

Jessie is married to Doctor Aziz Khalid, they live in Cairo, her husband works at a hospital and Jessie and her sister-in-law Zara run a clinic for disadvantaged people. Jessie and Aziz desperately want to have a child, and her mother-in-law Layla is putting pressure on them and you can imagine what she thinks about Jessie’s dreams of one day becoming a doctor. The situation in Cairo is extremely volatile, some Egyptians want break away from British rule and form their own government.

Christiana Fry still lives in England, she has a secret from her past, she doesn’t want it exposed and it would have devastating consequences for one of her daughters.

I received a copy of The Paris Sister by Adrienne Chinn from NetGalley and HarperCollins UK in exchange for an honest review. It was wonderful to catch up with the Fry sisters again, I read and enjoyed the first book, Love in a Time of War. Women roles changed a lot during WW I and many experienced freedom for the first time, and they didn’t want to give it up. I enjoyed reading about Cecelia and Jessie’s involvement during a time of major social change, cutting their hair shorter was rather radical and practical. At times the narrative was a little slow moving, this could be because the stories told from four points of view and in four different countries. I recommend both books for fans of expansive historical fiction, especially those who enjoy a complicated family saga and four stars from me.

The War Pianist

The War Pianist by Mandy Robotham
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Marnie Fern is employed by the British Broadcasting House, her grandfather Gilbert Coop is a tailor and she visits him after work. So far in England there hasnt been any air raids, but when they begin the Luftwaffe drop bombs every night and it's catastrophic. Marnie is devastated when her beloved grandfather is killed in one of these raids, she returns to his shop, Marnie discovers a radio set and he’s being working as an undercover radio operative and helping the Dutch resistance.

Corrie Bakker is a mother, she lives in Amsterdam and owns a bookshop and at night she works as a radio operative. When she doesn’t hear from Gatsby she’s worried, she has no idea he’s been killed and his granddaughter is keen to follow his footsteps. Two women living in different war torn cities, both want to help their countries and at considerable risk to their own safety.

Marnie’s grandfather taught her Morse code, after a week’s training somewhere in Oxfordshire, she easily passes, and Marnie continues to work for the BBC during the day and Lizzy sends messages to Daisy in Amsterdam at night. War tore up the rule book for many women, for Connie and Marnie it was a meeting of like minds over the airwaves. Both are excellent "pianists" the nick name given to radio operators, but both face challenges daily and the danger of being betrayed.

Marnie meets Willem Bakker, he escaped Amsterdam with his friend Gus and she has no idea he’s Connie son. In Amsterdam, Connie is trying to keep her daughter Kees safe and her aging Uncle Hendrik, from the Gestapo, SS and the Abwehr and most of all the evil German officer Lothar Selig. People are in hiding all over Amsterdam, in a series of safe houses and even at the Artis zoo.

I received a copy of The War Pianist from NetGalley and Avon Books UK in exchange for an honest review. Mandy Robotham has done it again, a thoroughly researched and interesting narrative set during the Second World War. I had never heard of the term “pianist” for a radio operator before, their fingers did have to move quickly and they only had a short time to send a coded message. Both of the main characters are focused, realistic, saw things as they were, women who wanted to change the course of the war and did. I highly recommend reading this book if you enjoy WW II historical fiction and Ms. Robothams previous books, The Berlin Girl and The Resistance Girl, and another five star read for me.

Snowy Mountains Promise

Snowy Mountains Promise by Alissa Callen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Hettie Burbrook is an introvert, she flies her own light plane, she takes amazing photos, and she’s just been offered a deal for her pictures to be published in a coffee table book. She decides to visit her best friend from boarding school Brenna Lancaster, she lives in the Snowy Mountains and near a little town called Bundilla. The iconic countryside and landscape is breath taking and perfect place for Hettie to take rustic photos. Hettie has another reason for visiting Bundilla, she wants to solve a fifty year old mystery and possible crime.

Taite Lancaster is Brenna’s twin brother, the grumpy deer farmer is also a talented artist. Taite uses scrap metal and a welder and he creates incredible animal sculptures. Taite sees showing his feelings and emotions as a weakness, he’s one of Bundilla’s last available bachelors and he's happy being single. Hettie has had a crush on Taite for years, she assumes he’s not interested in her and maybe she’s wrong?

While visiting Glenwood Station, Hettie starts looking for clues into her great-uncle Elliot’s past, she had no idea he grew up in Bundilla and he left town under suspicious circumstances, it doesn’t take long for Hettie to get the message she’s sticking her nose in where it’s not wanted and it could be dangerous.

I received a copy of Snowy Mountains Promise by Alissa Callen from NetGalley and Harlequin Australia in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed learning more about Hettie and Taite and both characters have been mentioned in the two previous books in the popular Bundilla series. Hettie and Taite have lost love ones, you can understand why they prefer being on their own, don't like feeling vulnerable and avoid romantic relationships. Bundilla is full of well-meaning match makers, slowly the walls around Hettie and Taite’s hearts start to crumble and it's hard for him to resist her cute combination of red curly hair, fair skin and freckles.

Five stars from me, I devoured Alissa Callen’s latest novel and I like her wonderful descriptive writing style. Fascinating and compelling characters, it's set in the picturesque Australian Snowy Mountains and the narrative is a real page turner by Ms. Callen. I highly recommend reading all three books, Snowy Mountains Daughter, Snowy Mountains Cattleman and Snowy Mountains Promise.

The Direction of the Wind

The Direction of the Wind by Mansi Shah
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When Sophie Shah’s father Rajiv suddenly passes away, a couple of weeks later she discovers he’s been keeping a secret from her and she’s stunned. Twenty-two years ago, a six year old Sophie returned home from school and her father told her her mother Nita had died in a tragic accident. The truth was his wife had ran away from their arranged marriage and daughter and traveled to Paris. Leaving behind her family, husband, daughter and comfortable life in Ahmedabad, India, and for the unknown.

Nita arrives in Paris in her sari, she’s in her early thirties and wants to be an artist. She has nowhere to live, she has never been in charge of her own finances before, drank alcohol or worn western style clothes. Nita meets a street artist called Marais, he’s charming and charismatic and she falls under his spell.

Sophie’s aunts have arranged for her to get married, as a single woman she can't live alone, she leaves her fiancé behind and boards a plane to Paris. Sophie is rather wet behind the ears like her mother, despite being twenty-eight and an accountant. She sets about trying to find Nita, all she has is an old photograph and some letters. As Sophie slowly uncovers snippets of information about Nita, she discovers her father looked for her mother for years and couldn’t find her.

I received a copy of The Direction of the Wind by Mansi Shah from NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing in exchange for an honest review. It’s a really interesting story and it looks closely into Indian culture, the practice of arranged marriages and how restricted the young women’s lives were. I can’t imagine what it would be like to live in such a way, it would be very claustrophobic and frustrating.

The narrative focuses on the two main characters struggles and is written from their points of view. For Sophie it’s a journey full of shocks and surprises, she discovers her parent’s personal struggles, flaws, secrets, weakness and the mistakes they made. By finding out what happened to her mother Nita, it brings her closure, now Sophie can work out what she wants to do, make up her own mind about getting married and if she does it needs to be on equal terms. Four stars from me, the story made me feel so many emotions and it really made me think, I felt sad, shocked, angry, compassionate and most of all thankful for being able to make my own decisions, follow my dreams and not be controlled by others.

The Night Travelers

The Night Travelers by Armando Lucas Correa
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Berlin, 1931: Ally is a talented poet, she falls in love with a colored German musician Marcus and she gives birth to a mixed-race daughter she calls Lilith. To protect Lilith, Ally hides Lilith in her apparent in Berlin, when Lilith starts walking she takes her out to play in the park at night and she makes a game out of it. The Germans introduce a Racial Ideology Policy, to create a pure Aryan race, and they start sterilizing people who fail the test. Ally loves her daughter, she makes the difficult decision to send her with a Jewish couple to safety in Cuba and she stays behind in Germany.

Havana, 1958: Lilith is grown up, she was raised by Albert and Beatrice Herzog and they feel they have performed their duty. Lilith left Germany when she was three, she has very few memories of her mother or living in the Berlin apartment. Lilith is in love with Martin, her childhood friend, and she’s looking forward to their wedding. Martin is a pilot, he has ties to the Batista government and he and Lilith are on their honeymoon when the violence begins. When the revolution totally erupts, Lilith and her newborn daughter Nadine, find themselves in danger and Martin can't help them. Lilith has to make the heartbreaking choice to save her daughter, Nadine is smuggled out of Cuba, and sent to America to be adopted.

Berlin, 1988: Nadine’s childhood in America is thrown into turmoil, when her German born mother is arrested and she's taken back to Germany. Nadine attends university in Germany and she enrolls using her real last name, here she meets Anton, they marry and have a daughter. Luna wants to find out her about her families past, she knows it’s extremely complicated, but she has no idea a big secret is about to be uncovered and it will completely stun and shock her mother Nadine.

I received a copy of The Night Travelers from NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Australia in exchange for an honest review. Armando Lucas Correa has written a historical saga that takes place during three of the most troubling times in modern history and it's about four generations of one family. It highlights the love and bond between a mother and her child, the lengths she will go to and what she’s willing to sacrifice to keep her child safe. Mr. Correa always gives you an in-depth history lesson, this time it spans eight decades and it includes the Nazis coming into power in Germany, the Cuban Revolution and the rise of Communism, Operation Peter Pan and the fall of the Berlin Wall. The narrative is about war, love, discrimination, loss, survival, secrets, betrayal, regret, and finding closure. I really liked the characters of Ally, Bruno, Lilith, Martin, Helena, Nadine, Miranda, Anton and of course young Luna. Four stars from me, the pace of the story did drag a little in places and this might be due to the English translation?

A New Home in the Dales

A New Home in the Dales by Betty Firth
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Roberta Bancroft is working as a typist and a reluctant tea lady at a London newspaper, she finds it rather frustrating as she wants to be a journalist. A position for a junior reporter is advertised in the Yorkshire Dales, the magazine is called, The Tyke and Reggie Atherton is the editor. Bobby feels bad leaving her dad and her twin sister Lilian behind and her father is still suffering from nightmares and shell shock from The Great War. Her sister want’s Bobby to follow her dreams, she will look after her dad, their sister-in-law will check on him and a neighbour.

The village is small, everyone’s families have been settled there for decades and the dalesfolk have their own ideas, language and traditions. Bobby has never lived in the country before, when she moves to Silverdale it’s a big shock, the local boys love playing pranks on her and she has a run in with a pet goose.

Bobby lives with the Atherton’s at Moorside Farm, Reggie's aim is for Bobby to increase the magazines subscribers and his kindly wife Mary is like a second mother to her. The local vet Charlie Atherton lives in a cottage on the farm, he’s a right charmer and Reggie has warned him to stay away from Bobby. Reggie sends Bobby to interview Andy Jessop, he’s in his eighties and lives at Newby Top. Andy shares his story with Bobby, it’s not what she’s expecting and it’s a turning point for her and a real eye opener.

I received a copy of A New Home in the Dales by Betty Firth from NetGalley and Hera Books in exchange for an honest review. It’s a delightful story about a young woman taking a chance, moving to the country and during the Second World War. An entertaining read, full of quirky and likeable characters, with descriptions of the Yorkshire Dales, the traditions, language, the quaint little town, barn dances, new years eve celebrations and not wanting these things to be lost and being passed onto the next generation. So many life lessons are woven into the narrative, about being honest, having compassion, being a genuine person and appreciating what you have. Five stars from me, I can’t wait for the next book in the series and a utterly charming English historical fiction drama by Betty Firth.

Before the Storm

Before the Storm by James D. Shipman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Second World War maybe over, but in 1948, life for the German people is still a daily struggle and the Russians have cut off the allies access to the Western part of Berlin. Ignoring the post war agreement where Germany was divided up into four sections and the Americans have to airdrop in much needed supplies for the German citizen’s.

Sara Sturm is German, she’s working for the US Department of Public Affairs, she’s one of the lucky ones, and she has a job and lives in a tiny apartment. Her boss sends her to an antiques shop, owned by Karl and Max Portnoy, their business has been vandalized and there’s still a lot of anti-Semitic behavior and resentment in Germany. Karl, Max and their entire family were all sent to a concentrating camp, and only the two brothers survived the Holocaust. They worked for a nuclear scientist Heinz Hoffman, who was trying to build an atomic bomb for the Germans and now he’s gone into hiding.

The two brothers know what Hoffman looks like, with Sara accompanying them, they try to find Heinz Hoffman and he’s believed to be in hiding somewhere in Bavaria? Sara’s being followed by Jeffrey Scott an American working for the same organisation, he wants to find Hoffman first and for his own selfish reasons. A member of the top-secret Odessa organization is helping Hoffman, it's made up of former German commandos and they always seem to be one step ahead of them.

During their dangerous quest to find Hoffman, Sara and Max develop feelings for each other and at a time when you can’t trust anyone. Germany is full of Nazi sympathizers and people who will do anything to make money or escape being prosecuted as a war criminal, and gain entry into Argentina or America where they can start over.

I received a copy of Before the Storm by James D. Shipman from Edelweiss and Kensington Publishing Group in exchange for an honest review. The narrative is rather full on, which I enjoyed and you’re taken on a speedy ride through post war Germany and the start of the Cold War. A story about survival, justice, revenge, supremacy and superiority, navigating trouble and difficulties and it has many unexpected twist and turns that I certainly didn’t see coming. I loved Mr. Shipman’s latest book and five stars from me, perfect for fans of historical fiction stories based on true facts, and it's full of espionage, intrigue, double agents, big secrets and the odd nasty character!

A Mother's Hope for the Cornish Girls

A Mother’s Hope for the Cornish Girls by Betty Walker
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have read and enjoy the three previous books in the Cornish Girls Series by Betty Walker and her latest book, A Mother’s Hope for the Cornish Girls is another well written and touching addition.

Sonya Thorpe works for Lady Barbara Symmonds as her companion in St Ives, and her parents disowned her when she had a baby out of wedlock twenty five years ago. Sonya begins helping at the orphanage and she likes caring for the children, with her employer’s encouragement she tries to find her daughter and she’s successful. Sonya discovers her daughter is married, has a young son and needs a place to stay while her fighter pilot husband is away.

Lily Fisher has returned to St Ives to finish her midwife training, Tristan Minear her first love arrives at the convalescent home badly burnt, he slowly recovers and when he’s fit enough to leave and his father doesn’t want him returning to the farm. Lily shocks herself by proposing to Tristan, they marry and he moves into her little cottage. Lily’s is busy delivering other women’s babies, she realises that she would like to be a mother herself and she needs to convince Tristan for their marriage to be no longer one of convenience.

Mary Stannard is a nurse, she works at the convalescent home, and she’s starting to suffer from burn out. Mary parents live in St Ives, she visits them on her day off and her mother can be rather bossy and controlling. Mary meets Dick Jeffries, a teacher at the local school, she’s attracted to him and she’s shocked to discover he feels the same way about her. Dick is a nice man, he encourages Mary to stick up for herself and she’s considering a career change.

I received a copy of A Mother’s Hope for the Cornish Girls from NetGalley and Avon Books UK in exchange for an honest review. Like her previous books, Betty Walkers writing style makes you feel empathy and care for the characters in the narrative. While some of the personas are new and others are from the previous three books, and it’s nice to catch up with them and what’s happening in their lives. This story focuses on motherhood, being a mother is challenging enough, but being pregnant and raising children during a war takes mothering to another level. You read about the challenges the women faced, keeping their children safe and occupied during air raids, rationing and finding clothes. Five stars from me, I highly recommend this book and the three others in the series and I look forward to reading the fifth book being released in August.

The German Messenger

The German Messenger by M.J. Hollows
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Ruth Holt is a journalist, she lives in Liverpool, and her husband Peter is serving in the Royal Navy and her son George has been evacuated to the country. The people George is staying with put him on a train, send him home without telling her and now Ruth is busy juggling motherhood, working for the newspaper and she’s a member of the Women’s Voluntary Services.

When the blitz begins and life for Londoners becomes a struggle, nightly the bombs reign down, destroying houses and starting fires and killing and wounding hundreds of people. Ruth isn’t allowed to publish what’s happening in the paper, the sensors won’t allow it and they think it will cause widespread panic. Ruth’s neighbour looks after George for her, one day he’s taken and the kidnapper wants her to supply him with information and so he can give it to the Germans.

Ruth has no choice but to co-operate, she can access some details through her work, she has taken a few photographs and she passes on these and falsified troop movements. Ruth receives some bad news about Peter, she gets very disheartened and around the same time she meets Anthony Lloyd. He’s a school teacher and Anthony volunteers at night to make sure people are following the blackout rules. Ruth can’t tell Anthony the truth about herself and what she’s been doing, Ruth was born in Austria, George being kidnapped, she’s a spy and if she's caught, Ruth faces being arrested for committing treason.

I received a copy of The German Messenger by M. J. Hollows from NetGalley and HQ Digital in exchange for an honest review. The narrative focuses on a woman’s struggles during the Second World War, at first it was due to rationing and having to evacuate her son to the country and it gets worse. It highlights the horrors of the blitz, the endless nights of bombing and especially for people living in Merseyside. A historical fiction story full of, secrets, mystery, suspense, tragedy and drama. The pace of the narrative was a little slow for me at times and due to this, I gave the book three and a half stars.

The House of Eve

The House of Eve by Sadeqa Johnson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The house of Eve’s narrative is told from two young women’s points of view, it takes place in the 1950's, where racial prejudice is rife and even amongst colored people.

Ruby Pearsall is a teenager living in Philadelphia, she was born to a young single mother, who is more interested in finding a new boyfriend than taking care of a baby. Ruby is intelligent, she’s taking extra classes to help African American teenagers attend college and it’s called, We Rise Program.

Eleanor Quarles comes from a tiny town in Ohio, and she’s the first member of her family to attend college. Eleanor is a motivated person, she works at the college library, and here she meets the handsome William Pride. He’s studying medicine at Howard University, his fathers a doctor and William's mother Rose is a snob. Eleanor wants to major in history and become a library archivist and Ruby dreams of being an ophthalmologist.

Ruby moves in with her aunt Marie, living in the same building is Shimmy, a white Jewish boy, they fall in love and history repeats itself. Eleanor falls in love with William, he comes from a different social class, Rose is horrified when she meets Eleanor and finds out her father works in a factory and her mother is a cook. When Eleanor falls pregnant, she and William marry and his family are unhappy, Eleanor does everything she can to try and fit in and nothing she does is good enough. Ruby is sent to a home for unwed mothers, it’s run by Catholic nuns and it’s nothing like it's promoted to be in the glossy brochure.

The decisions Ruby and Eleanor make as teenagers, set them on a path and their lives become connected in an unexpected way.

I received a copy of The House of Eve from Edelweiss and Simon & Schuster in exchange for an honest review. Sadeqa Johnson’s research is through, I like her writing style, the narrative is easy to follow and holds your attention. The story covers topics such as, escaping poverty and stereotypes, body shaming and keeping secrets, ambition, miscarriage and pregnancy loss, motherhood, adoption, forbidden love, sexual abuse, prejudice and coercion. Ms. Johnson latest book is based around her own family history, it’s about the difficulties and challenges African American women faced and still do. While I enjoyed the authors previous book, The Yellow Wife, I was completely captivated by, The House of Eve and five stars from me.

A Castle in Brooklyn

A Castle in Brooklyn by Shirley Russak Wachtel
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A Castle in Brooklyn is a historical fiction story about two young Polish Holocaust survivors, Jacob Stein and Zalman Mendelson. Jacob is hiding in a barn, one night he’s woken by a noise, and he's worried it's the Germans. Zalman Mendelson is twelve years old, his family live in the nearby town of Raczki, when soldiers arrive at his house, he follows his dad’s instructions, Zalman hides and then he needs to find somewhere safe.

Jacob has lost track of time and he has no idea how long he has been staying in the barn, he doesn’t realise how lonely he is until Zalman arrives, and they spend a lot of their time talking, eighteen year old Jacob dreams of building a house and having a family. The boys are found, along with other Jewish people who have been in hiding and the group are marched into the forest. Jacob doesn’t want Zalman to end up in an unmarked grave, he’s given him a reason to fight to survive and somehow they manage to escape.

At the end of the war, the two young men are living in a displaced persons camp and they travel to America. Zalman moves to Minnesota, to work on a farm and he doesn’t want to live in a big city. Jacob stays in New York, twice a week he attends night school after working in a factory during the day and he meets Esther Itzkowitz. They marry, Esther’s father owns a real estate company, and Jacob starts working for his father-in-law. Jacob is busy, Zalman returns and helps Esther with overseeing the building of the couples house in Brooklyn and when it's completed he moves in with them.

Jacob and Zalman suffered dreadfully during the war and witnessed awful atrocities, both have nightmares and Jacob refuses to speak about his family and what happened to them. Unfortunately a terrible tragedy occurs, this causes friction between Jacob and Zalman and sadly Esther is caught in the middle.

I received a copy of A Castle in Brooklyn by Shirley Russak Wachtel from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, and the authors parents were survivors of the Holocaust. Over 80,000 Jewish immigrants moved America after the end of the Second World War, and she was inspired by them to write her novel. I think the book was too long, the last half of the narrative dragged for me and I wish someone had pointed this out to Ms. Wachtel. A stunning cover, such a promising idea for a story about loss, survival, friendship, immigration, denial, misunderstandings and three stars from me.

Snowy Mountains Promise

Snowy Mountains Promise by Alissa Callen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Hettie Burbrook is an introvert, she flies her own light plane, she takes amazing photos, and she’s just been offered a deal for her pictures to be published in a coffee table book. She decides to visit her best friend from boarding school Brenna Lancaster, she lives in the Snowy Mountains and near a little town called Bundilla. The iconic countryside and landscape is breath taking and perfect place for Hettie to take rustic photos. Hettie has another reason for visiting Bundilla, she wants to solve a fifty year old mystery and possible crime.

Taite Lancaster is Brenna’s twin brother, the grumpy deer farmer is also a talented artist. Taite uses scrap metal and a welder and he creates incredible animal sculptures. Taite sees showing his feelings and emotions as a weakness, he’s one of Bundilla’s last available bachelors and he's happy being single. Hettie has had a crush on Taite for years, she assumes he’s not interested in her and maybe she’s wrong?

While visiting Glenwood Station, Hettie starts looking for clues into her great-uncle Elliot’s past, she had no idea he grew up in Bundilla and he left town under suspicious circumstances, it doesn’t take long for Hettie to get the message she’s sticking her nose in where it’s not wanted and it could be dangerous.

I received a copy of Snowy Mountains Promise by Alissa Callen from NetGalley and Harlequin Australia in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed learning more about Hettie and Taite and both characters have been mentioned in the two previous books in the popular Bundilla series. Hettie and Taite have lost love ones, you can understand why they prefer being on their own, don't like feeling vulnerable and avoid romantic relationships. Bundilla is full of well-meaning match makers, slowly the walls around Hettie and Taite’s hearts start to crumble and it's hard for him to resist her cute combination of red curly hair, fair skin and freckles.

Five stars from me, I devoured Alissa Callen’s latest novel and I like her wonderful descriptive writing style. Fascinating and compelling characters, it's set in the picturesque Australian Snowy Mountains and the narrative is a real page turner by Ms. Callen. I have a feeling the next book in the series will be about tomboy Brenna, I wonder if she might finally wear a dress and will Bundy the wandering town kelpie move in with her? I highly recommend reading all three books, Snowy Mountains Daughter, Snowy Mountains Cattleman and Snowy Mountains Promise.

The Queen of Thieves

Queen of Thieves by Beezy Marsh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Nell Hart lives on Tenison Street in London’s Southbank, near the Waterloo Bridge and Waterloo Railway Station. Her father is very strict and her mother does what she’s told, Nell meets a boy called Jimmy and she finds herself in the family way. Her father will throw her out on the streets when he finds out, a desperate Nell meets Alice Diamond and she convinces her to join her crew.

Alice Diamond is the Queen of Thieves, her gang of women are professional shoplifters or hoisters, in 1946, London is still struggling to rebuild after the war, food and jobs are scarce and many people buy things off the back of a truck and from the black market. Alice Diamond’s group are called 'The Forty Thieves' and they teach the fresh looking and pregnant Nell all the tricks of the trade. They hit up market shops, stealing silk stocking and underwear, clothes, jewellery and fur coats.

You don’t want to mess with Alice, she wears her flashy diamond rings as brass knuckles and she carries a knife and uses it. Nell soon discovers that Alice is using her for her own gain, she has a problem with crime boss Billy Sullivan and Alice wants to bring him down from his lofty perch. Nell wises up, she discovers that Alice has a big secret, Billy is nothing but a thug and gets others to do his dirty work for him.

I received a copy of Queen of Thieves by Beezy Marsh from Edelweiss and HarperCollins in exchange for an honest review. It’s an interesting story about a life style and occupation I knew very little about, how the hoisters hit the department stores was extremely well planned, they had so many tricks and places where they hid the stolen goods. It gives readers an in-depth look at the seedy side of post war London, the poverty, lack of options for young women, many lived with men who had fought in the Second Word War and were subjected to domestic abuse, the power struggles between gangs, widespread police corruption and it even went as far as the House of Lords.

Four stars from me, I highly recommend Queen of Thieves, it's certainly not boring and it’s released on the 3rd of January 2023.

The Knighton Women's Compendium

The Knighton Women's Compendium by Denise Picton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Four generations of the Knighton women live under the same roof in 1982, Greaty is the head of the family, her parents owned the old house in the Clare Valley and it was once a Cobb & Co Inn. Her mother Emily gave her a copy of, The Women’s Annual, printed in London in 1905 and it’s full of helpful advice for young ladies.

Greaty or Dorothy is seventy five, she’s a wonderful cook and she won’t let anyone go hungry and Greaty likes to invite people over to eat on the weekends. Gran or Flora is fifty five, she and her best friend Wilma like to protest against social injustice and of course Wilma is invited to the weekend feasts. Mum or Lucy, is the mother of Holly, she’s the youngest Knighton girl, pretty Lucy has two suitors Si Walters and the recently separated Zac Carson.

Holly is twelve, she’s obsessed with Olivia Newton-John and her latest movie Xanadu. She’s determined to be famous like her idol, unfortunately Holly hasn’t been blessed with golden vocal chords, and instead she and her friend Barry Jones take dancing lessons. They plan to enter a dance marathon held at Adelaide’s Celestial Theater, win, and Holly will be able to have her teeth straightened and then the sky's the limit.

The four Knighton women are at a different stages of life, despite loving each other dearly and they have contrasting ideas and needs. A narrative about a family’s daily adventures, their quirky friends and neighbors, full of funny quotes and Australian language. A wise Greaty points out to Holly, what really matters in life, always listen to others and most of your own inner voice and especially when things don’t go as planned and nothing stays the same forever.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Knighton Women’s Compendium by Denise Picton, I’m only a couple of years older than the main character Holly, it took me back to being a teenager in the 1980’s, I danced and sang along to the Grease soundtrack with my cousin, we were both fans of Olivia Newton-John and we had so much fun. Four stars from me, a perfect choice for a book club read, it covers many relevant topics and makes you think about life, love, family, how you’re never too old to hit the dance floor and the impact music has on people.

Never To Surrender

Never to Surrender by Mary-Anne O'Connor
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Carl Smith lives in Berry, New South Wales, he’s studying to be a doctor and he's almost finished his degree. Carl’s parents immigrated to Australia from Germany after WW I, his father Louis Schmidt is a professor and a pacifist. Australia is fighting in another war, Carl’s best friend Joe is going to sign up and Carl is considering what he should do? He’s worried about the Australian enemy alien’s policy and would Carl joining the army save his German born father from being sent to a detention camp?

After facing action in Africa, Carl and Joe and what’s left of their infantry battalion make it to Crete. The last stand, here the Australian and New Zealand troops have to defend the island, with no reinforcements, limited ammunition, artillery and aerial support.

Anthea Papadakis lives in Rethymno a small fishing village in Crete, situated between Chania and Heraklion and where her father owns a Taverna. When a group of battle weary Australian solders arrive, she’s instantly drawn to Carl Smith and she shows him the ancient Palace ruins at Knossos. Carl’s determined to stop the Germans from harming Anthea, destroying the precious relics and because they have important links to Greek Mythology.

The young couple don’t have long before the Germans launch what’s to be their last airborne invasion and the brutal fight for the island of Crete begins. What’s left of the allied army and the locals are caught up in guerrilla style fighting against the German’s and the brave Maori soldiers have to engage in ferocious hand to hand combat.

I received a copy of Never to Surrender from NetGalley and Harlequin Australia in exchange for an honest review. Mary-Anne O’Connor has a way of writing a historical fiction saga that’s earnest, endearing and full of the Anzac spirit. Ms. O'Connor's latest narrative includes many interesting facts about ancient Crete and what happened during the Second World War, how thankful we should be for the sacrifices made by the Cretans and Anzac soldiers. Carl and Anthea were strong and resilient characters, I admired them both, especially Anthea who fought for her country and family. I highly recommend reading Never to Surrender and it has the most stunning and nostalgic cover, and five stars from me.

All That We Have

All That We Are by Mariah Stewart
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Emma Dean’s husband died over ten years ago, she thought they had a happy marriage, until she cleans out Harry’s office and discovers he'd been cheating on her. Emma’s upset, she mourned Harry when he died suddenly and now she’s questioning everything about their relationship, she feels betrayed and foolish.

Emma has lived in Wyndham Beach her whole life, she has the support of her best friends Maggie Flynn and Liddy Bryant and her only child Christopher. Emma’s son Christopher is the lead singer in a band, he’s been very successful and he’s dating Maggie’s daughter Natalie.

To take her mind of her unfaithful husband, Emma focuses on her latest project, she’s remodeling cabins for six artists to live and work from. At the end of their three month sabbatical, they will exhibit their art in her center she founded and hopefully make some money.

Emma hasn’t dated since Harry passed away, Owen Harrison's family own a historical house in Wyndham Beach and the busy entrepreneur occasionally visits. Emma’s considering if she and Owen could possibly have a long distance relationship, when a little girl rings her door bell, and she’s sure that Emma’s her long lost grandmother?

Emma's world is turned upside down, she contacts Chris and he has never heard of Winnie’s mother. Emma feels sorry for Winnie, she’s only eight years old, Emma looks after her and while they try to locate her mum. Emma is also worried about one of the artists, her husband is abusive and what will happen if he finds her? After having a heart to heart discussion with Stella, it makes Emma question some of her late husband’s behavior and how he treated her!

I really enjoyed the two previous books in the Wyndham Beach Series; The Invincible Summer and Goodbye Again by Mariah Stewart and now it’s time to read about Emma's life and what will test her faith, strength, and resilience. I really liked the three main characters of Maggie, Liddy and Emma, they have a close friendship, and all three have faced adversity, they take on life’s challenges and hiccups together, Emma is lucky to have two wonderful friends, their unconditional support and the community of Wyndham Beach. Four stars from me and I wish the narrative focused more of Emma and Owen's relationship.

The Woman Who Knew Too Little

The Woman Who Knew Too Little by Olivia Wearne
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Kitty Wheeler didn’t know what she wanted to do when she left school, she studied nursing, went to secretarial school and even tried teachers college. Kitty joins the South Australian Police Force and it's one of the few occupations where women earned equal pay to men. Kitty and her fellow female officers are mainly called out to domestic altercations, child neglect cases, runaways and dealing with ladies of the night.

After a long day on her feet, Kitty and her partner Fiona are patrolling the beach at Somerton and they notice a man and they assume he’s just another drunk. The following day, Kitty is shocked to discover a mans body has been found at Somerton Beach and it's front page news in, The Adelaide Advertiser. The deceased man was slumped up against a seawall, with no signs of foul play and any forms of identification on his person.

Policing was very different in the 1940’s, it was very time consuming, often a missing person case didn’t have a photo included and a copy of dental records in their file. He was middle aged, neatly and well dressed, oddly all the tags had been removed from his clothing and the coroner couldn’t find a cause of death. People came forward, many hoping it was their son or husband who have been listed as missing in action since the Second World War, and they had all sorts of leads and all ended in disappointment.

I received a copy of The Woman Who Knew Too Little by Olivia Wearne from NetGalley and Harlequin Australia in exchange for an honest review. I have always found the story about the unidentified man who was found at the Somerton Beach fascinating and it was interesting to read about how the case was handled in 1948. There were so many theories about who he could be and was he poisoned, perhaps he was a spy or a German soldier who had committed war crimes and was hiding in South Australia?

You get an in-depth look at life in Australia at the time, very few women would have considered joining the police force, Kitty enjoyed her job, she worked long hours and she was constantly put under pressure by her family and others to get married and have a family. Kitty’s character's a real trailblazer, she paved the way for Australian women to be able to have a career and be independent. Four stars from me, a well written historical fiction mystery based around decades of theories and real facts.

The Book Spy

The Book Spy by Alan Hlad
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A couple of weeks after the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor, President Roosevelt forms a new task force and it's called the Office of Strategic Service. They need librarians and microfilm specialists, to purchase and go through Axis publications and their looking for anything that might help the allies win the war. Details about German troops, where weapons are being manufactured and military strategies, in newspapers, books, magazine and journals.

Maria Alves is a microfilm expect, she works in a tiny room at the New York Public Library, she spent her childhood traveling with her photojournalist parents and she can speak six languages fluently. At first only men with Ivy League educations are recruited by the OSS, this makes Maria mad and she takes matters into her own hands.

Lisbon, Portugal is a neutral country and it’s the last gateway out of Europe, thousands of refuges are flocking to the city and many of them are Jewish. Tiago Soares owns a bookstore in the center of Lisbon, with his assistant Rosa Alves, the pair create forged passports and visas for Jewish refugees. Maria meets Tiago, she works out what he’s doing and Tiago doesn’t believe Maria is just an American librarian working in Lisbon. He does what he can to obtain newspapers, books and printed material from Germany for her, Maria takes photo’s of the documents and the film is sent to London via her Lisbon contact.

Maria’s not a spy, after she meets Lars Steiger, a rich Swiss Banker and a known Nazi sympathizer. Lars is believed to be involved in money laundering for the Germans and also trying to obtain supplies of Wolfram needed for making weapons. Maria is recruited to be a double agent, her role is gain Lars trust, give him false information about when the allies are planning to land in France and where.

Both Maria and Tiago are involved in dangerous activities, despite the growing attraction between them, they can’t act on their feelings as both are only one simple slip up away from being exposed, arrested, tortured or worse!

I received a copy of The Book Spy from Edelweiss and Kensington Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Alan Hlad has thoroughly researched what happened in Lisbon during The Second World War, he combines real facts and details and creates an interesting, enlightening and intriguing narrative. The characters of Maria, Tiago, Roy, Pilar and Rosa are brilliant and incredibly smart. Five stars from me, I highly recommend this novel and a perfect choice for a book club read.

The Sisters We Were

The Sisters We Were by Wendy Willis Baldwin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Ruby and Pearl Crenshaw grow up on Cherry Lane in Austin, Texas with their parents Birdie and Teddy. Unfortunately Teddy dies in a car accident and an already chubby Pearl finds comfort in food. Ruby is runner, she wins a college scholarship and once she graduates she lives and works in Dallas as a brand manager for an upscale online magazine. Pearl has a job in an aged care facility and she still lives in the rundown family home and her mother Birdie is serving twenty year prison sentence.

Pearl can no longer ignore her weight, she is so heavy doing everyday things is difficult and in some cases virtually impossible. Pearl needs to lose weight or she will die, Pearl makes an appointment to see Dr. Henry George and he specializes in bariatric surgery. Having surgery is a complex process and a very expensive one, and Dr. George has to take a look inside her stomach to see if she’s a good candidate for a sleeve gastrectomy and she has to have a variety of other tests. Pearl is scared, she has the support of a work colleague and friend Perry and she will need someone else to help her post operation.

Pearl has only seen Ruby once in twelve years, she calls her and she will try and get time off work. Ruby makes a big mistake, she loses her job and has to move home to Austin and live with Pearl. Ruby is shocked when she sees her sister for the first time, she can’t believe how large she is, how Pearl could allow her weight to get so out of control and she is used to being judged harshly. The sisters are back living under the same roof, Ruby keeps busy by cleaning and de-cluttering the house and Pearl tries to control her nerves and feelings of panic.

I received a copy of The Sisters We Were from Edelweiss and Sourcebooks in exchange for an honest review. I am so grateful Sourcebooks published Wendy Willis Baldwin’s book and they were the only ones who would print her incredible story about a morbidly obese person.

Five big stars from me, I laughed and I cried and have so much respect for people who have bariatric surgery, it’s a life changing journey and not an easy one. The story highlights how childhood abuse and trauma is the major cause of morbid obesity. Pearl takes back control of her own body and shows incredible courage and determination. Pearl makes peace with her past and with Ruby and the truth sets her free and it’s a story about hope, understanding and a must read.

The Dance Teacher of Paris

The Dance Teacher of Paris by Suzanne Fortin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In 1942, the German’s occupy Paris and Adele and her father Gerard Basset manage to keep their small school open. Adele’s late mother was a ballerina, she taught both her daughters Adele and Lucille how to dance. Adele continues to hold her dance classes after school, it gives the children a chance to forget about the war and their empty bellies. The Germans demand she make a list of all the Jewish students, Adele has no choice and she’s determined to help the children and their mothers. Adele hides as many as she can in a concealed attic, she smuggles in food and tries to figure out a way of getting them safely out of Paris.

Manu Lafon is Adele’s childhood friend, he’s the curator of the art museum next door to the school and Adele has a crush on him. At a time when you can’t trust anyone, can she turn to Manu for help and together they have to take huge risks. They come up with a plan to get the Jewish children out of Paris, everything has to fall perfectly into place and it’s extremely dangerous. Adding to Adele’s worries, her sister Lucille has fallen in love with a German officer, Adele finds him repulsive and she can’t understand why Lucille can’t see that he’s leading her on. With him lurking around in the background, Adele’s feels vulnerable and she worries about him visiting the school.

The Dance Teacher of Paris has a dual timeline, it's set in Paris during the Second World War and later in 2015.

In 2015, Fleur Anders works as a lab technician in London, she was raised by her grandmother Lydia Calvin and her grandmother moved to Sussex after the war. Lydia doesn’t talk about her childhood growing up in France and she visits Paris every year in August. Lydia is in her early eighties, and it’s time for her to share her story and secrets with Fleur before it’s too late. Lydia asks Fleur to travel with her to Paris, she's keen to go and she has no idea what's going to be revealed and the people she will meet.

I received a copy of The Dance Teacher of Paris from NetGalley and Embla Books in exchange for an honest review. I have read and enjoyed two of Suzanne Fortin’s previous books, The Forgotten Life of Arthur Pettinger and Beyond A Broken Sky and her latest book is my favorite. The narrative is outstanding, and Ms. Fortin is the queen of dual timelines and it's easy to follow. A story about having the courage to stand up for what is right and the awful consequences of war, honor, courage, dedication, keeping secrets, loss, and being in love. Five stars from me, never feel guilty about surviving, be happy and keep on dancing for those who can't.

Windfall

Windfall: The Prairie Woman Who Lost Her Way and the Great-Granddaughter Who Found Her by Erika Bolstad
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Erika Bolstad is a freelance journalist, when her mother passes away, she discovers her mum owns a share of the mineral rights to Erika’s great-grandmothers land. With very little information to go by, Erika starts investigating the lives of her great-grandmother Anna and her great-great-grandmother Martha Sletviod.

Erika travels across Nebraska with her husband Chris, through the Badlands of North and South Dakota, trying to find clues, landmarks and the scattered graves of her ancestors. What she uncovers is a sad tale of what homesteaders had to deal with, grasshopper plagues, drought, flood, blizzards, fires, and isolation.

Her great-grandmother Anna married Andrew Haraseth on the 13th of December 1905. Anna already owned 160 acres of land in North Dakota, within a year she and her husband built a small house and barn and had their son Ed. When Ed was only a few months old, Anna was taken to an asylum, she was likely suffering from the after effects of a difficult birth and post-natal depression. Her only child Ed inherited her land, the family still owns a share of the mineral rights, and does this mean if the company strikes oil they will be rich?

Erika looks into Dakotas oil boom and it’s many revolutions, what she discovers is, it’s a male dominated workforce and a political one as well. Everything centers around finding and producing oil, populations of towns, and the building of roads and schools and do they consider the long term effects it has on the environment and do they even care about climate change?

I received a copy of Windfall by Erika Bolstad from Edelweiss and Sourcebooks in exchange for an honest review. It was interesting reading about the Homestead Act, life in North Dakota and how many Americas are descendants of the original homesteaders. A sad story of how a woman lost her rights, over her own body, land, son and most of all her freedom. Three and a half stars from me, the memoir was a little slow in places and Ms. Bolstad focuses too much on her own life at times and not enough on Anna.

The Wrong Sister

The Wrong Sister by Fiona Palmer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Ellen Sutton is a nurse and midwife in Albany and her last boyfriend broke her heart. Ellen has her parents, brother Bodhi and his partner Ingrid and her sister Carrie for support. Ellen enjoys delivering babies, at thirty she wants to settle down and dreams of having children of her own and she needs to find the right man!

Her younger sister Carrie is a hairdresser and make-up artist, her business is booming, she has a new boyfriend and for the first time it seems serious. Bodhi and Ingrid live together, she’s a chef, and Ingrid and Ellen are good friends. Out of the blue, Ellen suddenly leaves her job, moves to remote Calla Station, and becomes a Jillaroo. It makes no sense to her family, their shocked, and confused and miss her.

Bodhi and Ingrid and Carrie and her boyfriend Fin are visiting Karijini country, going camping and Ellen’s meeting them at Dale’s Gorge. Bodhi has a big surprise planned for Ingrid and Ellen is nervous about seeing everyone. The atmosphere is rather tense, family dynamics can be complicated, in this case it’s an understatement and they don’t know why?

I received a copy of The Wrong Sister from Hachette Australia and in exchange for an honest review. This is the first book I have read by Fiona Palmer, it won’t be my last, I was hooked from the first chapter, I liked the mixture of characters and especially Hans the backpacker. Ms. Palmer’s descriptions of the iconic Australian landscape are vivid and you can picture the rocky hills, ghost gums, shrubs, grasses, termite mounds, walking trails, waterfalls and swimming holes in your mind. The narrative has a meaning and makes you think about life, loss, following your dreams and being true to yourself. How honesty is the best policy and don’t keep secrets, you can’t imagine what someone else is feeling or going through unless you have walked in their shoes and no one is perfect and everyone can make a mistake. Five stars from me, live, laugh, love, and remember don't put so much pressure on yourself to be faultless.

The Alamo Bride

The Alamo Bride by Kathleen Y'Barbo
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

In 1836, Ellis Valmont finds a man wounded and unconscious in a stolen pirogue (a type of canoe) she and her mother Sophie treat his wounds. Ellis saw the man disembarking with the New Orleans Greys the previous day in Velasco and why hasn’t he moved on with the other members of his unit? As his fever rages, he mutters odd things about the war and about buried treasure? Ellis writes down and keeps a record of what he talks about and she discovers his name is Clay Gentry.

Ellis is concerned he has lost his mind or he’s a spy for the American president Andrew Jackson or for the enemy who continues to threaten the republic of Texas. With her father Boyd and brother Thomas away fighting, Ellis has to follow her instincts and faith in god.

Ellis and Clay leave for the San Jose Mission, here Ellis takes care of the sick and wounded, with his memory slowly returning and Clay remembers his promise to help his friend Sam Houston. The story has links to the novel, Pirate Bride, many of Maribel’s descendants are included in the narrative and their history. Both Ellis and Clay are strong characters and role models, they believe in doing what is right and the lord is walking alongside them and keeping the Mexicans from crossing the river into Texas.

I received a copy of The Alamo Bride from NetGalley and Barbour Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Kathleen Y'Barbo has written a story with a Christian theme and it’s the 7th book in the popular Daughters of The Mayflower series. I liked reading about Ellis’s use of herbs in healing, the couples links to New Orleans and their budding romance. Three and a half stars from me and I wish I had read all of the previous books in the series.

The Midfort Affair

The Mitford Affair by Marie Benedict
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The six Mitford sisters, Nancy, Pamela, Diana, Unity, Jessica and Deborah are known as the Bright Young Things. Their parents David and Sydney Mitford, are rather distant, the girls and their only brother Tom grew up being looked after by a series of nannies and running wild in the English countryside. The families rather fond of calling each other by odd nick names, the children invented their own private language, and they called their father (Farve) and their mother (Muv).

When Diana divorces her husband the 2nd Baron of Moyne or Bryan Guinness, it caused a big scandal, she was having an affair with the leader of the British Union of Fascists, Sir Oswald Mosley and she believed in his radical ideas. Two other Mitford sisters have different political ideas to most British citizens, Jessica’s a communist and Unity’s obsessed by Adolf Hitler. A socially awkward and tall Unity leaves England, moves to Germany, joins the Nazi party and meets her idol.

Nancy Mitford is a published novelists, she marries Peter Rodd and dreams of having a family of her own. She’s rather shocked by Diana’s and Unity’s choices, with another war looming, she’s worried they will be seen as a threat to English security and she’s right. The family has links to Winston Churchill, so Nancy has to make the difficult decision, who deserves her loyalty her country or her sisters?

I received a copy of The Mitford Affair from Edelweiss and Sourcebooks in exchange for an honest review. Marie Benedict in her latest book, delves into the lives of the famous Mitford sisters, especially Nancy, Diana and Unity. Were, Diana and Unity extremely naïve, even selfish and lacked basic common sense? The novel looks at how two upper class sisters, placed themselves at the center of scandal and political intrigue, in the lead up and during the Second World War, by believing in and supporting Fascism and Nazism. Nancy was put in the awful position, she loved her sisters and I think Diana in particular was selfish.

Marie Benedict never disappoints, like in her previous two book I have read, Lady Clementine and Her Hidden Genius, by skilfully using a combination of fact and fiction, she creates a fascinating narrative that holds your attention and five stars from me.

The Artist's Secret

The Artist's Secret by Alexandra Joel
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wren Summers had an unusual upbringing, her mother Lily lives in a commune on the NSW south coast and she doesn’t tell people where she grew up. As a teenager Wren won a scholarship to a Sydney private school, she did well at university and she now works at the Sydney Art Museum. Wren’s given the opportunity to apply for an internship in New York, unfortunately her mother receives some bad news at the same time, Lily wants Wren to find a girl called Roma while she's living in, "The Big Apple.'

The Artist’s Secret narrative has a dual timeline, it’s easy to follow and it goes between 1965 and 1987.

Lily Summers is an American college student, her boyfriend has just received his call up papers and he’s going to be sent to fight in Vietnam. They burn his papers in protest, flee to Lake Como in Italy and he escapes the expectations of his wealthy family. The couple are madly in love, things don’t go as planned and Lily is forced to make a difficult choice.

Wren starts her internship at Archer’s Auction House, it’s a male dominated work place and it’s never employed a women as an auctioneer. A Mafia boss is a customer of Archer’s and so is a high profile entrepreneur. Wren has to cope with working in a very sexist environment and not knowing who she can trust and she’s lost her faith in men. When she encounters people who are double dealing and involved in illegal activities, fraud and deceit, Wren and one of her friends lives are put in danger.

I received a copy of The Artist’s Secret from NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers in exchange for an honest review. I read Alexandra Joel’s previous book, The Royal Correspondent and she’s upped the ante with her latest novel. A well written story about famous art pieces, work place discrimination and Wren discovering the truth about herself and her mother. I really enjoyed reading about Wren living in New York, visiting the famous Nell’s club, her relationship with her girlfriends and being on the lookout for fake artwork. Wren meeting Dr. Jordan Grant and realizing how lucky she was to grow up in Australia and not to judge her mother so harshly. Five stars from me and remember 'love always deserves a second chance.'

Codebreaking Sisters

Codebreaking Sisters: Our Secret War by Patricia Owtram
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Patricia and Jean Owtram were only teenagers when the Second World War started, they lived at Newland Hall, five miles from Lancaster and the sisters had a typical English upper class childhood. Educated at home by a governess, they had a pony, the family went fishing in Scotland and as teenagers they attended boarding school. The family took in two Jewish Austrian refugees, Edith and Lilly and Patricia and Jean quickly became fluent in German and with a slight Austrian accent.

When the war broke out in 1939, their father Gary Owtram was a major in the 137th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery, and his unit was sent to Singapore and he was taken prisoner by the Japanese. Patricia joined the Wrens, she signed the secret services act, and was sent to various remote locations along the British coastline. Patricia listened to German radio messages, quickly wrote them down and had no idea they were forwarded on to Bletchley Park and where the German Enigma code was cracked.

Jean was two years younger than Patricia and once Jean turned eighteen she joined the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry. Jean's first posting was in Cairo and then Italy, where she helped the Partisan efforts against the Germans, and yet she was too young to celebrate the D-Day landing with an alcoholic beverage.

Two sisters who couldn’t discuss what they did during the war, finally in the 1960’s they did and were able to honor their father’s wartime service in a fitting way. A true story about the vital work of young women during the Second World War, the responsibilities they took on as teenagers, and how they helped England achieve victory.

I received a copy of Codebreaking Sisters from NetGalley and Mirror Books in exchange for an honest review. This book was less than two hundred pages, I enjoyed every single one and I don't normally read biographies. Patricia and Jean Owtram’s experiences and maturity was truly inspirational, don’t forget their father was a prisoner of war at the time and they didn’t know his fate. Five stars from me, I highly recommend reading this amazing true story and it’s full of interesting facts and information about the Second World War.

Belle Haven

Belle Haven by Jaye Burke
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Venice Arial lives in New Orleans with her parents, her father Jean-Pierre is a banker and her mother Lorraine is a socialite. Mrs. Arial is extremely controlling, she’s picked out a suitable man for Venice to marry, and she’s busy planning the engagement party and wedding. Venice needs a break from her mother and her wedding plans, the family own a lovely summer house and it’s built by the shores of Pontchartrain Lake. Venice escapes Louisiana, she takes her friend Emilie with her and they stay at Belle Haven.

Here she meets local man Etienne Armand, he and his father are shrimp fishermen. Etienne and Venice fall in love, she knows Etienne will not be good enough for her mother and she’s tired of her being so bossy. Etienne dreams about becoming a lawyer, moving to New Orleans and marrying Venice. With the First World War raging in Europe, it’s only a matter of time before American joins the fight and for the young couple it has terrible and long lasting consequences.

The narrative has a dual timeline, it goes between 1916 and 1991. Venice is now ninety five years old, she looks back at the last seventy five years and wants to share her and Etienne’s history with her granddaughter. It’s a story about love at first sight, WW I, the Spanish flu epidemic, greed, deception, revenge and having a mother that doesn’t care about her daughters feelings and happiness.

I received a copy of Belle Haven by Jayne Burke from NetGalley and Vintage South Books in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed reading about New Orleans, the Mardi gras, Creole food, Belle Haven, and when Venice and Etienne first met. I found parts of the story rather farfetched and especially in the last half of the book. A real shame, too much over the top drama for me and three and a half stars.

The Garnett Girls

The Garnett Girls by Georgina Moore
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Margo Garnett was a teenager when she married Richard O’Leary and her parents were very disappointed with her. When Richard left her, Margo struggled to cope, her sister Alice helped out when she could and her eldest daughter Rachel took care of her younger sisters Imogen and Sasha.

It was a lot of responsibility for a ten year old girl, Rachel hates her father and has never tried to find him. Rachel is a lawyer, she and her husband Gabriel and two daughters live at Sandcove on the Isle of Wight and it's the family home by the seaside. The three Garnett girls are close, they love their mother Margo and at times they have found her behavior embarrassing. Margo likes chase younger men, throw wild parties at Sandcove, she’s rather lively and exuberant person.

All three of the Garnett sisters are struggling with personal issues, Rachel want’s to live in London, the responsibly of Sandcove an old crumbling house with it's dodgy heating is a big financial burden and one she doesn’t need. Imogen is engaged to William, everyone is pressuring them to set a wedding date, and she’s not sure if William is the one? Sasha is the youngest sister, she’s married to Phil, he’s controlling, he hates visiting Sandgrove and dislikes her family.

I received a copy of The Garnett Girls from NetGalley and Harlequin Australia in exchange for an honest review. It’s the author Georgina Moore’s debut novel, the narrative explores the dynamics of a mother's relationship with her three daughters and how it evolved over the years. In what ways their past and dysfunctional childhood has affected them, the choices they have made and their futures. A big secrets is revealed and this certainly throws a cat amongst the pigeons, the story highlights the damage caused by consuming too much alcohol and how hard it is to live with an alcoholic. Four stars from me, it was difficult to be a wife, mother and work in the 1990’s, not a lot of support, many women struggled, and they couldn’t complain and simply had to soldier on.

Snowy Mountains Daughter

Snowy Mountains Daughter by Alissa Callen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Clancy Parker lives in the Australian high country and she grows peony flowers and at Glenwood Station. Clancy is a down to earth country girl, she loves living in the Snowy Mountains and the closest town is Bundilla. Clancy and her best friend Brenna are members of the book club, sometimes they don’t get around to reading the novel and they try!

Heath MacBride left Bundilla ten years ago, he’s a successful artist and he’s been given the opportunity to paint the towns water tower. Heath’s parents own Hawk Ridge, it’s been in his mother’s family for generations and he doesn’t have a good relationship with his cattleman father. The city boy is back in town, his father isn’t pleased to see him and everyone else is. Heath is staying at the Coach House, it's at Glenwood Station and a friend of Clancy’s brother Rowan.

Heath is a few years older than Clancy, he did notice his friends little sister was starting to blossom before he left town years ago and now she’s a stunning young woman. Clancy's always had a crush on Heath, she is a country girl and Heath's based in the city and he has no plans of staying in Bundilla any longer than necessary.

Heath plans of getting out of town quickly go out the window, his mum needs his help, and he enjoys spending time with Clancy and his friends, and Bundy the towns wandering kelpie becomes his painting companion. When a family secret is uncovered, it has Heath questioning his future, plans and will he be able to leave Clancy?

I really enjoyed reading Snowy Mountains Daughter by Alissa Callen, it’s the first book in the Bundella Novels Series and I’m very keen to read the next book, Snowy Mountains Cattleman. The story is set in the picturesque Snowy Mountains and with an Aussie country theme. Add in some gossip, utes and dogs, painting a local landmark and a good bakery, the growing attraction between Heath and Clancy, this small town girl loved the narrative and five stars from me.

Code Name Helene

Code Name Hélène by Ariel Lawhon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Code Name Hélène is a story about wartime heroine Nancy Grace Augusta Wake, she was born in New Zealand in 1912 and moved to Sydney, Australia when she was a toddler. Nancy left Australia at sixteen, America was her first stop, and then she traveled to France to work as a freelance journalist. Here, Nancy meets Henri Fiocca, he owns a ship building company in Marseilles and has a reputation for being a rich playboy.

Henri slowly woes Nancy, they marry in 1939 and the Germans invade France. Henri is called up, Nancy drives her own ambulance at the front and she helps the resistance by smuggling documents and people. The Germans give Nancy the title of, 'The White Mouse', with a bounty on her head, Henri makes her leave France and she crosses the snowy Pyrenees Mountains and travels to England.

Nancy trains to be a Secret Service Operative, her codename is Hélène and during her time in the Auvergne region leading the marquis groups she’s known as Madame Andrée. Nancy has to prove she's capable of being a leader, she does this over and over again. Nancy is brave, bold, bawdy, and brazen and continues to wear her trademark Elizabeth Arden lipstick in victory red. When the group loses radio contact with London, Nancy rides a bike 250 Kilometers and back again to send an important message.

I received a copy of Code Name Hélène by Ariel Lawhon from NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Australia in exchange for an honest review. The well written and impeccably researched narrative looks at the extraordinary achievements of Nancy Wake, a women who loved her husband Henri and her little dog Picon, she hated injustice and the Germans, Nancy fought bravely to free France and was highly respected by her fellow resistance members. Based on true facts, it’s a story about love, war, danger, espionage, courage, bravery, and about a woman who outsmarted the Germans, she’s a real inspiration and a role model for us all and five stars from me.

The Other Half of Augusta Hope

The Other Half of Augusta Hope by Joanna Glen
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Augusta Hope has a brilliant mind, at six she could memorize the dictionary, at seven Augusta corrected her teacher’s mistakes, when she was eight she spun the globe and picked her favourite country. Burundi, a landlocked country and it’s part of Africa.

Augusta has a twin sister Julia, they grew up on Willow Court, in Hedley Green and are very different. Augusta likes horse riding and library club and Julia enjoys her dance classes. Augusta has no idea what she is going to do after she finishes university, Julia has her life all planned out, she’s going to marry her childhood sweetheart Diego and start at family.

When a double tragedy strikes the Hope family, Augusta’s life is turned upside down and she travels to Spain. The place where the family enjoyed a holiday years ago, here she meets Parfait a painter and he’s also lost people he loved. Parfait is from Burundi, Augusta’s favourite country and he surprised she's so knowledeable about his homeland. Augusta and Parfait share their sorrows and it’s almost like fate has brought them together.

I received a copy of The Other Half of Augusta Hope by Joanna Glen from NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers Australia in exchange for an honest review. It’s a complex coming of age story, at times I struggled to understand Augusta's character and she's a rather quirky one. Three and a half stars from me, I enjoyed reading about Augusta's relationship with Julia, they shared a room and their thoughts growing up and the unexpected link at the end to Zion.

The Secret Society of Salzburg

The Secret Society of Salzburg by Renee Ryan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Elsa Mayer-Braun is a famous Austrian opera singer, by chance in 1933 she meets sisters Vera and Henrietta Featherstone who are big fans. The sisters live in a tiny flat in London, both work for the British Board of Education, in their spare time Vera writes short romantic stories and Hattie dreams of being an artist. The sisters start saving and they want to attend the Salzburg Festival in Austria and hear Elsa Mayer-Braun sing again. On the long trip to Austria, Hattie and Vera notice something disturbing, Jewish people are being treated unfairly, and it makes Hattie mad and Vera scared.

Using their new friendship as cover, Elsa and Hattie form a secret society with a goal to rescue and save as many Jewish individuals as possible. When war is declared, it makes their mission harder, because of Elsa’s fame and her husband Wilhelm Hoffman’s alliance with the Germans. Hattie continues to make her dangerous trips through Europe, smuggling vital information for the English government, Jewish people and their expensive jewellery.

Elsa is in danger, she might be Hitler’s favourite opera singer, but she has Jewish blood, and a jealous rival and eventually she’s arrested for treason. After being interrogated for days, Elsa is sent to Bergen-Belsen, where she’s kept as an important detainee and Hattie’s extremely worried about her best friend.

I received a copy of The Secret Society of Salzburg from NetGalley and Harlequin Romance (U.S. & Canada) in exchange for an honest review. Based around a true story and using the Cook sisters as inspiration, Renee Ryan writes a powerful narrative about two everyday English women and a prominent opera singer. Vera tirelessly raised money to help the cause and Hattie traveled into enemy territory to assist as many Jewish people as she could and hopefully she can save her best friend. A story about the courage of three remarkable women, don’t underestimate what they could achieve together, united by a love of music and opera and a strong social conscious. Five stars from me, I highly recommend both, The Secret Society of Salzburg and The Widows of Champagne.

Beneath A Glass Bridge

Beneath a Glass Bridge by Tali Asnin-Barel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Naomi Steiner is working as a maid in 1941, on a rural farm in Western Austria and she gives birth to a baby girl. When the Germans invaded Austria without a bullet being fired, Naomi’s well off Jewish-Austrian family start looking at ways to leave Vienna and obtaining visas, children’s names are put on the kinder transport lists and not everyone is willing or fit enough to travel. The Steiner’s move in different directions, trying to find a safe refuge and teenager Naomi is the youngest sibling. Naomi realizes it’s up to her to keep her baby safe, she does what she has to survive and she has no idea what has happened to the rest of her family.

Beneath A Glass Bridge has a dual timeline, it’s set in Austria in the 1940’s, England and Israel is the 1940’s and 1950’s and America in the 1990’s.

Author Helena Meyers is married to bridge designer Mike, they have three children, Blair, Roy and Abbie. Helena has been putting off telling Blair about her past, when she finally gives her the box of mementos and it triggers a chain of events. Blair is extremely upset, she runs away from home and won’t speak to her mother. Helena leaves as well, she has things from her own life that she hasn’t dealt with, painful memories from her childhood, growing up in Austria during the war, and how her mother was after the war ended and living in Israel with her Aunt Ruth and Uncle Jonah. Helena starts to write down her life story, what happened to her extended family and how their world was torn apart by the Second World War and the holocaust.

I received a copy of Beneath A Glass Bridge by Tali Asnin-Barel from NetGalley and Books Go Social in exchange for an honest review. A heartbreaking historical saga, about war, the holocaust, loss, motherhood, mental illness, and survivor’s guilt, childhood trauma, moving to Israel and starting again and repairing troubled relationships. A long read, it really makes you think about what you would do in the same situation and four stars from me.

An Echo of Scandal

An Echo of Scandal by Laura Madeleine
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Abandoned as a baby, Alejandra grows up living in a hosteria in Cordoba, Spain, and here she helps the cook in the kitchen. When she’s accused of a murder she didn’t commit and she's forced to flee the only home she's known. In 1920’s Spain, there's not a lot of choices for poor young women, many are made to work on the streets and Alejandra needs to hide. By chance Alejandra meets Arthur Langham and his lady friend Hilde and they live across the border in Tangiers.

Alejandra needs to leave Spain, she obtains false identity papers, dresses as a man and changes her name to Ale Del Potro. Arthur gave her his business card with the address of his villa in Tangiers called Dar Portuna, here she convinces Arthur to hire her as a cook, and hopefully nobody discovers she’s really a young woman and one with a bounty on her head.

Fifty years later, Samuel Hackett is an American writer, wandering the streets of Tangiers searching for inspiration for his next story and thinking about what he can hock to pay his rent. He discovers an old leather writing case, with the initials A. L. on it, inside is a calendar from the 1928, some old stationery and a key. Around the same time he meets Ellis Norton, an English diplomat and he finds himself drawn into a world of scandal, secrets, danger, corruption and deceit.

I received a copy of An Echo of Scandal by Laura Madeleine from NetGalley and Random house UK in exchange for an honest review. The dual timeline story takes you from a seedy inn in Spain, where powerful men take advantage of young girls, to exotic Tangiers during the 1920’s and 1950’s. Here Sam Hackett tries to solve the mystery of what really happened to Arthur Langham and Ale Del Potro, the locals call the abandoned villa the English House, they believe it’s haunted and cursed. Three and a half stars from me, a dual timeline historical mystery, with a plot full of suspense and unexpected twists and turns.

House on Endless Waters

House on Endless Waters by Emuna Elon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Author Yoel Blum lives in Jerusalem with his wife Bat-Aml and the couple have three grownup daughters. Yoel made a promise to his mother Sonia, that he would never return to his birthplace Amsterdam and his Dutch publisher wants him to visit.

While touring the Jewish Museum with his wife, a slideshow of photos is played to honor the Dutch Jews that were persecuted and killed during the holocaust. Yoel is shocked to see an image of his younger mother, with his father Eddy, sister Nettie and a baby he doesn’t recognize. All of the family’s photos were destroyed during the war, Yoel has never seen a picture of his father and he knows deep down in his soul, the baby isn’t him.

The 145,000 Jewish citizens felt safe in Holland, they didn’t think they would be targeted and unfortunately they were. First they had to register and wear a yellow star, they were banned from public places and their businesses were taken, property and money was seized and letters started arriving informing them they had to report Westerbork Transit Camp.

Yoel travels back to Amsterdam, he wants to find out who he really is and he’s shocked by what he discovers. Parents had to make difficult choices, sometimes very quickly and there was an underground network that hid thousands of Jewish children. Later many didn’t remember their real parents, or the caretakers didn’t tell them the truth and others were sent to Palestine in exchange for German citizens.

I received a copy of House on Endless Waters by Emuna Elon from NetGalley and Atria Books in exchange for an honest review. A moving and emotional narrative that looks at what Dutch people had to do to survive the holocaust and how it effected them afterwards. Some lost their entire family, and others had trouble trusting people, had a fear of loss and didn't have children, they felt humiliated and didn’t talk about what happened to them. Four and a half stars from me and a very emotive story to read.

The Island Girls

The Island Girls by Noëlle Harrison
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Irish nurse Emer loses her sister Orla to cancer, she’s consumed by grief and Emer feels guilty and is desperate to leave her job at Massachusetts General Hospital. She finds a new position looking after Susannah Olsen, who lives on Vinalhaven Island, off the coast of Maine and her patient is a real loner. The two women get off to a shaky start, Susannah doesn’t want anyone taking care of her and despite the fact that her niece Lynsey employed Emer to be her companion and palliative care nurse.

The two women have something in common, they have both lost a sister they loved dearly and Susannah is reluctant to talk about Kate. Emer discovers Kate died in suspicious circumstances in the 1960’s, her husband Mathew Young disappeared and has never been seen since. When Emer finds a bundle of old letters, Susannah starts telling her about her childhood and how her mother favored her younger sister, Susannah's plans of going to to college and Kate’s troubled marriage.

The dual time line story looks at the relationship and bond between sisters, how they would do anything for each other, in Susannah’s case she put her life on hold and she doesn’t want Emer to do the same.

I received a copy of The Island Girls from NetGalley and Bookouture in exchange for an honest review. The narrative written by Noelle Harrison is thought provoking and tackles difficult subjects. A story about sisters, love, loss, guilt, grief, cancer, domestic violence, secrets, justice and four stars from me. I have read, The Boatman’s Wife by Ms. Harrison, both books have Irish characters, links to lobster fishing and the remote islands off the coast of Maine, and four stars from me.

The Boatman's Wife

The Boatman's Wife by Noëlle Harrison
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

2017: Lily married her Irish love Connor Fitzgerald three years ago and she didn’t know a lot about his family or his past? They live in Maine, Lily comes from a seafaring family and her dad is a lobster fisherman, he owns a boat called the Lily May and she and her cousin Ryan are both members of his crew. Her beloved Connor is lost at sea during a violent storm, somewhere floating in the Atlantic Ocean is his unclaimed body and Lily's absolutely devastated. While planning his memorial she finds a message on his laptop that said “Does your wife know who you really are Connor Fitzgerald and don’t think you can come home. Because if you do, I swear I’ll kill you.”

Lily can’t stand being alone in her little house she shared with Connor, she’s angry at her father for not turning his boat around, not returning to shore when the weather was so bad and she was the one who should have been on the boat instead of her husband. She decides to fly to Ireland and makes her way to Mullaghmore, a beautiful place on the Irish coast and she’s determined to find Connor’s Grandmother Rosemary. Somewhere nearby she lives alone in her cottage and she doesn’t know her Grandson Connor has passed away. None of the locals will talk about Connor; Lily senses they knew him and yet they won’t tell her anything about his family?

I received a copy of The Boatman’s Wife from NetGalley and Bookouture in exchange for an honest review.

The Narrative has a complicated plot, it’s interesting and full of twists and turns. The dual timeline story is based around Connor’s mother's involvement during the 1990’s conflict with Northern Ireland, Rosemary’s Fitzgerald’s terrible struggle with depression and Connor’s troubled teenage years, Connor being lost at sea and Lily becoming a young widow. Three stars from me and a quick read.

In Darkness, Look for Stars

In Darkness, Look for Stars by Clara Benson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Maggie Brouillard is a member of the French resistance, she’s helping Jewish people escape Paris and her fiancé Emil is forced to leave. Her sister Cecilia won a scholarship to study music in Nice at the Prix de Rome and Maggie sends her coded messages. She assumes Emil made it to Nice safely, due to the war she hasn’t heard from Cecilia or Emil and she hopes for the best.

Harriet Conway applies to be Rose Brouillard’s secretary, the family of the famous composure now live in England and at the rundown Chaffingham House. They fled Paris towards the end of the war, Harriet has no idea what happened to them during the German occupation and she knows Jean-Jacques Brouillard collapsed during a performance.

Harriet discovers Rose Brouillard is a very difficult woman, she’s obsessed with her husband’s music and continuing his legacy. Her troubled son Sebastien is forced to practice and play the violin, her daughter Cecilia is confined to a wheelchair, she never leaves her room and her young son Rex is lonely. A man arrives at the house looking for Maggie Brouillard, Rose tells him to leave and Harriet is confused. She discovers Maggie was Cecilia’s older sister, something happened to her during the war, Harriet has no idea what has been covered up and the secrets members of the family are keeping from each other.

I received a copy of In Darkness, Look for Stars from NetGalley and Bookouture in exchange for an honest review. It’s a poignant story about a complicated family, torn apart by a war and greed, tragedy, death, jealousy, hatred, secrets and revenge. Harriet, Cecilia, Rex and pilot Alec McLeod are my favourite characters in the narrative, four stars from me and I’m keen to read other books by author Clara Benson.

The Silk House

The Silk House by Kayte Nunn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thea Rust moves to Oxleigh a small village in England, she’s from Melbourne, Australia and fifty years ago her father attended the prestigious boarding school. Thea’s a history teacher, she can hold her own on a hockey field and it's the first intake of female students at Oxleigh College. Thea and the girls are staying in nearby Silk House, built in the 1760’s for a silk merchant and his new bride. Thea notices odd things happening in the house, a piano playing in the middle of the night and she believes the place is haunted.

Thea begins looking into the history of Silk House, it was built for Patrick and Caroline Hollander. The story has a dual time line and it alternates between the 1760’s and 2019.

Rowan Caswell parents have passed away, she and her four younger brothers are living with her aunt and uncle and Rowan travels to Oxleigh to find work. She’s employed as a maid at Silk House, Prudence the cook is friendly and Alice the ladies maid is rather rude. Rowan notices all is not right in the household, her mistress is miserable and Mr. Hollander travels a lot for his work. Rowan learnt about herbs and healing from her mother, she has to be very careful about revealing this to anyone and women have been killed for practicing witchcraft.

Mary-Louise Stephenson lives in London with her widowed sister Frances, she dreams of being a silk designer and it’s a male dominated profession. Mr. Hollander hears about her, he wants Mary-Louise to make up three patterns for him and she does using drawings of deadly plants and flowers. When she doesn’t hear from Patrick Hollander as promised, she travels to Oxleigh and she desperately needs the money he owes her.

I received a copy of The Silk House from NetGalley and Hachette Australia in exchange for an honest review. The narrative is about the beliefs of the time and Thea uncovering a one hundred and fifty year old secret and all is not what it seems at Silk House. This is the third book I have read by Kayte Nunn, the author has an interest in the silk making industry in London and the use of herbs during Gothic times. Four stars from me and I did however prefer: The Forgotten Letters of Esther Durrant and The Last Reunion. If you enjoy reading spooky dual timeline historical mysteries, with a plot full of twists and turns and then The Silk House would be perfect for you.

For Love and Country

For Love and Country by Candace Waters
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Charlotte Palmer is engaged to Eugene, both of their families are rich and own factories in Detroit. As her wedding day draws closer, Lottie feels trapped and guilty. Her parents are spending a fortune on an extravagant wedding, when American is fighting in world war and Lottie wants to serve her country.

Lottie runs away, she joins the Navy WAVES program, they discover in basic training that Lottie can drive and she can also fix a car. Lottie’s sent to San Diego, California to be trained as airplane mechanic and in charge of the crew is Captain Luke Woodward. Lottie faces decimation, the male recruits think she isn't strong enough or have the mental capabilities to fix an airplane. Lottie proves them all wrong, by working hard and she doesn’t mind getting her hands greasy.

Lottie's stationed at Pearl Harbor, she’s a machinist mate and her job is to get planes ready to be loaded onto a airplane carrier. The war is suddenly very real, the planes Lottie and the crew are fixing, have bullet holes, cracked windscreens and damage all along the underbelly. Lottie admires Captain Woodward, he’s a good looking man and leads by example.

I received a copy of For Love and County from NetGalley and Howard Books in exchange for an honest review. Candace Waters has written an enlightening story about one woman wanting to break free of the stereotypical expectations at the time, she wanted to serve her country and when it needed her the most. I really admired Lottie’s character, how she broke down the walls around her prickly roommate Maggie Duckworth and for being a ingenious mechanic. Five stars from me, I highly recommend this book for fans of WW II historical fiction with a focus on strong and courageous women.

All the Lost Places

All the Lost Places by Amanda Dykes

A baby boy is discovered by a man floating in a basket along the canals of Venice and he decides not to take him to the nearby orphanage. Instead he’s raised by a guild of five artisans, Pietro a glass blower, Valentina a lace maker, Giuseppe a gondolier, Dante a printer and Elena a gardener. Sebastian Trovato thinks he will never discover who he is and until he finds Mariana Fedele unconscious on Elena’s island.

All the Lost Places has a dual timeline, it’s set in Venice in the early 1800's and in 1900's.

Daniel Goodman has made mistakes in his life, a way of redeeming himself is by traveling to Venice for Mr. Wharton, to procure an original book and it's sketches. Here he meets Vittoria Bellini, she works in a bookshop and her uncle Antonio repairs rare and antique books. With Vittoria’s help, he navigates the streets and canals of Venice, he discovers who Sebastian Trovato is and why he didn’t finish his story.

I received a digital copy of All the Lost Place from NetGalley and Bethany House Publishers in exchange for an honest review. Amanda Dykes skilfully writes a story about a man who is foundling, and him trying to find out who his parents are and another trying to right the wrongs of his past. An amazing story that combines faith, mystery, secrets, hope and the history of Venice to weave a narrative that will hold you captivated by it’s brilliance and use of words. Four and a half stars from me and I had to really concentrate reading this complicated novel.

The Willow Wren

The Willow Wren by Philipp Schott
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Ludwig Schott lives with his parents Luise and Wilhelm in Leipzig, Germany. His father is a lawyer, with the rise of Hitler he supports the Nazi party and is a true believer. When Germany invades Poland, his father is positive they will be victorious and he has no idea what the future holds for his family.

Ludwig is small for his age, he loves exploring forests, looking for birds and reading. His father is absent most of the time, busy working and he’s a real ladies man. When the allies start bombing Leipzig, Mrs. Schott and the children move to Colditz and Ludwig and his older brother Theodor are sent to a nearby Hitler Youth camp. Here Ludwig is bullied, forced to perform marching drills, go on long hikes, dig trenches and take part in mock combat.

As the war drags on, Ludwig is stuck at KLV-Lager and one bully is replaced by another. Ludwig can hear the sounds of warfare getting closer, he’s finally had enough and he and a couple of other boys start walking towards Colditz. The Americans arrive first, they don’t mix with the German citizens and they hand the town over to the Russian army.

Ludwig is only eleven years old, he looks after his mother and younger siblings. The winters are brutal, food and fuel is scarce and Ludwig scavenges in the forests for mushrooms and anything edible. Stuck in the Russian Zone, Ludwig and his mother know they need to leave for the West and they form a plan. It’s going to be a hard trip, especially for the three youngest children, Ludwig doesn’t give up easily and he outsmarts the guards.

I received a copy of The Willow Wren from NetGalley and ECW Press in exchange for an honest review. The author Phillip Schott writes about his father’s experiences as a young boy, growing up in Germany during the Second World War and it’s an amazing coming of age story. How one small boy endured so much and he never gave up, his love for his mother and siblings, he was extremely resilient, smart and brave. Ludwig Schott had a big heart, he was fiercer than a lion and five stars from me.

Dreaming of Verona

Dreaming of Verona by T.A. Williams
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Dr. Suzie Cartwright is paid a generous salary to accompany Lady Alexandra Tedburn to Italy. Lord Tedburn is tired of his daughter’s behavior, she has a reputation of being a party girl and he wants her to settle down and get married. Suzie agrees to travel with Alex and report back to her father and they will spend a month in Italy.

Suzie is currently in-between jobs, she recently completed her PhD in English literature and her thesis is about William Shakespeare. Suzie and Alexandra arrive in Verona, the City of Love and it’s famous for it’s connection to Romeo and Juliet. The couple are supposedly buried in the vaults of the Abbey of San Francesco in Verona and Suzie can’t wait to visit all the historical sights.

Suzie discovers that underneath the make-up and designer clothes, Alexandra is a nice person and one whose life is controlled by her domineering father. Alex is a talented artist, a pursuit her father thinks is an utter waste of time and Suzie is determined to help Alex explore her options.

Suzie bumps into painter Michael Turner, he’s a widower and he hasn’t got over the loss of his wife. Suzie hangs out with Alex’s friends, James’s father owns Villa Magnolia on Lake Garda and the group go windsurfing. Suzie meets her idol Professor Dennis Macgregor-Brown and they have so much in common.

I received a copy of Dreaming of Verona by T. A. Williams from NetGalley and Canelo Publishing in exchange for an honest review. The book is full of interesting details about living in present day Italy, Verona, Romeo and Juliet, the historical places to visit with links to the famous couple and of all things windsurfing. It’s a story about Suzie and Alex and how the women become best friends and Suzie gives Alex the support she needs to question her father’s attitude towards her and escape his controlling ways. Both women follow their dreams and hearts, this book took me by surprise, a very enjoyable read and five stars from me.

Dreaming of Rome

Dreaming of Rome by T.A. Williams
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Dr. Joanna Brown works for a conservation charity, she wants to rid the planet of plastic and especially from the oceans. Jo dated a handsome model for four years, after having her heart broken she’s decided to stay away from good looking men and she's better off being single. Her sister Angie is engaged to Mario, his family own a hotel and restaurant in Rome.

While on a business trip to Rome, Jo catches up with her sister and future brother-in-law and she meets his brother Corrado. He’s a chemist, the known womanizer tells Jo he doesn't believe in love and it’s just a biochemical reaction. Jo loves Rome, the old buildings, walking the ancient streets, eating the delicious food and drinking wine. Corrado is happy to show her the sights, he takes his dog Daisy with them, they lookout for butterflies and try to stop the Labrador from jumping into any water she can find.

Jo knows she's falling in love with the charming Corrado, due to her sister marrying his brother and she doesn’t want to take their relationship to the next level. Jo’s worried it will cause tension between the two families, she doesn’t want to ruin her sister’s wedding and have her heart broken again.

I received a copy of Dreaming of Rome by T. A. Williams from NetGalley and Canelo in exchange for an honest review. The story is set in a beautiful place, you wish you’re the person walking the streets of Rome with Corrado, sailing the Mediterranean and stopping at a small island for a swim and lunch. Jo and Corrado are two highly intelligent people, they have so much in common and all they need is for Corrado to believe in love and stop being so cynical. Four stars from me, a romance set in a picturesque place and I’m looking forward to reading, Dreaming of Verona.

The Seamstree of Sardina

The Seamstress of Sardinia by Bianca Pitzorno
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A compelling historical fiction saga set on the island of Sardinia and in the early nineteen hundreds. The seamstress is an orphan, she lives with her grandmother and she’s her Nona’s apprentice and it's a respectable job for a young Italian woman. She makes handkerchiefs, sheets, tablecloths, nightgowns, and baby and children’s clothes and does alterations.

Sworn to secrecy, the seamstress works for a month helping to make three beautiful gowns for Mr. Provera’s wife and two daughters and the dresses are to be worn at a function attended by Queen Alexandra. During this time, she learns a lot Parisian fashion and designing clothes, and uses expensive fabrics that she's never handled before, silk, brocade, damask, velvet and muslin.

The narrative is full of interesting characters, like the Marchesa Esther, the seamstress made her wedding trousseau and she rewards with her first sewing machine. Miss Lily Rose an American journalist who wants the seamstress to make her special corset, her poor neighbor Zita, who she helps by giving her food and her young daughter Assuntina.

All her life the seamstress has been warned about men, and it doesn’t take much to ruin a young woman’s reputation and livelihood. This makes her very wary of them, when she meets Guido, he’s studying to be an Engineer and at first doesn’t take his interest in her seriously.

I received a copy of The Seamstress of Sardinia from Edelweiss and Harper Perennial Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Written by one of Italy’s well known authors Bianca Pitzorno, the stories her own grandmother told her and the tales of seamstresses from her Nona's generation are the inspiration for her narrative. At the time, a seamstress was paid by the day, usually given something to eat at the home she was working at and most of the time they stitched by hand. A fascinating story about a young rising above her station in life, she did this by learning to read and be the best at her craft. I highly recommend this book for people with a interest in sewing, and the art of making clothing and fours stars from me.

The Sweetness of Forgetting

The Sweetness of Forgetting by Kristin Harmel
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Hope McKenna-Smith is thirty-six, newly divorced and she has a twelve year old daughter Alice. Hope's life hasn’t been easy, two years ago her mother died from cancer, her husband cheated on her and now her beloved Mamie has dementia and is living in a nursing home.

Her ex-husband couldn’t see the point of Hope finishing her law degree, they moved to Cape Cod, in Massachusetts, when her mother was first diagnosed with cancer, and Hope takes over running the bakery and it’s not doing well financially. The North Star Bakery has been in the family for over sixty years, Hope finds comfort and purpose in making the tarts, pastries and baked goods that she grew up watching her French grandmother make.

Rose McKenna has Alzheimer’s, most of the time she’s confused and doesn’t recognize anyone. In a rare moment Rose’s mind is clear, the fog has been lifted and she wants to tell her granddaughter about her past and the secrets she has kept. Hope travels to Paris, with a list of names she doesn't recognize and tries to solve a seventy-year old mystery.

Rose was only a teenager when the Second World War started, her family were Jewish and her father believed the Germans would leave them alone. Rose has never told anyone about her childhood in Paris and this makes it very difficult for Hope to discover what happened to Mamie’s family. The narrative unfolds layer by layer and when Hope finds out a snippet of information or follows up on a clue and it feels like fate is on Hope's side. A powerful story about war, secrets, family, loss, regret, keeping a promises, love, survivors guilt, and the horror of the Holocaust.

I received a copy of the 10th Anniversary edition of The Sweetness of Forgetting from Edelweiss and Simon & Schuster in exchange for an honest review. I can see why this was the book that launched Kristin Harmel’s writing career, she found out what she does best and that’s write moving historical fiction. The characters in the book were all people you would like to meet, especially Rose, Hope, Ted, Gavin, Oliver, Jacob, Alain and even moody Alice. Included in the novel are recipes for the famous pastries the North Star Bakery made and their origins, the importance of Marmie's fairy tales and the relevance of stars. I highly recommend The Sweetness of Forgetting and five stars from me.

A Child for the Reich

A Child for the Reich by Andie Newton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Anna Dankova's husband Joseph joined the Czech resistance three years ago and the former accountant felt it was his duty and he told his wife “war comes to all of us.” The newlyweds fled Prague to hide in the countryside and they purchased a farm near the village of Tabor. Anna lives next door to her sister Dasa and her mother Matka.

Anna has a daughter Ema, and Dasa has three daughters and a newborn baby boy. Rumors are rife in the area, the Third Reich are stealing children with Aryan features from nearby villages, they send out the Brown Sisters to seize them and the children are taken to secret nurseries. Anna sells her produce and herbs at the local market, when Ema is taken by a Brown Sister, and Anna is determined to find her daughter and nothing is going to stop her. Anna contacts in the resistance help her travel to Dresden and she uses her acting skills to gain employment at the nursery where Ema is living

Anna’s shocked by what she witnesses here, the nurses use methods from the book written by Johnna Haarer, to care for the children, raising them to serve the Fuhrer and the adoptive parents are given a copy. The children are told all sorts of lies, Ema thinks Anna stole her from her real parents and she’s confused and traumatized by what’s happened to her.

I received a digital copy of A Child for the Reich by Andie Newton from NetGalley and HarperCollins UK in exchange for an honest review. Children were stolen from Poland and other ethnic countries as part of the Lebensborn program and they estimate over 200,000 children were taken between 1939 to 1945. Any child with blond hair and blue eyes was a target and could possibly be Germanised, Ms. Newton narrative gives you a firsthand account of mother’s anguish when this happens to her daughter, the lengths she will go and the risks she will take to get her back. A heartbreaking and informative story about a terrible time history and four stars from me.

East of Alice

East of Alice by Annie Seaton
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Gemma Hayden returns to her hometown of Alice Springs, she’s been employed at Trephina Primary School and she’s busy setting up her new classroom. Gemma grew up in Alice Springs, her twin brother Ethan disappeared six years ago, her parent’s marriage ended and she moved away with her mum. No one has seen or heard from Ethan since, Gemma was very close to her brother and she holds onto hope that he's still alive. Everything in Emma’s life fell apart when Ethan went missing, her mother thinks he's dead and she hasn’t spoken to her dad in ages.

Saul Pearce is posted back to Alice Springs, he works as an officer for the Parks and Wildlife service. Like Emma he grew up in "the Alice", he was friends with Ethan and he and Emma were dating. Saul comes from the wrong side of town, some people weren’t happy about his relationship with Emma and it ended rather abruptly. Now both are back in town, Saul discovers an old car in a creek bed, near Ruby Gap and where they used to go camping together as teenagers. Saul and Gemma join forces, trying to solve the mystery of what happened to Ethan, the only clue they have is a coded note left for her in the glove box of her brother’s wrecked car.

The story has a dual timeline, it’s set in present time and in the late 1800’s. The easy to follow and well written narrative, is told from two perspectives, Gemma’s and her great-great-grandmother Rose Woodford’s.

Rose Woodford leaves England, she hasn’t seen her husband in over a year, and she has no idea he's living in such a remote place. Artlunga is the closest town to their isolated homestead at Ruby Gap, it’s the first town to be settled in the area and it’s part of the East MacDonnell Ranges, in the Northern Territory of Australia. Rose find herself residing in a four room hut, William is sure he’s found a seam of rubies and he has to prove their not garnets?

I received a copy of East of Alice by Annie Seaton from NetGalley and Harlequin Australia in exchange for an honest review. A story about Alice Springs and living in the Australian outback, Ethan’s fascination with the past, gemstones and fossicking, Ruby Gap, the old homestead, and how he stumbled across a dangerous crime gang, long buried secrets, a coverup, and the consequences. I highly recommend East of Alice, I was hooked after reading the first page and five big stars from me.

The Butterfly Collector

The Butterfly Collector by Tea Cooper
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Morpeth, 1868. Theodora Breckenridge is still mourning the loss of her parents and brother Jamie in a tragic accident, she lives at The Landing with her three sisters Constance, Florence, and Viola. Her sisters want to travel to Sydney to find husbands and go dress shopping, Theodora would rather stay home and draw and paint. Theodora admires Harriet and Helena Scott, they once lived on nearby Ash Island and they documented the areas flora and fauna. Theodora discovers a butterfly, it’s never been seen before in Australia and it’s native to the Americas.

The Butterfly Collector has an easy to follow dual timeline, it’s set in 1868 and 1922 in New South Wales, Australia.

Sydney, 1922. Verity Binks loses her job at The Arrow, and her boss Mr. Bailey feels he should employ returned servicemen at the newspaper. She arrives home early and her neighbor Mrs. Carr informs her that someone has delivered a parcel. The anonymous package contains a much sort after invitation to the Sydney Artists Masquerade Ball, a beautiful butterfly costume and mask. While attending the ball, she meets Mr. Treadwell, and he would like her to write an article prompting his mother’s charity. The Treadwell Foundation, it supports unmarried women who find themselves in a delicate condition and their babies.

Verity begins to look into the Treadwell Foundation, she discovers that Mrs. Treadwell and her grandparents Sid and Clarrie had all lived in Morpeth and around the same time. Her grandfather Sid worked for the local newspaper called The Morpeth Want, and Verity slowly uncovers the well hidden clues and attempts to solve a fifty year old mystery.

I received a copy of The Butterfly Collector by Tea Cooper from NetGalley and Harlequin Australia in exchange for an honest review. This is my favourite book by Ms. Cooper, it’s a compelling historical mystery and one with so many unexpected twists and turns. A story about secrets, family ties, adoption, cover ups and illegal baby trafficking, and a trail blazing woman’s interest in art, nature, science and the Wanderer Butterfly. Five stars from me, I highly recommend this book and a must read for fans of well written Australian historical fiction.

Shelter from the Storm

Shelter from the Storm by Penelope Janu
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Patience Cartwright is an officer in the Australian navy, she’s had issues with a superior and how she handled the situation has her career on the line. Patience is sent to work for a different organization, an environmental team, their studying the biodiversity and habitat of amphibians and it’s near her home town. One of the scientist is Dr. Hugo Halstead, her childhood friend and he’s the person who broke her heart years ago. Patience’s boss wants her to look into some suspicious activity within the research team and she has to do this without anyone noticing.

Hugo is extremely confident, dedicated to his job and has recently purchased an old property near his parents farm. Patience is a loner and lives on base, she loves her sisters Phoebe and Primrose and they have their own busy lives. Patience joined the navy to get away from Horseshoe Hill, her father’s a troubled man, when her first crush ended badly and she vowed never to return.

Patience falls ill, she has to recuperate from a potentially fatal infection, and she stays with Greta and Derek Halstead at Horseshoe Hill. Patience has to overcome her ill health and deal with experiences and memories from the past, they make her feel extremely uncomfortable and scared. Greta is the best cook in the world and a real mother hen, as Patience slowly regains her strength, she can relax and she starts to notice the beautiful scenery surrounding her and becomes reacquainted with people in the township that she trusted as a child. Patience has her future all mapped out, having the time to reflect on her career and choices she’s made, has her questioning if she’s on the right path, the feelings she still has for Hugo and should she follow her heart?

I received a digital copy of Shelter from the Storm from NetGalley and Harlequin Australia in exchange for an honest review. This is the first book I have read by Penelope Janu, it won’t be my last and the story had me hooked from the first page. A well written and extensively researched narrative about being a woman in the Australian Navy, a smart one with a gift for numbers, math and finding out who’s been committing a crime. It's also an interesting story about the environment, biology, herpetology, frogs and how important they are to the ecosystem. The chemistry between the two main characters of Hugo and Patience is rather steamy (hotter than Greta’s bathing room) and Greta’s character is so kind, funny, her antics made me laugh and five stars from me.

In Love'sTime

In Love's Time by Kate Breslin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

1918: Captain Marcus Weatherford is an officer in The Royal Navy and he’s also involved with the newly formed Secret Service Bureau. Britain’s fighting in The Great War, the SSB is worried about security in England and other countries. Marcus is sent on a top secret and dangerous mission to Russia, and accompanying him is former ballerina Mrs. Natalya Bryce. The widow is posing as his fiancée, their searching for clues about the disappearance of Empress Alexandra and her son Alexei and any information behind an allied plot to assassinate Vladimir Lenin. Marcus is torn between his sense of duty, having to hide the truth of what he’s doing from his family and the woman he loves.

Clare Danner works as an orderly at Endell Street Military Hospital and she has a young daughter Daisy. Clare was once a maid, her daughter was born out of wedlock, Daisy’s grandfather has money, power and he's influential in the British Parliament. The Lord took Daisy from her before, Marcus helped Clare get her back and she needs his support when he threatens to take Daisy away from her again. Clare has no idea that Marcus is involved with the Secret Service Bureau, how dangerous his latest mission is, how he’s pretending to be engaged to another woman and nothing goes as planned with his assignment.

I received a copy of In Love’s Time by Kate Breslin from NetGalley and Bethany House Publishers in exchange for an honest review. I didn’t realizes when I started reading the novel it was the second one in the series, I haven’t read the first book, Not by Sight and I really wish I had. However I could piece together what happened in the past with Marcus and Clare. I admired Marcus for his dedication to his country and the British Royal Navy, to his younger sister Frances and grandfather Sir Geoffrey Weatherford. Clare overcame adversity and prejudice, and she was willing to do anything to keep her daughter. The narrative included interesting facts about The Great War, Secret Service Bureau, and country estates being used as convalescent facilities, rehabilitation of amputees and the making of prosthetics limbs. A story about love, duty, service, secrets, deception, double agents, spies and four stars from me.

The Forthright Woman

The Forthright Woman by Darry Fraser
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Marcella Ross is a widow, and she lives with her brother Adam Phillips and his wife Hilda in Port Pirie. Marcella finds a torn note in her deceased mother’s possessions, it’s about her great uncle Luca and his prospecting partner Ewen Wheeler who vanished forty years ago and Marcella desperately want’s to solve the mystery.

Marcella visits the place where Italian migrant Luca started his new life in Australia, Kanyaka Station near Quorn, South Australia and she hopes to find some clues and maybe his grave among the haphazard headstones! When tragedy strikes the trio, Marcella needs help and Proby Cutler comes to her rescue. The dusty man on the big horse, who told her off for wandering around the isolated Kanyaka ruins and once it was a flourishing sheep and cattle station. Marcella is a widow and her marriage was arranged, she’s tired of everyone telling her what to do and she want’s to be an independent woman.

The Forthright Woman has a dual timeline, it’s set in 1898 and in 1955 in South Australia. The story is told from the two main women’s characters points of view and they have links to each other.

Frances and Joe MacDonald are childless, Joe buys a caravan and the couple are traveling around the Australian outback. They stop at Kanyaka Station, Fran feels a connection to the old place and maybe it’s because one of her ancestors died here? Joe has no interest in Fran’s family history, he’s a selfish man and she can’t believe how he treats her when she desperately needs his assistance and support.

Ms. Fraser skilfully gains your interest with her collective cast of characters in her latest book, you’re taken on quite a journey, one full of suspense and secrets, with vivid descriptions of the South Australian landscape and towns, flies, dust and all! I love Darry Fraser writing style and the narrative grabbed my attention from the start and I didn’t want the book to end. My favourite characters were Marcella and Proby and Mrs. Costa’s antics made me laugh out loud.

I received a digital copy of The Forthright Woman from NetGalley and Harlequin Australia in exchange for an honest review. The chemistry and interaction between Marcella and Proby was absolutely sizzling, and I always enjoy reading stories about strong, brave and courageous female characters. Another superb Australian historical mystery by the accomplished and one of my favourite Aussie author's Darry Fraser, I highly recommend this book and five big stars from me.

The Girl with the Emerald Flag

The Girl with the Emerald Flag by Kathleen McGurl
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Gráinne MacDowd attends Jeremiah O’Donovan Rossa’s funeral at the Glasnevin Cemetery, she listens to Patrick Pearse give what's to be one of the most know and stirring speeches for the Irish independence movement. At the cemetery she bumps into Emmett O’Sheridan, her brother Sean’s best friend and he’s off fighting the Germans on the Western Front.

Gráinne is a proud member of the Cumann na mBan or The Irishwomen’s Council and she’s honored when Countess Constance Markiewicz asks her to work for her. Gráinne does a bit of everything leading up to and during the Easter Rising and the British newspapers referred to it as a riot. For a week the streets of Dublin are a battle ground, people fighting for what they believe in and some make the ultimate sacrifice for Irish independence.

The Girl with the Emerald Flag has a dual timeline and it's set in 1916 and in 1998. Told from the points of view of the two main female characters, Gráinne and her great-granddaughter Nicola.

Nicky Waters is studying modern history at Sussex University, she’s the only child of Karen and David. Nicola needs a subject for her main research project, and she decides to interview her wise great-grandmother and she visits her in Ireland. Nicky’s still trying to work out her place in the world, hovering over her shoulder and always telling her what to do is her interfering mother.

Nicky’s trips to Ireland are a real revelation, her supergran tells her a remarkable story and she knew the major leaders of the Easter Rising. It’s a story about fighting for what you believe in, learning from the mistakes you make, being independent and taking risks, remaining close and appreciating the people you love. Nicky has a light bulb moment, she grows up and she sees things from a very different perspective.

I received a digital copy of The Girl with the Emerald Flag from NetGalley and HQ Digital in exchange for an honest review. Kathleen McGurl has written an inspiring coming of age story, combined with a fascinating Irish history lesson and five stars from me.

Eye of The Storm

Eye of the Storm by Hilary Jones
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The 1920’s is a time of social change in England, the war is finally over and people have different expectations. Workers demand to be paid a fair wage and women want to be able to vote and be treated as equals. The Irish aren’t happy being ruled by the British, they want to be independent and Will’s brother Jack finds himself involved in the civil unrest.

Will and Grace return to England after the end of The Great War, the couple are newly married and expecting their first baby. Will’s worried about Grace, due to the abdominal injuries she sustained during the war and his own mother passing away from child-bed fever.

Will and Grace both want to pursue careers in medicine, they have their families support and Aunt Clara offers to babysit. Will and Grace help returned servicemen, many have lost limbs, they need corrective surgery and require usable prosthetics, and Will’s own father Robbie is suffering from shell-shock.

Will wants to study a bachelor of medicine and surgery and he has the support of Dr. Forrester. Standing in his way is his old enemy Dr. Clifford, he also doesn’t come from the right background and Will has to prove he has what it takes? Grace is interested in developing vaccines, stopping the spread of diseases and post-operative infections and she wants to be a microbiologist. At a time when most married women didn’t work outside the home, have access to childcare and she has to overcome many hurdles to achieve her goals.

Grace’s family have to come to terms with the loss of Charles and her sister Amy is rather high spirited and she embraces everything the roaring twenties has to offer. Aunt Clara is getting older, Kitty has an aptitude for languages, and she’s growing up quickly and dreams of traveling.

I received a digital copy of Eye of The Storm by Hilary Jones from NetGalley and Welbeck Publishing UK in exchange for an honest review. A fitting sequel to Frontline, I really admired Will and Grace’s characters in both narratives, they got on with the task in hand, striving against convention and overcoming the odds and terrible discrimination. A gripping historical saga, about two people achieve their goals, helping others and with the threat of another war looming and five stars from me.

Frontline

Frontline by Hilary Jones

Frontline is a long historical saga, told from the points of view of the two main characters, Grace Trustin-Pennington and William Burnett. Two teenagers who came from very different backgrounds and meet in war torn France.

Grace is a bit of a tomboy, her older brothers Charles, Rupert, James and Henry are all severing in The Great War and Grace wants to do her bit for the King and Country. Grace volunteers to be a nurse, she works at busy causality clearing stations and she can drive an ambulance when required.

Will’s mother Evie dies in childbirth, his father Robbie doesn’t cope, he’s sacked from his job at the docks and Robbie joins the army to escape his life in England. Aunt Clara steps up and she looks after Will, his older brother Jack and little sister Kitty.

Will works as a hospital porter, he’s a big strong lad, and despite being under age the army signs him up. His commanding officer notices how good Will is with saving and helping the wounded and he becomes a stretcher bearer for his regiment and then the Royal Medical Corps. Many were considered to be cowards by other soldiers, Will and his partner Arup defiantly were brave and the average life expectancy for a stretcher bearer was only six weeks.

You read about the battles of The Great War, and the awful conditions in the trenches and when the Germans started using poisonous gas as a weapon and the huge loss of life. Included in the narrative is medical information relevant for the time, treatments the wounded received, many suffered from gas gangrene, due to the soil born bacteria entering their wounds, it lead to thousands of limbs being amputated and often the poor soldier died from septic shock. When it looked like the suffering was about to end, the Spanish Flu broke out, it spread and killed people quickly.

Frontline is a chronicle about The Great War, a lasting tribute to millions of soldiers who bravely fought, many were injured, lived with the lasting trauma and how it wiped out an entire generation of men. The medical staff did the best they could in very difficult and stressful conditions, the long shifts and under fire, and with very little sleep. For the main characters Grace and Will, finding love kept them going and sane, and the author Hilary Jones dedicated Frontline to them. Five stars from me and I can’t wait to read the next book in the series Eye of the Storm.

The Forgotten Promise

The Forgotten Promise: A captivating gripping escapist WW2 Malaya historical fiction novel by Paula Greenlees
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Ella and Johnnie McCain own a small plantation and a tin mine in the Kledang hills in Malaysia and Ella inherited the property from her late father. The couple have two children Grace and baby Toby. Ella lives a very comfortable lifestyle, she has a cook, nanny, gardener, houseboy and a driver.

Johnnie’s from England, his parents still live there and the couple have been worried about them, and due to the Second World War breaking out. Everyone assures Ella that Malaysia is well defended and the Japanese wouldn’t attack the island and she has no reason to make a fuss!

Then the Japanese decimate Pearl Harbor, Malaysia could be next and many of the Europeans families are fleeing to Singapore and Ella doesn’t know what to do? Grace is in the fever hospital in Menglembu, Ella reluctantly leaves for Singapore with Toby and the plan is for Johnnie and Grace to meet them there. When they don’t arrive, Grace makes the difficult decision to sail to England and she can stay with her in-laws in Oxfordshire.

The Japanese move into the McCain’s villa, Noor the cook remains, she takes care of Grace and she doesn’t know what happened to Mr. McCain. Communications between the two countries have been cut, Ella has no idea what happened to her family in Malaysia and she's extremely worried. Ella finds living in England hard, she hates the cold weather and she feels guilty for leaving Grace behind. Her mother in-law Polly is lovely, she’s concerned about her son and granddaughter and she has two children from the city billeted with her. As the war years drag on, both women struggle to keep positive, they feel tired, drained, rundown and get overwhelmed.

The war finally ends, Ella can’t find out what happened to Johnnie and Grace and eventually she’s able to travel back to Malaysia, she has no idea if they survived the Japanese occupation and she's shocked by how much it has changed.

I purchased a copy of The Forgotten Promise by Paula Greenlees and I decided to review it for NetGalley as well. The story is told from two points of view, Ella’s and Noor’s and when they were little girls they were best friends and this changed when Ella went to school. You read about the struggles they faced during the Second World War in the narrative, the uncertainty, danger and deprivation and a huge secret from the past is revealed at the end. I highly recommend this book for fans of wartime historical fiction and five stars from me.

The Circus Train

The Circus Train by Amita Parikh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Lena Papadopoulos has grown up moving around Europe with The World of Wonders Circus and her father Theo is an illusionist. They travel by train and it’s rolling home on wheels, all the performers have their own sleeping quarters, they even have a cook and a doctor aboard.

Theo loves his daughter and he would protect her with his life, Lena’s rather smart and she has her own tutor Clara. Lena was born prematurely, she contracted polio as an infant and she needs to use a wheelchair. Lena doesn’t have any friends of her own age, because she can’t join in their boisterous games and she feels like she doesn’t fit in and she’s lonely.

Lena discovers an injured boy in a train carriage, his name is Alexandre, he’s a Jewish orphan and Theo manages to convince the circus owner to let him stay. Finally Lena has a friend and companion her own age, and Theo teaches Alexandre to be an illusionist. Unfortunately Theo and Alexandre end up in Theresienstadt, a town set up by the Germans, it really a ghetto and concentration camp. Lena is separated from them, she travels to safety in England, she dreams about being able to walk unaided and becoming a doctor.

I received a digital copy of The Circus Train by Amita Parikh from Edelweiss and Penguin Random House in exchange for an honest review. The narrative spans ten years and it's about living and preforming in a traveling circus. How during the war the Germans made it difficult for them to move around Europe and they constantly searched trains for hidden Jewish people. What it was like for a child living at the time with a disability, how isolating it was and they were excluded from everyday life. A fascinating story about circuses, preforming, and the relationship between the three main characters, the secrets they kept from each other and four stars from me.

The Library at Wagtail Ridge

The Library at Wagtail Ridge by Janet Gover
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Lou Taylor lives in Sydney with her mum Fiona and dad Richard. Lou was adopted as a toddler and her parents are loving and supportive. Lou receives a letter from a solicitor, she’s inherited her birth mothers estate and it’s in a small country town called Wagtail Ridge. Fiona encourages Lou to visit Wagtail Ridge, she thinks it will answer her questions and give her closure.

Lou discovers she’s inherited a quaint cottage, a small amount of money and a mobile library full of books. Lou’s birth mother Luca lived in Wattle Ridge her whole life, everyone in town knew her, she was well liked and some people remember Lou as a baby. Lou doesn’t know how to deal with the emotions and feelings this creates, and it’s a very unusual situation to be in. Lou planned to sell the cottage, return to Sydney and get a job.

Lou meets Jake Barnes, he's been taking care of Luca’s cottage since she passed away and he shows her the library truck kept in an old shed in the backyard. Luca left her a series of letters, they explain why she made the choices she did, to find them, Lou has to travel the mobile libraries route and Jake offers to drive the truck for her. Lou and Jake set off for their first library run, a tiny town and Lou quickly discovers how much the residents look forward to the bus arriving, everyone loved Luca and the service she provided.

At each town Lou is given a book, inside is a letter from Luca and she tells her daughter about her life and why she put her up for adoption. Lou didn’t know what to expect when she first started the journey into finding her birth mother, what she would uncover and how it would make her feel. At times Lou is really angry and frustrated, and she starts to understand her mother did love her and she had to make a very difficult decision. Lou develops feelings for Jake, she starts to enjoy living in Wattle Ridge, does she want to move back to Sydney and she hasn’t found out the identity of her birth-father?

I received a digital copy of The Library at Wagtail Ridge from NetGalley and Harlequin Australia in exchange for an honest review. Janet Grover has written a though provoking and sensitive narrative about adoption, and how there's always two sides to the story. I highly recommend this book, it made me feel really emotional and the characters are wonderful, please write a sequel and five stars from me.

The Nine Hundred

999: The Extraordinary Young Women of the First Official Jewish Transport to Auschwitz by Heather Dune Macadam
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

On March 25th in 1942, nine hundred and ninety nine teenage Jewish girls boarded a train in Poprad, Slovakia, they and their parents thought they were going to work in a factory for three months. Most of the young women had never left home before, some were really excited and others upset.

Instead they are taken to Auschwitz in cattle cars, they were the first group of women to arrive there and be processed. The young women had to wait in line for hours, made to remove all of their clothes and subjected to a humiliating and brutal medical exam, had their heads shaved and a number tattooed on their arm.

The girls were fed a small serving of soup, which consisted of rotten horse meat and vegetables and a small piece of bread. They were expected to do hard work and with their bare hands, spread cow manure in fields and demolish bombed houses and in all types of weather. The lucky ones worked inside, sorting through new arrivals clothes and in the section called “Canada”. The girls suffered from malnutrition, exposure, frostbite, typhus, and some had medical experiments carried out on them. Towards the end of the war the Germans destroyed documents, evidence and sent the young women on a death march.

I received a digital copy of The Nine Hundred from NetGalley and Hachette Australia in exchange for an honest review. Heather Dune Macadam interviewed survivors, witnesses, relatives and did extensive research to discover what happened to the first group of women sent to Auschwitz and Birkenau. An amazing story about a generation of teenage girls who lost so much and including, their education, health, fertility, and family, many always felt scared, their feelings and hearts were damaged and they suffered from survivor’s guilt.

Like all young women they had hopes and dreams for their future and this was taken from them. A powerful, heartbreaking, moving and inspirational Holocaust story and five stars from me.

Island of Secrets

Island of Secrets by Rachel Rhys
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

London 1957: Iris Bailey is bored working as a typist at Underwood & Sturrock, she lives with her old fashioned parents in Hemel, Hempstead. Iris is engaged to Peter, he’s studying art and Iris is a talented artist in her own right. Socialite Nell Hardman invites Iris to Havana, her father Hugh is getting married for the third time and she wants Iris illustrate the wedding. Iris’s is to draw pictures of the bridal shower, dinner the night before the wedding and the big day.

Arriving in Cuba a jet-lagged Iris is hit instantly by the heat, she’s taken to the estate and she can’t believe how grand it is. Iris is sharing the guest house with Eugene Stringer, he works for Life Magazine and Joe Garston and he’s the wedding photographer. Nell shows her around the property, there is a sparkling pool and a beautiful garden full of exotic fruit trees.

Iris has no idea how complicated the relationships are amongst the Hardman family, Connie is Hugh’s first wife and is Nell's and her brother Eddie's mother. Hugh’s second wife, actress Jean Summers, is dead, and she has two teenage daughters Lana and Faye.

Cuba is a hostile place, it’s on the brink of a revolution, and there is a big difference between the rich and the poor. Iris can’t believe the Hardman’s live like they do and are planning an extravagant wedding, and other people are starving and dressed in rags? Iris is concerned when a note is left in her room, telling her to be careful about trusting people and she could be killed. After hearing about the suspicions circumstances around Jean Summers death and Iris should be worried.

I received a digital copy of Island of Secret by Rachel Rhys from NetGalley and Random House UK in exchange for an honest review. It’s a story about seedy side of Cuba, lots of money is made from gambling, girls and drugs. A interesting narrative about a mysterious family and their hidden secrets, set in tropical paradise and four stars from me.

The Secrets We Keep

The Secrets We Keep: Heartbreaking and compelling World War 2 historical fiction for fans of Kate Quinn and Kristin Hannah by Theresa Howes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Marguerite Segal is an artist, she lives in a remote farmhouse with her friend Simone and near Cote d’Azur. First the Italians occupy the French Rivera, they leave and the Germans arrive. Marguerite is recruited by the British Intelligence, they want as much information as they can obtain about German defenses and the officer in charge Otto Schmidt and evidence of the war crimes he’s committed.

The plan is for her to meet a catholic priest Etienne Valade, he’s said to be collaborating with the Germans and Marguerite takes part in a church service. The only people present are German soldiers, the locals refuse to attend and hate anyone who they think is on the Germans side. Father Etienne isn’t what Marguerite is expecting, he’s younger and rather handsome. His family were art dealers before the war in Paris and they share a mutual interest, when Marguerite is seen visiting the priest, the citizens of Cote d’Azur question her loyalty and it puts her life in danger.

Marguerite is not only working for the British, she’s uses her skills as an artist to forge fake documents and she’s the only one able to do this. She and a network of others are protecting Jewish people, enemy aliens who haven’t been able to escape and helping the French resistance.

As the allies get closer, the Germans decide that if they can't keep the Riviera then no one else would have it, they start building anti-tank walls, and digging defense pits around the town and cover the coast in landmines and barbed wire. The people of Cote d’Azur are terrified, they stay off the streets and hide in their cellars.

I received a copy of The Secrets We Keep by Theresa Howes from HQ Digital and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. It’s a story about the challenges and reprisals the people faced in the French Rivera during the Second World War, a place once known for it’s beauty, culture and high life. The narrative is about the cruelties of war, hardship, sacrifice, the risks the main characters took and the secrets they kept to protect their friends and loved ones. Four and a half stars from me and I highly recommend reading this book.

On a Summer Tide

On a Summer Tide by Suzanne Woods Fisher
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Paul Grayson buys an Island of the coast of Maine, he’s three daughters Camden, Maddie and Blaine thinks he’s completely lost his mind. Paul was a successful radio sports commentator, when two things happen to change his life, first his wife Corinna dies unexpectedly, he suffers a bad case of laryngitis and his voice doesn’t recover. He and Corinna met years ago on the island, they always planned on visiting again and it never happened. Due to Paul being busy with his job, he traveled a lot and Corinna was looking after the girls.

Paul renames Niswi Nummissis to The Three Sisters, he’s bought Moose Manor and the rustic cabins. When he and the girls arrive, the house is in a terrible condition and the cabins are just as bad. The locals aren’t happy about him changing the islands name and they consider him an outsider. Paul wants to bring back tourists, create jobs and stop residents moving to the mainland. The only way to get to the isolated island is by Captain Fred’s ferry, it has an unreliable electrical supply and no internet. What is does have is a peaceful way of life, endless walking trails, wildlife, pristine beaches and beautiful views.

Since their mother died the sister’s relationship has been rather rocky, Paul wants his daughters to reconnect and be happy. Camden is a successful business woman, she takes after her father and has an adopted son Cooper. Maddie has just finished her degree as a marriage and family therapist and Blaine has been at college for three years and hasn’t decided what she wants to major in?

Cooper starts school and Cam’s not sure if the teacher Seth Walker is up to the task and has the right credentials. Maddie assists her dad with organizing and cleaning the house and cabins and Blaine starts helping Peg Legg at the Lunch Counter.

I received a digital copy of On a Summer Tide by Suzanne Woods Fisher from Revell Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. What a wonderful story about a family having a fresh start, living life at a slower pace, embracing nature and Cooper coming out of his shell. Five stars from me, I really loved three of the local characters in the narrative, Peg, Captain Ed and Seth. I can’t wait to read the next two books in the delightful series, On a Coastal Breeze and At Lighthouse Point.

Haunted by Amethyst

Haunted By Amethyst: The Mystery of the Three Gems, Book Three by Dee Armstrong
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A fire quickly spreads through Twin Springs Hotel in 1928, General Rockwell’s three daughters are killed, Emerald, Ruby and Amethyst and years later the mystery surrounding their deaths remains.

Diamond was orphaned at eight when her mother Opal passed away in a fire, after staying at a series of foster homes and in a psychiatric facility, she's adopted by the Wolfe family. Diamond changes her first name to Justyne, stops talking about the shadowy woman who haunts her dreams and follows her everywhere. She's raised by a military family, her brother Jaxon served in the Special Forces, he returns to the US and has met the woman he wants to marry.

JD runs a detective agency, called White Wolfe Investigations, she uses her unique gift to find missing and abducted children. Once found, she contacts the police and the social worker that helped her all those years ago. The Wolfe’s travel to Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains, to visit Jaxon and his finance Ava Fairbanks. The Fairbank family own an old rundown hotel and spa called Twin Springs.

Logan Oakes was badly burnt in his last tour of duty, he thinks he looks like a monster, he’s hiding in the woods until Jaxon his old army buddy and his brother Sam drag him back to Twin Springs. He promised to rebuild the tower for Isabella and Theo's wedding, he gets back to work, and he feels uncomfortable around the Wolfe clan.

JD swears, she dresses in all black, wears boots and keeps a knife hidden in one of them. JD notices something is odd about the young front desk clerk at Twin Springs, she's taking care of her little brother and he’s obsessed with superheroes. He thinks Logan is one, he and JD are determined to discover what the siblings are hiding and in doing so, it leads them uncovering the long buried secrets that have been hidden at Twin Springs for a century.

I received a copy of Haunted by Amethyst by Dee Armstrong from NetGalley and Big Dipper Publishing in exchange for an honest review. It’s a spooky story about an old hotel, JD's unique gift and link to her shadow, a wounded warrior, two extremely cynical people falling in love, a quick read and three stars from me.

With Hope and Love

With Hope and Love by Ellie Dean
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The war in Europe has finally ended, the residents of Beach View Boarding House in Cliffehaven celebrate and can’t wait for the men to return home. The owner Peggy Reilly is busy working in the office at Solly’s clothing factory, looking after the boarding house and her youngest daughter Daisy and worrying about her husband Jim.

Second Lieutenant Jim Reilly is fighting the Japanese in Burma, with his Scottish mate Jumbo McTavish, they hear about the war ending in Europe and Jumbo gets out his bagpipes. The 14th Army has fought hard and it’s been a long campaign, the tropical weather means it’s hot and humid and when it rains, it’s the perfect conditions for mosquitoes, leaches, malaria and ulcers. Jim dreams of returning to Cliffehaven to be with Peggy and his children and this keeps him going.

Three of Peggy’s older children are living in Somerset, at Owlet Farm with widow Aunt Violet and Peggy assumes they will move back home? Her eldest daughter Anne calls to say they won’t be returning just yet, she waiting to hear from her husband Wing Commander Martin Black who’s a prisoner of war in Germany and their happy living in the countryside. Peggy’s other daughter Cissy loses her job when the war ends, she moves back into Beach View, and Cissy finds all the extra people staying there a right nuisance.

Peggy has grown close to the evacuees staying with her at Beach View, with the end of the war and she’s busy planning engagement parties and weddings. Ivy is marrying her finance Andy, Peter a wounded Australian soldier has proposed to Rita, and Ruby’s Canadian boyfriend Mike has popped the question and wants her to move to Canada?

I received a copy of With Hope and Love by Ellie Dean from NetGalley and Random House UK in exchange for an honest review. It describes the hardships of living in England during WW II, children being evacuated and people made homeless from the bombing, the celebrations when the war in Europe ended, and the struggles men faced returning to civilian life and especially those who were prisoners of war. Three and a half stars from me, I enjoyed the narrative, however it did end rather abruptly and this could be because the book is part of a series.

The Three Lives of Alix St Pierre

The Three Lives of Alix St Pierre by Natasha Lester
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In 1943, Alix St Pierre is a PR consultant working in New York, she’s interviewed by the US government and it’s because she speaks fluent French, Italian and German. Alix is sent to Bern, Switzerland, here she’s working for Mr. Allen Dulles and a newly formed Office of Strategic Services. Alix went to finishing school in Switzerland, she knows the area well and is recruited as a spy. Alix is drawn into helping the Italian Partisans in the North of Italy, they need information about what’s happening in the war, supplies, and most of all weapons and ammunition.

In 1946, Alix returns to Paris, she’s hired by Maison Christian Dior to help him launch his new line of couture clothing, he wants his designs to highlight and follow the natural contours of a women’s body and introduce the world to his new look. He’s busy getting his premises ready, hiring models and he needs the American media to cover his fashion show. Alix comes up with an idea, to dress a famous film star, this will certainly grab their attention and she meets the infuriating editor Mr. Anthony Marsh.

Alix is still haunted by a failed mission towards the end of the war, and while in Paris she wants to try and find a member of the German army. He managed to escape the roundup of war criminals, they committed terrible acts of cruelty in Italy, nine men died and the man Alix loved. Alix has made a list of her old contacts, she won’t give up until she finds “the voice” and she needs the annoying American’s assistance.

Told from three timelines, before, during and after The Second World War. Natasha Lester has once again delivered a meticulously researched, beautifully written and enthralling historical fiction story. You read about Alix’s sad childhood, teenage years, and her experiences during and after the war. It’s a story about danger, intrigue, war, bravery, sacrifice, duty, love, romance, loss, finding peace and glamorous fashion. Maison Christian Dior’s message he wanted to prevail in his gowns was “live” and in Alix case she has to let go of the pain of the past and the guilt to be able to move forward.

Thanks to Hachette Australia and their publicity department for my copy of The Three Lives of Alix St Pierre, I enjoyed reading every single page, including the author’s extensive notes at the end, I discovered the gowns included in the narrative were designed by Christian Dior. I highly recommend this book to lovers of historical fiction, with an interest in fashion and five stars from me.

The Work Wives

The Work Wives by Rachael Johns
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Debra Frost and Quinn Paladino both work at The Energy Co, they met when Quinn jammed the photocopier, Debra helped her and the unlikely friendship began. Quinn is a member of multiple dating sites and is trying to find Mr. Right. Debra is a decade older than her best friend, she’s busy juggling motherhood, work and is happily single.

Deb’s daughter Ramona is fifteen, she’s just started at a new private high school and she’s over her mum treating her like she’s still a baby and being a helicopter parent. Deb doesn’t understand what’s happened to her sweet daughter, she doesn’t want to hang out with her anymore and spends most of her time in her room. Deb has spent years protecting Ramona, Quinn assures Deb it’s normal teenage girl behavior and she has no idea why Deb worries so much.

On Ramona’s first day of school, she’s invited to hang out with the cool girls and after being bullied at her previous school she gets caught up in the glory of her new social status. Ramona pesters her mum to be allowed to use social media, Deb reluctantly agrees and despite her concerns. Quinn finds an article in an old magazine, 129 ways to get a husband, and Debra thinks she’s joking when she considers trying some of the crazy suggestions. The Energy Co employs a new director of sales, he’s the man of Quinn’s dreams and Debra’s nightmares.

The narrative is told from the three main characters point of view, and it’s a story about friendship and working together, motherhood, complicated relationships, finding love, the power of social media, raising a teenager and bullying, telling white lies, not dealing with traumatic experiences, living in fear and the consequences.

I received a copy of The Work Wives from NetGalley and Harlequin Australia in exchange for an honest review. Another brilliant book by Rachael Johns, in some way, all of us can relate to the topics covered in the story, being a friend and a mother is hard enough and especially when you work with your bestie. I did laugh, cry and form a connection with Debra and Quinn while reading the book and another winner from Australia's queen of women's fiction. Please read Rachael Johns acknowledgements at the end, as women we need to support each other and know we’re not the only ones struggling and five stars from me.

So Long, Chester Wheeler

So Long, Chester Wheeler by Catherine Ryan Hyde
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Lewis Madigan has just had the worst day of his life, the software developer is counting on receiving a promotion and pay rise. Instead he’s given a pink slip and his final pay check, and arrives home to find his boyfriend is leaving him.

His grumpy homophobic neighbor notices Tim leaving, he’s rather happy about it and makes a nasty comment. Chester Wheeler lives alone next door, he’s wheelchair bound, his daughter is desperate to find him a new health-care worker and she thinks Lewis is the perfect replacement. Lewis doesn’t need the hassle, he has no experience taking care of people and however he does require the money. All he needs to do, is make sure Chester takes his medication, be on call twenty four hours a day and how hard can it be? Chester is difficult, he pushes Lewis’s buttons, has a go at him all the time for being gay and is downright horrible.

One day Chester is nice to him, Lewis is suspicious, and he has every right to be, Chester wants him to drive him from Buffalo to Arizona and so he can see his ex-wife before he passes away. Lewis would have to drive a Winnebago two thousand miles, take care of a frail Chester and he agrees! For the unlikely pair, it’s a time of being way out of their comfort zone and self discovery. Lewis sees another side to Chester, and under the prickly exterior he’s human and has regrets.

I received a copy of So Long, Chester Wheeler from NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Another uplifting, emotional and life changing story from Catherine Ryan Hyde. Lewis gives Chester the greatest gift, and receives one himself and he discovers that helping someone in their final days is the highest calling and the purest of services. Five stars from me, I’m always a blubbering mess when I read Catherine Ryan Hyde’s books, she has a way with words and tugging at my heartstrings and she’s done it once again.

Citizen Armies

Citizen Armies by Beryl Kingston
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Jackson family live in Borough, in the south of London and have two teenage daughters. Jim runs a produce stall at the local market and Rosie is a housewife. With the threat of another war looming, Mary is sent to the country and Gracie has just started studying nursing at Guy’s Hospital. Rosie’s family still live in Binderton, she visits her Pa and the family celebrate a wedding and the birth of a new baby.

Jim fought in The Great War and Rosie lost her brother, so they both know how terrible war can be. Jim signs up as an air raid warden and Rosie volunteers to drive an ambulance. When the Blitz starts, Jim and Rosie are shocked by the decimation of London, the numbers of innocent civilians killed and the shocking injuries. The family endure the war years, the Germans bomb London every night, at times Rosie really struggles and doesn’t know how much more she can take? Jim and her girls keep her going, and the support of her neighbors Mrs. Totteridge and Sonia Cohen.

A working class families experiences during the Second World War, and how the Jackson’s follow the war news and battles. From the beaches of Dunkirk and the bombing of Pearl Harbor, to the deserts of Africa and to campaign in Italy, and D-Day, the push into Belgium and the liberation of concentration camps.

I received a copy of Citizens Armies by Beryl Kingston from NetGalley and Endeavour Media in exchange for an honest review. The narrative really highlights what it was like to live in England during WW II, from children being sent to the country, to the Blitz and so many sleepless nights, rationing and shortages, young single women being conscripted, wartime marriages, the constant worry and the inevitable loss of loved ones. The second book in The Jackson Family Saga, I highly recommend reading both novels and four stars from me.

Defending Alice

Defending Alice: A Novel of Love and Race in the Roaring Twenties by Richard Stratton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Roaring Twenties is a time of change in New York, women shingle their hair, dress as flappers and listen to jazz music. However the great divide between classes hasn’t altered, society family’s mix and marry within their own tight knit social circle.

Philip Rhinelander owns an up market real estate company, his son Leonard works at the Manhattan office and as a bookkeeper. When Kip falls in love with Alice Jones, a young colored woman who works as a maid and nanny he’s furious. He’s determined to annul his son’s marriage, he doesn’t care that they love each other and have made plans for the future and he sets about destroying Alice’s reputation. He does this by taking her to court in his son’s name, saying she deceived Leonard by not telling him about her colored blood and she’s pretending to be white woman?

Alice Jones lives at home with her parents George and Elizabeth in New Rochelle, and two sisters Emily and Grace. Elizabeth is English and has a white complexion, her husband George is of West Indian decent and is clearly a colored man. The Jones are hounded by the media, have bricks thrown through the windows of their house, followed and called vile names. Interracial marriage isn’t illegal in the state, Alice hasn’t broken any laws and Leonard clearly knew his wife’s background and he lived with the Jones for a short time.

When the case goes to court, Alice’s lawyer Mr. Davis has to take on Philip Rhinelander’s legal team, and prove Alice is innocent of any wrong doing. Using entries in both Len and Alice’s fictional diaries, letters they sent to each other, statements from witnesses and Alice and Leonard have to testify. A stuttering Leonard is thoroughly questioned about how the couple met, their courtship, marriage and sexual relationship.

I received a copy of Defending Alice by Richard Stratton from Edelweiss and HarperVia in exchange for an honest review. It’s a story about power, money, social standing, prejudice, racism, injustice, and weakness. Philip Rhinelander is a bully, he always gets his own way, and he doesn’t play fair. A slow paced and long narrative about love, loss, hurt and four stars from me.

Suki

Suki by Beryl Kingston
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Suki Brown grows up in poverty, her parents work for farmer Constsant Lambton and she’s desperate to escape their over crowed cottage. Suki falls in love with Captain Jack, he tells her he loves her and she’s left to deal with the consequences.

Suki's employed by the Bradbury family as a wet nurse in Bath, she has to feed their baby William first and then tend to her own son. Sir George and Lady Bradbury have three children, Ariadne, Melissa and little William. Sir George is busy with his various business ventures and Lady Bradbury likes to entertain and go shopping. Suki fends off Sir George's unwanted advances, then discovers William has passed away and she quickly switches the babies. Suki's very worried she will get into trouble for defending herself against Sir George and for William passing away.

Suki tires to find Captain Jack Daventry, he lied to her and he’s set sail aboard the Bonny Beaufoy. He’s pretending to be a slave master, he and the crew are traveling to the West Indies. The realities of slavery shock Jack, others don’t consider slaves to be human and he begins to think differently. This causes tension aboard the Bonny Beaufoy, it’s a long voyage back to England and Jack has to fight keep his own freedom. All the while Suki is still searching for him, dealing with the Bradbury family and worried someone will discover her deception.

I received a copy of Suki from Agora Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Beryl Kingston has written a long winded historical saga, it starts in Bath England, in the year 1755, and you travel along with Jack to the West Indies, Africa and back to England. The story highlights the plight of unmarried mothers, poverty, lack of education and how hard life was at the time. You also learn about the beliefs and customs of the period, fashion, child raising, infant mortality rates, diseases, and how cruel and barbaric slavery was. I found the parts of the narrative about slavery very difficult to read, extremely distressing and three stars from me.

The Polish Girl

The Polish Girl by Malka Adler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When the Germans invade Poland in 1939, life for Danusha and her family changes forever. Her father goes into hiding, her mother altered her two children’s first names and their last name to Kwiatkowski.

Anna Kwiatkowski manages to find a job as a cook for a German doctor, Dr. Helmutt Sopp is a psychiatrist, and he works at a nearby hospital and at the prison on Montelupich Street. Living with him in Krakow are his wife Toni, and two young sons Peter and Ammon. Danusha is allowed to stay with her mother, who has warned her not talk about the past and they don’t know about her brother Yashu.

Anna is a Jewish woman hiding in plain sight, she has forged papers and she’s worries someone will eventually find out. She has no idea if she can trust the Sopp’s, Toni is kind to her, but her husband is a member of the German Army and he entertains members of the Gestapo at the house.

Danusha has always thought her mother favored her younger brother, that she's a bother and got in her mother’s way. Anna was in fact extremely brave, to hold her nerve around the Germans, made sure she didn’t make the smallest mistake, to give away her true heritage and information about her extended family.

When the war starts to turn, the Russians are approaching Krakow and the Kwiatkowski family face further hardships and challenges. Before they make it to safety, members of their family are executed and Danusha loses track of home many different places she has lived in.

I received a copy of The Polish Girl by Malka Adler from Edelweiss and HarperCollins Publishing in exchange for an honest review. An historical saga about the shocking treatment of Jewish people in Poland during WWII, the lengths a mother will go to and keep her children safe. Danusha though her mother was cold, unfeeling, didn’t love her and this is not the case at all. A narrative about survival, during a brutal time in history, one we should never forget, and four stars from me.

Shadow Among Sheaves

Shadow among Sheaves by Naomi Stephens
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

India 1857.
A violent fight begins against British rule, called The Great Rebellion, due to forced social reforms and land tax. Rena falls in love with a British Army Officer Edric Hawley, after a quick courtship they marry and tragically he passes away.

Rena decides to travel with her mother-in-law Lady Hawley back to England and to Abbotsville. The women aren't prepared for how they would be treated once on British soil, none of widowed Lady Hawley’s extended family will help them because of Rena, they struggle to find a place to live and feed themselves.

Rena endures terrible prejudice, nasty remarks about her and most of all about her character. Rena lived a comfortable life in India, her father worked as a translator for the British Army and now she’s destitute. A desperate Rena goes searching for food, and she meets Lord Barric Fairfax. His tenant farmers are harvesting his wheat crop, he allows Rena to collect the left over grain and she sells it in Abbotsville for a few coins.

Soon everyone is talking about the Indian beggar woman, and why is Lord Barric helping her and it must because she’s granting him special favors? Rena is an outcast, imagine how she feels being the only person of color in Abbotsville and watching her beloved mother-in-law suffering?

I received a copy of Shadow Among Sheaves by Naomi Stephens from Barbour Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This story really took me by surprise, it’s well written and held my attention. The narrative covers subjects such as racism, how widows struggled to survive at the time and how long was a suitable time of mourning, homesickness, poverty, duty, secrets, inheritance laws, and a finding love again. I highly recommend this book, based around a biblical story and four stars from me.

All Roads Lead to You

All Roads Lead to You by Jackie Ashenden
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Bethany Grant moves to remote Brightwater Valley in New Zealand South Island, and she wants a fresh start. Beth is from Deep River in Alaska, she’s used to living close to nature and she’s not a city person. Two friends traveled with her to NZ, Isabella Montgomery and Indigo Jameson, and they plan to open a gallery. Beth designs and makes jewellery and they also want to sell an elusive local artists paintings in Brightwater Dreams.

Everywhere Beth goes, she bumps into Finn Kelly, he, his brother Chase and friend Levi King own Pure Adventure NZ. They take people on outdoor experiences, and everything from, hiking, hunting, fishing, kayaking and horse riding. Beth thinks she’s done something to annoy Finn, he never seems happy to see her and looks down right grumpy when he does.

Finn lost his wife five years ago to cancer, he doesn’t feel like being friendly, and for some reason he’s irritated by Beth’s presence in town. She gets under his skin, and the sparks fly between Beth and Finn.

I received a copy of All Roads Lead to You by Jackie Ashenden from Edelweiss and Sourcebooks in exchange for an honest review and it’s the second book in the Small Town Dreams series. Both main characters have been hurt in the past, Beth is ready to fall in love again and she just needs to convince a very stubborn Finn that it’s time for him to open up his heart. It’s a story about living in a small town, fresh starts, breaking down walls, with sizzling chemistry and a rocky road to romance. I like that the narrative includes familiar local characters, their businesses and places in Brightwater. I highly recommend the first two books in the trilogy, Find Your Way Home, and All Roads Lead to You, and four and a half stars from me.

The Start of Summer

The Start of Summer by Alison Walsh
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Three women who met at antenatal classes gather every week in summer for a picnic in the park, under the shade of the weeping willow tree and share their thoughts about motherhood.

Elsie is new to the area, she taking her baby for a walk in her silver cross pram and she’s happy when she’s asked to join the group. The four Irish women have very different personalities and the one thing they have in common is they have had their first child.

Gracie is the organized mother, she seems to have everything under control and little Jasper is thriving. Gracie's worried about being absent from her job in advertising, she didn’t know her partner for long before she fell pregnant and it feels like she's the mother of two children. Lina is a single parent by choice, she doesn’t think her daughter Tommy’s father needs to be involved in her life and she quite capable of raising her and financially supporting them both. Jane doesn’t say much, it’s a cheap outing and she’s happy to be able to escape the house with baby Owen. Her husband is controlling and demanding and she has to make sure she's home in time to cook his tea perfectly. Elsie is new to the group, she and little Chloe are always dressed beautifully. Elsie has the habit of saying the first thing that pops into her head and she has a bad case of foot in mouth disease.

Being a new mum is really hard, it’s isolation, tiring, you doubt your own capabilities and it completely changes and takes over your life. Mixing with a group of mothers in the same situation should make you feel better, at times it causes tension, conflict, resentment and comparisons.

I received a copy of The Start of Summer by Alison Walsh from NetGalley and Hachette Books Ireland in exchange for an honest review. The narrative is an interesting and thought provoking look at motherhood from four different points of view. A story about friendship, relationships, babies, women, expectations, reality, hindsight, hiding domestic abuse, secrets and three and a half stars from me.

The Call of the Wrens

The Call of the Wrens by Jenni L. Walsh
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

1917 England.
Marion grew up in a series of orphanages, the last being St. Anne’s Home for Boys and Girls in Birmingham. Marion is about to turn eighteen, she has to make her own way in the world and she joins the Women’s Royal Navy Service and frees up a man for the fleet. She’s sent to France as a dispatch rider, her fellow Wren Sara is in charge of a pigeon loft, and Marion is to help her. Carrier pigeons were used by the army to send messages and information and they played a vital role in maintaining communications. Marion finally feels like she belongs, she has a cause and she’s shocked when Eddie her best friend from the orphanage arrives in France.

1936 England.
Evelyn grew up in a wealthy family, she was born with a clubfoot and endured numerous operations as a child. Evelyn enjoys car racing, her mother is horrified by her unladylike hobby and she wants her to marry her childhood friend Percy. When WW II starts, Evelyn wants to serve her country, they need women dispatch riders, she runs away and joins the Wrens. Her parents are furious, they threaten to cut Evelyn off and they don't believe she's physically capable? Evelyn has to pass basic training, it’s not easy for her and she has no idea that she’s about to be tested in so many ways.

I received a copy of The Call of the Wrens from Edelweiss and Harper Muse in exchange for an honest review. Jenni L. Walsh's dual timeline narrative is well written and it’s told from two alternating points of view. An emotional and moving historical saga about war, sacrifice, duty, friendship, being useful, achievement and personal growth. A fascinating read, about two courageous women and a big secret is revealed and five stars from me.

The Foundling School for Girls

The Foundling School for Girls by Elizabeth Gill
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Ruth Dixon is only fourteen when her mother leaves one morning for Stanhope, she assumes she’s gone Christmas shopping and she's worried when she doesn’t return. Her father comes home drunk, he assaults Ruth and she doesn’t know what do to? Ruth life turns into a nightmare, one night her father attacks her again and this time a desperate Ruth retaliates.

A pregnant Ruth wanders the country roads for days, when she’s rescued by Jay Gilbraith and he takes her to the nearby convent. Sister Madeline along with three other nuns run a new orphanage in Wolsingham, aided by Jay, and they provide food, shelter and an education to orphans and many are children of migrants.

Once Ruth recovers, she enjoys looking after the younger children at the orphanage, she discovers she has a talent for drawing and telling stories. She has a secret crush on Jay Gilbraith, he’s engaged to Eve Gray, the local doctor’s daughter and he’s building her a large house on the fell.

Jay Gilbraith and his childhood friend Wesley Hallam own the local coal mine together, after a terrible accident, Jay struggles to cope and Eve gets really annoyed with him and makes a silly decision.

I received a copy of The Foundling School for Girls by Elizabeth Gill from NetGalley and Quercus Books in exchange for an honest review. The story highlights the importance of friendship, and helping those in need, Jay and Wesley grew up on the streets of Newcastle, from his own personal experiences he wanted to protect innocent children, he uses the money he made from his successful business to do this, and I really admired his character in the narrative. Three and a half stars from me and I’m keen to read the next book in the series, The Runaway Children.

Gilded Mountain

Gilded Mountain by Kate Manning
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sylvie Pelletier, her mother Cherie and two brothers Henry and Frankie finally join their father in Moonstone, Colorado. They have traveled over two thousand miles from Vermont, and Jacques Pelletier is working as a quarry man for The Padgett Fuel and Stone Company.

The conditions in the town are terrible, not what Sylvie and her mother were expecting, the company house is nothing more than a shack, everyone has to buy their supplies from the corporation store and the men don't earn cash money.

During the first winter, Sylvie is offered a job working for Mrs. Inge Padgett, she requires a secretary and the family needs the extra income. The "Countess" lives in luxury, the complete opposite to the people working in her husband Duke’s marble mine, and Sylvie meets his son Jasper. He’s the heir to the mining fortune, Jasper is a disappointment to his father and Sylvie finds him charming.

Sylvie discovers the Padgett’s are originally from the South, the cook Easter Grady and her husband John, were once owned by the Padgett’s and she's shocked. The Grady’s have secret plans to leave, start their own town for colored people on the Colorado prairie and finally be free.

Sylvie returns home to the shack, her father Jacques is a union man, and the miners are getting tired of the way their being treated and the long shifts. They work in extremely dangerous conditions, everyday someone is injured or killed, and with no promised hospital.

Sylvie works for the local newspaper called the Moonstone Record, owned by Miss. Katrina Redmond, and when labor leader Mother Mary Harris and George Lonahan visit Moonstone, it causes trouble and even more discontent.

I received a copy of Gilded Mountain by Kate Manning from Simon & Schuster and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. A narrative set in the early 1900’s in Colorado, it highlights how difficult life was at the time, the huge difference between the working poor and the rich. Everything was hard and unfair, the winters, the living and working conditions, how they treated women, immigrants and colored people. Sylvie, her family and Miss. Redmond are caught up in the terrible consequences and aftermath. A story about a brave young women, fighting for fairness, justice and righting the wrongs. Four stars from me and I look forward to reading Ms. Manning's next book.

Becoming Beth

Becoming Beth by Meredith Appleyard
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Beth returns home to Miners Ridge when her husband informs her he’s met someone else, around the same time her mum Marian suffers a series of strokes, and she stays to help her dad Alan look after her mum. Sadly Marian passes away, Beth remains living with her dad, and he’s in his eighties and needs her support. At fifty-eight Beth has lost her mother, husband, house, job and confidence.

Marian was a member of the town hall committee, Beth decides to attend the meetings in her place and see if she can help. Like most country towns, the hall was the venue for school concerts, Christmas parties and wedding receptions. Unfortunately the hall isn’t used as much as it once was, it needs major repairs and the roof is leaking. Beth knows some of the members of the committee, others are new people to the area and it’s a real mixed group of personalities. Everybody has ideas of what needs to be done to bring the hall back to it’s former glory and how to raise the money, and they don’t always agree and the meetings can get rather tense. Beth becomes friends and is reacquainted with members, Mrs. Shirley Schubert, the new hairdresser in town Lucy Colac and the school principal Mr. Ashton Tiller.

With her father’s permission, Beth starts going through her mother’s possessions, she’s looking for information about the history of the town hall, she’s shocked when she discovers her mother has been keeping secrets, and it triggers memories of a really traumatic time in Beth’s life.

I received a copy of Becoming Beth from NetGalley and Harlequin Australia in exchange for an honest review. I always enjoy reading Meredith Appleyards’s books, she has the gift of making you care about the characters in the narrative and I certainly felt this way about Beth.

The story revolves around the main character Beth, her complicated relationships, the outcome of her mother making poor decisions and how it effects her loved ones years later, regret, and how important it is do deal with the pain of the past. Beth learns a lot about herself in the process, she changes her mind set and is open to the possibilities of what the future holds for her. Five stars from me, I love stories set in small country towns, and this one is a real beauty.

The Workhouse Waif

The Workhouse Waif by Lynette Rees
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Neville Hopkins dies in a mining accident, his widow has no choice, she and her six children move into the workhouse. The family are separated and sent to different parts of the facility and the eldest boy Tom finds a job.

Megan Hopkins holds onto the happy memories of when her family was together and it keeps her going, when she tries to visit her mother, and Miss. Hamilton refuses to let her see her. For some reason Miss. Hamilton has it in for Megan, her best option is to find work outside and spend less time in the workhouse. Mrs. Peggy Mathias employees Megan to run her market stall selling baked goods, and Megan is so excited.

Megan shares her good fortune with her friend Griff Morgan, and she saved a hungry Griff from being arrested when he stole two apples. Griff lives in the China district, a bad area of town, with his uncle Berwyn and he’s worse off. Megan and Griff share the odd sticky bun, and Megan introduces him to her new friend Mrs. Kathleen O’Hara, and she's a singer at the temperance hall. They discover Griff can sing, and he teaches a dog Scamp to preform tricks on stage. Unfortunately for Griff his greedy uncle ruins everything for him, and he’s not sure if he will ever see Megan again?

I received a copy of The Workhouse Waif by Lynette Rees from NetGalley and Quercus books in exchange for an honest review. Wales in the 1860’s is the main setting for the narrative, where life was hard and the last place anyone wanted to end up; was living in the workhouse. Megan's is a sweet and kind girl and she has soft spot for her best friend. Megan handles everything life throws at her, she looks out for her younger siblings and doesn’t give up hope of seeing her friend Griff again. Four stars from me, a story about hardship, poverty, persistence, resilience, friendship and having faith.

The Sandcastle Hurricane

The Sandcastle Hurricane by Carolyn Brown
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Tabby and Ellie Mae Landry are cousins, their aunt Charlotte has moved out of her beachfront bed-and-breakfast in Sandcastle on the Southern Coast of Texas, and her nieces have taken over the family business. The cousins have recently experienced devastating losses, they need a change, and they have fond childhood memories of staying with their aunt Charlotte at Sandcastle.

A hurricane called Delilah is quickly approaching, when Tabby and Ellie Mae receive a call from aunt Charlotte, she’s sending Alex LaSale's to help them prepare for the storm, and he’s bringing four residents from the assisted living center with him, as they have no family, and it’s not safe for them to stay in the building.

Alex arrives with Frank, Homer, Maude and Cleo, and they prepare to batten down the hatches. Frank and Homer are Vietnam War veterans and best friends, both are sweet and kind older gentlemen, Cleo is rather eccentric and she and the very proper Maude don’t get along. Tabby and Ellie Mae are shocked to discover Cleo and Maude are sisters, Cleo ran off, and joined a carnival sixty years ago and Maude has never forgiven her.

They survive the hurricane, many of the buildings in town don’t, and the four guests are invited to stay at Sandcastle bed-and-breakfast longer. Alex and his friend Ricky Benoit start repairing the hurricane damage, while Tammy, Ellie Mae, Maude and Cleo start working on the issues from their pasts.

I received a copy of The Sandcastle Hurricane by Carolyn Brown from NetGalley and Montlake publishing in exchange for an honest review. It’s a story about a group of people being brought together during a natural disaster, and the motto “you don’t meet people by accident, there’s always a reason, a lesson or a blessing” is true in this case. The well written and thoughtful narrative is about overcoming loss, grief, hurt, fresh starts and new romances, having fun and the joy of owning a pet, age is just a number and you don’t have to be related to become a family. Five stars from me, the first book I have read by Carolyn Brown, and it won’t be my last.

The Brillance of Stars (Jack & Ivy # 1)

The Brilliance of Stars (Jack and Ivy, #1)

The Brilliance of Stars by J'nell Ciesielski
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Ivy Olwen is an orphan, and she and her best friend Philip have been living on the Washington DC streets for six years and where only the strong survive. Both are recruited into a secret society that wants good to prevail, victory is achievable, no matter the cost and course of action taken.

Talon needs candidates with bright minds, as they study languages, biology, dancing, etiquette, grammar, self-defence, shooting and how to use explosives. They encourage trainees to read as much as they can, general knowledge is another vital skill and to be able to think quickly. When Jack Vale a member of Talon first meets Ivy, he thinks she’s a boy and he soon learns that she has what it takes to be a secret agent. They practice boxing together, gaze at the stars and Jack starts to develop feelings for Ivy.

With the threat of The Great War in Europe, Talon sends operatives overseas, and Jack, Ivy and Philip all find themselves in Russia. They’re looking for an evil man, his name is Balaur, and he’s killed hundreds of innocent people, is developing a secret weapon and who knows what else he’s capable of? As the group travels from one end of Russia to another, they discover how difficult it is to track the elusive Balaur down, he seems to be one step ahead of them and is protected by his secret army and nasty followers.

I received a copy of The Brilliance of Stars (Jack and Ivy, #1) by J’Nell Ciesielski from HarperCollins Focus and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. It’s very different to the authors previous books, a historical thriller and action adventure story. I enjoyed reading about the lasting friendship between Ivy and Philip and her romance with Jack. All of Talon’s operatives have overcome tragedy and sadness in their lives, it makes them stronger and they need to be. The narrative’s plot is full of violence, espionage and suffering, the Talon group are fierce and loyal warriors, and I wouldn’t want to take them on! Three and a half stars from me, I look forward to the next book in the series, please read The Brilliance of Stars for yourself, and make up your own mind.

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The Next Best Day

The Next Best Day by Sharon Sala
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

First grade teacher Katie McGrath decides to move to Borden’s Gap, Tennessee, and she needs a fresh start. Katie hasn’t had an easy life, she was abandoned as a newborn baby, she grew up in foster care, her fiancée let her down, and there was a violent incident at the school she taught at in Albuquerque.

Moving to a small town is what Katie requires, she rents a cute cottage and everyone is really friendly. Over the summer she tries to overcome her fears, she walks the neighbors dog, the cutest six years old ever, Evie and Beth live across the road from her and they cheer her up with their endless questions.

Katie is still suffering from PTSD, she’s plagued by bad dreams and the twin’s father Sam Youngblood is the local police chief, he offers his support and gives Katie his phone number. Katie’s nervous on her first day of school, everything goes well and she loves being back in the classroom. Katie is amazed at the kindness shown by the people in the small southern town, slowly Katie starts to heal, thanks to two sweet little girls and their handsome father.

I received a copy of The Next Best Day from Edelweiss and Sourcebooks in exchange for an honest review. I haven’t read a book written by Sharon Sala in a while, she certainly hasn’t lost her touch, and the main (nice) characters are wonderful. Miss Katie is the first grade teacher we would all want for our children, she makes learning fun, Katie's very observant and a wonderful role model. The story does mention different forms of violence and abuse and could trigger bad memories for some people. The main narrative is about second chances, new beginnings and friendships, overcoming trauma, and finding love when you least expect it, and five stars from me.

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A matter of Happiness

A Matter of Happiness by Tori Whitaker
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

2018: Melanie Barnett works at a Kentucky bourbon distillery, she’s trying her best to earn a promotion and pay rise. Melanie has given up on love after her engagement ended, she's happy being single and she can concentrate on her career.

Her mother Angie is successful and busy business woman, as a child, Melanie spent one week of every summer with her great-great aunt Violet, and she has fond memories of their time together. Violet Bond left her first car to Melanie in her will, it’s a scarlet-red Jordan MX Playboy, and her mum want's her to remove it from the property. While wading through a hundred years of family junk, Melanie decides to examine the interior of the car, and in a secret compartment she finds her aunts journal. Violet left a message in the journal for her and she said “Take from this story what you will, Melanie, and you can bury the rest.”

The story has a dual timeline it goes between the 1920’s and 2018. It’s told from the two main characters points of view and almost a century apart.

1921: Violet Bond leaves Kentucky and moves to Detroit, to follow her dream of being an independent woman and earn her own money making car spark plugs. Violet meets Lela a rich socialite and she introduces her to many new things, they visit speakeasies, Violet drinks her first cocktail and starts smoking cigarettes, and Lela encourages her to have her hair cut into a shingle bob and invest her money in shares. The 1920’s was a time of change for women, they finally had the chance to vote and be independent.

Violet has always wanted to own and drive her own car, she does and it comes at a price, she discovers that she can’t have everything and endures a series of major loses in her life. Melanie finds her great-great aunt Violet has left her more than a vintage car, hidden between the pages of the journal, are the lessons she learnt and wisdom Violet gathered from her time in Detroit, she want's to make sure Melanie understands what’s really important in life and not make the same mistakes she did.

I received a copy of A Matter of Happiness from NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Tori Whitaker has done it again, the narrative is really interesting and it held my attention. Full of details about the Jazz Age, prohibition, how women’s roles changed and being financially independent was a new concept. I had no idea about the history of bourbon, the Women’s Bourbon Alliance and how important the industry is in Kentucky. The story is about family, secrets, truth, and self-discovery, womanhood, love, choosing happiness and embracing adventure. Five stars from me, I highly recommend this book and the author’s previous novel, Millicent Glenn’s Last Wish.

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The Paris Affair

The Paris Affair by Melanie Hudson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Sebastian Braun was only a teenager when he fought for Germany in The Great War, he was so traumatized by his experiences, he left Germany, vowed he would never pick up a gun again and studied medicine. Instead of taking lives, he now saves them, he lives in the Island of Sark and it’s part of the English channel Islands. He enjoys living in the tranquil place, tending his patients, and his beautiful garden.

Sophie Hathaway comes to visit her aunt Dame Sibyl, born in France to an English mother and American father, she married young and is now divorced. Sophie is like a breath of fresh air, a cynical Sebastian thought he was too old to fall in love and he's wrong. The Germans are poised to invade the Channel Islands, Sebastian has to make a difficult choice, he doesn’t want to leave and if he stays he might be forced to fight for Germany again?

The German forces arrive and he and Sophie are separated, Sebastian is determined to find her, and for them to live happily ever after in Sark. The couple do bump into each other in Paris and towards the end of the Second World War, Sophie’s working undercover and so is Sebastian. He's caught and detained in La Santé Prison, while waiting to be executed and he’s visited daily by a priest Christoph Wagner. He tells father Christoph about his life, regrets, his love for Sophie, how he ended up sitting in a Paris jail cell and wearing the shreds of a German officers uniform.

I received a copy of The Paris Affair by Melanie Hudson from NetGalley and HarperCollins UK in exchange for an honest review. Based around true facts, it’s a story about a pacifist doctor and how he was involved in another war. His sorrow for what he’s done in the past and for all that he hast lost, most of all does he really know the woman he’s fallen madly in love with and will he ever see her again? The narrative was a little slow in the middle of the book, it does pick up it’s pace, the ending is unpredictable, took me by surprise and kept me guessing. Four and a half stars from me and I’m keen to read the authors previous book, The Last Letter from Juliet.

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When We Had Wings

When We Had Wings by Ariel Lawhon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

August 1941: U.S. Navy Nurse Eleanor Lindstrom arrives in the Philippines and she's signed up to serve her country for three years. She’s taken to the Army Navy Club in Manila, here she meets army nurse Penny Franklin and Filipino nurse Angelita Capel.

The women all have painful pasts, Eleanor lost her husband in a tragic accident, Penny had her heart broken and Lita’s promised her deceased parents she would be a nurse, her three older sisters have moved to America and left her behind.

Over the following months the women enjoy the delights of living in the South Pacific together and being local Lita knows the best places visit. Their nursing duties are light, they treat patients with minor wounds and suffering from tropical diseases. They have no idea the Japanese forces are getting ready to attack Pearl Harbor, the Philippine Islands will be next, due to their strategic location, perfect for Japanese military bases, communications and supply chains.

The three nurses are soon caught up in the war, the Japanese army attack the Philippines, the outnumbered allied forces retreat and are eventually surrounded, and they have no choice but to surrender.

Eleanor, Penny and Lita are sent to a series of different internment camps, and the Japanese don’t care about the Geneva Convention. Here they endure and witness inconceivable hardship, they treat patients with hardly any medical supplies or equipment. They all suffer terrible physical and mental abuse, tropical diseases and malnourishment.

Eleanor, Penny and Lita promise each other they will survive the war, so they can be reunited and liberated. Each has to overcome unimaginable obstacles to get through, they meet others in the same situation as them, form alliances and bonds.

I received a copy of When We Had Wings from Edelweiss and HarperCollins Focus in exchange for an honest review and it’s written by historical fiction’s influential trio, Ariel Lawhon, Kristina McMorris and Susan Meissner. A powerful story about the brave and inspirational women known as the Angels of Bataan and Corregidor. They nursed, helped and supported soldiers, frightened women, children and elderly during one of history’s most horrific and barbaric times. Five stars from me and one of the best wartime books I have read this year.

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The Forgotten Bookshop in Paris

The Forgotten Bookshop in Paris by Daisy Wood
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Jacques and Mathilde have only been married a short time when the Germans invaded Paris. Jacques owns a bookshop called la page cachée and Mathilde works at a museum. The war drags on, Mathilde loses her job, Jacques still earns a living selling novels, guidebooks and postcards.

The couple live in an apartment a couple of floors above the bookshop, under the close scrutiny of Madame Bourdain and they don’t know if they can trust her? Mathilde finds living under German occupation difficult, the Gestapo are watching her movements and she has to flee Paris.

Jacques created a secret room in his shop before the war started, and here he conceals a box of banned books. After Mathilde leaves, he begins helping the resistance, he hides boxes, supplies, people and eventually Jewish children. He desperately hopes Mathilde is safe in the countryside, he can’t contact her and they made plans of where to meet after the war ends.

The Forgotten Bookshop in Paris has a dual timeline it’s set in the city of lights during the 1940's and in present time, and it's told from the two main characters points of view.

Juliette and her husband Kevin have traveled from America to France for a much needed holiday. Juliette’s grandmother Marie was French and she moved to America after the end of the Second World War. Kevin can’t wait to return home, Juliette discovers why, she decides to stay in Paris and investigate her grandmothers mysterious past.

Juliette grandmother had a picture of a square in Paris and she explores the Parisian streets and cafes trying to find it. Juliette becomes friends with a French couple, she discovers an abandoned bookshop, and she decides to stay in France. Juliette falls in love with The Hidden Page, she sets about renovating the old bookshop and she uncovers hidden secrets from the past.

I received a copy of The Forgotten Bookshop in Paris from NetGalley and Avon Books UK in exchange for an honest review. Daisy Wood flawlessly combines the past and the present in a wonderful and well written dual timeline narrative. Both Jacques, Mathilde, and Juliette are appealing characters, I really enjoyed reading about their connection and it’s a story about war, love, loss, betrayal, rebellion, defiance, hardship, secrets, greed, and fate. Five stars from me, I highly recommend this book and the author’s previous historical fiction novel, The Clockmaker’s Wife.

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Wherever the Wind Takes Us

Wherever the Wind Takes Us by Kelly Harms
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Becca Larkin calls time on her twenty-two year marriage to Alistair, she’s been unhappy for years and she has issues with his morals. The couple have a twenty-one year old daughter Olivia, Becca doesn’t want her to have to take sides and she's never mentioned the problems she has had with Alistair.

The Larkin family is wealthy, Becca willingly signed a prenup when they married and she’s surprised when the judge awards her the Becky Ann in the divorce settlement and what will she do with a sailing boat? The obvious thing to do is sell it, Becca and Liv decide to sail the boat from Maine to the buyer in Miami. Becca knows nothing about sailing, she gets sea sick and Liv assures her that she’s a competent mariner. Becca is in charge of packing everything they need for the trip, including food, drinks and safety equipment.

The mother and daughter have always had a good relationship, she’s shocked when they arrive at the first stop over and out of the blue Liv informers her that she’s flying in Grant Murphy to take the Becky Ann to Maine. Becca is confused, Liv hates the Irish sailing instructor and why has she suddenly changed her mind?

Becca finds herself aboard the Becky Ann with the much younger handsome sailor and he’s not at all what she’s expecting. Grant is patient and kind, Becca starts to get her sea legs, understand sailing terms, tries new things, she actually enjoys sailing and the adrenaline rush! During the trip Becca starts to consider what she’s going to do in the future, she also worried Olivia, how she will handle college after summer break finishes and her parents separating?

I received a copy of Where the Wind Takes Us by Kelly Harms from NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing in exchange for an honest review. It’s a thought provoking narrative about a mother and daughter’s relationship and a their journey towards finding themselves. Becca especially learns to take chances, money can’t buy happiness, age is just a number, she embraces her fresh start and experiences real passion. Five stars from me, I highly recommend this mature coming of age story and Ms. Harms previous novel, The Overdue Life of Amy Byler.

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Cradles of the Reich

Cradles of the Reich by Jennifer Coburn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Heim Hochland Estate is a county house in Bavaria, the German’s use it as a maternity home during the Second World War as part of the Lebensborn Society. Here pregnant Aryan women stay in luxury, they receive the best medical care and their babies are adopted by high ranking German officer’s families.

Gundi Schiller is only twenty years old, a university student, she’s involved in the resistance and in love with a Jewish man. Gundi visits her family doctor to confirm she’s pregnant, she’s seen as the perfect example of a German womanhood, and forced to go to stay at Heim Hochland.

Hilde Kramer is eighteen, her parents want her to marry and start a family. Hilde parents support the Nazi party, her brother is a Wehrmacht soldier, and she meets an officer, and falls pregnant. Hilde is honored when she’s sent to Heim Hochland, she doing her duty to Germany and has her future all planned.

Irma Binz is forty four, she’s living in a boarding house, her fiancée is dragging his heels organizing their wedding and she’s tired of waiting. Irma was a nurse in the Great War, she likes babies and accepts a job at the new maternity home called Heim Hochland.

Gundi, Hilde and Irma are the main characters in the narrative and it’s told from three points of view. About their experiences at Heim Hochland Estate, what they think of the establishment, and their secrets!

Gundi assumes the home is only for pregnant women, it's not the case, a group of young single girls are taking part in a training program, and they also entertain German officers. Gundi is concerned by the bizarre naming ceremonies that take place when babies are adopted and medals are given out to women who have four or more children.

I received a copy of Cradles of the Reich from Edelweiss and Sourcebooks in exchange for an honest review. Jennifer Coburn uses real facts in her book that explores Germany wanting to increase it’s birth rate of pure Aryan children during WW II, the practices used and appalling methods. Ms Coburn traverses a tragic time in history, the characters are plausible, and four stars from me.

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The Wartime Bookshop

The Wartime Bookshop by Lesley Eames
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Alice Lovell has recently moved to Churchwood in Hertfordshire and with her father Archibald a retired doctor. Alice hurt her hand badly in an accident, she needs to create some distance between herself and Daniel Irvine and sort out her feelings. Alice hand is only slightly better, it will never function properly and she worries that she’s a burden.

Kate Fletcher lives with her mean father and brothers on Brimbles Farm, and they treat her like a servant. Kate doesn’t mind working hard, unlike her brothers she doesn’t get paid and has to wear their cast off clothes. The people in Churchwood treat Kate like she has an infectious disease, due to her brothers being trouble makers and she doesn’t have nice clothes.

Naomi Harrington is an influential citizen in Churchwood, her husband Alexander works in London and she keeps busy running her various committees. Naomi comes across as a bit abrupt and snobby, and she’s built a wall around herself. Naomi hasn’t been able to have children, she feels like her husband has lost interest in her and she covers this up.

The story is told from the point of view of the three main characters, Alice, Kate and Naomi. With the Second World War starting, the people of Churchwood are worried about their loved ones serving overseas and what they can do to help the war effort. Alice starts volunteering at Stratton House, a hospital, where she writes letters and reads to the wounded soldiers. The one thing that Churchwood doesn’t have is a library, there is a big demand for books and reading material. The people of Churchwood have to come together, stop judging others and put their egos aside, to raise funds and start The Churchwood Bookshop.

I received a copy of The Wartime Bookshop from NetGalley and Random House UK in exchange for an honest review. The delightful and well written first installment in the new series by Lesley Eames, is a wonderful story about relationships between women, the importance of friendship and helping others, overcoming challenges and prejudice, uniting a community, and the significance of reading and books during the Second World War. I highly recommend this book and the authors previous novel The Wartime Singers and five stars from me.

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The Timber Girls

The Timber Girls by Rosie Archer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Trixie Smith lives in Gosport, she’s nineteen, and works at Watts the Greengrocers and plays the piano at the Alma hotel on the weekends. Trixie wants to help England win the war, and in 1942 they desperately need recruits for the newly formed Women’s Timber Corps.

Trixie leaves home for the first time, she travels by train to Scotland, to start her training as a Lumberjill. During her long trip, she meets Cy and American sailor on leave. Trixie has always thought falling in love at first sight wasn’t possible and after the chance encounter she changes her mind. The couple promise to write to each other, both don’t know what the future holds for them and especially during a war.

Trixie arrives at Shandford Lodge, in charge is Maud Styles and they begin the month of training. The young ladies are picked up every morning by Alf, taken to the forest, where they learn all about felling trees, carting timber and making charcoal. Trixie makes friends with three fellow Lumberjills, Henrietta, Joan and Violet, and they support each other through the grueling training. The days are long, exhausting, when they have the energy they go to the local pub in the evening, where Trixie plays the piano and they forget about their troubles and aches and pains for a few hours.

Trixie senses that Hen, Jo and Vi have all signed because they are not happy at home, they don’t reveal why and Jo and Vi are very quiet. As time goes on the young women form a close bond, they have no idea where the friends will be posted after they finish basic training and Trixie hopes the group stays together?

I received a copy of The Timber Girls by Rosie Archer from NetGalley and Quercus Books in exchange for an honest review. I always learn something new from reading historical fiction, they needed women to work in the forest industry, because England was short of timber and male loggers. This was due to the naval blockade, Scotland had the trees, and they needed over twelve hundred extra workers to cut them down. I liked the comradery formed between Trixie, Hen, Vi and Jo, I look forward to finding out more about these character’s and in the next installment of the wartime historical saga. Five stars from me, the first book I have read by Rosie Archer, and it defiantly won’t be my last.

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The Orphan's of Mersey House

The Orphans of Mersea House by Marty Wingate
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Olive Kersey’s mother dies, she’s unmarried and at thirty seven she needs to find a job. She’s lived Southwold in Suffolk her whole life, she doesn't want to leave, her childhood friend Margery Paxton returns for a visit and this cheers her up. Olive assumes Margery is here to sell her inheritance, a shop called Paxton’s Goods and her uncle’s house. Margery is tired of living in London, she wants to turn Mersey House into a boarding house and she asks Olive to be the housekeeper.

After a lot of work getting it ready, two permanent lodgers move in, Hugh Hodgson the manager of the town’s cinema and Mrs. Abigail Claypool a war widow. Margery and Olive are just settling into their new roles, when Margery receives a letter from Mrs. Lucie Pagett a Children’s Officer and she’s been nominated as a guardian for a young girl. Juniper Wyckes is an eleven year old orphan, she’s to live with Margery for three months and Mrs. Pagett will visit to see how it’s going and she will decide if it will be a permanent arrangement. Juniper contracted polio when she was four, she wears brakes on her legs, and needs assistance with her personal care, some people think Juniper is still contagious and it’s ridiculous.

Olive is in her element running the boarding house, she likes caring for Juniper and discovers her maternal side. The story is set in a small English seaside village in the 1950’s and it has a mixture of interesting and engaging characters. Everyone living at the boarding house has a past and secrets, they slowly get to know each other and become friends and an unconventional family.

I received a copy of The Orphans of Mersey House by Marty Wingate from NetGalley and Alcove Press. What a delightful and moving story about friendship, kindness, second chances, fighting prejudice, and Juniper finding a loving home. Five stars from me and I highly recommend reading this wonderful book.
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The Girl Who Dared to Dream

The Girl Who Dared to Dream by Diney Costeloe
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

1912: Mabel Oakley is fourteen years old, she's an excellent student, and her teacher Miss. Chapman thinks she should continue her education and possibly go to high school. Mabel has two brothers, Edward who's about to start his carpenters apprenticeship and Stephen is still at primary school.

Andrew has a soft spot for his daughter, he works as a clerk at a solicitor’s office and the family gets by. His wife Alice handles the housekeeping, by tightening their belts, they should be able to afford for Mabel to stay at school for one more year.

When tragedy strikes, Alice tries her best, unfortunately Mable has to leave school and her cousin Lizzie knows of a vacant position. Lady McFarlane needs a maid, and Mable starts working as a live in domestic servant. Mable hates her job, she misses her family, the hours are long, with no free time, and she doesn’t trust her employer’s son.

Mabel confides in her friend Mr. Clarke how miserable she is, he promises her things will get better, and it’s not forever. Mabel's plight unfortunately was a common one at the time, most girls finished school early, had low paying jobs, and handed their wages over to their families.

I received a copy of The Girl Who Dared to Dream by Diney Costeloe from NetGalley and Aria & Aries in exchange for an honest review. Ms. Costeloe has an informative and moving writing style, and you’re given a realistic impression of life in Edwardian England and through the point of view of a fourteen year old girl. Mabel is a plucky and bright young lady, she faces challenges head on, and doesn't give up in wanting more out of life, and continuing to help her family. Five stars from me, I highly recommend this book and the others in Diney Costeloe’s vast catalogue of historical fiction.

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Keeping Up Appearances

Keeping Up Appearances by Tricia Stringer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Badara is a small country town in South Australia, where everyone is distantly related and knows each other’s business. Single mother of three Paige Radcliffe moves to the tiny town, she looking to escape the city and hide.

Paige doesn’t know anyone in Badara, she’s lonely and she joins the local exercise class at the town hall. Paige is nervous about going, people tend to judge single mothers and it makes her feel uncomfortable. The ladies at the class are older, they have lived in Badara for years, and they bombard Paige with gifts. At first Paige assumes they feel sorry for her, but in a small town people often share excess fruit and baked goods and it’s one of the many benefits.

Marion Addicot and Briony Hensley are sister-in-law’s, their husbands are farmers and Marion has recently retired. Marion can come across as rather curt, and Briony is rather proper and likes to do things perfectly. Briony isn’t prepared when her married daughter Chelsea moves home and her son Blake returns from London and reveals a big secret. Briony and Vince have their three adult children back in Badara, Vince looks at the situation differently to his wife, he thinks the family are reconnecting and Briony feels everything has changed, not for the better and she doesn’t handle it well.

Marion is horrified when they start talking about holding a back to Badara weekend, in the 1970’s they had a similar celebration, a time capsule was buried and Marion wants it to stay in the ground. A sixteen year old Marion and her friend wrote down what they thought about people at the time and local gossip.

Marion’s letter is found, read out during exercise class and feelings are crushed. Marion is ashamed of what she wrote, how can she repair the damage she’s done and apologize. Marion hides at first, then she sets about making amends for her hateful letter, she bakes batches of her famous sausage rolls and starts delivering them. This causes a tidal wave of change, slowly her friends forgive her and they all experience a revelation? Women put a lot of pressure on themselves, they juggle too many things, keeping up the appearance they have everything under control and they don’t need any help.

I received a copy of Keeping Up Appearances by Tricia Stringer from NetGalley and Harlequin Australia in exchange for an honest review. Small Australian rural towns usually have a hall, church, primary school, a football and netball club. Life revolves around these things, most of all it's about sharing community spirit, friendship, support, a feeling of belonging and camaraderie. Ms. Stringers descriptions and characters in her latest novel were simply perfect, I laughed and cried while reading the narrative. It was honest, raw, tender, funny, a sisterhood and a bond was formed between the five women and five stars from me.

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The Keepsake

The Keepsake by Julie Brooks
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

1832: Prudence Merryfield wakes up the morning after her father’s funeral feeling hopeful, a weight has been lifted from her shoulders and she’s free. After her father’s solicitor reads his will, Prudence is shocked, and she’s only been left a yearly allowance, and her neighbor Mr. Edward Ambrose has complete control over her inheritance. Prudence is thirty-five, she thought she could finally do what she wanted and her father is still controlling her life from the grave.

The Keepsake has a dual timeline, it goes between 1832 and the present time. The two main characters Prudence and Eliza are related to each other, and Eliza want's to uncover what happened to her ancestor over two centuries ago.

2022: Eliza Ambrose is running her mother's antique shop called The Cabinet of Wonders in Somerset and her family has lived in the area for decades. Her aunt Jude gives Eliza a present, it’s a Peacock’s Polite Repository or a ladies pocket book and it belonged to their distant relative Miss. Prudence Merryfield. Eliza can’t believe she’s reading Prudence's private thoughts, and most importantly she want's to solve the mystery of what happened to her, did Prudence meet with foul play or did she willingly disappear?

Eliza visits Westcott Hall, here she meets Daniel O’Neill an Australian building contractor, he’s trying to restore the old house and what's left of the estate. Eliza, Daniel and Jude all become invested in finding out what took place, some clues are revealed at Westcott Hall, in the remaining pages of the pocket book, they discover a distant relative, and look into the family tree.

I received a copy of The Keepsake by Julie Brooks from NetGalley and Headline in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed reading about Westcott Hall, the South Pacific, Samoa, the Samoan culture, and Prudence's friendship with Lupe, and Eliza coming to terms with changes in her own situation. The links between the pocket book, family portraits and antique jewellery, all helped in resolving the interesting and captivating historical mystery and five stars from me.

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The Tricky Art of Forgiveness

The Tricky Art of Forgiveness by Meredith Jaffe
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Diana Forsyth is planning a party to celebrate her husband Will turning sixty and their thirtieth wedding anniversary. They have two adult children, Aiden and Persephone, and they are returning home to Australia for the big event. The venue, plane tickets and accommodation have been booked and Diana has almost finished her working on Will’s big surprise.

Diana and Will have just recently sold the family home on Turpentine Street, the place where their children grew up, they have bought an apartment, and Diana is slowly unpacking years of memories. Will spends most of his time overseas working, he always has, and her friends can’t understand why Didi doesn’t mind being on her own?

Diana finds a torn scrap of paper hidden inside one of Will’s jumpers, with the words, "I forgive you" written on it and Didi wonders if Will's cheating on her? Diana starts looking back at the years they have been together and their marriage, it began with them being madly in love, as time goes by, children, family commitments, and work and have all affected their intimacy, and closeness.

The Tricky Art of Forgiveness is a story about relationships, marriage, friendship, family, tragedy, putting others first, losing yourself, and lack of communication. It’s a realistic and engaging narrative, that grabs your attention and keeps it, many of us can relate to the topics covered in the story, and especially women whose children have grown up and left the nest.

Five stars from me, thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers for my copy in exchange for a review, well done Meredith Jaffe, I loved the use of music in the narrative, and Didi's supportive and funny friends, and I’m looking forward to reading Dressmakers of Yarrandarrah Prison.

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The Invincible Miss Cust

The Invincible Miss Cust by Penny Haw
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Aleen Cust lives in county Tipperary, Ireland, with her English aristocrat family, her mother Lady. Isabel can’t see the point of employing a governess just for Aleen and she studies alongside her brothers and they have a tutor.

Aleen loves living in the Irish countryside, she adores animals, and has a natural connection with them. Aleen is a tomboy, and her mother doesn’t understand why she can’t act like a young lady. When Sir. Charles Leopold Cust suddenly passes away, the family move back to England, and Aleen realizes at ten, that girls are treated very differently from boys, and it’s extremely unfair.

Aleen lives in Northumberland with her appointed guardian Major. Fitzherbert Widdrington and his family. Aleen forms a friendship with his daughter Dorothy and son Bertie, and she loves horse riding, and exploring with them.

Aleen dreams of being a veterinarian, her family are absolutely horrified by the idea and she’s given an unexpected chance. With the support of Major. Fitz, she begins working towards gaining a place at the New Veterinary College in Edinburgh, she enrolls as student A. I. Custance, and to spare her family the humiliation of her unfeminine pursuits.

Aleen has to overcome so many obstacles, her fellow students are rude and they preform pranks on her, and she lives on a small income and is very lonely. Aleen’s family wash their hands completely of her, and she’s not sure if she will receive her degree and despite being top of her class.

I received a copy of The Invincible Miss Cust by Penny Haw from Edelweiss and Sourcebooks in exchange for an honest review. Based on the real life of Aleen Cust, the first women to become a veterinarian surgeon in England and Ireland in the early 1900’s. The narrative is well written and thoroughly researched by the author and it’s one of the best books I have read this year. Aleen’s story is truly amazing, how one woman overcame every obstacle in her path, she was determined, smart, gifted, loyal, kind, funny and unstoppable. The perfect role model for young women today, in the future and forever! I highly recommend reading this book, every woman can relate to Aleen's story and five stars from me.

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Daughter of the Home Front

Daughter of the Home Front by Jennie Jones
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Emma Hatton is fifteen, she lives in Blueholm Bay in Queensland, and she has four younger brothers. Emma’s mum Miriam is a rather bitter and miserable woman, her father Doug joined the Australian army, he hasn't written in months, and the family struggle to make ends meet.

Emma goes to stay with her aunt Doris in Townsville, all single women over the age of sixteen are expected to help the war effort, and she works part time for the Red Cross. Townsville is busy and the streets are filled with handsome American soldiers, Emma meets Cassie O’Byrne, both girls lie about their age, they start going out together and Cassie’s much wiser.

Emma has her head turned by the first man to kiss her, she's infatuated by Private Frank Kendrick and she makes a terrible mistake and one with huge consequences. Her family send Emma to the Refuge of Saint Philomena in Brisbane, here the disgraced young women are forced to work and give up their babies for adoption. The nuns are mean, no visitors are allowed and the girls have no contact with the outside world. Emma makes two friends at the unmarried mother’s home, they support each other, and promise to keep in touch. Emma doesn’t get to keep her baby as she planned and she’s determined to be reunited with her child one day.

Emma gets a job, she’s a hard worker, and her mum still demands most of her wages. Emma pines for her baby, her aim is for them to be together, to find her two friends and make sure what happened to them is stopped, so other girls won’t have to endure what they did, and be treated in such a degrading way.

I received a copy of Daughter of the Home Front by Jennie Jones from NetGalley and Harlequin Australia in exchange for an honest review. I really admired Emma's character, she’s an inspirational and determined young woman. One small mistake shouldn’t define her future, Emma's mother is wrong about her, and someone unexpected appreciates how special she is, they set about making changes and create a family together. The story highlights how hard it was for young unmarried mothers and orphans in the 1940’s, the narrative was well written and made me I feel an emotional connection. Five stars from me.

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The Deceptions

The Deceptions by Jill Bialosky
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The unnamed English teacher’s life is falling apart, her son has left for college and her husband of twenty years is sleeping in the spare room. She’s slowly counting down the weeks until her book of poetry is released, she spends her free time at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, looking at the exhibits in the Greek and Roman rooms.

How did it all go wrong, she fell in love with her doctor husband’s warm eyes and sincere smile? They made it through her miscarriages, yearning for a child, fertility treatments, and the traumatic birth of their son, and raised him to adulthood together.

I received a copy of The Deceptions by Jill Bialosky from Edelweiss and Catapult Publishing in exchange for an honest review. It’s a story about marriage, love, life, parenthood, work, relationships, betrayal, anger and plagiarism. All explained in a complicated narrative and using ancient mythology, it went completely over my head, and my brain struggled to process it all.

I really encourage you to read the book yourself and make up your own mind, I did understand/relate to the main characters struggles in becoming a mother and the pain of infertility, and three stars from me.

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Children of the Castastrophe

Children of the Catastrophe by Sarah Shoemaker
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Smyrna is the busiest city on the Mediterranean Sea in 1908, due to it's easily accessible port and connection to the inland. Part of the Turkish Ottoman Empire, Smyrna has been home to generations of Greek and Armenian people.

Emmanuel and Theodora Demirigis have four daughters, three are married and they are looking for a suitable husband for their youngest daughter Liana. She marries Vasili the only son of Dimitri and Vala Melopoulos, Dimitri is a tobacconist, and her father Emmanuel is a talented silversmith.

The couple move to the countryside at Bournabat, Liana can still see her family, and they start one of their own. Theodora enjoys entertaining and she’s the perfect hostess, Dora holds celebrations for her children and grandchildren. Emmanuel likes to keep up to date with what happening, he warns Vasili about the tension between the Greeks and the Turks. Each country chooses a different side during WW I, when it ends Vasili assumes the hostilities are over, and unfortunately he’s wrong.

Vasili and Liana have no idea that everything is about to change, the Turkish Army lead by Mustafa Kemal has the Greek army on the run, and it will lead to wide scale disorder and catastrophe!

I received a copy of Children of the Catastrophe from Edelweiss and Harper Collins in exchange for an honest review. It’s a historical saga about the joining of two families, the arranged marriage turns into a love match, the ups and downs of their lives together, and the extended family. Their heritage, celebrations, births, disappointments, disagreements, and challenges they faced. I really enjoyed reading about the traditions and bond between the Demirigis family, how Theodora took Liana to the bath's for the first time, Emmanuel's skills as a silversmith, the food and culture, how she fell in love with Vasili, and her relationship with her mother-in-law.

Sarah Shoemaker’s well written narrative brought to my attention the details of the Greco-Turkish War, something I knew very little about, how the Turks wanted to reclaim the city of Smyrna, and it's now known as Izmir. Five stars from me, I highly recommend this book, and it's released on the 6th of September 2022.

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Into a Cornish Wind

Into a Cornish Wind by Kate Ryder
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Katherine Maddox is a commercial illustrator at a publishing house in London, and she’s offered a temporary job, and she would be living and working in Cornwall. Kat has just broken up with her latest boyfriend, it’s time for a change, and her best friend Tara encourages her to grab the opportunity.

Kat sets off for the Cornish Coast and her new job in Fowey, she falls in love with the stunning scenery, old buildings and ruins. Kat has a unique gift, when she starts drawing or painting, she’s able to see the history of the subject, and she knows how the buildings once looked, gardens, and the appearance of the occupants.

Stella a history professor, is writing a book about the West Country’s landed gentry through the ages, and she employees Kat to do the illustrations. Kat visits local land marks, old houses, ruins, gardens and museums as part of her preparation, she takes photos, and then starts drawing.

Kat keeps bumping into James MacNamara, he owns a sailboat and he lives aboard the Windsong. Kat finds Mac handsome, every time she sees him he’s with a different woman, and is he another player? After her last relationship ended so badly, Kat has trust issues, she’s looking for a soulmate, and she believes in fate. Kat’s completely wrong about Mac, they start dating, Kat’s not sure what the future holds for them, and if she wants to return to living and working in London?

I received a copy of Into a Cornish Wind from NetGalley and Embla Books in exchange for an honest review. Kate Ryder has done it again, I loved everything about this story, the descriptions of the Cornish seaside and countryside, old houses and historical buildings, Kat’s friendship with Tara, and the chemistry between Kat and Mac. I highly recommend reading this book if you like fiction set in a beautiful Cornwall, full of vivid descriptions, you have an interest in historical buildings and locations, and with magical and romantic elements, and five stars from me.

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The Promise of Home

The Promise of Home by Nicola Marsh
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Karlana Vogel's parents died when she was a baby, her grandfather Jeremiah raised her, he’s owns the local real estate agency in Acacia Haven, and they work together. Karly likes her job, and her two best friends Summer and Nev live in the quaint beach side town, and they catch up regularly for fish and chips. Karly isn’t happy when Hudson Grenville a hotshot agent from Melbourne arrives in Acacia Haven with plans of taking over her grandfathers real estate agency, he really makes her mad, and riles her up!

Hudson had a difficult childhood, he’s worked very hard to be a successful agent in Melbourne and he wants to increase his portfolio. Buying Vogel’s agency is important, Hudson wants to expand Grenville Sanctuary, and they provide housing for troubled teens and people down on their luck. He presents his pitch to Jem and Karly, it sounds great to Jem, and Karly isn’t impressed at all.

Jem and Karly need to discuss Hudson offer, Jem thinks Karly is being stubborn and there is more to life than living in Acacia Haven and running his agency, he could retire and wouldn’t Karly like a change? Hudson has really ruffled her feathers, he makes Karly feel rather flustered and of course it because she's mad at him!

Jem is sixty nine, Karly thinks he’s happy living and working in Acacia Haven. Jem has been secretly dating a widower, who runs the Kick Knack Shop, their trying to work out where their romance is heading, do they want to travel, and what the future holds?

I received a copy of The Promise of Home from NetGalley and Harlequin Australia in exchange for an honest review. This is the second book I have read by Nicola Marsh, included in the narrative are characters from the first book Summer of Serenity, I liked catching up with them again and Acacia Haven. I admired Karly and Hudson for their work ethic, both are perfectionists and high achievers. I like reading about their evolving relationship, both had to learn to be more adaptable, pull down the barriers and follow their hearts. If you enjoy reading a fictional story set in a small Australia town, with chemistry and sparks flying between the main two characters, I highly recommend reading this book, and five stars from me.

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Hardland

Hardland by Ashley Sweeney
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Ruby Fortune makes a split second decision, to save herself and her four young boys, and she shoots her husband Willie dead. He has his hands wrapped around her throat, he’s been violent for years, and Ruby doesn’t want to die, and leave her boys without a mother.

Ruby’s own mother passed away giving birth to her, she was raised by her father Big Burl, and he owned a Wild West Show and Divina his wardrobe assistant took care of her. Ruby was taught to shoot by her dad, Ruby preformed in his carnival show, and she was nicked named “Girl Wonder.”

Ruby lives in Jericho, a mining town north of Tucson, it’s a rough place, and you need to be tough to survive. To provide for her sons she opens a roadhouse, Ruby rents out rooms to miners, cowhands, and drifters. Its hard work, lots of cleaning, washing, cooking, and Ruby becomes famous for her pies.

You don’t want to mess with Ruby, she protects her sons like a lioness, two have disabilities, and she faces challenges head on. Ruby doesn’t care what people think of her, and she’s a rather raunchy woman, and she likes some action between the sheets.

Hardland is set in the Arizona desert, in the late 1800 hundreds and living in the Wild West was hard. The story empathizes how difficult life was for women at the time, many suffered terrible abuse from their own husbands, and while pregnant, they lost babies, with no medical care, and in a remote place.

I received a copy of Hardland by Ashley E. Sweeney from Edelweiss and Ingram Publisher Services in exchange for an honest review. I found Ruby and the narrative of Hardland a little rough around the edges and crude, and I guess the west was like that! My favorite characters were Divina, Wink who did odd jobs for Ruby, and Miss. Stern the school teacher. It’s a shame I didn’t enjoy this book as much as the author's previous novel Answer Creek, I was really looking forward to reading it, and three and a half stars from me.

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The Woman with Two Shadows

The Woman with Two Shadows by Sarah James
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Lillian Kaufman hasn’t heard from her twin sister Eleanor since she left for her new job at an army base in Tennessee, and she can’t understand why her sister who wants to be an actress is working there? She receives a phone call, Eleanor is missing and the whole situation is rather odd and she decides to visit Oak Ridge.

When she arrives in Knoxville, she boards the company bus and pretends to be Eleanor. Lillian is smart, it shouldn’t be too hard to quickly find her sister and return to New York to continue her studies. Her roommate thinks Lillian is Eleanor, she doesn't question where she's been, and it looks like all her belongings are still present. Eleanor has vanished into thin air, how a person disappear in such a place, surrounded by barbed wire and with high security. Eleanor isn’t the only person to go missing, a cleaner called Betty, her boyfriend went to bases hospital, he’s gone without leaving a trace, and Lillian is determined to solve the mystery of both disappearances.

Where Eleanor works is a large white building, Lillian can’t understand why so many women are sitting on chairs and turning nobs and dials on machines twenty four hours a day? She has no idea they're generating fissile uranium and plutonium to create the atomic bomb and the hospital is using radioactive substances on people.

Lillian is drawn into the most secretive scientific undertaking of it’s time, she has no idea who she can trust, and two men Eleanor has had romantic relationships with are both working at Oak Ridge! Mr. Max Medelson and a Dr. Andrew Ennis and could either one of them have something do to with Eleanor’s disappearance?

I received a copy of The Woman with Two Shadows by Sarah James from Edelweiss and Sourcebooks in exchange for an honest review. The story certainly had a lot of potential, with the mystery around what was happening at Oak Ridge, such a large facility and how it was kept a secret from everyone. My main issue was with the relationship between the sisters, I couldn’t understand Lillian’s attitude towards Eleanor, she seemed rather selfish to me, and I wish the authors debut novel focused more on the secret work they were doing at Oak Ridge, and four stars from me.

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The Mapmaker's Daughter

The Mapmaker's Daughter by Clare Marchant
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

After a terrible accident, Robyn is helping her father Malcolm in his map shop, and she's starting to feel she's overstayed her welcome. Robyn’s husband Nate went missing from his yacht years ago, consumed by her grief, she hasn’t been able to make any decisions about their property and move on with her life.

Robyn discovers an amazing Tudor era map, it appears to be stained by blood, and she has no idea who created the masterpiece? For the first time in seven years Robyn's interested in something, she’s determined she find out the mapmaker's name, and how it ended up in her father’s shop. Robyn starts her investigation, and she contacts a couple of her friends from her past who might be able to help her.

The Mapmaker’s Daughter is told from two women’s points of view, it has a dual timeline and it alternates between 1569 and 2022. Two women centuries apart, share a connection, not only due to the mysterious map, both married seafaring men, and have lost people they loved.

Frieda lives in London, with her husband Willem and her baby son Jacob. As a child Frieda lived in France, she lost both of her parents when the Spanish Catholics killed and murdered the Protestant Huguenots. Her family are skilled mapmakers, Frieda started drawing when she was twelve, and she’s very talented.

Queen Elizabeth want’s to meet Frieda, a Spanish diplomat is at the palace and she's a nervous wreck. The Queen introduces her to Sir. Francis Drake, and when she discovers Frieda's husband is a Dutch Sea Beggar, and she wants him to fight against the Spanish King. Frieda's involved in a very dangerous situation, due to her childhood experiences she doesn’t handle it well, she’s concerned about her family’s safety, and she doesn’t know who she can trust?

I enjoyed reading about the medieval times, and I was totally adsorbed by the historical aspects of the narrative. The clothes Frieda wore when she visited the Queens court, her life in London and where she lived, how people navigated the city, what they ate, drank and believed in. Most of all the craft of map making, the skill, tools used, how they were printed and Frieda being the first female cartographer. Also, during during the sixteen century people were discovering and exploring new places in the world, science, botany, and making revolutionary navigational instruments.

I received a copy of The Mapmaker's Daughter by Clare Marchant from NetGalley and Avon Books UK in exchange for an honest review. A captivating story about two extraordinary women, both overcoming adversity and their fears, one solving the mystery of the map, who created it, and how it ended up in a shop in England centuries later? I highly recommend this book, I could go on about it forever, and I can't wait to read the authors previous book, The Secrets of Saffron Hall, and five stars from me.

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The Hidden Palace

The Hidden Palace by Dinah Jefferies
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Florence Baudin has just fled the Second World War in France, and she had to leave her two sisters Helene and Elsie behind in Dordogne. Florence and Jack arrive in England filthy and exhausted, she stays at his cottage in Devonshire to recuperate, and she’s wants to visit her mother in the Cotswold's. Florence hasn’t seen her estranged mother Claudette in years, and their reunion isn’t quite what Florence is expecting, and her mother asks her to find her missing sister Rosalie. Florence can’t look for her aunt yet, her only clue is a faded letter from Malta, and she vanished twenty years ago!

The Hidden Palace has a dual timeline, it's told from two points of view, and it alternates between 1923 and 1944.

Rosalie Delacroix is sick of her parents controlling ways, she likes to dance and have fun. After having another argument with them, she sees an advertisement for dancers and in Malta. Rosalie changes her name to Riva Janvier, to cover her tracks, and starts dancing in a bar. Riva discovers the seedy side to Malta, young girls arrive from Russia, they vanish and she puts herself in danger by asking questions. Riva’s life takes a different direction when she meets two influential men Robert Beresford and his uncle Addison Darnell.

I had no idea Malta was cut off from the rest of the world during WW II, strategically it was very important, and the only allied base between Gibraltar and Alexandria in Egypt. The Germans ruthlessly bombed the island, troops and civilians went hungry and ran out of medical supplies. Florence was shocked by the extent of the damage when she arrives in Malta, records and documents have been lost, and it makes her task of finding her aunt extremely difficult!

I received a copy of The Hidden Palace by Dinah Jefferies from NetGalley and HarperCollins UK in exchange for an honest review. A well written story about the relationship between sisters and why one changes her identity, war, secrets, crime, human trafficking, betrayal, overcoming loss, and finding love. Florence and her aunt Rosalie have a lot in common, both have experienced heartache, and are attracted to men who are very similar. Five stars from me, I have read the first book in the series called Daughters of War and I highly recommend them both.

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Come Down Somewhere

Come Down Somewhere by Jennifer L. Wright
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Olive Alexander is angry when her families ranch in Southern Mexico is taken over by the army, her mother Evelyn gets to stay and she has to go live with her forgetful grandmother in Alamogordo. Olive has to attend high school, which she hates, and her grandmother makes her go to church.

Olive meets Jo Hawthorne, she’s the same age, and maybe living in Alamogordo wont be so bad? Then Olive discovers Jo’s father is in the army, and he’s living on her beloved ranch. Olive is angry, she pushes Jo away, but Jo doesn’t give up easily, and she tries to make Olive see that it’s not her fault and she's a victim of circumstances out of her control.

One morning in July 1945, Olive can’t believe what she has just felt, heard and seen. A deafening explosion in the Mexican desert, a huge mushroom cloud of dust and are they under attack from the Japanese? The army has just tested a nuclear bomb, it will change Olive's life, and the residents living in the nearby area for years to come.

In 1952, Jo returns to Alamogordo, she's still angry with her father and Olive for letting her down. Jo's determined to put the past and hurt behind her, visit her father and then leave town as soon as possible. Jo discovers her father is very sick, he’s not the only one, and Olive hasn't been seen in years. Jo has no idea what really happened, she wants answers, and she’s shocked when she discovers the truth.

I received a copy of Come Down Somewhere by Jennifer L. Wright from Edelweiss and Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for an honest review. The Dual timeline story looks at the relationship between two teenage girls, both are lonely, their unusual friendship, and how their families kept secrets from them.

The story highlights how the American Army used dry, barren and remote land between Mexico and Texas to plan and test a nuclear bomb. Known as Trinity, I hadn't heard about the test site prior to reading this book, a terrible disaster from the Second World War and for the people who lived in the area. I found the religious aspects of the story overpowered the narrative, however I enjoyed the mysterious side to the plot, and four stars from me.

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Where the Wandering Ends

Where the Wandering Ends: A Novel of Corfu by Yvette Manessis Corporon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Where the Wandering Ends is a historical saga set in Greece just after the end of the Second World War, and the country is on the verge of a Civil War erupting. In a poor village in Northern Corfu, two ten year olds Marco and Katerina are best friends, and have no idea of their fate.

Marco’s grandmother once worked for the Greek royal family at Mon Repos, and his mother’s playmate was Prince Philip. Since Marco's grandmother lost her job, the family have struggled, and Princess Alice promised to help them when she returned home to Greece.

Katerina’s mother Maria is from Tinos, Katerina dreams of visiting her mother’s birthplace, and seeing the famous shrine to Panagia. The communist and partisans are fighting in Greece, villages are being ransacked, burnt and children are vanishing. Taken to fight in Albania, where they are treated badly, many are killed, and others never get over the traumatic experience.

Both Katerina’s and Marco’s families experience tragedies, when the communists finally reach their village, Katerina’s family flee and Marco is sent to Mon Repos. The friends go their separate ways, they promise they will see each other again in Pelekito, and things don’t go as planned.

I received a copy of Where the Wandering Ends by Yvette Manessis Corporon from Edelweiss and HarperCollins Focus in exchange for an honest review. It’s a well written story about Greece, Corfu, and the Greek Royal family, a promise Princess Alice couldn’t keep, and it wasn’t her fault. With vivid descriptions about Greek history, religious and mythological beliefs, the beautiful countryside, food, customs. You’re taken on a literary journey spanning decades from the island of Corfu, to New York and back again. I highly recommend this long Greek historical saga, and five stars from me.

The Ways We Hide

The Ways We Hide by Kristina McMorris
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Fenna Vos is raised by her widowed father in Michigan, her mother died in childbirth, he’s a Dutch immigrant, and a copper miner. Life for Fenna hasn’t been easy, things get worse when she’s involved in the Italian Hall disaster, and she's one of the lucky survivors. Fenna has the support of her best friend Arie Jansen, and his lovely parents. Fenna's always been fascinated by magic tricks, she and Arie communicated using secrets knocks and codes.

An adult Fenna has a job preforming as an assistant for illusionist Charles Bouchard, after a serious of incidents and she's over of his silly antics. Fenna's shocked to be recruited by British intelligence, designing escape aids with Clayton Hutton, and his secret M19 team.

Objects that can be used by the allied forces and help win the war, things like maps, compasses, magnetic razors, sharp files and soon she's known as the gadget girl. With only a few days notice, Fenna is sent on a dangerous mission into Holland, she needs to find someone from her past, and nothing goes as planned. Has her best friend turned into a traitor, Fenna uses her wits, magic tricks, looks, anything to stay one step ahead of the Germans, and save a little girl.

I received a copy of The Way We Hide by Kristina McMorris from Edelweiss and Sourcebooks in exchange for an honest review. It’s an incredible WW II story based around true facts, the main character Fenna has to face things that have haunted her since she was a child, to undertake a hazardous, and treacherous journey into Holland. A gripping and extremely well written narrative by Ms. McMorris about, war, loss, espionage, courage, coping with the unexpected challenges, finding the inner strength to overcome the obstacles, and surviving in a war-torn country. Five stars from me, I highly recommend reading both The Way We Hide and the authors previous book Sold on a Monday.

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The Orphan's Gift

The Orphan's Gift by Renita D'Silva
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Alice Harris grows up in India at the turn of the century, her father Robert is busy with his work, and her mother Caro spends most of her time in bed. Alice is raised by her Ayah, she has a little boy called Raju, he’s a little older than Alice, and they grow up together.

Raju is Alice’s best friend, they sneak off and explore the compound when they can. Alice isn’t prejudice, but her parents are, and they wouldn't be happy with her playing with Raju, and the mischief they get up to. As they get older, Alice parents are worried that’s she’s gotten to close to Raju, they send her away to school in England, and she has no idea what happens to the servants after she leaves.

The Orphan's Gift has a dual time line, it's set in India from 191o to 1986 and spans five decades.

Janaki is a baby when she’s left at St Ursula’s Orphanage, during the independence riots, and she was wrapped in a beautiful hand-knitted cardigan. Janaki and her best friend Arthy dream about having a real family, parents and being loved. The children at the orphanage are looked after, they have a much better life than children living on the streets, and the nun's make sure they receive an education.

Janaki is a good student, it doesn’t matter what she achieves, she always worries that she’s not good enough, worthy, and she builds a wall around her heart to protect herself from being hurt.

I received a copy of The Orphan’s Gift by Renita D'Silva from NetGalley and Bookouture in exchange for an honest review. A historical saga that looks at life in India during colonial times, the huge difference between how the English people lived and the locals. The tension between the Hindus, Muslims, and India wanting to be independent from England. Caught up in this turmoil are two young women, and it's a story about love, loss, tragedy, racism, regret, reconciliation, and four stars from me.

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The Opera Sisters

The Opera Sisters by Marianne Monson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

British sisters Ida and Louise Cook live in south London, Ida writes romance novels for Mills & Boon and Louise works for the civil service. The sisters love opera, they save up their money to buy a gramophone, and it came with ten bonus records, and they attend live opera performances. Ida and Louise travel aboard, they meet many of their favourite opera performers and became friends with them.

With the rise of power of Hitler, the sisters notice the changes in Europe, and Jewish people are the target of his radical ideas and laws. The sisters visit Germany on multiple occasions, using their love of opera as a cover for their numerous visits. At the Berlin opera houses, members of the Jewish community approach them, worried that they would be stripped of their wealth, forced to leave their homes and worse.

Ida and Louise offer to help, they smuggle jewellery and expensive furs out of Germany, and through high security German check points. To satisfy the English financial security requirements for immigration, Jewish people needed funds, a British citizen to sponsor them, and to receive the correct visas. Ida and Louise rent a house for refugees to live in, find sponsors for Jewish migrants, and help children to get a place on the kinder-transport.

Despite saving as many people as she could, Ida felt she didn’t do enough, she struggles with depression, and to overcome these feelings, she starts working in an underground bomb shelter and together she and her fellow Londoners endure the Blitz.

I received a copy of The Opera Sisters from Edelweiss and Shadow Mountain Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Marianne Monson has written an astounding narrative about two working class English sisters, who did extraordinary things, during a very dangerous time, they had courage, compassion and are truly inspirational women. The best historical fiction novel I have read this year, a story that will stay with me forever, and five big stars from me.

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A Lancashire Lass

A Lancashire Lass by Libby Ashworth
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Friends Hannah Chadwick and Mary Sharples wake up one morning, and discover their employer Henry Sudell has done a moonlight flit, they have lost their jobs as maids, and they have no choice but to return to Blackburn. Hannah’s sister Jennet is married to Titus Eastwood, he’s willing to let her stay and unfortunately they have no room for Mary.

A desperate Mary needs a place to sleep, she refuses to return to her parents house, and she finds lodgings at Star Beer House. Mary tries all the mills, they don’t have any weaving positions available and Mrs. Hall offers her a part-time job serving in the bar. The owner of the local pawnshop, is a drinker at the Star, he wants more from Mary than a drink and will she give in to his demands?

While living with her sister, Hannah drops her niece off at school, she meets the boy’s teacher Mr. James Hindle, she admires him from a distance and he wouldn’t be interested in her? Hannah is employed as a maid by the Feildens, she feels bad that Mary missed out on the job, and her brother-in-law Titus helped gain her position.

Everyone is nervous when there is an outbreak of cholera, Jennet has an idea for a wash house to be opened in the area, she has the support of the doctor, and it all hinges on the results of the local election. Life in Lancashire in the 1830’s is hard, especially for young women like Hannah and Mary looking for work and families with children, due to poverty, overcrowding and poor sanitation diseases spread like wildfire and social reform was needed. After the election is lost, riots break out, Hannah and Mary face further challenges, and Mary has to make a difficult decision.

I received a copy of A Lancashire Lass by Libby Ashworth from NetGalley and Random House UK in exchange for an honest review. Life was difficult in Lancashire during the 1830's, the authors research is thorough and I can understand why the people were fighting for better working conditions, social reform and four stars from me.

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The Proxy Bride

The Proxy Bride by Zoe Boccabella
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In the summer of 1984, Sofie isn’t happy when her mum Elena has to work and she takes her to stay with her Nonna Gia in Stanthorpe, Queensland. Her grandmother is very old fashioned, she’s extremely superstitious and a strict catholic. Sofie feels like her summer is ruined, her friends have made plans and she’s stuck with her Nonna.

What Sofie doesn’t know is her Nonna is a remarkable woman, and over the course of the summer she slowly tells her granddaughter about the past and shares her family history. In 1939, Gia married her husband Taddeo Poletti by proxy in Italy, she and her fellow brides traveled to Australia by ship, and Gia knew she would never see her homeland and family again.

At twenty three Gia spoke only a little English and she had never met her older husband. Taddeo and his friend Pino both sent requests home to Palmi for brides, their properties are near each other and Gia has Serena for company and support.

When the war breaks out, the Italians living in Stanthorpe faced discrimination, animosity and eventually the men are interned in a camp. Gia and her Italian friends Vilma, Serena, Josie, neighbor Edie and two land girls Beryl and Shirley prune trees, pick fruit and look after the farms. But it’s not easy, the local publican hates Italians, he verbally abuses the women, damages their property and they have no one to help them.

Sofie never knew her Nonna was a proxy bride, many of the women didn’t tell anyone, as arranged marriages in Australia were not common, they already felt different being Italian and let alone informing judgmental people they married a complete stranger.

I received a copy of The Proxy Bride From NetGalley and Harlequin Australia in exchange for an honest review. Zoe Boccabella has written a interesting and insightful story about proxy marriages amongst the Italian community in Australia during the 1930’s, the challenges the women faced, and not all marriages were happy ones. The terrible prejudice they faced before and especially during the war and I had no idea they were treated so badly by the Australian government. The narrative also focuses on the growing relationship between Sofie and her Nonna, the generation gap, and how Sofie wants to know who her father was. I really admired Gia, how she overcame adversity, her sense of duty, commitment to her family, how she shared her story, and feelings with Sofie.

Five stars from me, I highly recommend this book if you have an interest in Australia’s migrant history, and at the end Nonna shares her favourite recipes.

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The Fields We Called Home

The Fields We Called Home by Carrie Burrows
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This dual timeline story by Carrie Burrows is inspired by true events, the lives of everyday people living in Texas, mainly farmers and the sacrifice they made for America.

In 1941: Grace Katherine Willis is the teacher at her little school in Oakmont, her mother’s father built the house they live in and her dad runs the family farm. Grace has a sister Ruth and two brothers Mickey and John Jr. She engaged to Edward, he’s a reporter for the local paper, and he’s one of the first people to hear about the army’s plans. They need land for the anti-tank training, and the area around Coryell County is perfect.

Grace finds herself torn between the man she loves, and the destruction of her beloved farming community and everything that’s precious to her. When the white letters start arriving, people are given notice they must vacate their land, and anything left behind will be destroyed by the army.

In 2016: Katie Johnson is the new history teacher at Gatesville high school and she’s excited about living with her grandmother. Her beloved Nana is ninety five, and she meets her at the annual ceremony held at Fort Hood. Over the course of the summer, Katie’s grandmother tells her about what happened in the past, during WW II and she’s shocked by her revelations.

The Fields We Called Home is a story about the sacrifices a small community made during WW II, the government seizing their land, they were only paid a small amount per acre, nowhere near what it was worth, and the little town of Oakmont became part of Fort Hood. These everyday Americans were already helping the war effort by growing food, many had sons fighting overseas, if they complained it was viewed as being unpatriotic and so many remained silent.

Through her grandmothers experiences Katie learns about the past, she wants to acknowledge and share the sacrifices the people of Oakmont made, and Luke Reed points out that many are still living in the area and she plans a special surprise for her grandmother.

A story full of information, it brings to light a dark moment in America’s history, one that needed to be shared, I highly recommend reading this book, and five stars from me.

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A Jewish Girl in Paris

A Jewish Girl in Paris by Melanie Levensohn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Judith Goldemberg lives with her mother in Paris, and Judith is studying and working in a library. Judith starts finding notes left in books, she has a secret admirer and she discovers his name is Christian. He’s the son of a wealthy banker, his parents are German sympathizers and they wouldn’t approved of him dating a Jewish girl.

As the war drags on, the Germans start making things harder for Jewish people, seizing their businesses, freezing bank accounts and both Judith and her mother lose their jobs. Judith’s mother has always suffered from melancholy since her husband divorced her and moved back to Romania, now it’s much worse and Judith is thankful for Christian's support. The young couple make plans to flee the Paris, Christian returns to collect Judith, she’s disappeared and he can’t find her anywhere.

On his deathbed in Montreal, Lica Grunberg confesses to his daughter Jacobina that she has an older half-sister Judith and he wants her to find out what happened to her. Lica left Romania after the war, Judith was a teenager the last time he saw her in Paris, and he has no idea what happened to her during the war?

Beatrice Duvier is French, she works for The World Bank in Washington DC and she’s disillusioned with her life and job. One day a lady from a charity gives her a card, they need volunteers and she decides to help. She visits an older lady called Jacobina, she lives alone and is struggling to make ends meet. Beatrice and Jacobina become friends, she tells her years ago she made a deathbed promise to her father, she hasn’t been able to find her sister and Beatrice offers to help. Beatrice visits the holocaust memorial museum, here she meets Gregoire, he gives her a list of places to contact and she has no idea that she's about to solve a sixty year old mystery.

I received a copy of A Jewish Girl in Paris by Melanie Levensohn from NetGalley and Pan Macmillan in exchange for an honest review. Inspired by true events, it’s a well written and researched story told from three women’s points of view and during three different timelines. A haunting narrative about war, mental illness, lost love, family secrets, coincidences, and choices! Some survivors of the holocaust blocked out the terrible memories, moved away from war-torn Europe, and didn’t tell anyone what happened to them.

The story has so many twists and turns, it kept my attention from the beginning to end, I highly recommend reading this book, and five stars from me.

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Untamed Hearts

Untamed Hearts by Colleen O'Connell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Taryn Ashford lives in Chicago, she’s engaged to Brad and at eighteen it’s a big decision getting married. She decides to visit her aunt Gwen in Texas, they own a large cattle ranch, and it will give her time to think about her future. On the long train journey she meets two people Mrs. Etta Briggs a middle aged lady and a handsome cowboy Mr. Jared King.

Of course her parents Madeline and Dennis follow her to Texas and so does her fiancée. He’s putting pressure on Taryn to return to Chicago, he hates the ranch, he wants to get married sooner, and further his banking career. But after meeting Jared, Taryn feels a connection to him, he makes her heart flutter and Brad doesn't.

Jared King is a gambler, he's on the run from a persistent bounty hunter and for a crime he didn’t commit. When Jared is accused of murder, Taryn provides him with an alibi, it ruins her reputation, and her parents are furious. Jared is used to not being in one place for long, constantly looking over his shoulder, and he’s not sure if he’s ready to settle down? He hasn’t met a woman like Taryn before, he doesn’t want to put her in danger, together they need to clear his name, catch the real killer, and so they can follow their hearts.

I received a copy of Untamed Hearts by Colleen O’Connell from NetGalley and The Wild Rose Press in exchange for an honest review. Your classic western romance, with a handsome loner and a young woman overcoming the obstacles in their path and falling in love. If you like a steamy historical romance story, with a murder to solve, I recommend this book, and four stars from me.

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The lost Girls of Willowbrook

The Lost Girls of Willowbrook by Ellen Marie Wiseman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Sage Winters is a twin, she was told her sister Rosemary died six years ago from pneumonia and it’s a lie. Sage overhears her stepfather Alan talking to his friend, saying that Rosemary has gone missing from Willowbrook State School and she’s furious.

Sage knew Rosemary was different, she suffered from seizures and lived in a world of her own. Being twins they had a connection, Sage loved her sister, mourned her death, and she’s determined to find her. Sage is sixteen, she’s heard rumors about Willowbrook, all of them bad, and she decides to go there and find Rosemary. Sage is young, she doesn’t tell anyone where she is going, and when she arrives at Willowbrook they think she’s Rosemary and they lock her up.

Nothing could prepare Sage for the conditions in the ward, the residents are treated appallingly, and the place is absolutely filthy, the food is shocking, everyone is over-medicated, emaciated, and the staff are lazy and don’t care. Sage knows her best chance to find out what happened to her sister, is to try speak to anyone Rosemary knew, it’s not easy when they’re all drugged, unpredictable, and mentally unstable, and believe that she is in fact her sister.

In her attempt to discover what happened to Rosemary, Sage uncovers the shocking truth about Willowbrook State School, it’s a facility that houses children and adults with birth defects, mental problems, and adolescents who are too much trouble for their parents to handle.

I received a copy of The Lost Girls of Willowbrook by Ellen Marie Wiseman from Edelweiss and Kensington Publishing Corp in exchange for an honest review. The narrative seizes your attention, it’s about a young girl’s quest to find her sister, with elements of mystery, suspense’s and danger.

Through Sage’s traumatic experiences, you read about the culture of Willowbrook, the abuse, psychological torture, neglect, harm, violence, malnutrition, lack of hygiene, how patients were used to trial vaccines and the widespread medical mismanagement. Sage is a character that will stay with you, she’s transformed from a selfish teenager girl into a strong and resilient young woman and one that's determined to survive and get justice. I highly recommend this book, it gives a voice to all those poor souls that lived at Willowbrook from 1950 to 1980, and five stars from me.

This Place of Wonder

This Place of Wonder by Barbara O'Neal
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When famous chef Augustus Beauvais suddenly dies, he leaves behind four devastated women, and they can’t believe the man with the big personality is gone.

Meadow was married to Augustus for twenty years, their now divorced, she runs her own organic farm, and has a small share in his restaurant. Maya is Augustus’s daughter from his first marriage, her relationship ended badly with her long-term partner, it tipped her over the edge, and she’s due to be released from rehab. Rory is Meadow’s daughter, she’s happily married, and has two young daughters. Norah is Augustus's current girlfriend, she is much younger than him, and she doesn’t know what she will do without him?

Augustus died from a suspected heart attack, and the authorities have to conduct an autopsy before he can be cremated. Augustus owns a restaurant called Peaches & Pork, a mansion on the California coast, and everyone assumes he's well off financially. They uncover his business isn't doing well, Augustus didn’t want to change with the times, and now there’s some doubts about the cause of his death?

Four women with ties to one man, lays the foundations for an interesting and dramatic plot! Meadow, Maya, Rory, and Norah are linked together, it’s not easy with so many different personalities and individuals issues, they have to try to get along, and cope with the loss of Augustus.

I received a copy of This Place of Wonder by Barbara O’Neal from NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing in exchange for an honest review. It’s a story about people making mistakes, finding forgiveness and closure, being able to move forward, and form unlikely alliances. If you like drama filled stories, characters with flaws and secrets, I highly recommend this book, and four stars from me.

The Manhattan Girls

The Manhattan Girls by Gill Paul
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

New York City in 1921, America women are wearing flapper dresses, having their hair cut into shingle bobs, dancing to jazz music, and drinking hooch in speakeasies and during probation. Four friends decide to start a bridge club and have regular catch ups, Dorothy, Jane, Winifred, Peggy, and they will be nicknamed The Manhattan Girls.

Dorothy Parker is a poet, a member of the Algonquin Round Table, when her marriage to Eddie ends, and she struggles with her mental health. Jane Grant is the first female reporter for the New York Times, she’s determined to launch her own magazine, and her husband Howard has been keeping secrets from her. Winifred Lenihan is a beautiful actress, after growing up in a large Irish Catholic family, she likes her privacy, and has to constantly fight off seedy men trying to hit on her. Peggy Leech is a magazine assistant, she’s busy writing a novel, and her mother wonders if she will ever get married?

An unlikely group of friends, who are there for each other through thick and thin. They help each other and give advice, from what to wear to an important business meeting or on a hot date, when a relationship breaks down, on opening nights and book releases, making sure Dottie eats, and stopping her from hurting herself.

I received a copy of The Manhattan Girls by Gill Paul from NetGalley and Avon Books UK in exchange for an honest review. A well written and interesting novel about the challenges women faced during the 1920’s in New York City and in a male dominated world. The women had to juggle their careers and life at home, and fight to be respected at work. The story follows the ups and downs of their romantic relationships, friendships with each other, and their vulnerabilities.

Five stars from me, a brilliant narrative about four unique and real women, I enjoyed every single page, and it’s my favorite book by Gill Paul.

The Exiles

The Exiles by Christina Baker Kline
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Evangeline Stokes is the daughter of a clergyman, when her father passes away, she has to vacate the vicarage and find a job. She’s employed as a governess, and a lonely Evangeline is an easy target for the eldest son of the household Mr. Cecil Fredric Whitstone. When she’s accused of stealing and harming a maid, Evangeline is sent to Newgate Prison and she’s sure Cecil will help her. A pregnant Evangeline finds herself abandoned in the smelly and packed jail, after a brief court appearance, she's sentenced to be transported to Van Diemen's Land, and a new country called Australia.

The jails of London are full, they have unused slave ships available, and the solution to the overcrowding problem is to send criminals to Australia, and increase the population in the new world. Evangeline finds herself aboard the Medea, with fellow prisoner Olive from Newgate, and they meet teenage Hazel who’s been sentenced to seven years, and for stealing a silver spoon. Hazel’s mother was a midwife, she taught her about midwifery and herbal medicine, and soon she’s treating her fellow prisoners and the ship’s crew.

Australia has been home to native Aboriginal people for over 50,000 years, the English government considers the new colony uninhibited in the 1840’s, a wild place and the indigenous population a problem. Many are killed and used as slaves, their land is taken over by white colonists, others are relocated, forced to live like white people and give up their traditional ways. One of these unfortunate people is Mathinna, the young orphaned daughter of the Chief of the Lowreenne tribe who lived on Fraser Island, she’s been adopted, and relocated by the new governor and his wife of Van Diemen’s Land Sir. John and Lady. Franklin.

The Exiles is a novel about being a female convict and prisoner in a new land, once they finished serving their sentence and with a record of good behavior, they could earn their ticket of leave, and gain their freedom. Living in a foreign place, with unusual animals, reptiles, insects, birds, a hot climate and odd vegetation and trees. Christina Baker Kline story highlights the challenges the convicts faced, harsh sentences for minor crimes, isolation, despair, danger, and how they will never see England, and their families again. Life was much harder for the female convicts, and I feel the author glossed over this aspect in her narrative. The treatment of indigenous people was shocking, as an Australian I’m horrified and embarrassed by this, we are a proud country, and we don’t shy away from our convict heritage. I enjoyed the friendship formed between the characters of, Evangeline, Olive, Hazel, Mathinna and Dr. Dunne, the use of herbal remedies and natural cures, and four stars from me.

Midnight on the Marne

Midnight on the Marne by Sarah Adlakha
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The final major German offensive of WWI, takes place on the banks of the River Marne in 1918, and the soldiers of the US Armies Third division need to stop them, otherwise they will take the Surmelin Valley and it’s the gateway to Paris.

Marcelle Marchand and her twin sister Rosalie are voluntary nurses, and their family live in Soissons. Her two older brothers are off fighting in the war, Marcelle is keeping a secret from them, and she’s a spy.

George Mountcastle and his friend Philip are members of the Third Armies Infantry division, the American soldiers have only been in France a month, and they haven't faced the enemy. This is about to change, they will be fighting in the second Battle of the Marne, and where George prevents Philip from sacrificing his life in an act of bravery.

The Germans win the battle, George, Marcelle, Rosalie and Philip all have to survive in occupied France and life is extremely hard for eight long years. What if George could go back in time, change what happens, the outcome, and the Germans are defeated?

I received a copy of Midnight on the Marne by Sarah Adlakha from NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge in exchange for an honest review. The author has skillfully written a sliding doors type of scenario, the story is about Marcelle and George, and what would happen to them if the Germans weren’t defeated, they took Paris and won the war! George has the advantage of knowing what’s going to happen, he needs to make Colonel McAlexander listen to him, to change his and Marcelle future and lives. Set during WW I, included in the narrative are all the facts about The Great War, battles, trench warfare, defensive strategies, injuries and high mortality rates.

Not your typical historical fiction story, if you feel like a change, I highly recommend this unique book, and four and a half stars from me.

A Promise in Autumn

A Promise in Autumn by Barbara Morriss
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Keagan Cadagan moves to Springfield, Missouri with her employers the Flannigan’s, she's their nanny and housekeeper, and she leaves her seven brothers behind in Kansas to fend for themselves. When Mrs. Flannigan announces she's going away for a couple of months, it’s not safe for Keagan to stay in the house with Mr. Flannigan and she secretly flees. Woodrome and Hunter Boarding House are looking for a housekeeper and a hopeful Keagan applies for the job. Raymon Woodrome isn’t sure eighteen year old Keagan will be suitable, she seems far too young, and she proves him wrong.

Keagan and Raymons relationship starts off as a professional one, over time they develop feelings for each other and Keagan is worried, as she’s Catholic and Raymon is a Protestant. He’s hardworking, kind, considerate and Keagan is exactly the same and their a perfect match. Keagan teaches Raymon the art of Irish storytelling, dancing and he enjoys the traditional food she cooks and so do the guests at the boarding house.

As time goes on, Keagan worries about her brothers, her former employers have disappeared and things get worse. America enters WW I, all men in Raymons age group have to register for the draft, she's concerned he will be sent off to fight and the Spanish Flu breaks out.

I received a copy of a Promise in Autumn by Barbara Morriss from NetGalley and BookBaby in exchange for an honest review. The narrative is based around real people who lived in America during the early 1900’s, Keagan and Raymon are the nicest of characters and the story has elements of suspense, mystery and crime, due to the Flannigan's pasts and business practices. A sweet and wholesome love story, about the changing of seasons and the uncertainty of life, and four stars from me.

The War Librarian

The War Librarian by Addison Armstrong
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Emmaline Balakin works at the Dead Letter Office, after five years of sorting through lost mail, one day a letter arrives with a name on it she recognizes and it's from a man she knew as a teenager. Emmaline is the daughter of Russian immigrants, her parents have passed away and she decides to take a chance. She volunteers to be a librarian on the front-lines in France, she's driven to base hospital 42 in September 1918 by Red Cross driver and member of the motor corps Nellie Mayborn.

Emmaline organizes the books in the recreation hut, and she’s to visit each ward once a week. She's shocked by how close she is to the war, the men’s injuries, she delivers books to those who can read and reads to those who can't. Emmaline starts a book club, it’s location is controversial and so are the books they discuss. Emmaline is a bit naive, she doesn’t see what she’s doing is dangerous, and she pays the price.

The War Librarian has a dual timeline, the story flows between France in 1918 during The Great War and 1976 in America.

Kathleen Carre is working as a dental receptionist, she’s waiting to be accepted into the first coed class in the United States Naval Academy in 1976, and she’s excited when her admission letter arrives. Raised by her grandmother, Kathleen is sad to be leaving her behind, and her Nana assures her she will be fine.

The navy isn’t prepared for the women recruits, they have issues with the uniform, the shoes the women are expected to wear are unsuitable, and Kathleen has no idea this is just the start of her problems. Not everyone is happy to have women at the prestigious academy, she’s subjected to bullying, hazing and becomes a target of a nasty group of midshipman. Kathleen feels humiliated, she's told this is all normal, it escalates when she's accused of committing a crime, she faces being court-martialed, and she has to ask a person from her Nana’s past to help prove her innocence.

I received a copy of The War Librarian by Addison Armstrong from Edelweiss and Penguin Random House in exchange for an honest review. The author uses inspiration from the Library War Service where over seven million books were donated, borrowed and read during WW I. She links this to the first class of women who joined the American Naval Academy in the 1970's and the similarities between the treatment the women received. The narrative is about three strong and courageous female characters and emphasizes the unjust discrimination and conduct they faced decades apart. The story includes banned books, hidden secrets, lost love, surviving despite the odds, fate, and the fight for justice. Five stars from me, I highly recommend this book and the author’s previous novel, The Light of Luna Park.

The Battle of the Bulge

The Battle of the Bulge: The Allies' Greatest Conflict on the Western Front by Martin King
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In December 1941, the American commanders didn’t see the major attack by the German forces coming, after the first barrage and three Panzer armies and their supporting troops started advancing. The 106th and the 99th American infantry divisions had no combat experience and the 28th infantry was weakened and depleted by the battle at the Hurtgen Forest. Fighting in the harshest climatic conditions imaginable, the temperature was -28 degrees, many suffered from hypothermia, frostbite and trench foot. Keeping the army supplied was causing logistical problems, the German soldiers believed the lazy, spoiled American soldiers were no match and they proved them wrong.

The Battle of the Bulge or as it’s sometimes called The Ardennes Offensive was not only fought in the forest, the terrain included hills, valleys, rivers, and farmland. Peering through thick mist and fog, the American soldiers heard footsteps crunching in the snow and saw figures coming out of the mist and of course they were German soldiers. The battle lasted a month, the allies won because they had air support, eventually they dropped ammunition, medical supplies and food to their troops, the Luftwaffe couldn’t provide air support to the Germans divisions as the allies had decimated their numbers, and a few tackles errors also slowed their advance.

Martin King walked the battle fields of Belgium, he’s spoke to veterans from The Battle of the Bulge, and listened to their stories. One surviving soldier lived in Florida, he wore four pairs of socks, he lost all of his toes from frostbite and years later his missing toes still felt cold. The battle was the Germans last major Western offensive, with heavy casualties on both sides and the Germans continue to fight on for another five months.

I received a copy of The Battle of the Bulge by Martin King from NetGalley and Arcturus Publishing in exchange for an honest review. After storming the beaches of Normandy and reaching Paris, the American troops had one major offensive to overcome and that was the Battle of the Bulge. The author thoroughly researched his book, he acknowledges the human side of war, those in charge, the tragedy, huge loss of life, civilians caught up in the violence, and price of victory. Five stars from me, I liked to read true and well written accounts of WW II battles.

Daughters of Paris

Daughters of Paris by Elisabeth Hobbes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Colette Nadon and Fleur Bonnivard, grow up together in 1930’s Paris, they play games, explore their surroundings and get dirty. Despite Colette’s father Louis being a wealthy businessman, orphaned Fleur’s Aunt Agnes is the Nadon’s cook and they come from different backgrounds. The girls promise to be best friends forever and they become secret sisters.

Colette’s mother Delphine is a snob, she wants her daughter to marry well and establish her place in Parisian society. As time goes on Delphine introduces her daughter to the right people, Colette turns into a party girl, and she travels and sees less of Fleur. At first Fleur is hurt, but she knows she and Colette come from different circumstances, and she doesn’t want her Aunt to lose her job..

Fleur loves to read and finds work in a bookshop, she hangs out at Café Morlaix and admires the handsome waiter Sebastien. When the Germans easily take Paris, Colette and Fleur are stunned, scared and don’t know what the future holds. Colette’s posh friends own a hotel, German soldiers move in, and Fleur’s shocked Colette would want to mix with collaborators.

Fleur is one of the Parisians who fight back, carrying out small acts of defiance, and eventually she becomes involved with the resistance. Colette isn’t as self-cantered as everyone believes, she notices the food shortages, arguments breaking out in the long ration lines, hungry children, and German soldiers harassing young women not interested in their advances.

Soon both women form an alliance, Fleur realizes she has judged Colette harshly, slowly they rebuild their friendship and both take risks. With their hearts on the line, they both become involved in the fight to free France, espionage, helping the resistance, keeping secrets, and people hiding from the Germans, and if caught the punishment is torture, and they could be shot!

I received a copy of Daughters of Paris by Elisabeth Hobbes from NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter in exchange for an unbiased review. I have read the authors previous book The Secret Agent and her latest novel is outstanding. Told from the points of view of two young women, it’s full of relevant information and facts about the difficult war years in France, it emphasizes how women needed friendship, support and a confidant during the time to deal with the hardship and cope with the uncertainty of the war, losing loved ones, and not knowing when the suffering would end? Five stars from me and I highly recommend reading this book.

Courage for the Cornish Girls

Courage for the Cornish Girls by Betty Walker
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Demelza Minear works for her father at Hill View Farm near Penzance in West Cornwall, he isn’t an easy man to live with, and in 1942 most women her age are in uniform. Demelza and her brother Tristan haven’t been called up, because food production is needed, and when she’s in town Demelza looks enviously at the women working as fire wardens.

Lily Fisher is enjoying a much needed break from nursing with her family at the beach at Penzance, when a German plane starts strafing and shooting civilians. Lily starts administering first aid, one man is badly wounded and his sister goes into labor. Stranded on the beach are three evacuees Janice, Eustace and Timothy, Lily’s Aunt Violet offers to help, and she takes them home with them on the bus to Porthcurno. The children turn out to be a real handful, with everyone all squeezed into a tiny cottage, Violet doesn’t know how she will cope, and farmer Joe Postbridge comes to her rescue.

Lily is transferred to work at the understaffed hospital at Penzance, she’s reacquainted with Demelza who’s now working for the Fire Guard Service, and ambulance officer Robert Day. Lily and Demelza are both facing challenges preforming their jobs, every night the Germans bomb Penzance, Lily is busy tending the never ending stream of wounded and Demelza is checking the safety of bomb damaged houses and putting out spot fires.

Lily finds herself distracted by her friend’s brother Tristan and Demelza has feelings for Robert Day. Both Lily and Demelza face criticism and prejudice, Lily’s deceased father is half German and Robert is a conscientious objector. At the time when they should be able to have some fun in their free time, dancing, dating and taking their minds off the terrible war!

I received a copy of Courage for the Cornish Girls by Betty Walker from NetGalley and Avon Books UK in exchange for an honest review. The story highlights the struggles young women faced during WW II, wearing a uniform wasn’t as glamorous as the advertising posters made it appear, they worked long shifts with very little sleep, rescuing and repairing broken bodies, helping families whose lives have been torn apart by the war and with no idea when it will end.

I highly recommend reading all three books in The Cornish Girls series, starting with Wartime with the Cornish Girls, followed by Christmas with the Cornish Girls, and lastly Courage for the Cornish Girls. Included in the trilogy are familiar and much loved characters, they will stay with you, due to their courage, determination and patriotic spirit and five stars from me.

The Keepers of the Lighthouse

The Keepers of the Lighthouse by Kaye Dobbie
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Benevolence Island is the location of a lighthouse in 1882, it’s needed to ensure the safe passage of shipping vessels through the dangerous Bass Strait, located between Tasmania and Victoria. Leo Webster and his daughter Laura are in charge of the lighthouse, due to the remote site, they have trouble finding decent help, and Leo is thinking of sending his hopeless assistant back to Tasmania on the next supply ship.

One stormy night in May, the Webster’s are worried when they see a boat heading for the dangerous rocks called the Tigers Teeth and the Alvarez is in big trouble. Leo and Laura find five survivors, they stay with the Webster’s in their cottage and one man is seriously hurt. It doesn’t take long for a couple of the passengers to start complaining, they want to get to Victoria and can’t understand why the Webster’s can’t take them? Simple, they can't leave the lighthouse unattended, not everyone sailing on the Alvarez has been accounted for, and they don’t have a suitable boat to make the crossing.

The Keepers of the Lighthouse has a dual timeline, it's set in on Benevolence Island in 1882 and the present time of 2020 and both stories are linked by hidden secrets, the consequences and greed!

Nina Robinson and her team of volunteers arrive at Benevolence Island by chopper, they have two weeks to make repairs to the old lighthouse buildings and are part of the Island Heritage Committee. They want to attract tourists to the island, preserve the history, habitat, and stop any further deterioration of the buildings.

Nina has a lot riding on this project going well, so when strange things start happening and acts of sabotage, she’s very worried, and there have been sightings of a strange man on the island in the past? Nina is also trying to cope with the fact that her ex-boyfriend Jude Rawlings a travel writer is part of the group, she’s spent the last ten years trying to avoid him, and the bad memories of why the broke up!

I received a copy of The Keepers of the Lighthouse from NetGalley and Harlequin Australia in exchange for an honest review. Kaye Dobbie has written an engrossing dual timeline story, she has really stepped up the ante with her latest book and in my opinion it’s her best work. You really get a sense of how remote, rugged and isolated Benevolence Island is, and the hidden dangers of the waters of the Bass Strait. How two strong and intelligent women a decade apart manage to survive during a major crisis, and when people's lives are at risk. I highly recommend this book if you're interested in reading about Tasmania, lighthouses, saving historical sites, and five stars from me.

Where The Sky Begins

Where the Sky Begins by Rhys Bowen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Josie Banks tries to be a good wife to Stan, he makes her feel like a failure and she’s relieved when he’s called up. Josie needs to get a job, she starts working in a tearooms and she really enjoys it. The Blitz starts, unfortunately Josie loses her job, home and all of her possessions. After a short stay in hospital, Josie is sent to a convent to convalesce and the Red Cross try to find a permanent place for her to live. When they mention going to the countryside, Josie is keen and she desperately wants to get out of London and the constant bombing has turned her into a nervous wreck.

Josie arrives in a tiny town called Sutton St Giles, she’s billeted with snobby Miss. Harcourt, who lives in a large house, with only her housekeeper Kathleen and both are not happy being stuck with Josie. Nearby is a RAF base, young men are isolated, homesick, they long for some friendly company, a chat and a cup of tea. Josie convinces Miss. Harcourt to use one of her empty rooms, put her lovely china to good use and open a tea shop.

Josie meets Canadian pilot Mike Johnson, he’s kind, handsome and she wishes she wasn’t married. Stan tracks Josie down while on leave, she did write to him about being bombed out and he wants her to return to London. Josie isn’t keen, she can’t handle the noise, the destruction and she likes living in the village.

Josie soon realizes the sad truth about the bombing crews stationed nearby, many won’t survive a couple of months, and Mike included. They might have a traitor living in the community, trying to discover if it's true keeps Josie busy, and she decides to be very careful about her own reputation, and she’s a married women after all!

I received a copy of Where the Sky Begins from NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Rhys Bowen has written a wonderful and heartfelt wartime story, Josie is the most delightful, resilient and unforgettable character and she unstoppable once she gains some confidence. You read about the terrible damage done during the Blitz, the impact it had on women and children, how frightened they were, many moved to the safety of the country, experienced a new way of life and didn’t want to return to London. I highly recommend this book, it makes you appreciate what you have, and how hard the war years were in England and five stars from me.

Bound in Flame

Bound in Flame by Katherine Kayne
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Leticia Lili‘uokalani Lang is returning to Hawaii in 1909, after being sent to boarding school in San Francisco, to turn her into a lady and for her to learn to control her fiery temper. Letty loves animals, she wants to be a veterinarian and she’s a proud suffragette.

On arrival Letty jumps into the water, she saves a horse from drowning and discovers she’s an mākāhā, a Gate to the healing fires of the land, and her hair turns a bright red. The ancient power that lives with in her is very intense, it's her connection to the islands, she needs to learn how to use her special type of magic and Kumu helps her.

Letty meets Mr. Timothy Rowley, it was his horse Diablo that she saved from drowning and he doesn’t know what to make of Letty. After spending time with her, he discovers the gift she has with animals, Letty finds the Englishman attractive, with her power a kiss from her is enough to kill him and she must control her feelings towards him.

I received a copy of Bound in Flame by Katherine Kayne from NetGalley and Passionflower Press in exchange for an honest review. I’m not a big fan of magical realism, it’s not really my style, as the narrative was set in Hawaii it did fit in with the islander’s beliefs and culture. I enjoyed reading about the beautiful island, food, clothing, Letty's dreams of being a vet, love interest, and her family are all lovely. Letty's a member of the Hawaiian Ladies Riding Society and what an impressive sight they would be riding their horses and holding their votes for women banner.
Three and a half stars from me, I actually own a copy of this book and a quick read.

The Beekeeper's War

The Beekeeper’s War by Deborah Carr
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

At the beginning of The Great War, friends Pru Le Cuirot and Jean Le Riche leave Jersey and train to be nurses. Ashbury Manor, in Dorset has been turned into a military hospital and Pru and Jean share a room with fellow nurse Milly Denton. The hospital is busy with a steady stream of wounded, the men have terrible injuries and Pru dreads it when she's notified the ambulances are on the way.

Viscount Montgomery Ashbury is one of the wounded and he demands to be in a ward with his fellow soldiers. He’s visited by his best friend Canadian pilot, Jack Garland, and he’s a decorated war hero. Pru meets Jack, he’s good-looking and despite both not wanting to be in a romantic relationship during a war and they fall madly in love. Jack returns to France, Pru makes him promise not to take any chances, and he's sent on a dangerous mission and vanishes. After facing so many challenges and difficulties being a nurse during a war, Pru is forced to make a heartbreaking decision and a life changing one.

The Beekeeper’s Secret has a dual timeline and it’s set in England during The Great War and at the start of the Second World War.

With the threat of the Germans invading any day, Emma Le Riche leaves Jersey and her mother refuses to go with her. Emma stays in England with her Aunty Jean and Uncle Monty at Ashbury Hall and she’s very worried about her mum’s safety. She meets the manor's beekeeper, when her Aunty Jean visited them in Jersey she always bought jars of honey and it’s made by bees in the walled garden. Emma has no idea she’s about to discover a twenty year old secret, one that was kept for the best intentions and did the parties involved do the right thing?

I received a copy of the Beekeeper’s War from NetGalley and Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter in exchange for an honest review. You read about the First World War, the shocking injuries, daily tasks the nurses preformed, their interaction with the patients, how it was impossible for them not to form attachments and the consequences of their actions. Deborah Carr has written an outstanding and captivating book, about war, love, sacrifice, duty, loss and five big stars from me.

In The Middle of Hickory Lane

In the Middle of Hickory Lane by Heather Webber
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Emme Wynn has been on her own since she was eighteen, her whole life she's wanted to be part of a family and she can’t believe it when her grandmother Glory Wynn tracks her down and invites her to stay with her. She lives in Sweetgrass, Alabama, on Hickory Lane and she needs help running her booth at the Sweetgrass Marketplace.

Cora Bee Hazelton has her own color and consulting design business in Sweetgrass, and she’s Emme’s cousin. Emme and Cora Bee have a lot in common, their hearts have broken in different ways, they cover up the pain of the past, hide it from people and especially Cora Bee who seems like she has everything under control.

When Cara Bee has a run in with a dog, she needs some assistance at home and she asks Emme to stay with her. She will still be able to help her grandmother Glory at home and with the market. Soon Emme realizes that Hickory Lane is one of the busiest and inquisitive places in Alabama, and living on the street are Glory’s close friends and neighbors Nannette, May, Dorothy and her son Chase and James and Alice are newcomers.

The garden in the middle of Hickory Lane is magical, it has a glazing pool and a body sensationally uncovered the day Emme arrives. Through spending time with Glory and Cora Bee, Emme discovers what it’s like to have a family, security, support, friends, and be part of the community. Emme discovers an interesting trait some of the women in the family have, a sixth sense, the truth about her paternity, who’s buried in garden, and an old family secret is revealed.

I received a copy of In The Middle of Hickory Lane from NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge in exchange for an honest review. This is the first book I have read by author Heather Webber and it defiantly won’t be my last. She certainly knows how to create an interesting narrative, full of engaging and characters I cared about, plot twists I didn’t see coming, I enjoyed reading every page and five stars from me.

Beyond a Broken Sky

Beyond a Broken Sky by Suzanne Fortin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Rhoda Sullivan works for a museum at Singlewood, and she’s an expert at resorting old glass windows. She’s sent to Telton Hall, to check a stain glass window, designed by an Italian prisoner of war and it’s inside the family chapel. Jack Hartwell has lived at Telton Hall his whole life, he’s not happy about what’s happening to his families land and he’s blocking the road. Nate Hartwell arrives, he talks some sense into his father and he lets Rhoda inspect the chapel. What should be a quick look-over, turns into Nate having to call the police and a body is found buried underneath the pavers in the chapel. Rhoda’s brother Dean went missing ten years ago, she knows what it’s like to lose someone and not know what happened to them, and she’s determined to solve the mystery of the Telton Hall skeleton.

The narrative has a dual timeline, the story takes place mainly at Telton Hall in 2022 and during the Second World War in 1945.

Alice Renshaw in only eighteen, she fell head over heals for an American soldier and he’s left her in the family way! Mrs. Louise Hartwell is a kind lady, she owns a house in remote Somerset, she takes in girls in Alice’s predicament and arranges for their babies to be adopted. At first Alice feels overwhelmed, everyone at Telton Hall is nice, and she shares a room with a land girl. Alice meets Paola, an Italian prisoner of war, he’s working at the farm and they become friends. Louise’s step-son Billy Stoker was injured in the war, he’s staying at Telton Hall, he hates the prisoners of war, he treats them badly and Alice finds him creepy.

I received a copy of Beyond a Broken Sky from NetGalley and Head of Zeus/Aria in exchange for an honest review. Suzanne Fortin has done it again, she’s written another engrossing dual timeline historical mystery and with a cast of compelling characters. I don’t want to give too much away, if you like stories about old houses and hidden wartime secrets, I highly recommend reading this book and five stars from me.

Across the Way

Across the Way by Mary Monroe
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Milton and Yvonne Hamilton live next door to Odell and Joyce Watson in Branson. Milton and Yvonne have a checked past, and are now bootleggers. Odell manages Yvonne’s father’s grocery store, they look to have the perfect life and this makes their friends the Hamilton’s jealous!

When Milton and Yvonne are taken in for questioning by the police, they’re furious and determined to find out who filed the false report? When they discover it was their so called friend Odell Watson, they want to make him pay and set about taking him down.

Odell is leading a double life, he’s not the model citizen or husband Joyce thinks he is and the Hamilton’s use this to blackmail him. Odell gets tired of how he’s being treated, he comes up with a plan, it’s a disaster and it backfires. Joyce is the innocent victim in this crazy game of blackmail and deceit.

I received a copy of Across the Way by Mary Monroe from NetGalley and Kensington Books and it’s the third book in The Neighbors Series. It’s hard to keep a secret, greed and violence destroys three lives in this story and Joyce wises up! Three and a half stars from me, and I wish I had read the first two books in the trilogy.

For Those Who Are lost

For Those Who Are Lost: A Novel by Julia Bryan Thomas
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

June 1940: The Germans are poised to invade Guernsey and Ava and Joseph Simon have to make the difficult decision to send their two children to England or should the family to stay together? Henry and Catherine leave the next day, the children will be traveling with their teachers and Ava is having second thoughts.

Lily Carre knows it’s her only chance to flee her abusive husband Ian, her sister Helen Matthews doesn’t want to leave their parents and Lily takes her place on the boat leaving Guernsey. Lily accompanies the children to England, Henry unknowingly boards the train to Manchester on his own and Lily hides Catherine. Lily has always wanted to be a mother, Catherine is too young at four to go to school and she worries what will happen to her. They travel to the English countryside, Lily finds a cottage to rent and starts a new life.

Henry is only nine, he’s extremely upset when he can’t find his sister on the train, he promised his parents he would look after her and he’s failed. In Guernsey the Islanders are having a terrible time, their completely cut off from the mainland and the Germans confiscate everyone's radios.

Conditions on the Island get worse, everyone is hungry and Ava knows she made the right decision and she has no idea when she will ever see her children again. Lily’s living with Catherine in a small English village, she meets new people, makes friends and she can’t tell them what she has done. As the war comes to an end, should Lily confess, she’s caught up in an elaborate lie and she feels guilty.

A story about two women making a life changing choice, both want to protect Catherine and did Lily go too far and despite her good intentions? I questioned lily’s morals, considering the circumstances did she do the right thing, or was she selfish and should I judge her so harshly?

I received a copy of For Those Who Are Lost in exchange for an honest review from Edelweiss and Sourcebooks Landmark and Julia Bryan Thomas thoroughly researched the evacuation of school children and their teachers from Guernsey. She discovered some of the parents never saw their children again, how did this happen and it gave her inspiration to write her latest book. A thought provoking read about war, love, courage, guilt, compassion, forgiveness and four stars from me.

After We Were Stolen

After We Were Stolen by Brooke Beyfuss
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Avery lives in her family’s compound called Clovelite, she has nine siblings and their parents are members of a doomsday cult. Avery’s father has been forcing her sleep away from the rest of the family in a tent, they do hours of survival training, and have been brainwashed to think the outside world isn’t safe.

One night a fire breakouts in the house, Avery has been allowed inside to sleep, she manages to get out and she knows this is her chance to escape her parents. Avery is nineteen and her younger brother Cole is sixteen, initially they hide in the woods, they wander around homeless, in a society that’s completely foreign, and the pair get arrested for shoplifting.

The police take their fingerprints, much to everyone’s surprise it turns out they were both kidnapped separately fifteen years ago and by the cult leaders. Cole returns to live with his birth family, who are complete strangers and Avery goes to stay at a half-way house. Without Cole Avery is lost, the police keep asking her questions about where the fire started and how many people were inside the house when it broke out?

I received a copy of After We Were Stolen from Edelweiss and Sourcebooks in exchange for an honest review. Brooke Beyfuss’s debut novel is a story about two teenagers finding out their whole life has been a lie, and how they have endured years of physical and mental abuse. Avery’s vulnerable and disorientated by her situation, she’s trying to recover from her past and come to terms with Cole isn’t her brother and never was. Three and a half stars from me, I wouldn't class the book as a thriller and I thought it ended rather suddenly.

The Whistle Stop Canteen

The Whistle Stop Canteen by Barb Warner Deane
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Margaret is the librarian in North Platte, Nebraska and after America enters the war she wants to help. So do other women in the community and they start The North Platte Canteen Committee. Daily trains stop at North Platte taking servicemen and women of to serve overseas in the Second World War. Their idea is to provide sandwiches, cookies, and drinks to them, for free and it’s their way of thanking them.

They had no idea how much of a difference they would make, volunteers brought food from a two hundred mile radius and they served over six million people during the time the canteen was open. All of the food and drinks were donated, they asked the personnel to sign the visitor’s book and many continued to keep in touch.

The story is told from two main characters point of view, Margaret Parker and a teenage girl Rose Nelson. Both Margaret and Rose are lonely due to their circumstances at home and they become friends.

Captain Tom Carver notices Maggie at the canteen, she’s shocked when he writes to her, and they start a long distance relationship. Rose meets Harry Gates, and it was common at the time for teenage girls to write and send care packages to soldiers.

Tom is a career soldier, he served in WW I and Maggie’s fiancée didn’t return from the war and she’s never been married. Both Maggie and Rose fall in love with their soldiers, they put their hearts on the line and not knowing what the future holds. The group of canteen ladies rally around it each other during the long war years, and many lose husbands, sons and grandsons overseas.

I received a copy of The Whistle Stop Canteen by Barb Warner Deane from NetGalley and West Publishing in exchange for an honest review. What an amazing and surprising story, not only do you read about the work the women did feeding thousands of service men and women, it’s gives you a an idea of what life was like in America during the war and how it affected the women and their families. It’s an uplifting narrative about helping others, being part of a group, friendship, comradery and finding love. Four and a half stars from me, my only criticism is the cover, I feel it’s rather drab, and it might not encourage people to read this gem of a book.

The Librarian Spy

The Librarian Spy: A Novel of World War II by Madeline Martin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Ava Harper is a librarian at the Library of Congress in Washington DC and she cares for precious and rare books. The US military contact her, Ava can speak two languages and with her experience using microfilm and they recruit her to work in Portugal. Her cover story is she's a librarian, she actually takes tiny photos of magazine articles, book pages, correspondence, newspapers and even an underground French one. The American army is collecting information on the Germans, what’s happening in France and it’s to be used to win the war

Elaine Roussea lives in occupied Lyon, France, she works for the resistance, and she helps print and distribute an underground newspaper called Combat. After her husband Joseph was arrested, Elaine had to change her name and she decided to help her country gain it’s freedom. The Germans are desperate to find them, they worry about someone infiltrating their group and a collaborator dobbing them into the Gestapo.

Ava and Elaine are complete strangers, they find themselves connected through the coded messages hidden in Combat and both want to help reunite a Jewish family in America. How can two women who have never met, get Sarah and Noah safely out of France, to Portugal and obtain the necessary visas for them to enter America?

The women's experiences during the war are somewhat different, Ava didn’t go hungry like Elaine, she wasn’t living in an occupied country and she didn't have to worry about being captured and tortured. Both women however struggled with knowing who they could trust, Lyon and Lisbon were both full of spies. Ava and Elaine made friends and formed connections with the people they worked with, this made them vulnerable, led to inevitable heartache and loss.

Inspired by discovering the history of America’s library of spies in neutral Lisbon, and about a French woman who joined the resistance and helped print an underground newspaper. Madeline Martin has written an outstanding historical fiction story, it’s revitalizing to read and learn new information about the Second World War. I received a copy of The Librarian Spy from NetGalley and Harlequin Australia in exchange for an honest review. I highly recommend this book, five stars from me and I'm defiantly going to read the authors previous novel The Last Bookshop in London.

A Dream Too Big

A Dream Too Big: The Story of an Improbable Journey from Compton to Oxford by Caylin Louis Moore
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When Caylin Moore was six years old, his mother fled an abusive marriage and moved back with her family in Compton, Los Angeles. Their situation became worse when his mum suffered from a serious heart problem, she could no longer work, and his father was sentenced to life in prison for killing his girlfriend.

Caylin had to grow up fast, and he was only nine when the police frisked him walking home from school. He dedicated himself to helping his mother and siblings, being true to his faith, doing well at school, being an athlete and making the world a better place.

Caylin’s childhood wasn’t easy, he went hungry, and the only way he could bathe was using cold water and a bucket, initially he shared a mattress with his mum, sister and brother and lying awake at night they could hear helicopters flying overhead, gunshots and rats and cockroaches crawling around in the walls of the derelict building.

Caylin studied hard, he listened to advice, he applied for every scholarship he could find, Caylin presented himself in person, and asked if they could help him, and he didn’t care if the receptionist laughed at him or a fellow student looked down at him for mopping floors.

I received a copy of A Dream Too Big by Caylin Louis Moore from NetGalley and Nelson Books in exchange for an honest review. His memoir is an uplifting and inspirational read, Caylin fought against poverty, oppression, injustice and prejudice, to be awarded a Rhodes Scholarship to Oxford University. Every teenage boy needs to read this book, a true coming of age story and every high school library should have a copy. Five big stars from me and I wonder what Caylin will achieve next?

The Floating Girls

The Floating Girls by Lo Patrick
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Kay Whitaker is twelve years old and she lives with her family in Bledsoe, Georgia. Kay is an inquisitive child, she fidgets in her impractical homemade dresses her mother makes her wear, and she runs around barefooted and has a big imagination.

Kay likes to swear, use the foulest words possible, she wants to get married twelve times, she’s been practicing pretend kissing and hopes that she might marry Andy one day. Andy Webber and his father Nile have recently moved back to Georgia from California.

Her mother Sue-Bess and her father Clay don’t want her talking to Andy and have told her to stay away from him. Kay never pays much attention to her parents, her mother is busy looking after her sister Sarah-Anne who isn’t quite right, and she doesn’t speak.

The Webber’s live out in the marsh, they have a hover boat and years ago Emily Webber tragically drowned. When Kay’s sister Sarah-Anne goes missing, around the same time Nile and Clay get a job working away and Kay and her two brothers Peter and Freddy find it strange?

Kay has always thought her family was a little odd, her world as she knows it starts to spin out of control and it all has to do with Officer Marsh looking into the possible murder of Emily Webber and does he know about Sarah-Anne is missing?

I received a copy of The Floating Girls by Lo Patrick from Edelweiss and Sourcebooks in exchange for an honest review. The debut novel is narrated by a twelve year old girl, when Kay notices something is odd about her family, she’s not wrong and she’s one hundred percent right. It’s a story about an extremely dysfunctional family and a dangerous one, set in a very creepy location and three stars from me.

The Mermaid's Call

The Mermaid's Call by Katherine Stansfield
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Shilly Williams has a connection to things that are not occurring in this world, and it's a valuable talent to have when you run a detective agency with your partner Anna Drake. The newest member and investigator is Mathilda, and it’s been six months since they had a new case and their waiting in Cornwall.

Captain Fredrick Ian’s is unable to sleep, he keeps dreaming that his brother Joseph has been lured by a mermaid and he’s lying dead on a beach. Anna thinks his story is hilarious, Shilly however takes him seriously, at the time mermaids were a part of folklore with links to the sea and drowning.

A dead man is found on the coast of Morwenstow, very much like in the captain’s dream and he wants to know if it’s his brother? Anna and Shilly visit Parson Robert Hawker, he takes care of the dead and the damaged body is at his house. The two detectives have no idea the parson’s wife Charlotte is the Captain's and Joseph's sister and this adds to the intrigue. In an area where ship wrecking is a common practice and so are strange lights moving across the cliffs, Shilly uses both her investigative skills and special gift to identify the body is that of Joseph Ian’s and she discovers how he died.

I received a copy of The Mermaid's Call by Katherine Stansfield from NetGalley and Allison & Busby in exchange for an honest review and it’s the third book in the Cornish Mystery Series. I haven’t read the first two books, so it took me a little while to work out that Shilly and Anna Drake were in a romantic relationship and Anna dressed as a man. Parson Robert Hawker's character is based on a real person, and he kept his animals inside and including his pig. I enjoyed reading about Cornwall, ship wreckers and mermaids calling, in this historical mystery and three stars and a half stars from me.

The Italian Ballerina

The Italian Ballerina: A World War II Novel by Kristy Cambron
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Italian Ballerina is a dual timeline historical fiction story set in England, Rome and America.

Rome 1943. Julia Bradbury is a famous British ballerina, when Mussolini loses power she and fellow dancer Anton Vasile are stranded in Italy. They take refuge in the Fatebenefratelli Hospital on Timber Island, Julia volunteers to work here and Anton's not happy about it. They have a contagious disease that’s spreading through the wards, it’s actually a fake disease called Syndrome K invented to keep the Germans out of the quarantine wards where Dr. Emroy and Father Bialek are hiding Jewish people.

Two allied medics, Sergeant Andrew Nelson and Private Courtney Coleman survive the landing at Salerno, later they find themselves separated from their unit in Rome and responsible for an orphaned Jewish girl. They do everything they can to keep little Calla safe, hoping to find someone from her family and unfortunately they don’t know her real identity?

Present time. Delaney Coleman leaves her job in Seattle and returns home to the family’s farm in Indiana. Her Grandfather has passed away and her aging parents need her help. Del receives an unexpected call from a man called Matteo Santini, he explains her grandfather has a suitcase that belongs to his grandmother, she want's it back and the Santini's have something her grandfather cherished. Del’s grandfather was the local doctor, he did serve in WW II and he never spoke about his wartime experiences.

Del travels to Rome, to meet with Matteo and his grandmother Calla, and she takes the worn children’s suitcase with her. Del and Matteo solve the mystery of how Andrew, Court, Julia and Calla all knew each other and they uncover that Calla was one of thousands of Jewish people who were saved from the Germans by hiding in the wards of The Fatebenefratelli Hospital and the nearby church, what happened to her parents, and the secret contents of the case.

I received a copy of The Italian Ballerina by Kristy Cambron from HarperCollins Christian Publishing and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. It’s a story about an English ballerina with a kind heart, deciding to help an mute Jewish girl learn to dance, to take her mind off the terrible war and by meeting them both, she changes the lives of the two battle weary allied medics. An inspirational historical saga about hope, faith, reaching your potential and making changes, suffering, forgiveness and honoring the past. Using real facts, the narrative does get off to a rather slow start and Ms. Cambron picks up the pace, and it all comes together and four and a half stars from me. I highly recommend both The Italian Ballerina and The Paris Dressmaker.

The Gillespie County Fair

The Gillespie County Fair by Marc Hess
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

https://karrenreadsbooks.blogspot.com... Geische and Hilss families are of German decent, they live in Fredericksburg, Texas, they have intermarried and this created tension between them. Carel Geische wants to develop some land and for a subdivision, he borrows too much money from the bank, uses other people's property as collateral, and his entire empire is about to crumble.

With so many charters, marriages, divorces, parents, children and step-children it was hard to keep track of what part they played in the story and I can understand why some people stopped reading the book. The Gillespie County Fair is held once a year, it’s the place to be if you live in the small farming community and I thought the narrative would be based around this. But it’s not the case at all and the title of the book is very misleading.

I received a copy of The Gillespie County Fair by Marc Hess from NetGalley and Greenleaf Book Group in exchange for an honest review. I felt sympathy and empathy for two characters, Mari Hilss and Willow Geische. Mari is Carel’s ex-wife and Willow is his daughter, and both are emotionally damaged by him. Two stars from me, what an odd story and maybe I just didn't get it?

The Crimson Thread

The Crimson Thread by Kate Forsyth
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

May 1941. When thousands of German paratroopers start floating down from the sky, the war arrives in Heraklion in Crete and it will last for three long years. Alenka is extremely worried, her younger brother Axel is part German, he’s the only person on the island who’s excited when they launch their attack and he’s been acting rather odd. The Germans underestimate how well the people of Crete know the terrain, they help the allied soldiers flee across the steep White Mountains using goat tracks, the lucky ones are rescued from the beach, many are taken prisoner, and others hide in the hills.

The battle for Crete is fierce, anyone who can fight does and with homemade weapons and Alenka saves the lives of two Australian soldiers. The Aussie soldiers are best mates, they grew up in the same town in Victoria and Jack Hawke and Teddy Lloyd have different personalities. Teddy is used to women falling at his feet, he thinks Alenka will succumb to his charm, she’s not at all interested, and he hates being rejected. She and Jack have a lot in common, they both like to read and are fascinated by ancient Greek history, the ruins in the area and tales about mythical gods. The months of hiding takes it’s toll on Jack and Teddy, both physically and mentally, both are attracted to Alenka, and this causes friction between them. Alenka is putting her life at risk, she has to be very careful as Axel is a collaborator, he could follow her and he’s been acting suspicious.

Alenka’s mother Hesper works at Villa Ariadne, the new German headquarters and they employ Alenka as a secretary and translator. Alenka hates her job, she has no choice and she uses her position to help her country. The people of Crete endured years of deprivation, it was truly shocking what the Germans did to them, they retaliated when they could, supported the resistance, and the Cretans never gave up.

I received a copy of The Crimson Thread by Kate Forsyth from NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing in exchange for an honest review. It’s one of the best historical fiction books I have read this year, it’s full of fascinating facts and information about Crete, Greek traditions, food, culture, dancing, music, sewing and embroidery, mythological tales and much more. The characters are unforgettable, some you will love, cheer them on, and others you will hate. I admired both Alenka and Jack for their intelligence, resourcefulness, steadfastness, and I desperately wanted them to be together as a couple, and five stars from me.

The Spanish Girl

The Spanish Girl by Jules Hayes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A dual timeline historical saga that alternates between 1937 and 1976, set in war torn Spain and a year after Francisco Franco died and his dictatorship ended.

In 1937, Rafael Daguerre is seven years old, when during the Spanish Civil War he witnesses a shocking event, his young mind can’t process what’s happened and the consequences of the horrible act affects him and others for decades.

In 1976, journalist Isabella Adame travels to Spain to interview Rafael Daguerre, she finds him rather cold and rude. Isabella has another reason for visiting, her mother Sofia was born in Spain and she wants to find out what happened to her during the Spanish civil War. Isabella was raised in France by her adopted grandparents Calida & Aurelio and they told her father was a French brigadier, he died during the battle of Brunete in 1937 and they don't know happened to her mother?

Isabella travels around Spain and slowly she uncovers the secrets and events of the past. It’s a tragic tale about a man hating both his wife and daughter, and a brother’s grudge against his own brother and who came to Spain to help him. After spending more time with Rafael, Isabella's feelings towards the grumpy Spaniard start to change and is he hiding something?

I received a copy of The Spanish Girl by Jules Hayes from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. After a slow start, I became engrossed in the narrative about love and loss and how the dignity, hope and humility of the Spanish people was shaken by years of war, dictatorship and terrorism. The story includes interesting information about Spanish culture, language and scenery, local customs, traditions and food, and four and a half stars from me.

Spitfire

Spitfire by M.L. Huie
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

When everyone is celebrating V-E Day in London, former British spy Olivia Nash is having her third glass of vodka and drowning her sorrows. During the war Livy was a Special Operations Executive and she and Bulldog were the most sort after agents in France. The war ended with a terrible betrayal by someone Livy thought she could trust, the man she loved was killed, she's still mourning him and has no reason to commemorate.

Livy currently works for second lowest circulating newspaper in England and she proofreads the ladies advice column. She’s shocked when Ian Fleming approaches her, he’s the foreign manager for the Komsley News Group and he offers her a job in France.

Olivia is given a couple of weeks to dry out, brush up on her defense skills, and she’s working as an undercover journalist. Livy is keen to track to down the traitor who killed her lover, the first place she visits is the café they used to hang out at during the war and the situation in France has changed. The City of lights is full of spies and double agents from, England, America, France and the Soviet Union.

Luckily she still has her gun, because alliances change quickly, Olivia takes out an old enemy and she has no idea how many are left? When Olivia discovers yet another betrayal, she doesn’t know what she will do, and she hasn't completed her assignment!

I received a copy of Spitfire by M. L. Huie from NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books in exchange for an honest review. I found it hard to connect with any of the characters and maybe it's due to the narrative focusing on spies, double agents, wartime secrets and I found it confusing. If you like historical mysteries set in England and France at the end of The Second World War, this book might be for you, and three stars from me.

The Nurse's Secret

The Nurse's Secret by Amanda Skenandore

Una Kelly lives in a New York tenement building in Mulberry Street and she shares a flat with three other women. Una is a grifter or a pickpocket and scammer, she works for Marm Blei and she provides her with some protection. Two murders have been committed, Una’s in the wrong place at the wrong time, when she stumbles across the third victim and now she’s on the run from the police.

Una needs to go into hiding, she applies to be a nurse at Bellevue Training School for Nurses and be a member of it's first class. Based on Florence Nightingale’s nursing principles, they only accept single women, with good breeding and morale character, with some fast talking and false documents Una manages to secure a place.

Una struggles to fit in at first, she has never lived in such a nice building as the nurse’s dormitory, she doesn't trust the indoor plumbing and she shares a room with the perfect Miss. Drusilla Lewis. She has no idea what the doctor is talking about in her first lecture, it’s all new to Una and she needs to pay more attention. What Una has in her favor is due to her impoverished upbringing, she's been exposed lice, dirt, vomit, blood and sweat, unlike her fellow probationers and she understands the patients. Much to her own surprise, Una enjoys her training and has all the attributes to make a good nurse.

When a patient dies unexpectedly Una has her suspicions, how can she tell anyone at the hospital she thinks the person was strangled and without exposing her flawed past? The serial killer might work at Bellevue and she finds herself snooping around the wards, ambulance bay and morgue looking for clues.

I received a copy of The Nurse’s Secret from NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter in exchange for an honest review. The author Amanda Skenandore is a qualified nurse, her book takes you back to a time when nurses weren’t treated well by doctors and some doctors laughed at new ideas and discoveries in medicine. Gilded age nurses thoroughly cleaned hospital wards, infection rates decreased and patient care improved. I found the medical information included in the story really interesting and despite her obvious flaws Una’s character is spirited, her heart is in the right place and she makes an excellent detective and nurse.

Five stars from me, I highly recommend this book if you like historical fiction stories about nurses, the medical treatment at the time and with a thrilling plot twist.

A Letter From Munich

A Letter From Munich by Meg Lelvis
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Jack Bailey is a former Chicago police officer, his friend Sherk is visiting family in Germany and asks Jack if he would like to go with him? Jack accepts as he and his brother recently found a letter in their deceased father’s belongings and it was written by a mysterious German woman over six decades ago. Jack and Tommy didn’t have a great relationship with their father, he drank too much and was a mean drunk. Jack knows his father fought in WW II, he was stationed in Germany and Jack wants to discover what happened to him during the war.

When Jack and Sherk arrive in Germany, they stay with Sherk’s grandparents in Munich and Jack finds it hard to believe that Karl Sherkenbach was once a Wehrmacht soldier. Jack and Sherk spend time being tourists looking at the beautiful old buildings, drinking beer and sampling the food. Jack and Shrek also try to track down what happened to a lady called Ariana Schroder and they believe she might be the person who wrote the letter to Jack's father.

The dual timeline story goes between the present time in 2012 and the 1930’s.

Ariana Schroder and her three siblings live with their parents in Dachau, Germany and her father is a dentist. Ariana might be a child, she’s notices the changes going on around her, her friend Judith has moved and her parents are worried about her disabled brother Fritz. Ariana and her sister Renate manage survive the hard war years by working as Red Cross nurses.

Sherk uses his investigative skills, he finds a Ariana Gunther, and she’s eighty seven and living in a nursing home. Her sister Renate is staying in the same home, she explains that Ariana has dementia and over a couple of days she tells them what happened to them during the war. Jack discovers his father John’s battalion liberated the concentration camp at Dachau, he witnessed first hand the horrible and barbaric acts committed against the Jewish people. Jack doesn’t know if he should tell his younger siblings what he’s uncovered, should the past stay buried and along with his father’s secret?

I received a copy of A Letter From Munich by Meg Lelvis from NetGalley and Black Rose Writing in exchange for an honest review. It’s a story about the town of Dachau and liberation of the concentration camp and two people meeting during a traumatic time in history, how it changed them and their children lives. Three stars from me, reading about the war from a German perspective was interesting and unfortunately I found it hard to connect with Jack's brash character.

Long Way Home

Long Way Home by Lynn Austin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Peggy Serrano lives across the road from the Barnett’s, her fathers a mechanic and her mother passed away when she was a little girl. Mrs. Barnett helps her when she's lonely and needs a woman's advice, Mr. Barnett a vet saves her dog Buster, their son Jimmy is her only friend and he stuck up for her against the bully's.

James Barnett has seen some awful things during the war in Europe, when he returns home he’s a very different person to the one who left and sadly he ends up in a VA hospital. Jimmy is suffering from battle fatigue, he’s stopped talking and eating and they can only visit him once a week. The treatments available are limited, horrible, nothing seems to be working and the Barnett's are upset and don't know what to do? Peggy’s determined to help Jimmy, she starts contacting his war buddies, she gets them to write a letter and send a photo. She's making a scrapbook for Jimmy, trying to bring back some good memories, and she found a photo of a woman in his belongings and does she having anything to do with Jimmy’s condition?

Gisela Wolff leaves Hamburg in May 1939 with her family aboard the passenger ship St. Louis, bound for Havana in Cuba and she meets Sam Shapiro. They fall in love, when they arrive in Cuba and the boat full of Jewish refugees are turned away. The Captain of the ship has to find a place that will accept them, Belgium does and the two families live in Antwerp. At first life in Belgium is safe and then the Germans invade. Sam joins the resistance, Gisela is studying to be a nurse and she loses contact with her sister Ruthie. It's very difficult for a Jewish person to remain undetected, Gisela's real identity is discovered, she fights desperately to stay alive and towards the end of the war an American medic saves her life.

Told from two different points of view, the story is about Jimmy and Gisela facing the challenges of the war, what takes place after it finishes, Gisela has no idea what happened to her family or Sam and Peggy’s quest to help Jimmy recover and work out the connection between him and Gisela.

I received a copy of Long Way Home from Edelweiss and Tyndale House Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Lynn Austin has written an outstanding book, full of wonderful characters and it explains how soldiers struggled to function when they returned to civilian life, the impact the war had on their mental health and their relationships. We need to honor our WW II veterans, they fought for our freedom and suffered. The message I took from the book was that Hitler started the war and committed the terrible acts against the Jewish people and not God. Five stars from me and a great book to read if you’re questioning why bad things are still happening in the world today and it gave me hope for the future.

The Year I Left

The Year I Left by Christine Brae
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Carin Frost is married to Jack and they have a ten year old son Charlie. She’s a successful business woman and since her mother died in a tragic accident crossing the road she’s been struggling. Carin feels numb, she goes to work, looks after Charlie and she doesn’t feel like talking to Jack. The man she was once head over heels in love with, she now goes out of her way to avoid him and it’s a bad sign.

Matias Torres is from Barcelona, he starts working as a partner at Carin’s company, she finds him interesting and they have a lot in common. Carin notices how good-looking he is, she feels attracted to him and Matias is putting out vibes that he feels the same about her. They travel to Southeast Asia for a work, when an earthquake hits the island and Matias comes up with a crazy idea.

Carin is at a cross roads, she feels like she has lost herself, she’s floundering in a world of feeling worthless and she can’t cope with her grief. She goes along with Matias’s plan, her mind is playing tricks on her and has she made a big mistake?

I received a copy of The Year I Left by Christine Brae from NetGalley and Vesuvian Books in exchange for an honest review. It’s a story about Carin not realizing she’s jugging too many things, her relationships, marriage, work, and her mental health suffers because of this and she should have got professional help when her mother died. A thought provoking read, it makes you think about the pressure many women are under these days and three and a half stars from me.

The Last Letter

The Last Letter by Kathleen Shoop
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Due to their circumstances changing the Arthur family leave city life in Des Moines in Iowa and move to the prairie in the Dakota Territory. Nothing could prepare Jeanie for how far they are from civilization and the dirt floor Soddy that her lazy husband Frank expects her and the children to live in.

The closest neighbors visit, Howard Templeton, the Zurchenko family, the Hunt’s and sisters Ruthie and Lutie Moore. To survive on the prairie you need to help each other and the group of settlers decide to form a cooperative and share the work load.

It’s an extremely harsh place and life, natural disasters strike, wild-fires, a grasshopper plague, dust and ice storms and the winters are long and freezing. I have heard about people going crazy living on the prairie, I can now understand why and each family loses someone to sickness and accidents. Morale is very low, this causes members of the cooperative to make bad decisions, have mental health issues and leave.

Jeanie Arthur was forced to make a difficult choice in 1888, to save her eleven year old twins Katherine and Tommy. Young Katherine didn’t understand, she’s spent seventeen years being mad at her mother, she vows to never forgive her, now her mother is dying, she needs her, and her younger sister Yale will be on her own.

Katherine saved some slightly burnt letters of her mothers, they have been sitting in a trunk in her attic for years, she reads about her parent’s courtship, time they spent living on the prairie and the last letter contains a shocking secret.

I received a copy of The Last Letter by Kathleen Shoop from NetGalley CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform in exchange for an honest review. It’s a story about hardship, hatred, greed, isolation, loss, death, depression, infidelity and the consequences, misunderstanding and forgiveness. I look forward to reading the next book in the series to see what happens to the Arthur family, three stars and a half stars from me and the book was originally released in 2011.

An Officer's Vow

An Officer's Vow by Penny Hampson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Major Nathanial Crawford was wounded in his left leg in the Peninsular Campaign and he’s now been classified as unfit for service. Despite his wound he decides to ride his horse home to Oxford, when Max is startled and he throws Nate.

Charlotte Benham overheard her cousin Jonah telling one of his unsavory friends that he plans on marrying her and getting her inheritance. Lottie runs away, she startles Nate’s horse and has to help him get back on his feet. When he hears what’s happened to her, being a gentleman he offers to assist Lottie and takes her to see her governess Miss. Harriet Spencer.

The plan is for Harriet to act as a chaperone, Lottie can stay with Nate’s father Charles Crawford and hide from Jonah until she comes of age. Nate has another idea, he and Lottie could get married and they set off for Gretna Green. Unfortunately Jonah stumbles across Lottie, Nate starts a frantic search for her, they knew he was dangerous and could cousin Jonah also be a traitor to his country?

I received a copy of An Officer’s Vow by Penny Hampson from NetGalley, BooksGoSocial and Kindle Unlimited in exchange for an honest review. This story includes details about the sinister underworld in London, spies and finding unexpected love. Three stars from me and a quick and entertaining read.

As Little As Nothing

As Little As Nothing by Pamela Mulloy
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Miriam Thomas is recovering from her fifth miscarriage, when she hears a plane flying overhead and she gets out of bed to investigate. Miriam and Frank Wentworth save the pilot Peter after his plane crashes.

Peter offers to take Miriam on a joy flight, she accepts and Miriam decides to learn to fly and it might take her mind of her health problems. Frank gives her flying lessons, he’s building a tiger moth in a shed on his father’s property and his aunt Audrey lives nearby in a caravan.

Miriam, Frank, Audrey and Peter are the four main characters in the novel and its set in England from 1938 to 1939 and in 1941.

Franks has a club foot, he’s a bit of a recluse and he's trying to ignore his feelings towards other men and his aunt Audrey is his only friend. Audrey is a bit of a rebel, she likes to swim in the river, she follows activist Stella Browne and they support women’s reproductive rights. They hold meetings, hand out pamphlets on types of contraceptive devices available and try to help disadvantaged women.

Frank convinces Miriam to start training for an air race called the Kings Cup it’s from London to
Manchester and Audrey introduces Miriam to her ideas about women being in control of their own bodies, this makes her consider her own situation and has she been through enough?

I received a copy of As Little As Nothing by Pamela Mulloy from Edelweiss and Baker & Taylor Publisher Services in exchange for an honest review. I found the story a little confusing, the plot involves worrying about another war starting, changing women’s rights and women’s roles in England, and Miriam’s unusual relationship with her husband Edmund and finally towards the end she joins the Air Transport Auxiliary and the war starts. Due to me failing to form a connection to any of the characters, plus my struggle to make sense of the narrative, it had too much going on and unfortunately I can only give the book three stars.

The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle

The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle by Jennifer Ryan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When fashion designer Cressida Westcott loses her home, design house and all her possessions in one night during the Blitz she returns home to Aldhurst Manor. She left twenty years ago and she hopes her nephew Hugh and niece Violet will be more welcoming than their late father Eustace. She plans on staying long enough to find another place in London to live and a building for her fashion design business.

Violet Westcott is Cressida’s niece, she’s excited to see her aunt and life has been rather boring with all the men off fighting in the war. It’s also getting in the way of her finding a suitable husband, when Violet’s conscription letter arrives, she’s mortified, she has to do six weeks of basic training and after she passes her brother Hugh gets her a position close to home as a driver at Darley Grange.

Grace Carlisle is the local vicars daughter, her mother died when she was ten and she’s been helping her father with his parish work ever since. Grace is engaged to steadfast Lawrence, she wants to wear her mother’s moth damaged wedding gown and it might be past saving?

At the village hall, the local ladies hold the Aldhurst Sewing Circle and mend and make do classes. The women alter and repurpose clothes, there's a huge demand for second-hand clothing and especially for growing children. The dress is almost beyond repair, Cressida agrees to help and she starts attending meetings at the hall. The ladies want to boost morale in England and a way of doing this is to refurbish wedding gowns for brides to borrow for their big day and have the wedding they have always dreamed of. Everyone wishes to experience joy and love and especially during the dark days of WW II in England.

Cressida, Grace and Violet become close friends, it changes their outlook and expectations and for the other members of the sewing circle as well. Before they know it, they are being sent and repurposing gowns for brides from all over England, they have a waiting list and Vogue magazine wants to interview them.

I received a copy of The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle from NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group in exchange for an honest review. It’s an uplifting and absolutely delightful story about the power of friendship, women helping other women and finding love when they least expect it. Jennifer Ryan used real details about clothing coupons and rationing at the time and the sharing of wedding dresses in her impeccably researched and well written book and five big stars from me.

Bloomsbury Girls

Bloomsbury Girls by Natalie Jenner
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Evelyn Stone is a graduating member of the first class of women admitted to Cambridge University, when she’s overlooked for a job as a research assistant and the position is given to a male colleague.

Evie needs to work, she has a glowing reference from her friend Mr. Yardley Sinclair, he holds a prominent position at Sotheby’s auction house, she approaches Bloomsbury Books, she wants to work in the rare book section and she has an ulterior motif.

Situated at 40 Lambs Conduit Street in London, Bloomsbury Books is owned by Lord Jeremy Baskin and it’s been in business for almost a hundred years. It’s managed by Mr. Herbert Dutton, he enforces the fifty one workplace rules and he’s very set in his old fashioned ways!

This frustrates Miss. Vivien Lowdry and Mrs. Grace Perkins, both women work at the bookshop, Vivien is a cashier and Grace is a secretary. In the early 1950's, England is coming out of the war years, people have extra money to spend and Bloomsbury’s aren’t taking advantage of this. Both women have ideas of how to improve the shop’s takings, by stocking and displaying a different range of books, holding events and promoting female authors. When Mr. Dutton falls ill, Evie, Grace and Vivien manage to convince the temporary manager to try some of their ideas, then everything reverts to how it was and they have to come up with another plan!

A story about discovering forgotten, ignored and missed female authors and their books. Evie, Grace and Vivien band together and outsmart the men and with a cast of famous women backing them all the way.

I received a copy of Bloomsbury Girls by Natalie Jenner from NetGalley and Allison & Busby in exchange for an honest review. I loved how the author included characters from her previous book The Jane Austen Society, a perfect story for those who have an interest in drama, bookshops, reading and women in powering other women in following their dreams, finding their voice and gaining financial independence and five stars from me.

Beyond the Moonlit Sea

Beyond the Moonlit Sea by Julianne MacLean
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Olivia Hamilton marries Dean Robinson, she doesn’t care that her elderly father doesn’t approve and the newlyweds move to Miami. Dean changes professions, he’s now a pilot and he flies private jets. When Dean’s plane vanishes over the Bermuda Triangle, he’s the only one aboard and Olivia’s shocked and devastated. The official verdict is announced, despite this Olivia still holds onto some hope, as time goes on she has to accept Dean’s gone and moves on with her life.

Melanie Brown is a particle physicists who’s doing her research dissertation at Columbia University on the Bermuda Triangle, when her mother dies in a tragic accident, she loses interest in her work and she begins seeing a therapist. Melanie starts to look forward to her weekly therapy appointments, she forms an attachment to her therapist, they begin a secret love affair and he’s committed a serious breach of medical ethics.

Years later a shocking discovery links Olivia, Dean and Melanie. The man Olivia loved, married and mourned may have been lying to her and surly Dean wouldn’t have faked his own death and why?

I received a copy of Beyond the Moonlit Sea from NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Told from multiple points of view, it’s an entwined and tangled tale about love, loss, grief, and the effects of childhood trauma, social status, pressure, responsibility and work have on the characters. The story uses the odd occurrences that happen at the Bermuda Triangle to add mystery and suspense to the narrative and it worked for me. This is the third book I have read by Julianne MacLean, I thoroughly enjoyed the light romantic thriller and four stars.

The Runaway Orphans

The Runaway Orphans by Pam Weaver
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Amy and Lillian are desperate to escape from their dangerous stepfather Jago Ffox-Webster and they hide amongst the hundreds of children leaving London. Amy hopes with so many children being sent to the English countryside, it will be impossible for her stepfather to find them and he has no idea they pretended to be evacuees.

The girls arrive in the seaside town of Worthing, they are taken in by Norah and Jim Kirkwood. Jim is a local policeman and Norah is a lovely and kind lady. When she’s not tending her own garden, Norah’s busy helping others and she’s the council’s advisor to the new allotment scheme. Norah has the patience of a saint, her mother-in-law Mrs. Kirkwood is staying with them, and she criticizes everything Norah does and expects to be waited on.

The girls use their French names Amelie and Linnet, with two other evacuees they settle into The Lilacs and Amelie gets on well with the elderly Mrs. Kirkwood. Norah senses something’s not right about the girls story, she feels Amelie isn’t telling her the truth about their past and she could never imagine how horrific it is.

Jago Ffox-Webster is an evil man, he will go to extreme lengths to find the girls and stop Norah from seeing them. He underestimates Norah, she will do everything in her power to locate the girls, keep them safe and uncover the numerous crimes Jago Ffox-Webster has committed.

I received a copy of The Runaway Orphans by Pam Weaver from NetGalley and Avon Books UK in exchange for an honest review. The story has an interesting mix of characters, including Norah’s family, friends and Mr. Ivan Steele who I adored. You read about The Second World War in England, evacuees, rationing, digging for victory, bombing, homelessness and men going off to fight. A well written and thought provoking narrative, I hope there is a sequel and five big stars from me.

One Last Letter from Greece

One Last Letter from Greece by Emma Cowell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sophie is devastated by the loss of her mother Lyndsey, she’s left wandering around her house and surrounded by her mother’s things. Her mother was a talented painter, every summer she traveled to Greece for inspiration and Sophie discovers one of her mother’s paintings is unaccounted for.

Sophie decides to travel to Methoni a small town in Greece, she needs a holiday and she wants to solve the mystery of her mother's missing painting. Methoni is beautiful, the sea views are stunning, and the people are friendly and the food is delicious. Sophie doesn’t have a lot to of information about her mother’s painting and all she has is an old grainy photo and a few letters. Sophie feels like someone is following her, maybe it’s because she has been asking questions about the missing painting or could it be her abusive ex fiancée?

Sophie meets Theo, a gorgeous fisherman, she's very attracted to him and love is the last thing Sophie expected to find in Greece. Sophie and Theo have both been hurt in the past, they live in different countries, run their own businesses, and her best friend Tash lives in England and Sophie feels torn between the two of them.

I received a copy of One Last Letter from Greece by Emma Cowell from NetGalley and Avon Books UK in exchange for an honest review. It’s a story about discovering Lyndsey’s secrets and her art, Sophie being able to move on from the tragic death of her mum and finding her own happiness. I enjoyed reading about the stunning scenery in Greece, the yummy food and Christina's my favourite character, I found Tash too clingy and overpowering and four stars for this debut novel.
** Warning the book includes pregnancy loss, infertility and domestic violence in the narrative! **

The Summer Place

The Summer Place by Jennifer Weiner
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When Sarah Weinberg-Danhauser's twenty two year old stepdaughter Ruby announces her engagement to her pandemic boyfriend Gabe Andrews and she’s shocked. Ruby can’t see any reason why they should wait, she wants to get married in three month’s time and at Sarah’s mother's beach house at Cape Cod.

As the wedding day approaches, everyone in the extended family are grappling with personal issues and they plan to address them after the big day.

Ruby tends to rush head first into everything, she hates waiting and her mother Annette left her father Eli when she was a baby and maybe this has something to do with it? Eli Danhauser is a periodontist, he lectured and mentored dental students from home during the pandemic. Eli has always been a good guy, he made a mistake years ago and now he’s worried the consequences will tear his family apart.

Veronica Levy-Weinberg is Sarah's mother, she published two best sellers in the late 1970’s and stopped writing. She's just received some unexpected news, she’s going to tell her children about it and after Ruby's wedding. Samuel Levy-Weinberg is Sarah’s twin brother, he’s a widower and has a stepson Connor. Sam has had these niggling doubts in the back of his mind for a while, he thinks he’s figured out who he is and how will how will his family react? Sarah works as a music school administrator, she's frustrated by her husband’s lack of attention and Eli's mind is elsewhere and when she bumps in to her first love and she’s tempted to catch up for coffee and more!

On the day of the wedding every relationship is teetering on the brink of collapse, the bride and groom are both having second thoughts and haven't told each other!

I received a copy of The Summer Place by from NetGalley and Atria Books in exchange for an honest review. A story full of secrets, misunderstanding, mixed up identities, and combined with the connection and love the whole dysfunctional family has to Cape Cod and each other. Another funny, entertaining, and heartfelt narrative written with personal insight and lots of feeling from Jennifer Weiner and five stars from me.

The Punishing Journey of Arthur Delaney

The Punishing Journey of Arthur Delaney by Bob Kroll
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Arthur Delaney decides to place his three children Jimmy, Robina and Annie in the Children’s Refuge and Aid home in Halifax after his wife passes away. Arthur joins the Union Army, he’s taken prisoner and spends three years in a Confederate prisoner of war camp.

After having time to reflect on the choices he’s made, Arthur wants to find his children and he has no idea that they have been sold as indentured servants. Arthur has to earn money any way he can to be able to make his way back to Halifax and the only work available is manual labor. When he finally arrives at the orphanage, it’s empty and he discovers it’s been relocated to a farm in Nova Scotia. Of course his children are long gone, initially the two girls were together and his son was working on a farm.

Arthur Delaney wearing his battered Union Army kepi begins the twenty year odyssey traveling across Canada trying to find his children, he has a tattered old photograph of his family taken just before his wife died, he shows this to people, hoping someone might remember seeing them and he follows up on any leads.

I received a copy of The Punishing Journey of Arthur Delaney by Bob Kroll from NetGalley and ECW Press in exchange for an honest review. It’s a heartbreaking tale about Arthur having to make the difficult decision to put his children in an orphanage when his wife died, how could he work and look after them? Arthur has no idea what was going to happen in the future, he makes it his personal quest to find them, he never gives up and it’s a story about hope and hindsight. Four stars from me, it reminded me of the movie The Searchers (without the Indians) and I recommend reading this Canadian historical saga.

Anywhere with You

Anywhere with You by Gina Welborn
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Colette Vanderpool-Vane is a wealthy heiress, she comes up with some crazy ideas and her latest one is to open an art museum. Her parents want her to grow up and be more mature and they decide she should take their place on secret mission traveling by train from Denver to Kansas.

Jakob Gunderson has been unlucky in love and his mail-order bride married his brother Isaak. He’s hired to protect a group of young women rescued from the streets of Helena and his job is to make sure they arrive safely at the female academy in Kansas.

He’s stunned when he meets the girls chaperone, the women of his dreams and he’s doesn’t want to the train trip to end. Jakob and Colette are using false names, her real name isn’t the only thing Jakob doesn’t know about the woman he’s fallen in love with and will he have his heart broken again?

I received a copy of Anywhere with You by Gina Welborn/Becca Whitham from NetGalley and Kensington Books in exchange for an honest review. The fifth book in the Montana Bride Romance Series, a sweet western romance, I liked the use of quotes by Jane Austen at the start of each chapter, and three stars from me.

When We Let Go

When We Let Go by Rochelle B. Weinstein
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Avery Beckett is in shock when Jude Masters proposes to her at work and she doesn’t know what to say. Jude is a widower, he has three children Elle, Henry and Milo and she didn’t think he was ready to get married again. Avery hasn’t told Jude about her former life, the longer she left it, the harder it’s become and how can she possibly marry him?

Avery has to return to Crystal in North Carolina Mountains, to see her father who’s had a fall and face her tragic past. Jude is confused by Avery’s behavior, he thought she would react very differently to his proposal and he thinks they should take a break. He’s a busy doctor, a single parent, his daughter Elle is being a real handful and getting into all sorts of trouble.

Avery begins the long car ride home, when she discovers she has a stowaway and it’s Elle. What is she going to do with Elle at the farm, Avery wants to concentrate on her father’s recovery and try and repair her relationship with her estranged sister Willow.

Avery and Elle’s relationship has been rocky from the start, Elle’s going through her teenage years without her mother, and she misses her and doesn’t know how to deal with her emotions and the last thing she wants is an interfering stepmother. Avery, Elle and Willow form an unexpected kinship, Avery decides to tell Jude what happened to her, things don’t go as planned and she's pushed him away again.

I received a copy of When We Let Go from NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing in exchange for an honest review. A well written story by Rochelle B. Weinstein about loss, grief, mental health, secrets, being truthful, accepting, healing, finding the courage and moving on from the pain of the past. Five stars from me, I didn’t see the big twist coming in the story, I gasped in shock and I enjoyed this book just as much as This Is Not How It Ends.

The Secret World of Connie Starr

The Secret World of Connie Starr by Robbi Neal
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Widower Joseph Starr is married to younger Flora and he has three children from his first marriage, Thom, Lydia and Danny. In 1934, Flora gives birth to a baby girl, Connie arrives in a hurry and is delivered at home by her father. Flora has difficulty bonding with her new baby, Connie’s hard to settle and can a baby be angry with the world?

The Secret World of Connie Starr is historical saga set in Australia during 1939 to 1952 and it covers a wide range of subjects and social issues and what life was like in Australia during the depression and the Second World War.

Connie spends most of her time sitting on a branch of the family’s lemon tree in the backyard in Ballarat, talking to the angels and day dreaming. Connie’s quirky, different and she struggles to make friends at school. When the Second World War breaks out, Connie’s doesn’t know what to make of all the talk about fighting, men signing up, rationing and everyone tightening their belts!

Her father’s a baptist minister, the family live frugally, they have always helped people in need and Connie wears her sisters hand me downs. The Japanese bomb Darwin, the war is on home soil, it effects relationships with in the Starr family and Connie is easily mislead.

I received a copy of The Secret World of Connie Starr by Robbi Neal from NetGalley and Harlequin Australia in exchange for an honest review. While I did enjoy the story, I thought it would focus more on Connie and most of the narrative seemed to be based around other characters in the book. The information about the war and the polio treatment in Australia was interesting, and how the war effected soldiers, their parents and some even abandoned their wives, and four stars from me.

Dreaming of Flight

Dreaming of Flight by Catherine Ryan Hyde
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Stewart Little is eleven years old, he lives with his older sister Stacey and brother Theo. Stewie’s parents died in a motorcycle crash when he was a baby, his Gam raised her three grandchildren on her farm near Lake View and she passed away a year ago. Stewie looks after his grandmothers hens, he collects the eggs and sells them fresh to his local customer’s every day. Stewie is silently grieving for his Gam, his way of coping is to care for her flock of chickens and he gives Stacey a percentage of his egg money.

One day he notices a run-down house, he has some eggs left and he knocks on the door. Marilyn a grumpy older lady buys a carton of eggs, she reminds Stewie of his grandmother and he’s not put off by her attitude. Marilyn has a reason for her being distant and rude, she’s in hiding and her memory isn’t as sharp as it used to be.

Marilyn discovers Stewie has a secret of his own, she offers to help him and they become friends. When Marilyn’s past catches up with her, Stewie is determined to help his friend and he does. Stewie visits Marilyn, he brings her eggs, he meets the other residents at Eastbridge and it does wonders for his confidence.

I received a copy of Dreaming of Flight from NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing in exchange for an honest review. A coming of age story about friendship, love, loss, aging, the cycle of life and ways of dealing with grief. Stewie has the kindest heart, sweetest spirit, I wanted to give him a big hug and be his friend. Catherine Ryan Hyde has a brilliant way of writing, I cared about the characters in her stories and I feel close to them and and five stars from me.

The Teacher of Warsaw

The Teacher of Warsaw by Mario Escobar
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Dr. Janusz Korczak and his friend Ms. Stefania Wilczynska run a Jewish orphanage called Dom Sierot in Warsaw. On the 1st of September 1943 the Germans invade Poland and thirty days later the Polish army are defeated.

The Germans create a ghetto, Dr. Korczak has to move two hundred children into a smaller building and they live behind the high wall. He and the tutors try to maintain the children’s routine, they display the orphanages flag, Dr. Korczak tells stories and the children preform plays. As time goes on the conditions in the ghetto become worse, it’s overcrowded and due to poor sanitation diseases run rampant, food and firewood become scarce and everyone is suffering from the effects of malnutrition.

Dr. Korczak did everything he could to protect, shield and feed the children. He’s a beloved father figure to them and united they wrap their arms around each other in a giant loved filled hug. What happens to Jewish people in the Warsaw ghetto during the holocaust is horrific, graphic and nothing is left out.

I received a copy of The Teacher of Warsaw from Edelweiss and HarperCollins Focus in exchange for an honest review. Mario Escobar has written a novel inspired by a real person, Dr Korczak was the founder of pedagogical education and his work lead to the Declaration of the Rights of the Child used by the United Nations. Dr. Korczak was “the richest man in Warsaw” and he made sure the children were happy during time they had left in this world and loved. I was sobbing at the end of the book, it’s heartbreaking, just like his previous book Auschwitz Lullaby and five stars from me.

The Book Woman's Daughter

The Book Woman's Daughter by Kim Michele Richardson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Honey Lovett is sixteen and her parents Mary and Jackson have just been arrested. Due to having Methemoglobinemia, they have broken Kentuckian law by marrying and having a child. They have been in hiding for twelve years, during this time they have made preparations and Honey is to make her way back to Troublesome Creek and stay with a friend.

As a minor, if the police and social services find Honey, she will be sent to an institution and forced to work. Honey gets away and she rides her mother’s mule Junia to Troublesome Creek. Loretta Adams is happy to have her little Petunia living with her and lawyer Mr. Morgan is trying to sort out Honey’s and her parent’s legal problems.

Knott County needs the services of Assistant Outreach Librarian, Honey applies for the position and gets the job. Honey and Junia are riding to remote areas delivering books and newspapers and just like her mother Cussy Mary did before her. Honey loves her job, she makes friends Pearl Grant and she works for the forestry department as a fire-watcher.

In the Appalachian Mountains prejudice is still rife, males dominate the workforce, and women and children are ruled by patriarchal caver. Honey is old enough to marry, yet she has to fight to not be sent to the states institution and to live peacefully in Troublesome Creek.

I received a copy of The Book Woman’s Daughter by Kim Michele Richardson from Edelweiss and Sourcebooks in exchange for an honest review. Included in the story are characters I admired from The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek and unfortunately prejudice, poverty and corruption is still a problem in the mountains. Knowledge and reading show Honey the path to take for her freedom, justice and emancipation. Ms. Richardson has done it again, a delightful coming of age story and five stars from me.

Dancing with the Enemy

Dancing with the Enemy by Diane Armstrong
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

1940: The citizens of the Channel Islands are shocked when Mr. Churchill decides to demilitarize the islands and leave them defenseless against the German army. In St Helier Dr. Hugh Jackson has to make the difficult decision whether to leave with his pregnant wife Margaret or stay? He decides to remain, he’s worried about his patients and his wife isn't happy with his choice.

1942: Tom Gaskell is a teenager, he and his friends Frank and Harry are furious when the Germans arrive and take the island without out any resistance. Soon Germans are everywhere, imposing their rules and taking what they want. The remaining residents have no idea they will be cut off from the mainland for five years, supplies of essential items will run out, including food, clothes, medicine, fire wood, petrol, soap and even bicycle tires. With over 27,000 German troops stationed on the beautiful islands, at first it’s like a holiday for them and this changes at time goes on. Tom is mad at his parents, especially his mother for inviting the enemy over for drinks and along with his friends the come up with an idea to escape.

2019: Xanthe Maxwell leaves Sydney, she travels to St Helier and she has no idea the house she's rented once belonged to Dr. Jackson. Xanthe is a doctor, she’s suffering from burnt out, a distant relative lived in Jersey and it's the perfect excuse to take a much needed break. She discovers a hidden journal written by Dr. Jackson, she didn't know Jersey was occupied by the Germans during the war and she’s intrigued.

By reading the dual timeline story you discover what happened in Jersey during the war and the link between the present day characters. What it was like for the people living on the island during the occupation, the hardships they endured and how they felt abandoned by England, how some locals collaborated with the German's, how badly the Jewish residents were treated and the Russian slave laborers. Xanthe becomes interested in the history of the island, she visits the War Tunnels and Edward de Courcy and meets Bob Blampied who lived on the island during the occupation, she feels a connection to Dr. Jackson and to medicine.

I received a copy of Dancing with the Enemy from NetGalley and Harlequin Australia in exchange for an honest review. Through visiting Jersey and her thorough research Diane Armstrong has written an fascinating novel, a must read for those who enjoy WW II historical fiction and five stars from me.

The Complete Call The Midwife Stories

The Complete Call the Midwife Stories: True Stories of the East End in the 1950s by Jennifer Worth
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Jennifer Lee arrives in the London’s East End in the early 1950’s, as a trainee midwife, she's assigned to work with the Anglican nuns at Nonnatus House. The nuns have been helping the poor people of Poplar for almost a hundred years, and Jennifer lives and works right alongside them.

Jennifer witnessed the best and the worst of humanity and the area was notorious for petty crime, gangs, gambling and prostitution. The stories nurse Lee shares are a real mixture, some are uplifting and humorous and others are extremely concerning and will break your heart. Nothing is left out, details about pregnancy, childbirth, unwanted pregnancies, the lack of hygiene and privacy, illness, bodily functions and death.

The trilogy covers the overcrowded war damaged and condemned testaments and goes further back to the appalling conditions of the workhouses. You discover the beliefs of the Cockney people, their unique language and traditions. It's a lasting and well written testimony to the nuns and midwives Jennifer worked with at Nonnatus House and her patients. I felt so many mixed emotions reading this series, it's hard to explain how it made me feel, please discover this historical treasure for yourself and five stars from me.

The School for German Brides

The School for German Brides by Aimie K. Runyan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The School For German Brides is a story about three young German women and what happens to them during the Second World War. They come from different backgrounds, due to the war their circumstances change and during a extremely volatile time.

Hanna Rombauer leaves Teisendorf, her father sends her to live with her aunt Charlotte and uncle Otto in Berlin. Hanna wants to finish school, go to university and become a doctor. Hitler won’t allow women to work as doctors, instead he wants them to marry and have babies. Aunt Charlotte showers Hanna with expensive clothes and jewellery and she discovers why. She wants Hanna to marry influential SS officer Friedrich Schroeder, he's much older than her and she feels trapped.

Klara Schmidt attends the same school as Hanna, Klara's mother is friends and mixes in the same party social circles as Hanna's aunt and uncle. They meet a young Jewish dressmaker called Mathilde Altman, Titlde's situation is grim, she's alone and pregnant. The School For German Brides gives you an idea of what it was like for young German women during the Second World War, they were expected to to their patriotic duty, marry a brave German soldier and have Aryan babies. But it wasn't the same for everyone, so Hanna and Klara team together while at " Bride School " to what they can for Tilde and her unborn baby.

I received a copy of The School for German Brides from NetGalley and William Morrow and Custom House in exchange for an honest review, Aimie K. Runyan looks at the Second World War from a different point of view and what it was like for German women at the time. I felt a real connection to the characters and cared about what happened to them due to how well the narrative was written and five stars from me.

Taking Heart

Taking Heart by Rowena Summers
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Quentin owns Caldwell Supplies, the premises he rents has been bought by a larger company and he has to tell his family the business that supports them all is about to close. He has five children that depend on him, Imogen, Elsie, Daisy, Baz and little Teddy and his wife Frances is extremely unwell.

Mr. Caldwell doesn’t want to lose his childhood home and the family come up with various ideas on how they can save the house and stay in Bristol. Daisy and Teddy move to the country to live with Aunt Rose and Uncle Bertie. Quentin and Elsie both are employed at Penton’s Emporium and no way will Imogen work for the company that ended her father’s business.

The Caldwell family have had their share of tragedy and misfortune and they know if England’s involved in anther war things will only get worse and people are busy installing air-raid shelters in their backyards. The Caldwell girls have to navigate their first crushes, heartbreak, the fear of another war, watching the men they care for leave to fight and without their mother’s guidance.

I received a copy of Taking Heart (The Caldwell Girls Book 1) by Rowena Summers from NetGalley and Agora Books in exchange for an honest review. You’re given a glimpse into a middle class English families daily life in this quaint historical saga, I look forward to reading the second book in the series Daisy’s War and three and a half stars from me. Please note this book was originally published in 2000 and it has been released for the second time.

I'll Be Seeing You

I'll Be Seeing You by Robin Lee Hatcher
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Brianna Hastings’s is studying history at college, she’s given an assignment to interview the oldest person she knows and she chooses her ninety eight year old great-grandmother. GeeGee was a teenager during WW II and she’s happy to share her wartime experiences with Brianna.

Daisy and her older Lillian live with their parents in Boise, Idaho. Lillian is dating and madly in love with Brandan Gallagher, he’s joined the Army Air Corps and he’s thinks it’s only a matter of time before America will be involved in another World War.

When Brandan is due leave, Lillian is sure they will get engaged and when Brandan’s doesn't pop the question she’s not happy. Brandan doesn’t want to rush into marriage, he could be sent overseas and Lillian be left a young widow. Daisy has always had a crush on her sister boyfriend, one night she makes a dreadful mistake and it has the potential to tear her family apart.

Daisy grapples with the consequences, she feels like she’s gone against everything she been taught, her faith and committed a terrible sin. Daisy doesn’t want history to repeat itself, when Brianna meets Greg Truman a handsome young man and one with very different values to her.

By sharing her own story with her great-granddaughter, GeeGee wants her to understand her generation lived through the great depression, they endured a terrible war and every American family suffered. Brianna is a nice girl, but like many of her generation, she’s rather entitled, she thinks deserves better and GeeGee want's her to be grateful for what she already has.

I received a copy of I’ll Be Seeing You from Edelweiss and HarperCollins Christian Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Robin Lee Hatcher never disappoints, her latest narrative highlights how everyone makes mistakes in life, the importance of being honest about what you have done, sharing your experiences and wisdom with others, making peace with your past and with god.

I really enjoyed the relationship between Brianna and GeeGee, she made sure Brianna understood that she needed to find a good, honest and trustworthy man and with the same beliefs as her, and five stars from me.

The House at Helygen

The House at Helygen by Victoria Hawthorne
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When Henry Fox is found dead in his family’s ancestral home in Cornwall, the police rule it as a suicide and his pregnant wife Josie doesn’t believe he killed himself. Henry’s mother Alice is rather cold and aloof, she’s always made Josie feel like she wasn’t good enough for Henry and Alice accepts the official verdict.

For Josie it makes no sense, Henry was so excited about becoming a father, they had just finished renovating their apartment and had plans to start a business venture at Helygen House. Josie’s in shock, however she’s determined to find out what really happened to Henry and she's sure someone killed him. The atmosphere at Helygen House has always been odd, Alice's attitude hasn't helped and the house seems haunted.

Helygen House has always been passed down the to the eldest male heir, starting with the original owners Harriet and Edmund Fox in 1847, and then Eliza and Cassius Fox in 1881. Eliza arrives at the estate as a excited new bride, then she meets her mother-in-law Harriet and she’s a severe and forbidding woman. Cassius is busy with his business interests, Eliza feels rather dejected and alone. The house has an eerie feeling, Eliza's sure she hears voices at night and baby crying? At times Eliza thinks she's going mad, she can't tell anyone and she misses her parents.

The dual timeline story alternates between the 1840’s, 1880’s and the present time. Both Eliza and Josie feel that Helygen House has a dark and disturbing past and if only the walls could talk.

I received a copy of The House at Helygen from NetGalley and Quercus publishing in exchange for an honest review and it’s a story about a house that's the location of so many tragic and unexpected deaths over the years. Victoria Hawthorne has written a debut novel full of drama, suspense, mystery, intrigue and sinister family secrets, it keeps you guessing until the end and four stars from me.

The Pefect Neighborhood

The Perfect Neighborhood by Liz Alterman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Actress and model Allison Langley and her former rock star husband Christopher seem to have the ideal life living in suburban Oak Hill. Allison suddenly leaves in the middle of the night, Christopher has no idea where she’s gone and the whole neighborhood is talking about why would she would desert her handsome husband?

Rachel Barnes is a real estate agent and her husband Ted thinks it’s perfectly safe for their five year old son Billy to walk to and from kindergarten. When Billy’s baby sister Cassidy McLean calls Rachel telling her Billy hasn’t arrived home and she's frantic.

Billy has disappeared, Detective Dubin and Officer Kinsley are in charge of the case. The two women start blaming themselves, Rachel for not listening to her mother’s instinct and Cassidy for being late arriving at the Barnes house. Rachel can’t eat or sleep, she thinks constantly about who could have taken Billy, she regrets not being friendlier to the group of kindergarten mum's with children the same age, and her husband Ted is extremely distant and no support.

When a little girl goes missing three weeks later, the whole town is in a panic and the pressure is on the police to find the children. Every possible lead is followed, could it be a disgruntled Au pair or her nasty boyfriend, the new neighborhood pool cleaner, an unhappy half-brother, the crossing lady, a troubled army veteran and possibly even one of the fathers?

I received a copy of The Perfect Neighborhood by Liz Alterman from NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books in exchange for an honest review. It’s a light thriller/mystery that looks closely at the picture perfect neighborhood, relationships, friendships, personal tragedies, the secrets people are keeping, and their attitudes towards each other, you never know what goes on behind closed doors, it kept me guessing until the end and five stars from me.

On Gin Lane

On Gin Lane by Brooke Lea Foster
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Everleigh Farrow grew up in the Plaza hotel in Manhattan and she was raised by her nanny as her mother suffers from a mental illness. After one broken engagement it would make her mother very happy if twenty three year old Lee found the perfect man, settled down and started a family.

Lee meets Roland Whittaker, he’s handsome, charming and after a whirlwind courtship they become engaged. Lee has a trust fund in her name, the couple have set a date for the wedding and their house in Bronxville is being renovated.

Roland picks Lee up to take her for a drive, she has no idea he’s planning a big surprise and she will be spending the summer with him at The Hamptons. When they arrive, Roland’s gift to his bride to be is a brand new hotel he has built on Gin Lane and Lee pretends she’s excited. The last place she wants to live in is a hotel, she spent her whole childhood in one and it brings back unhappy memories.

Lee doesn’t want to disappoint Roland, her summer will be spent drinking cocktails by the pool, mixing with the in crowd from Manhattan and enduring the endless boring social engagements. The opening of the hotel is a complete disaster, it leaves Lee questioning what went wrong and was she in any way to blame?

While Roland sorts out the aftermath of the fire, Lee tries to make the best of the situation, Roland is always busy and preoccupied and at times he seems like a different man to the person she fell in love with. Lee has an interest in photography, in town she meets Starling Meade a famous photographer and the owner of Juniper Gallery. Lee discovers what makes her happy, she feels comfortable with Starling’s arty friends and she starts to question what she wants out of life and is it marrying Roland?

It’s a fascinating story set in 1950’s America, for the first time in her life Lee has freedom, doing what she wants, taking and developing photo's. Lee knows how much her mother is looking forward to the wedding, she doesn't want her to have a relapse and she’s having serious doubts about marrying Roland. Lee is concerned about his character, she’s never met any of his family, he dodges questions and she wonders if he’s being honest with her?

I received a copy of On Gin Lane by Brooke Lea Foster from Edelweiss and Simon & Schuster in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed reading every single page, it’s about Lee listening to her inner voice, doing what's right for her, a coming for age story and five stars from me.

Bloomsbury Girls

Bloomsbury Girls by Natalie Jenner
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Evelyn Stone is a graduating member of the first class of women admitted to Cambridge University, when she’s overlooked for a job as a research assistant and the position is given to a man who plagiarized her work.

Evie needs a job, she has a glowing reference from her friend Mr. Yardley Sinclair, he holds a prominent position at Sotheby’s auction house, she approaches Bloomsbury Books, she wants to work in the rare book section and she has an ulterior motif.

Situated at 40 Lambs Conduit Street in London, Bloomsbury Books is owned by Lord Jeremy Baskin and it’s been in business for almost a hundred years. It’s managed by Mr. Herbert Dutton, he enforces the fifty one workplace rules and he’s very set in his old fashioned ways!

This frustrates Miss. Vivien Lowdry and Mrs. Grace Perkins, both women work at the bookshop, Vivien is a cashier and Grace is a secretary. In the early 1950's, England is coming out of the war years, people have extra money to spend and Bloomsbury’s aren’t taking advantage of this. Both women have ideas of how to improve the shop’s takings, by stocking and displaying a different range of books, holding events and promoting female authors. When Mr. Dutton falls ill, Evie, Grace and Vivien manage to convince the temporary manager to try some of their ideas, then everything reverts to how it was and they have to come up with a plan B!

A story about discovering forgotten, ignored and missed female authors and their books. Evie, Grace and Vivien band together and outsmart the men and with a cast of famous women backing them all the way.

I received a copy of Bloomsbury Girls by Natalie Jenner from NetGalley and Allison & Busby in exchange for an honest review. I loved how the author included characters from her previous book The Jane Austen Society, a perfect story for those who have an interest in drama, bookshops, reading and women in powering other women in following their dreams, finding their voice and gaining financial independence and five stars from me.

The Unkown Beloved

The Unknown Beloved by Amy Harmon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Unknown Beloved is a dual timeline historical mystery set in Chicago in 1923 and during the great depression in Cleveland in 1938.

Daniela Flanagan is ten years old when she returns home and discovers her parents are dead. Michael Malone is the young policeman assigned to the case, it’s ruled as a murder and suicide and he’s not convinced. He takes Dani to Cleveland, to live with her mother’s two elderly aunts and the only family she has left.

Fifteen years later, Michael Malone is send to Cleveland to try and solve a high profile case. His friend Eliot Ness is the director of safety, a serial killer is prowling the streets, his victims are people who are down on their luck, poor vagrants, who will not be missed and hard to identify.

By chance Michael and Dani meet again, her aunts Zuzana and Lenka rent out a room and they need the extra income. Michael Malone is the tenant, a career cop and he now works undercover. Dani and her aunts are dressmakers, they own a shop and take in piece work and do clothing repairs. Dani also cares for the indigent dead at a local mortuary and most are buried in unmarked graves.

Michael is going through evidence collected from the various locations where parts of the bodies were found and searching through police records looking for any clues they might have missed. He visits witnesses, shantytowns, bars, gambling dens, he even rides the rails as a hobo and desperate for any leads.

Dani and Michael have a connection, they develop feelings for each other and Michael tries to ignore the chemistry between them. Dani has a sixth sense, Michael discovers her talent and after a lot of thought he lets her help him, they try to locate The Butcher of Kingsbury Run and it's risky!

I received a copy of The Unknown Beloved from NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing in exchange for an honest review, the narrative was rather gory and morbid and not something I would normally read. However, Amy Harmon uses real facts about the murders, victims, Michael Malone and Eliot Ness to write a nail-biting historical murder mystery, set in Cleveland during the depression and you really get a sense of what it was like to live there at the time and with a serial killer on the loose. I'm not squeamish, this book might be too graphic for some people and four stars from me.

The Seamstress of New Orleans

The Seamstress of New Orleans by Diane C. McPhail
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The beginning of new century is an exciting time, with the hope of social reform and women finally being treated as equals. But, for two women, Alice Butterworth and Constance Halstead they still mourn the loss of their babies, both have demanding husbands and will life change for them?

Constance has two young daughters, she helps at the Poydras Asylum for orphan girls in New Orleans and this keeps her busy while her husband’s away for work. Benton Halstead dies in a tragic accident, he likes to gamble and he owes money to the wrong people!

Alice leaves Chicago, her husband Howard has disappeared and she believes he has work ties in the South? Alice is earning her keep by teaching sewing at the orphanage, here she meets Constance and she offers her a place to stay.

Despite being in mourning, Constance’s friend Dorothea Richard’s wants her to be one of the attendants at the ball of Les Mysterious and the first ever all female krewe of the Mardi gras. Alice is very talented seamstress, she making Constance’s gown and she worries about her and her unborn baby’s future when the dress is finished? Constance is concerned about her family’s safety, Benton is in debt to the Black Hand a sinister gang linked to organized crime and a nasty man with a mustache has been loitering around the house.

Both women have secrets, despite the friendship and bond growing between them and could this end if the truth is revealed?

I received a copy of The Seamstress of New Orleans from Edelweiss and Kensington Publishing Group in exchange for an honest review. It’s a story about a new century and inventions, women taking on leadership roles and using the skills they have to support themselves and help others. A cleverly crafted narrative by Diane C. McPhail, using national landmarks in the design of the gown Alice makes, it's a symbol of strength and unity between the two women and four and a half stars from me.

The Girl on the Roof

The Girl on the Roof by Debra Moffitt
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

In the French Alps the people of Annecy endure the Gestapo’s brutality and one officer in particular is rather nasty. Herr Hans Schmid uses his position to target young girls and he’s a sinister killer.

Aurelie is one of his victims, over winter her family have no choice but to store her body in the roof of the house and bury her with her mother when the soil defrosts. It takes a while for Aurelie to understand why no one can see her or hear her and that’s because she’s a spirit.

Caught between two worlds, Aurelie worries about her father, sister Claire, brother Alain and best friend Ginny. Claire, her boyfriend Jean-Michel and Alain are involved in the resistance and Aurelie is concerned they will be joining her if the German's catch them!

I received a copy of The Girl on the Roof by Debra Moffitt from NetGalley and BooksGoSocial in exchange for an honest review. I found the information about the Second World War to be accurate, it gave you a sense of what it was like to live in France at the time, I'm not a fan of the supernatural elements of the story and three stars from me.

Reasons To Go Outside

Reasons To Go Outside by Esme King
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A teenage Pearl Winters and her mother Lana move to Dartmoor in Devon with Ray Johnson in the 1970’s. The isolated house Highview has a beautiful cottage garden, you can see the moors in the distance and Pearl feels safe here. Pearl is now fifty nine, she hasn’t been able to go outside for forty three years and her only contact with the world is through the postman and her old telephone.

Since Ray and Lana passed away no one has touched the garden, the grass has reached the height of the windows and Pearl needs to hire a gardener. Connor Matthews wants to find a job for the summer before he leaves for university and he likes working outside. He contacts Pearl, she asks him to come for an interview and she conducts this through a partially opened door. Connor is pleased when he gets the job, it will keep his mind of his troubles and he feels unwanted in his own home. Since Connors mother passed away, his father Donald is busy at work and his new girlfriend is taking over his mother’s house.

Connor and Pearl friendship starts slowly, she notices how hard the young man works, she starts inviting him inside for a cup of tea and a slice of cake. Two lost souls find each other, Connor introduces Pearl to his friends and she starts to come out of her shell. The main issue is she still refuses to go outside, when Connor finds some old letters in the loft, it triggers a chain of events and Pearl has to overcome her agoraphobia to help Connor and find her lost love Nate Williams.

I received a copy of Reasons To Go Outside by Esme King from NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton in exchange for an honest review. It’s a heart-warming and uplifting story about overcoming fear and grief, the lasting effects of trauma, unlikely friendships, gaining the strength and courage to leave the house and rediscovering love. If you’re a fan of Catherine Ryan Hyde, I recommend reading this book and four stars from me.

The Surgeon's Daughter

The Surgeon's Daughter by Audrey Blake
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Unable to study medicine in England, Eleanor Beady travels to Italy with her companion Mrs. Phipps to attend the University of Bologna. Nora is the ward of legendary English surgeon Dr. Horace Croft and she's been his unqualified assistant.

Nora still faces terrible discrimination in Italy, the professors choose male medical students to answer questions, assist in procedures and despite her knowledge and experience. Her situation improves when she meets Dr. Magdalena Morenco, she’s the only female doctor employed at the hospital and she specializes in treating women. Dr. Morenco wants to improve her technique in preforming revolutionary Caesarean section surgery, by making it pain free and increase the chances of both the mother and baby surviving. Most doctors at the time thought natural childbirth was the only option, the womb was considered sacred, shouldn’t be tampered with and even though they didn't have one!

Nora misses home, her mentor Dr. Croft and her romantic interest Dr. Daniel Gibson, who are busy expanding the clinic at 43 Queen Street and are facing financial and health difficulties. Lady Athena Rawlston has been advised to not get pregnant, she almost died during her last pregnancy and she seeks Nora’s help when she returns to England. Nora literally holds two lives and her career in medicine and the future of all aspiring female doctors around the world in her hands.

I received a copy of The Surgeon’s Daughter by Audrey Blake from Edelweiss and Sourcebooks Landmark in exchange for an honest review. A well written story about women trying to study and work in a male dominated field in the nineteenth century, the discrimination they faced, despite the obvious advantages they had over men (smaller hands) and women wanting to be treated by other women. I highly recommend this and the first book in the series The Girl in his Shadow if you have an interest in the history of women practicing medicine and Nora's character is the perfect role model for girls interested in STEM and five stars from me.

The Kew Gardens Girls at War

The Kew Gardens Girls at War by Posy Lovell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Following on from the tradition of The Kew Gardens Girls, when England is in the grips of another World War and a new generation of brave women step forward to help their country.

Daisy and Rex Turner have just been married and he leaves for training in the British RAF. Daisy’s mother Ivy Carter worked at the Kew Gardens during the First World War and she suggests Daisy does the same. Daisy has been distributing information about installing Anderson shelters and with gardening in her blood and she starts working at Kew Gardens.

Louisa Armitage is an original Kew Garden Girl and Ivy’s best friend. Her husband Teddy is a pacifist, as he lost his son in The Great War and he’s busy helping with the evacuated children in Kent. Louisa wants to do her bit, she’s involved in various local committees and she comes up with a brilliant idea to help with gathering medicinal herbs.

Beth Sanderson is working as a nurse at St. Catherine’s Hospital, where her father is a doctor and he thwarts every attempt she makes to follow in his footsteps. Dr. Gus Campbell is from Jamaica, he’s not allowed practice medicine in England and he’s working in the hospital's pharmacy. He applies for a job a Kew Gardens helping in the laboratory, where they’re investigating using plants and herbs as cures for diseases and healing wounds.

Beth applies for a position working in the Kew Gardens laboratory, she doesn’t get the job and instead she’s offered part time work in the gardens. Beth and Daisy become good friends, their dig for victory garden on top of an Anderson shelter is a huge success and they encourage others to start growing their own vegetables.

The Blitz and a terrible tragedy strikes, the women working at the Kew Gardens rally around their own and workout at way to help their friend in her time of need.

I received a copy of The Kew Gardens Girls at War by Posy Lovell from Edelweiss and Penguin Random House in exchange for an honest review. It’s a well written and heartfelt story about friendship, camaraderie, team work, war, homeopathic medicine, postnatal depression, sexism, racism and inter racial romance. Five stars from me and I highly recommend reading both The Kew Gardens Girls and The Kew Gardens Girls at War.

The Girl in his Shadow

The Girl in His Shadow: A Novel by Audrey Blake
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Eleanor Beady’s family died during a cholera outbreak in London, Dr. Horace Croft took her home and his housekeeper Mrs. Phipps cared for her. Despite the terrible odds, eight year old Nora survives and continues to live with Dr. Croft as his ward.

Dr. Croft studies cadavers to try and to get a better understanding of anatomy and how to preform successful surgery. Despite not being qualified Nora helps him with his work, she runs his clinic and draws anatomical pictures of the doctor’s discoveries. Dr. Daniel Gibson arrives to be an under surgeon to Dr. Croft and it makes Nora feel anxious about her position.

Dr. Gibson discovers how talented Nora is, she knows more about surgery and anatomy than he does and at a time when women couldn’t study medicine. When a patient arrives at the clinic in terrible pain, Nora and Dr. Gibson save the man’s life and by doing so it draws unwanted attention.
They have been experimenting with ether, at a time when surgery was performed while the patient was conscious and they died from pain, blood loss, shock and infection. Both Dr. Croft and Dr. Gibson have made enemies at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital, when it’s discovered that Dr.Gibson and Nora used the controversial drug to operate on a patient and Nora is ostracized and the two doctors ethical practices are questioned.

I received a copy of The Girl in His Shadow by Audrey Blake from Edelweiss and Sourcebooks Landmark in exchange for an honest review. It’s a story about Nora Beady, despite her scientific knowledge and skill she couldn’t study to be a doctor in England and was shunned by everyone. If you enjoy historical fiction about medicine and a revolutionary woman and I highly recommend reading this book. Nora has no choice but to travel to Italy, to study medicine in Bologna and I look forward to the continuation of her story in The Surgeon’s Daughter and five stars from me.

Beyond the Moon

Beyond the Moon by Catherine Taylor
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In 1916. First Lieutenant Robert Lovett is wounded in France and send to Coldbrook Hall Military hospital in Sussex, England. He’s a talent painter, he’s lost his sight and they believe he’s suffering from shell shock and hysterical blindness. He’s witnessed so many horrific things during the war, a way for his mind to cope, it turns off his ability to see and the doctors doubt his vision will return.

In 2017. Louisa Casson has just lost her beloved gran, when she visits the South Downs Cliffs, has a drink to celebrate her grandmothers life and she accidentally falls part way down the cliff face. Doctors are sure she's tried to commit suicide and Louisa's admitted to Coldbrook Hall a psychiatric hospital. The busy consultants and medical attendants won’t accept they have made a mistake with her diagnosis and she has no family to call for help.

One day she and a fellow patient Kerry are exploring the derelict Victorian Hospitals old wing and it was used as a military hospital during The Great War. Louisa hears someone yelling for help, she discovers an old hospital room and finds a man lying on the floor. Robert tells her he was injured in the battle of the Somme, Louisa knows it happened over a hundred years ago and maybe she is crazy!

Louisa goes back in time as Miss. Rose Ashby, she works as a VAD in a busy hospital in France and luckily she's studied medicine in her previous life. Robert is captured by the German’s and becomes a prisoner of war and he has no idea Louisa is in France and desperately looking for him.

I received a copy of Beyond the Moon by Catherine Taylor from NetGalley and The Cameo Press Ltd in exchange for an honest review. It’s a story about war and mental illness, you read about the horrors of both and the couple unconventionally falling in love and doubting their own sanity.

I must admit I’m not a big fan of time travel stories, so I was pleasantly surprised by this book, the descriptions of WW I were well written and extremely accurate. Especially the battles, injuries, treatment options and Louisa's experiences as a front line nurse and four stars from me.

The Grand Design

The Grand Design by Joy Callaway
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In 1908. Dorothy Tuckerman’s family stay every summer at the Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia. This year her parents are putting pressure on her to court and marry Warren Abercrombie and the only feelings Dorothy has for him are as a friend. Fiorenzo Rossi a handsome Italian racing car driver is staying at the resort with his uncle and suddenly Dorothy’s contemplating taking a different path to the one her parents have planned for her. Will she do what her parents and society expect of her or will Dorothy throw caution to the wind and follow her heart!

In 1946. Dorothy Draper is a divorced mother and she’s started her own interior design business. The Second World War has ended, she has been given the job of transforming the Ashford General Hospital or the Greenbrier Resort into a luxury hotel. The old resort where she stayed with her family years ago is gone, in it's place is a larger building and it needs a lot of work.

The dual timeline story follows Dorothy from being a young debutante, a woman who has been through a war, the great depression, a divorce, and is now a career woman. After her marriage ended, a way of keeping her mind off her problems was to surround herself with bright colors and she found it exciting styling a new room and now she has to do this for an entire hotel, with a budget and she’s feeling the pressure. Dorothy needs the commission from this job to keep her business afloat and she doesn't want to have to fire her dedicated staff. Dorothy has a vision, using some original fixtures and furniture and her new innovative ideas.

I received a copy of The Grand Design/The Greenbrier Resort by Joy Callaway from Edelweiss and HarperCollins Focus in exchange for an honest review. Prior to reading this book I had never heard of Dorothy Draper, she’s an inspirational woman and a pioneer in modern interior design. If you like historical fiction about architecture, old buildings and decorating them, I highly recommend this well written book and five stars from me.

In the Face of the Sun

In the Face of the Sun by Denny S. Bryce
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

1928. Sisters Daisy and Henrietta Washington work as chambermaids and at the newly opened Somerville Hotel. Daisy wants to be a journalist, she anonymously hands inside information to a reporter and for a good reason. This causes Daisy to lose two important things, her sister stops speaking to her and she no longer knows who she can trust in Hollywood.

1968. Francine Saunders is married to Jackson, she’s eight weeks pregnant and she wants to leave her abusive husband. Her aunt Daisy offers her a ride to Los Angeles, Frankie isn’t prepared for her aunt’s reckless behavior, she chain smokes and swears and she wasn’t expecting a third person to join them. Frankie’s worried that two colored women driving in a bright red car with a draft dodging white man will attract unwanted attention and during such troubled and violent times. But Frankie wants to know why her mother and aunt haven’t spoken in forty years, she’s not going to give up her one opportunity to find out and she has no idea Daisy is planning revenge. The unconventional road trip is an interesting and entertaining plot combination of Driving Miss Daisy on drugs and Thelma and Louise.

I received a copy of In the Face of the Sun from Edelweiss and Kensington Publishing Corp in exchange for an honest review. Denny S. Bryce has written a relevant story set in old Hollywood and 1960’s Chicago about racism, love, tragedy, and the stages of grief, forgiveness and the lasting impact of physical and emotional abuse in the African-American community. Five stars from me and I can't wait to read Wild Women and the Blues.

The Nurses' War

The Nurses’ War by Victoria Purman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Sister Cora Barker begins her six week boat trip to England in May 1915 and she’s a member of the Australian Army Nursing Service. Cora and fellow nurses arrive at Harefield Park, the Billyard-Leake family have donated the use of their country estate and they have ties to Australia.

The house and grounds need to be transformed into a convalescent hospital, Matron Gray is in charge, Cora and her fellow nurses Gertie North, Leonora Grady and Fiona Patterson get to work. The hospital is ready in June, the wounded arrive at Denham railway station and are transported by ambulance and truck to the new hospital. The men arrive in a terrible state, in pain and wearing filthy and lice infested uniforms and received basic medical treatment at a causality clearing station. Most need life saving surgery, Cora’s his theatre nurse and despite her years of nursing experience Cora feels sick when she sees the damage war has done to the young men’s bodies and minds.

The demand on the hospital increases, bloody battles are fought in Gallipoli, Serbia, France and Belgium. The hospital is extended across the vast lawns of Harefield Park, more Australia surgeons and nurses have been deployed to work at the busy facility.

Jessie Chester lives in the village of Harefield, she’s a dressmaker and she’s invited to afternoon tea at the estate. Jessie and her mum Win helped the nurses clean Harefield house when they were setting it up as a hospital and Jessie's shocked by the men’s injuries and she volunteers to help. Jessie preforms a variety of tasks and she cleans, washes dishes, darns socks, lights cigarettes and writes letters for blind soldiers. One Aussie soldier stands out amongst the others and its Private Bert Mott and he’s from Murray Bridge in South Australia. For the first time Jessie starts to question where she belongs, she's never considered leaving Harefield and moving away from her family. Jessie dreads the day Bert is declared fit for duty, he will return to France and be back fighting in the trenches.

Less than a year after the hospital opened, the doctors, nurses and staff are all mentally and physically exhausted, most have lost weight, aged and they don’t know how much longer they can continue working in such a stressful and heartbreaking place.

Based on true facts about The Great War, the village of Harefield and the hospital and wartime experiences of Australian nurses. The Nurses' War had me captivated by the first chapter, it’s a story about the horrors of war, sacrifice, selflessness, friendship, love, loss, tragedy, compassion and hope. I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Harlequin Australia in exchange for an honest review, a heartfelt narrative by Victoria Purman, I highly recommend reading this book and five stars from me.

The Diamond Eye

The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Lyudmila Pavlichenko is separated from her husband Alexei, she wants a divorce, he's stalling and they have a son Slavka. She lives in Kiev, when the Germans invade in 1941, the woman with an interest in historical events and she will become part of World War Two history.

Mila joins the 25th rifle division, she’s taken a marksmanship course and becomes a sniper. Mila shoots from underground man made nests and hidden in bushes and from the tops of buildings. A comrade made a joke, to be a good sniper, you need a weapon, a knife, two ammunition pouches, patience and a non-reflective flask containing a little vodka. Mila didn’t find killing people easy, she wanted her son to have a future and due to her accuracy she became known as Lady Death. Mila is a strong woman, she’s given birth, been wounded and seen many of her comrade’s die in combat.

Mila’s made over three hundred kills, after being injured at Sevastopol, she’s sent on a tour of America and the Russians desperately want America to form a second front and divide the German forces. At first the Americans didn’t know what to make of Mila in her army uniform and makeup free face and she won them over with her humility. In Washington Mila meets Eleanor Roosevelt, they become friends and Mila's being stalked.

The battle descriptions in the narrative are brutal, you read about the types of weapons used, the injuries they caused and the bolt action rifle Mila preferred as a sniper. Mila was human, she fell in love, had her heart broken, she kept going because she didn’t want the Germans to win and for her son.

I received a copy of The Diamond Eye from NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers Australia in exchange for an honest review. Kate Quinn has done it again, by using known facts and her imagination to create a historical biographical story about one inspirational woman’s fight to staunch the flow of war with her rifle in Russia and then with her voice in America and five stars from me.

From These Broken Streets

From These Broken Streets by Roland Merullo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

From These Broken Streets is a historical fiction story set in Naples over four days and during the Second World War in 1943. The allies are getting closer, the Germans want to round up as many Jewish people as they can and all Italian men in the city between the ages of eighteen to thirty three are to be sent to work in Germany.

Giuseppe DiPietra is a curator at the National Archives, he has been creating his own map of the area and where he thinks the Germans are storing ammunition. After his parents are murdered by the Nazi’s Giuseppe is determined to avenge their deaths, he doesn’t want to leave his girlfriend Lucia Pastone and be sent to Germany. Lucia’s father Aldo is involved with the mob and in the final four days of occupation, his lover Rita Rossamadre, Lucia, Giuseppe and Armando a boy who lives on the streets join the fight for Naples.

Colonel Walter Scholl has been transferred to war damaged Naples to impose the new restrictions, a selfish and entitled man who couldn’t comprehend the people would fight back, have their own strategies and outsmart him and his troops.

I received a copy of From These Broken Streets by Roland Merullo from NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Inspired by true events and thoroughly researched by the author, the story is about war, courage, sacrifice, bravery, overcoming impossible odds and never giving up. I really liked the interaction between the characters of Lucia, Giuseppe and Aldo and Rita was so caring and brave and four stars from me.

The French House

The French House by Jacquie Bloese
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The French House is an unhurried and thought provoking historical fiction story set in Guernsey during the German occupation. Emile Quenneville is taking a load of tomatoes to the port, when German planes start dropping bombs and he knows life on the tranquil island will never be the same.

Isabelle Larch is married to Ronald and Emile was her first love. Years ago he returned to Guernsey, deafened by an accident and discovers she’s wed another. Emile marries Letty, they have two daughters Maud and Stella. Both Isabelle and Emile are trapped in unhappy marriages, while Isabelle is stoic and Emile drinks too much.

Emile starts working as a gardener at The French House, growing vegetables for the Germans and where Isabelle is the housekeeper.

Lieutenant Peter Schreiber is billeted with the Larch’s, forced to serve in the German army, the former Oxford student, is a talented painter and artist. Peter has a forbidden longing, it wouldn’t be tolerated by his comrades and he has to keep it a secret.

Emile struggles due to being deaf, he’s troubled and frustrated and spends the odd night sleeping in the potting shed. Soon the locals are gossiping about Isabelle and Emile and it’s only a matter of time before their spouses find out.

The narratives about life in Guernsey during the Second World War, how hard it was for the islanders being completely cut off from the mainland, you get a real insight into the restrictions, challenges, shortages, suffering and deportations. A story about complex relationships, loss, love, secrets, courage, consequences, lessons learnt and redemption.

I received a copy of The French House by Jacquie Bloese from NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton in exchange for an honest review. My favorite character is Emile, his demeanor changes over the course of the story and he becomes a hero. It was interesting to read the author’s notes at the end, the house was originally called Hauteville and belonged to French novelist Victor Hugo from 1856 to 1870 and five stars from me.

Things We Didn't Say

Things We Didn't Say by Amy Lynn Green
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Johanna Berglund is a linguistic student at The University of Minnesota, she returns to her hometown and moves back in with her parents and starts working as a translator at the new German POW camp at Ironside Lake.

The story is told by using letters and the epistolary writing style isn’t difficult to follow. Major J. E. Davies is in charge of the camp, he knows Johanna isn’t there by choice and her university scholarship was cancelled. The locals are not happy about a camp being built at Ironside Lake, it has twenty guards and they don’t approve of anyone from their community working there. The prisoners are considered low risk, most were captured in North Africa and are needed to help farmers harvest their crops.

Johanna’s job is to censor the prisoner’s letters home and ones they receive and Major Davies also wants her to teach English classes. Here she meets Captain Stefan Werner, she starts to see the prisoners as men (human beings) and not in a romantic way.

Johanna’s been writing to her friend Peter Ito, a language instructor for the military officers at Camp Savage and he’s of Japanese descent. Johanna is rather stubborn, she doesn’t care what people think about her and this makes her a target for gossip. When Johanna’s suspected of committing treason, her parents believe their intelligent and very naive daughter is innocent.

The story highlights the heartache of the American families who lost sons in the war and what they did to support the war effort. The POW’s missed their families, they were concerned about what was happening to them in Germany and I did feel sympathetic towards both sides.

I received a copy of Things We Didn’t Say by Amy Lynn Green from NetGalley and Bethany House in exchange for an honest review. Perfect for those who enjoyed The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, I look forward to reading the author’s new book The Lines Between Us and four stars from me.

Shadows of Berlin

Shadows of Berlin by David R. Gillham
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Rachel moved to Manhattan with her uncle Fritz after WW II ended, like many Jewish people they found themselves displaced and wanted to escape Europe. After a quick courtship, Rachel marries Aaron Perlman, he works in a restaurant and they live in Chelsea.

Five years later all their friends are having children, Rachel is reluctant to have a baby and this causes friction in their marriage. Rachel is the daughter of a famous artist Lavinia Morgenstern and her uncle Fritz discovers one of her paintings in a midtown pawnshop. A monochrome in red of a nude woman, for Rachel the memories associated with it are bad and she’s on edge.

People in America have seen movies of what happened to Jewish people during the war and they don’t really understand. Living in Berlin, Rachel and her mother were forced to hide in plain sight, she had to do terrible things to survive and she doesn’t want anyone to find out.

I received a copy of Shadows of Berlin from Edelweiss and Sourcebooks in exchange for an honest review, David R. Gillham looks at the war from a different point of view, Rachel’s suffering from a severe case of survivor’s guilt and the effect long term trauma has on her, how she struggles to cope and even someone with a German accent can cause her to have flashbacks. A historical fiction story about a young woman haunted by the little girl in the burgundy beret, Rachel being a “U-boat” and five stars from me.

The Secrets of Summer House

The Secrets of Summer House by Rachel Burton
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

1976. Alice Kenzie a coal miner’s daughter, is an undergraduate at Cambridge University and she bumps into PhD student Tristan Somers. Alice has always concentrated on her studies, she hasn’t been interested in dating and meeting Tristan changes her mind. Despite his parents disapproval Alice and Tristan marry and are expecting their first baby. When, Olivia is four months old Tristan is killed in a car accident and Alice is a widow at twenty three. Mary and Henry Somers offer to help Alice, she moves to Summer House in Suffolk and she starts to question if she’s capable of raising her daughter and providing what she needs?

2018. Olive Faulkner-Jones is married to Jacob and they have a teenage son Nicholas. When her grandmother Mary Somers passes away she’s devastated, she had such a wonderful childhood growing up at Summer House and being raised by her loving grandparents. She and Jacob start the horrible job of clearing out the old house, they find some old letters, Olivia was told her parents both died in the car accident and forty years later she discovers this isn't true.

A dual timeline historical fiction story that alternates between 1976 and 2018. Told from two women's points of view, and the narrative includes topics such as, living up to your parent’s expectations, postnatal depression, friendship, loyalty, death, estrangement and second chances!

I received a copy of The Secrets of Summer House by Rachel Burton from NetGalley and Head of Zeus publishing in exchange for an honest review, I felt sorry for Olivia, she was lied to her whole life, should she look for her mother, Alice might not want to see her and Olivia's putting her heart and future in the hands of a woman she doesn’t know and can she handle being rejected again? I love stories set in old houses, with long kept secrets and a touch of mystery and five stars from me.

How to Make a Life

How to Make a Life: A Novel by Florence Reiss Kraut
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

How to Make a Life follows three generation of the Weissman’s family, their Grandmother Ida and mother Bessie left Ukraine for America in 1905. Ida was married, almost her entire family was killed in the Ukraine, including her husband Moshe, mother and three of her children. She believed by immigrating to America, she could save her two remaining daughters and it wasn’t the case.

A historical saga that takes you from the tenements of Orchard Street and to the battlefields of WW II and the hippie era of Woodstock and traveling to India and Israel. Bessie and Abe Weissman’s children and grandchildren have their struggles and Ida couldn’t protect them from life.

Like all family’s things happen, illness, accidents, infidelity, divorce, estrangement and aging. I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and She Writes Press in exchange for an honest review. It was a long and involved story that started off with a very violent chapter in Ukraine, Ida was a strong and resilient woman, her determination to start again and support her daughters in a new country was admirable, and especially when she couldn’t speak English. How to Make a Life by Florence Reiss Kraut and for me it was far too long and I was overwhelmed by what happened to each character and three stars.

A Hundred Crickets Singing

A Hundred Crickets Singing by Cathy Gohlke
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In March 1944, a violent storm causes a tree to go through the ancient attic roof at the Belvidere family home and it wakes up Celia and her brother Chester. Miss Lilliana and her husband Reverend Willard are in England the Perry family are taking care of Gardens Gate. A secret room is exposed, it’s a hidey-hole used by members of the Underground Railroad and it’s been sealed off. They find a trunk with old clothes in it, a sword and Celia discovers it has a false bottom. It contains a diary and papers for the manumission of slaves from the plantation. Marshall Raymond is Celia’s friend, his ancestors the Tate’s were slaves at Belvidere and the information that’s been hidden for decades could be life changing. Marshall and his friend Joe are currently serving in the army overseas and in different divisions.

In 1861, Minnie Belvidere is busy running her families plantation and her mother has just passed away. Horace, Minnie and Elliott Belvidere consider their slaves family, they plan to set them free and then North Carolina secedes. Living in a state that supports slavery, it’s too dangerous for the Belvidere’s to free their slaves and they need to protect their secret work. Grayson the youngest Belvidere thinks very differently to the rest of his family, he sides with the Confederates and Elliott’s loyal to the Union. They worry Grayson might cause trouble and he does. Minnie tries to fulfill her parent’s wishes, but Grayson is devious and extremely cunning.

The dual timeline story gives readers a look at life in No Creek, North Carolina during the Civil War, after it ended and in the 1940’s. In wars eighty years apart, two young women living on the same Appalachian estate are determine to aid soldiers dear to them and fight for justice and freedom for all.

I received a copy of A hundred Crickets Singing by Cathy Gohlke from Edelweiss and Tyndale Publishing in exchange for an honest review and some of the characters included are from the authors previous book Night Bird Calling. It’s a story about living in a small remote mountain community, where people have certain beliefs and despite the passing of time, many are still racist and are members of the clan. Celia desperately tries to change people's attitudes and right a wrong from the past. I highly recommend reading both books by Ms. Gohlke and five stars from me.

Emma

Emma by Kelly Hunter
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Emmaline Charlotte Llewellyn Grayson decides to visit her long lost cousin Maggie in Australia, she arrives on her wedding day and just in time for the reception. After a long flight from England, having a few champagne’s to toast the newlyweds seemed like a great idea until she woke up the next morning and found out farmer Liam McNair had to look after her. She's horrified by her behavior, Liam discovers that Emma's really a lady and in fact a Duchess.

Three years later Emma returns to Wirra Station to visit Maggie, Max and little Bridie. Liam is looking for hands to help him with his cattle muster, Emma offers to help and travels by helicopter to Red Rock Down, an isolated cattle station and the second biggest one in Australia.

Liam doesn’t think Emma will last four days roughing it, with the red dust, spiders, snakes, and sleeping in a swag. Not only does Emma last the four days, she loves life in the outback and gazing at the stars at night. After a frighting accident Liam stays away from Emma, she’s madly in love with the stubborn man and the English rose decides to take drastic action.

I received a copy of Emma by Kelly Hunter from NetGalley and Tule Publishing in exchange for an honest review and I really enjoyed the fourth book in the Outback Brides of Wirralong series. Emma and Liam both had tragic childhoods, they're a perfect match for each other and four stars from me.

Finding Dorothy

Finding Dorothy by Elizabeth Letts
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This delightful story is based on the making of the movie “The Wizard of Oz” in 1939 and the writer’s wife Maud Baum visits MGM studios to fulfill the promise she made to her beloved husband Frank. Maud is seventy eight and Judy Garland the actress playing Dorothy is sixteen and despite the age difference they become friends. Maud’s worried about the movie staying as closes as possible to her husband’s classic book, she’s very concerned about the behavior of older men around Judy, the criticism she receives about her weight, the pills they give her to curb her appetite and they encourage the teenager to smoke cigarettes.

The dual time line narrative looks at Maud’s childhood as a tomboy, her mother Matilda Gage was a leading suffragette, her time at Cornell University, meeting her husband Frank, the early years of their marriage and how he found his inspiration to write The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and the making of the movie.

Matilda Gage wanted Maud to get her diploma, instead she didn’t finish college and married. Frank Baum was a dreamer, he loved his wife and children and he gave up acting and got a real job. The Baum’s moved around a lot in the early years of their marriage, Frank opened a shop called Baum’s Bazar in Aberdeen Kansas and this is where he found inspiration for many of the characters in the book he wrote over a decade later. Frank Baum saw the wonder in the simple things around him, he loved to bring joy to children and he achieved this by writing his first book in 1900.

Finding Dorothy is full of interesting stories and insights into the lives of Frank and Maud and their four children. The numerous characters involved in the making of the movie, their costumes and the set and how the iconic song almost didn’t make it into the film.

I received a copy of Finding Dorothy by Elizabeth Letts from NetGalley and Quercus Books in exchange for an honest review, I loved the connection between Maud and Judy and of course between Maud and Frank, a beautiful and uplifting story about following your dreams and five stars from me.

Find Your Way Home

Find Your Way Home by Jackie Ashenden
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Isabella Montgomery has the worst day of her life, she’s sacked from her high profile job as an oil executive and she's dumped by Josh her fiance. She packs a bag and jumps on a plane to New Zealand with Bethany Grant and Indigo Jameson.

They’re going to Brightwater a small isolated town in a beautiful valley and the plan is to open a gift shop. The town is in such a remote area, it’s on the verge of becoming deserted and the lack of basic things like internet and mobile phone connection isn’t helping. Isabella’s brother Zeke lives in Brightwater’s sister city of Deep River in Alaska and he wants to help save the place. Chase Kelly runs a business in town called Pure Adventure NZ, and the ex-paratrooper’s family was one of the first settlers.

The town has a small population, mostly older people and they welcome Izzy, Beth and Indigo. They find an old abandoned shop that’s perfect and Isabella starts trying to find contractors to do the work.

Chase is divorced and has a twelve year old daughter Gus and Isabella finds him very attractive. His ex-wife hated living in Brightwater, when he first meets Isabella he thinks she will be exactly the same and she sets about proving him wrong. Isabella loves Brightwater, the peace and quiet and she doesn’t miss her old life at all.

I received a copy of Find Your Way Home by Jackie Ashenden from Edelweiss and Sourcebooks in exchange for an honest review and it’s the first book in the Small Town Dreams Series. I really enjoyed reading about the smoking chemistry between Isabella and Chase, her sweet relationship with Gus, how she embraces living in a remote location and four stars from me.

All the Lights Above Us

All the Lights Above Us by M.B. Henry
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

All the Lights Above Us is a story about the D-Day landing on the 6th of June 1944, written from five women’s points of view and it’s about what happens to them over a twenty four hour time frame.

Mildred Gillars is American living in Berlin and she works as a Nazi radio propagandist. She reads inflated stories and false news to promote Germany are winning the war, she’s known as Axis Sally and considered a traitor by the allies. Theda Brown lives in Portsmouth and she’s a VAD at the Queen Alexandra Hospital. She’s worried about her brother William, the waiting is getting to her and will she be able to cope once the casualties start to arrive. Flora Babineaux lives in Caen, since her parents were arrested two years ago she’s been drinking too much and has a minor role in the French resistance.

Emilia Wagner parents wanted her to take part in the Lebensborn program, she refused, and she works as a secretary for Harald Heyns in Caen, a high ranking and nasty Gestapo agent. Emilia witnessed everything he’s done and she needs to leave Caen before the allies arrive. Adelaide Paquet is a loyal French woman and she been boarding German soldiers in her house. She’s desperately worried about her daughter Georgette and granddaughter Francine, she leaves on a cross country trek through war torn France and she's heading straight for Utah Beach.

All five women come from different backgrounds, countries and support different sides in the war. What they all have in common is their involvement on the day that’s going to change their lives, the course of the war and history.

M. B. Henry wants us to understand the scope of D-Day, the miraculous planning, where the invasion took place, how people were affected by it, the sacrifices that were made and the bravery of everyone who was involved and especially those who made the ultimate sacrifice. I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Alcove Press in exchange for on honest review, a debut novel that uses real facts and the authors imagination to give us an interesting insight through five characters experiences on D-Day and four stars from me.

A Light Betond the Trenches

A Light Beyond the Trenches by Alan Hlad
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Anna Zeller works as a nurse in a busy hospital in Oldenburg, here she meets her fiancée Bruno Wahler and he’s recovered and fighting on the western front. By 1916, the excitement of the war is a distant memory in Germany and now everyone's enduring terrible suffering and hardship. The British have a naval blockade in place, Germany can’t import goods, food is in very short supply and Anna and her father Norbie are eating turnips.

Dr. Stalling is the director of the Red Cross Ambulance Dogs Association, he wants to train German shepherds as guide dogs and to help the thousands of German soldiers blinded in the war. Anna has always loved dogs, she’s not the most skilled nurse and she convinces Dr. Stalling to let her work at the guide dog training school. Here she and her friend Emmi clean out the dog’s cages, feed them and treat them for minor ailments.

Max Benesch is engaged to Wilhelmina, he’s a talent pianist and after the war ends he hopes to be a composer. Fighting for Germany, Max loses his sight and his lungs and hearing are damaged and he’s struggling to do everyday tasks. He's summoned to train for eight weeks at the new guide dog school at Oldenburg and he’s not at all hopeful they will be able to help him. Max boards with the Zeller family, they make him feel at home and Anna is taking care of an injured guide dog Nia and she likes Max. Unfortunately not everyone does, Max is Jewish and one of the schools trainers would like him to fail and is rather nasty to him.

With help from Anna, Max discovers his life isn’t over, he can still play the piano beautifully despite his ruptured eardrums and it does wonders for his self esteem. Anna still writes to Bruno, it takes ages for their mail to reach each other and as time goes on she’s starting to forget what he looks like. She has no idea about Bruno’s involvement in using chemicals weapons, a new and horrible way to fight a war.

Alan Hlad is a gifted writer and he makes you feel like you’re living in Germany at the time and you look at The Great War from the Germans point of view. From the overrun hospitals full of broken bodies, soldiers having to fight and kill to survive and the horrendous conditions they endured in the trenches and the terrible "turnip" winter of 1916.

I received a copy of A Light Beyond the Trenches from Edelweiss and Kensington publishing Corp in exchange for an honest review, it’s an absolutely outstanding story about the world’s first guide dog training school and one of the best WW I books I have read. Due to the memorable characters and it made me feel very emotionally connected to the narrative, I highly recommend reading it and five big stars from me.

When Twilight Breaks

When Twilight Breaks by Sarah Sundin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Evelyn Brand is working in Germany as an American foreign correspondent and she’s desperately trying to make her way in a male dominated occupation. Evelyn’s up to date stories are being forwarded to American newspapers and she discovers her boss is censoring them and he doesn’t want anything negative being published and this infuriates her. Hitler is rising to power, spreading his tyranny and inhumane beliefs. Evelyn’s sure the Gestapo are following her, they could force her leave Germany, and it’s much worse.

Peter Lang a fellow American is teaching at the University of Munich and working on his PhD. Peter seems to agree with the Germans, Evelyn’s not at all impressed by his attitude and she decides to stay away from him. America’s in the grip of the great depression, Germany is doing well economically and at first Peter does find this impressive. When he discovers the Germans are going to target Jewish people, including his friends and of course changes his mind. He decides to use his contacts within German ranks to gather information, it’s extremely risky and dangerous.

As Germany gets ready to start World War Two, Peter and Evelyn need to work out who they can trust and in the end it’s just the two of them. As Evelyn and Peter make their mad dash to safety, they have to use their wits and stay one step ahead of the enemy. Their relationship grows, Evelyn realizes Peter is a good guy, a real gentleman and for some reason he reminds me of Clark Kent.

I received a copy of When Twilight Breaks by Sarah Sundin from NetGalley and Revell publishing in exchange for an honest review, a well written story about life in Germany and Hitler's rise to power in the late 1930’s and it’s full of fast paced action and intrigue. I highly recommend this book, with themes of good verses bad, mild romance and religion are included in the narrative and four stars from me.

The Lives Before Us

The Lives Before Us by Juliet Conlin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Kitty, Esther and her daughter Anneliese are all Jewish and in 1939 they flee German occupied Europe. At the time Shanghai is the only free port in the entire world and refugees didn’t need a visa to enter the country. Over twenty thousand Jewish people moved to Shanghai from 1939 to 1941, initially parts of the city were still controlled by England, America and France and until the Japanese seized total power.

Kitty is from Vienna on her way to Shanghai to meet her rich Russian fiancée Vitali, and Esther and Anni are from Berlin and she’s a young widow. The women come from different backgrounds, Kitty's a bit of a snob, they have to share a cabin during the voyage and become good friends.

Kitty’s fiancée has promises her a life of luxury, she discovers he’s been lying to her and he’s a nasty bully. Kitty has to make her way on her own in a strange city, men pay her to dance with them in Shanghai’s seedy nightclubs and of course they pressure her to do more.

When Esther and Anni arrive in Shanghai it’s a real shock, the sights, smells and the heat. Things don’t initially go as planned, until Esther meets her former boyfriend Aaron, they move into together and she works as a medical receptionist for her friends Helen and Victor Stern.

All Jewish people are given three months notice by the Japanese, they have to move themselves and their businesses into the Hongkew ghetto. The ghetto is surrounded by a wire fence, it’s crowded, smelly, and infested with vermin and diseases spread quickly. Together Esther, Kitty, Helen, Victor and Kitty’s ex servant Yi fight to stay alive, Yi being Chinese means he can sneak out of the ghetto and source some medical supplies for the doctors. The Americans start bombing the city, the Japanese are losing the war and adults are eating one meal a day and others are starving.

The Lives Before Us by Juliet Conlin is a historical saga and before reading this story I knew very little about this tragic time in history and the existence of the restricted sector for stateless refugees in Shanghai. The characters in the book show incredible strength, courage, persistence, endurance, kindness and it’s due to their strong bond and friendship. I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Black & White Publishing in exchange for an honest review, I highly recommend reading this memorable story and four stars from me.

Gold Digger

Gold Digger: The Remarkable Baby Doe Tabor by Rebecca Rosenberg
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

In 1878, Elizabeth McCourt marries Harvey Doe and two weeks later they move to Colorado. Harvey is rather immature, he plans on making a fortune in Colorado and from his gold mine. Harvey is a dreamer, he doesn’t think things through properly, when he doesn’t hit pay dirt instantly, he abandons his mine and Elizabeth.

Elizabeth is too proud to return home to her parents, she’s pregnant and she doesn’t believe Harvey has gone to visit his mother. When she discovers the truth, she’s furious with her spouse and moves to Leadville. Here she meets Horace Tabor, he’s a rich mine owner and married to sour Augusta. He gives Elizabeth the nickname Baby Doe, she reinvents herself, and helps Horace build an opera theatre and they fall in love.

The Tabors both being divorcees are shunned by Denver’s society, women cross the street rather than speak to Baby Doe and she tries not to let it bother her. Horace trusts the wrong person, he has too many business loans and faces financial ruin!

I received a copy of Gold Digger by Rebecca Rosenberg from NetGalley and Lion Heart Publishing in exchange for an honest review, I felt Horace didn’t give Doe credit she deserved, and she was a smart business woman and building designer. I look forward to reading the second book in the series Silver Dollar, who knows what Doe and her two daughters will find in Matchless Mine and three stars from me.

The Book of Last Letters

The Book of Last Letters by Kerry Barrett
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Using a true story as her inspiration, this is a beautifully written dual timeline book, set in London during 1940’s and in present time.

Elsie Watson is a nurse at the South London District Hospital, she and her friend Nelly Malone have just finished their training when it’s turned into a causality clearing station during the Blitz. Elsie feels sorry for her patients, many ask her to write letters to their family to let them know what’s happened to them and this gives her an idea. She starts a scrapbook of memories, patients can write or draw a message to their loved ones, it gives them a way to express their feelings and some can say a final goodbye.

A wounded pilot called Harry Yates makes Elsie feel rather flustered, she's never had a boyfriend and isn’t sure if he feels the same way? The war causes people to do things they wouldn't normally consider right, Elsie has to make a difficult decision and she’s not sure if she has the strength follow through with it.

Stephanie Barlow wanted to help people using art therapy, until her twin brother Max committed a crime and she lost her ability to draw and paint. She works as a carer at an aged care facility called Tall Trees and where her beloved Nan is a patient in the dementia ward. Stevie is kind, all the residents like her and she goes out of her way to make sure they feel special and valued.

Finn Russell is a historian, he’s very interested in World War Two and he’s working in a small office space at the home. An old scrapbook is found by contractors in the damaged basement of Tall Trees, where the operating theatre used to be during the war and it belongs to a nurse called Elsie Watson. Finn and Stevie try to find out what happened to Elsie, they know she left the hospital in 1941 and that's it!

Stevie’s given the opportunity to use her artistic talents to pay tribute to the patients and staff of the causality clearing station. Stevie has to overcome her debilitating anxiety, insecurities, and she’s supported by her friends Finn, Tara and Micha. She wants to continue the tradition, she starts a scrapbook for the residents at Tall Trees, however someone is sabotaging her project and surely they wouldn't have links to Elsie?

I received a copy of The Book of Last Letters from NetGalley and HQ Digital in exchange for an honest review, Kerry Barrett has done it again and with a compelling narrative about war, loss, heartbreak, love, friendship, loyalty, sacrifice and secrets. I highly recommend this book if you like poignant and emotional dual timeline historical fiction and have a box of tissues handy ( you will need them ) and five stars from me.

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A Ballad of Love and Glory

A Ballad of Love and Glory by Reyna Grande
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In 1846, the Mexican-American war started, fought over the land near the Rio Grande River and it was a long and bloody battle.

Ximena Salome follows in her Nana Hortencia’s footsteps, she’s a healer and has visions about the future. Her husband Joaquin owns a horse ranch, he tells Ximena not to worry about the hostilities and concentrate on having a family. When the Texas rangers kill him, burn the house and out buildings and she wants justice. Ximena and her grandmother decide to help the wounded Mexican soldiers and find themselves traveling long distances and caught up in the fierce battles.

John Riley left his wife and son behind in Ireland, working as a laborer for three years in America he realizes he will never make enough money to send for them and he joins the Yankee army. It’s made up of immigrants from Ireland, Italy, Germany and all are subjected to severe, unjust and inhumane punishments by the officers. The Mexican army drops leaflets into the Yankee soldiers camps, if they change sides they will be given a land grants and paid more money.

Major General Zachary Taylor has warned his soldiers any deserters will be shot and a disgruntled John swims across the mighty red river and joins the Mexican army. Here he’s treated very differently, he encourages more of his countrymen to follow him and forms and leads his own artillery regiment called The Saint Patrick's Battalion.

The Mexican armies poorly equipped, the peasant and Indian soldiers have no weapons and shoes. Hungry they march long distances, in all kinds of weather, and their leaders make bad strategic decisions and they have to retreat further into Mexico and with the Yankee army in pursuit.

Inspired by true events and real historical figures, The Ballad of Love and Glory by Reyna Grande pays tribute to the brave soldiers who fought in the forgotten war and their wives, mothers and daughters who followed them into battle and took care of the sick and wounded.

I received a copy of this book from Edelweiss and Simon & Schuster in exchange for an honest review, the authors descriptions of the Mexican landscape, the Rio Grande River, and Ximena’s knowledge of edible and healing plants was extremely interesting. Seen as traitors and renegades by the Americans the men of The Saint Patrick's Battalion are heroes in Mexico and so they should be. An epic story about war, honor, tragedy, racism, religious percussion, human spirit, love and five stars from me. Released on the 15th of March a real page turner and the perfect title.

Talland House

Talland House by Maggie Humm
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Lily Briscoe is an inspiring artist, she meets Eliza Stillman and they become best friends as both like to sketch and paint. Lily’s given the opportunity to stay the summer with the Ramsay family at St. Ives in Cornwall and this is the link to Virginia Woolf and her famous novel To the Lighthouse.

Mrs. Ramsay is like a second mother to Lily, she offers to paint her portrait and unfortunately she doesn’t get to finish it. The Great War starts and Lily and Eliza decide to train as nurses at the Queen Alexandra Hospital. Lily is working on Ward C, treating men with gas gangrene, trench fever and shell shock. Mrs. Beckwith comes out of retirement to run the hospital's pharmacy and Lily’s her new assistant.

In 1919, Lily is now a flourishing artist and her paintings are on display at the Royal Academy in London. She has lost touch with Mrs. Ramsay and she’s shocked when her ex tutor and first crush Louis Grier informs her she passed away. Lily reflects on the summer she spent with the family, Mrs. Ramsay the mother of eight children looked to have a wonderful life from the outside and did she? Lily noticed Mrs. Ramsay slipping something into her drink when her husband wasn’t paying attention, she looked pale, and at times the atmosphere was tense, due to Mr. Ramsay’s angry outburst and Andrew the eldest son’s fondness for knives.

Lily travels back to Cornwall to investigate the circumstances around her matriarch’s death, Talland House has been closed up for years, and Lily discovers Mr. Ramsay wouldn’t let anyone prepare his wife’s body for burial and he emptied her room of all her clothes and belongings. While helping Mrs. Nash clean the holiday house, Lily tries to piece together the possibilities of what happened to Mrs. Ramsay, using her medical and pharmaceutical knowledge.

I received a copy of Talland House by Maggie Humm from NetGalley and She Writes Press in exchange for an honest review, it’s about Lily’s experiences in the early 1900’s, from her crush on her Australian art teacher, to being a suffragette and working as a nurse during WW I, the unexpected passing of Mrs. Ramsay and of course hindsight. Four and a half stars from me and you don’t have to read To the Lighthouse to enjoy this work of historical fiction.

The Resistance Girl

The Resistance Girl by Mandy Robotham
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Rumi Orlstad lives in a small Norwegian town of Bergen and her widowed father Peder is a fisherman. Peder is involved with the Shetland Bus, a network that smuggles information, agents, weapons and supplies back and forth across North Sea and while looking out for German patrols.

Rumi knows exactly how dangerous it is, her fiancée Magnus was lost at sea two months ago and he was on the way to the Shetland Islands. Two agents have recently been dropped into Norway during a snow storm and Rumi is the only one available to try and find them. She locates one stuck up a tree, she takes Jensen Parkes home and she asks her neighbor Marjit Sabo to help treat the freezing SOE. Jen’s is half Norwegian, he should be able to blend in with the town’s residents and not be caught by the Germans.

Anya Lindvig is Rumi’s best friend, she’s working at a hotel in Stavanger and she’s assaulted by a German soldier while on a date. Anya is placed in a home for unwed mothers in Hop, and something about the place gives Anya a bad feeling and she discovers it’s a Lebensborn. One of Germany’s secret Aryan Maternity Homes, most Norwegian women have blond hair and blue eyes, they want to use them to produce babies for the Third Reich and childless German couples. Rumi is determined to help Anya escape Hop house, for her friend to be safe and keep her newborn baby.

I really enjoyed reading about the close relationships between the main characters in the narrative especially, Rumi, Peder, Marjit, Jens, Rubio and Anya. Marjit is like a second mother to Rumi and how they spent their evenings together sharing a drink and knitting using traditional Norwegian patterns. How Jens transmitted messages to England, took part in acts of sabotage, stayed in different safe houses and had to stay one step ahead of Gestapo, Wehrmacht and the German Military Intelligence.

Like all of Mandy Robothams stories The Resistance Girl is well written and her research has been through. I learnt a lot about life in Norway during World War Two, the Shetland Bus network and Lebensborn. I highly recommend this book, a truly unforgettable story, thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for my copy in exchange for an honest review and five stars from me.

The Homecoming

The Homecoming by Anna Enquist
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Elizabeth Cook was married to famous English explorer, navigator and cartographer Captain James Cook and he was away at sea for most of their marriage. A pregnant Elizabeth was left alone to manage their home by the Thames and unfortunately her husband wasn’t present when a couple of their children passed away from illnesses and one due to a tragic accident. James Cook was ruled by the sea, he loved adventure, discovering new places and returning to England with information about exotic people and places, and the attention he received.

James would be gone for three years, Cape Horn was his last link to civilization and he would then sail off into the unknown. In 1775, James Cook returned from his last voyage, he was given honorary retirement from the Royal Navy, became the officer in charge of the Greenwich Hospital, a fellow of the Royal Society and he was writing his biography. In 1776, James Cook volunteered to captain the Resolution on its voyage to the Pacific Islands; sadly this lead to his violent death in Hawaii and Elizabeth became a widow.

The Homecoming is a story about the life of Elizabeth Cook, she was married to a man who excelled in overcoming hardship and adversity, and he loved adventure and the sea. Elizabeth adored James, she read and edited his journals and supported his career. She ran his household, was a wonderful mother to his children, sent their two eldest sons to the Royal Naval Academy despite her own misgivings and she was loyal to him and his memory. I felt sorry for Elizabeth Cook, she struggled with being on her own for years, the responsibility, the constant worry, mourning the loss of children she loved dearly and I do wonder if James Cook ever regretted not spending more of his time with his family?

I received a copy of The Homecoming from NetGalley and Amazon Crossing in exchange for an honest review, the book gets off to a slow start, I wasn't sure if it would hold my interest until the end and it did. Based on true facts and some speculation Anna Enquist has written a book about Elizabeth Cook, a woman I knew very little about and now I greatly admire for her steadfastness and four stars from me.

Today We Go Home

Today We Go Home: A Novel by Kelli Estes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Larkin Bennett returns home to live with her grandmother after her second tour of Afghanistan, she’s suffering from PSTD, has flashbacks and turned to drinking to numb her feelings. Larkin’s best friend Sarah was killed in Afghanistan, and Larkin blames herself and she has to remove Sarah belongings from a storage facility. In one of the boxes she finds a diary written by one of Sarah's ancestors, a woman called Emily Wilson who dressed as a man and fought for the Union in the American Civil War.

When Larkin can’t sleep she reads Emily’s diary, it starts in 1861, when she and her brother Ben leave the family farm in Stampers Creek, and join the 9th Indiana Infantry. Emily cuts off her hair, changes her mannerisms, and passes a basic medical examination and signs up as private Jesse Wilson. Emily can already shoot, she learns to march and preform the military drills and finishes basic training. Ben becomes friendly with a fellow soldier Willie Smith, at first Emily’s concerned her brothers taken a shine to another man and she discovers Willie is a woman.

After her first battle, Emily keeps seeing the face of the young confederate soldiers she shot, and she can’t stop thinking about him all winter. In 1862, Ben, Emily and Willie are on the move, marching towards Tennessee and they will be fighting in the bloody battle of Shiloh. What happens during the conflict, leaves behind an unsolved mystery and Larkin is determined to solve it.

Larkin contacts Zach Faber, Sarah’s older brother, she goes to visit him, and together they try to discover Willie’s real name. Delving into achieves and searching the internet gives Larkin a purpose, she stops drinking, she starts to heal, and she can finally let her best friend rest in peace.

I received a copy of Today We Go Home by Kelli Estes from NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark in exchange for an honest review, I enjoyed reading the dual timeline story about three brave women soldiers, they had a lot in common, all suffered from PTSD and four stars from me.

Goodbye Again

Goodbye Again by Mariah Stewart
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Liddy Bryant was devastated when her daughter Jessica unexpectedly committed suicide, and a year later her husband of forty years leaves her. Without the support of her best friends Maggie and Emma, Liddy doubts she would have found the strength to keep going and now she’s ready to start a new chapter in her life. Liddy’s decided to buy the rundown bookstore in her hometown of Wyndham Beach, and it needs a lot of work. Liddy completely transforms the shop from top to bottom, with help from her friends Maggie, Emma, Grace and builder Tuck Shelby.

Liddy’s rather nervous the day Wyndham Beach Reads opens, she has so many things she wants to try and other plans for her bookshop. She’s still unsure if she has done the right thing financially, Liddy’s worried the novelty of a new business will wear off and her shop will fail. Tuck has been very supportive, he’s a really nice man and Liddy wonders if they could ever be more than just friends. When Jim returns, Liddy's not overjoyed to see her ex-husband, he does say he’s sorry about hurting her and wants Liddy to forgive him and start over?

A long kept secret is finally revealed, Liddy feels Jessica can finally rest in peace, she loves running her own business, she’s accomplished more than she ever thought she could, she helps a young man in need, and decides who she wants to spend her future with.

I received a copy of Goodbye Again from NetGalley and Montlake in exchange for an honest review, and I have also read the first book in the Wyndham Beach Series, An Invincible Summer and I absolutely adored both books. Mariah Stewart writes with real tenderness and is sensitive to people’s feelings regarding difficult subjects and she’s an extremely talented author. Liddy’s story will make you feel really emotional, I can’t wait for the next book in the wonderful series and five stars from me.

Velocity of a Secret

Velocity of a Secret by Violet Marsh
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

American socialite Rose Van Etten likes to live life at a fast pace, she races cars and she wants to use her ability to drive to help her country. She becomes an ambulance driver in WW I, and when Tin Lizzie's staffed by a German plane she knows she’s in big trouble. She’s transporting a seriously injured British officer, he whispers with his last breath that he want's tell someone he's sorry and gives Rose a key.

Rose returns home to Florida, to recuperate from being gassed and catching the Spanish flu and she’s also suffering from flashback from the war. In 1919, Rose is well enough to travel to the Northern Isle of Scotland to the Orkney’s, her friend Myrtle Morningstar is accompanying her, and Rose believes the mysterious British officer is from here?

Rose sees the natural beauty in Frest and the crumbling mansion Muckle Skaill, she buys it from its unscrupulous owner and want's to renovate the property. She employees Thorfinn Sinclair to be her land agent, he’s a local and he knows the area and the people who live the crofts. While the men were away fighting in the war, Sinclair kept the community going, and he’s the perfect person for the job. The islanders main source of income’s from sheep, they sell the meat and hides to the navy, spin the wool and knit beautiful jumpers. Rose is aware of the natural beauty in the remote area, she doesn’t want to change the local’s way of life, she wants to promote their cottage industries and increase their incomes.

Of course, Rose has another reason for going to Scotland, that’s to pass on the dying man’s message, he gave her a key, and who can she trust with her secret. Nearby, the old German imperial fleet is being guarded by the English Navy and Rose and Myrtle start doing some after hours surveillance.

I loved reading about the Scottish customs and traditions, and especially celebrating the Ceilidh and Rose's relationship with the Flett children. Violet Marsh has written a story that honors the brave women who served in WW I, the price they paid and the strength they needed to adjust to living in civilian life afterwards and many suffered from shell shock and Rose's characters one of these women.

I received a copy of Velocity of a Secret from NetGalley and Montlake in exchange for an honest review, my mum’s Scottish, and I love reading Historical Fiction set in her home country and about The Great War. I highly recommend reading this wonderful book, due to be released on the 8th of February and five stars from me.

My Heart Went Walking

My Heart Went Walking by Sally Hanan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Una Gallagher lives in Donegal, Ireland, with her parents and younger siblings. Una shares a room with her sister Ellie and her best friends at high school are Tanya and Cullen. Growing up in a small village, everyone knows your business, and it’s hard to keep anything a secret. After one youthful night of drunken passion, and Una’s pregnant and Cullen’s the father.

Una’s mum’s not very happy with her daughter, she wants to send her to stay with the nuns, and put her baby up for adoption. Una wants to keep her baby, despite not have a lot of money and a proper plan, and she runs away to Dublin. By leaving home in such a rush you do question Una’s decision making and of course she’s very young and scared. Una turns to the Protestant church for help, father John finds a couple Des and Catherine who offer her a place to stay. Una misses her family, but she feels like she can’t return home due to her pregnancy and her mother’s beliefs about unwed mothers. I was a teenager myself in the 1980’s, people did think very differently then, about single mothers and unplanned pregnancies, and fortunately times have changed.

Ellie’s now sixteen and dating Cullen and Una discovers her sister is sick with Leukemia. Una loves Ellie, she wants to help her beat the terrible disease, and Una’s shocked when she visits Ellie the first time in hospital. Una made a mistake, she’s forced to grow up very quickly, accept the consequences of her actions, and she’s a wonderful mother and helps Ellie in her time of need.

I received a copy of My Heart Went Walking from NetGalley and Fire Drinkers Publishing in exchange for an honest review, the stories about family ties and the bond between sisters, second chances, and the past doesn’t define a teenage girl’s future and her being able to move forward. A great debut novel by author Sally Hanan, and I loved the references to 80’s music, fashion and makeup trends, and three and a half stars from me.

Lily Hardord's Last Request

Lily Harford's Last Request by Joanna Buckley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Lily Harford lives in Finn Bay, she grew up in the small seaside town in Queensland and she’s in her mid-eighties. She has had a full active life, running her own accounting business and with the support of her parents, she raised her daughter Pauline. At a time when very few women went to university, had a career and were single mothers.

Lily noticed she’s starting to forget things, at first she puts it down to getting older, it gets worse and she’s diagnosed with Dementia. Pauline’s wants her mother to be safe, she finds a lovely nursing home in Finn Bay, convinces Lily to sell her house and move into room eighteen. Both Lily and Pauline underestimate the impact this will have on their lives, Pauline feels terribly guilty and Lily feels trapped in a body that’s slowly failing her.

Mother and daughter have always been very close, both are high achievers and have similar personalities. Pauline’s struggling with a heavy work load, she’s a school principal, a wife to Sam, mother to Rachel and has two grandchildren. With her beloved mother fading fast, her rock, Pauline is having trouble coping and she knows it's only going to get worse.

The staff at Blue Vista are lovely, one carer in particular is kind, thoughtful and Lily becomes close to her. Donna’s struggled in her personal life, her family put her down, her marriage failed, she likes working in aged care and Lily thinks she would make a wonderful nurse. Lily Harford’s Last Request is about Lily facing her own mortality, she would like to make the choice to end her life and before she gets any worse. She asks both Donna and Pauline to help her, they point out to her that it’s illegal and they can’t do it.

The narrative is about aging, friendship, courage, dignity, and the worry of having older parents and how much you fear losing them. I received a copy of this book kindly from NetGalley and Harlequin Australia, in exchange for on honest review, it’s a very emotional story, Joanna Buckley writes with feeling, sensitivity, tact, and five stars from me.

The Dressmaker's Secret

The Dressmaker’s Secret by Lorna Cook
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Adele travels to Paris to find work, she’s an orphan and was raised by nuns in a convent at St. Nazaire, and by chance she becomes Coco Chanel’s private secretary. Due to the threat of another war, Coco closes her fashion house, she sacks all of her seamstresses and Adele’s very lucky to keep her job. Coco moves into The Ritz, Adele’s given a small room and is in charge of her employers; correspondence, meetings, her belongings and packs Madame’s suitcases when she travels. Adele finds living at The Ritz rather intimidating, especially when high ranking German officers move in, Coco begins socializing with them and dating a much younger man.

Adele feels guilty, so many French people are going hungry, and she has a safe place to stay and plenty of food. Adele decides to donate blood, on the way to the hospital she witnesses a Jewish woman being arrested and she’s shocked. Dr Theo Dixon is working for the American Red Cross, he draws Adele’s blood, and he’s an inspiration to Adele. They become friends, Theo's involved in the resistance and Adele decides she can no longer watch from the sidelines.

The Dressmaker’s Secret has a dual timeline is goes between Adele’s story in wartime Paris and her granddaughter Chloe moving to Paris in the present time and she’s having her version of a gap year.

Chloe’s marriage has ended after five years, she decides to rent a little apartment in Paris, and help out her friend who owns a vintage clothes shop. Chloe’s interested in Coco Chanel, her grandmother worked for her during the 1940’s and Adele attends an auction of antique items from The Ritz. Here she meets Etienne, he’s an art dealer and interested in war history. He and Chloe start talking, she had no idea that Coco was friendly with the Nazi’s, and information was recently released confirmed she was a sympathizer, and she visited Berlin several times during the war. Chloe’s grandmother hasn’t spoken about the war years, with help from Etienne she starts looking at old archives, she’s very concerned about what she will find and could her sweet grandmother have been a collaborator?

I received a copy of The Dressmaker’s Secret from NetGalley and Avon Books in exchange for an honest review, the story is full of mystery, intrigue, wartime secrets and romance. For Chloe’s character it’s about moving forward from her divorce, feeling free and discovering how brave her beloved grandmother was during the war. Lorna Cook decided to write her book based on what Coco Chanel really did during the war, she combines the truth about the famous collaborator and with a narrative about two strong and courageous women and five stars from me.

Truth and Other Lies

Truth and Other Lies by Maggie Smith
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Megan Barnes loses her job as an investigative reporter in New York and breaks up with her boyfriend Luke on the same day. She returns home to Chicago, moves in with her divorced mother Helen Watkins and she doesn’t plan on staying with her for long. Megan’s shocked to discover her mum’s running for the open house seat in the ninth district and they have very different political views.

Helen the former helicopter parent, is now an active supporter of pro-life movement, she’s anti-abortion and she’s not a fan of the ME Too movement. Her mother’s political ambitions won’t help Megan find a job, luckily they have different last names and she refuses to be involved in her mum’s campaign. Megan becomes involved in a disturbance at her former university’s campus, her best friend Becca is stunned by how quickly the violence erupts and afterwards Megan meets Pulitzer-prize winning journalist Jocelyn Jones

Jocelyn offers Megan a job working on her public relations team, she’s about to release a memoir, it’s about her time working as a war correspondent and news anchor. Megan looks up to Jocelyn, she’s a successful woman, famous and lives a lavish lifestyle. When three anonymous tweets are sent, people start questioning Jocelyn’s reputation and integrity.

Megan has to locate the online troll, with the help from Nick Russo and his friend Harry. Megan uncovers a story that would restart her career as a journalist, it gets nasty when someone threatens to reveal a secret about Megan’s mother’s past and uses blackmail to keep everyone silent.

Truth and Other Lies by Maggie Smith is a story set in today’s world, where social media and computer hackers can quickly spread information about a person, expose their secrets, lies and leave their reputation in tatters. Morals and ethics are questioned in the narrative, such as cheating, divorce, abortion, mental illness, gas lighting, abuse of power, plagiarism and the influence and impact of social media.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Ten16 Press in exchange for an honest review, Megan defiantly has preconceived opinions about others, I found it interesting how her relationships changes with these characters during the novel, especially with her mother, Jocelyn, Nick and Dragan and five stars from me.

Dressed by Iris

Dressed by Iris by Mary-Anne O'Connor
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In 1930, Iris Mitchell is seventeen and living in a tiny shack with her catholic family in Newcastle. Her dad Bob's a carpenter and he's still struggles with the terrible memories from the Great War. His wife Agnes is a wonderful mother to her six children, Jim, Iris, Helena, Tom, Billy and Rosie, and she’s an expert at making a meal out of a few ham bones and vegetables.

John Tucker’s a protestant, he’s extremely fond of Iris and he gives her a purple ribbon for her birthday. Iris loves fashion, sewing, and she makes a stunning cloche hat and decorates it with John’s gift. When Jim’s offered a job building the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the whole family move, and it might be for the best that Iris can no longer see John and her parents wouldn’t let her date a protestant man!

Iris starts working at a department store as cleaner, and her earnings go straight into the family’s money tin. The family live in a small cottage and to Agnes's delight it has a wooden floor, and they make room for Iris's sewing machine. At work Iris meets Natasha Jones, she’s a model at Caron’s, and despite coming from different backgrounds, and they become the best of friends. Iris takes Natasha home, she worries what she will think of her families humble living arrangements, and I don’t why she's concerned? Natasha has no idea how talented and unique Iris's creations are and she has a remarkable gift. Australians love to gamble, horse racing is popular in the 1930's and Phar Lap is a national treasure, and Jim becomes a bookie. The underworld of Sydney is full of nasty characters, corruption is rife and Jim's parents worry about his safety?

Dressed by Iris is a story about grabbing every opportunity that comes your way, a family staying united through the good times and the bad, and working hard to be free from the burden of poverty. Iris realizing she has a gift, nothing is going to hold her back from creating her own line of beautiful clothes and she can defiantly achieve this with John, Natasha and her family by her side.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Harlequin Australia, in exchange for an honest review, Mary-Anne O'Connor is an amazing and talented Australian Historical Fiction author, I was totally engrossed in her latest book, it made me laugh, cry and cheer. I really enjoyed reading about the building of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, how it created jobs and the excitement around its grand opening and five big stars from me.

The Mozart Code

The Mozart Code by Rachel McMillan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Lady Sophia Huntington Villiers parents are putting pressure on her to get married, Simon Barrington needs to save his English country estate in Sussex and the couple decide to enter into a wartime marriage of convenience.

Simon changes his last name to Barre, both are involved in an undercover post-war work in Prague and Vienna. The beautiful city has been destroyed by WW II bombing, and the German and Russian occupation. With no electricity, petrol is scarce, people are starving and their UN rations are being stolen.

Sophie is trying to locate some of the pilfered art work and antiques and the prized death mask of Mozart. Sophie has no idea about the extent of the corruption in Vienna and she exposes a dangerous double agent. Simon is working undercover in Vienna, the Soviets control most of the city and English government is worried about the threat of communism and the Cold War.

Simon has been in love with Sophie for years, she has no idea and they have kept their marriage a secret. Sophie is tall, beautiful, packs a handgun and she’s a talented pianist. Simon carries himself like a man who belongs anywhere, he’s confident and a talented chess player. He reminds me a little of James Bond, without the parade of women and he only has his heart set on one.

The story flashes back to England during WW II, you’re given a glimpse into Simon and Sophie’s past and what happened to them during that time. The plot slowly reveals the corruption in Vienna, prevalence of the sinister underworld and how much danger the couple are in. The chemistry between Simon and Sophie is obvious, it’s simmering away and rises to the surface.

I received a copy of The Mozart Code from Edelweiss and HarperCollins Christian Publishing in exchange for an honest review, including the combination of music and strategies of chess grabbed my interest, and five stars from me. I also enjoyed Rachel McMillan’s previous work The London Restoration and characters from this story are mention in her latest novel and I highly recommend reading both books.

The Rabbit Girls

The Rabbit Girls by Anna Ellory
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Miriam Winter is caring for her dying father Henryk and she still feels very guilty that she didn’t see her mother Emilie prior to her death. Her husband Axel is controlling, he stopped her from visiting her parents for years and he physically abuses her. Miriam discovers an Auschwitz tattoo hidden by her father’s watch strap, a secret he’s been keeping for decades, Miriam starts questioning things about her childhood and her relationship with her parents.

Henryk keeps calling for a woman called Frieda, Miriam starts looking for clues about her father’s past, she finds an old uniform from Ravensbruck women’s camp in her mother’s wardrobe, and hidden in concealed pockets are letters written by the mysterious woman. Miriam’s not sure if Frieda was a guard, or a prisoner at the camp and when were her parents married?

The letters reveal what happened at Ravensbruck, barbaric and experimental surgery was performed on young women and they were called the ‘Rabbit Girls.' Fifty years later Miriam's trying to put the story together, it’s one of terrible suffering, friendship, hope, love and survival.

I received a copy of The Rabbit Girls by Anna Ellory from NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK in exchange for an honest review, I started this book on a previous occasion and I couldn’t get into the story. This time I persevered, I wish the narrative concentrated more on the Rabbit Girls and what happened at Ravensbruck, less about Miriam's troubled marriage and three stars from me.

Stealing Roses

Stealing Roses by Heather Cooper
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Eveline Stanhope lives in the seaside town of Cowes on the Isle of Wright, her mother Adelaide is a widow and she has two older sisters Louisa and Beatrice. Her mother wants Eveline to make a suitable match like her sisters, she has her sights set on Charles Sandham for her daughter and she’s not keen to get married.

Eveline’s different most young ladies at the time, she finds her mother’s ideas and societies rules stifling and boring. Eveline isn’t happy about the new railway line being build, she thinks it will ruin the countryside and cut off the fisherman’s cottages. Her father’s friend Mr. Watson is the director of the railway company and Mr. Armitage is the engineer. They assure her they will preserve as much of the landscape as they can, and a bridge will be built for the fishermen.

Eveline is friends with her maid Jennie and they both have an interest in photography, when Jennie's offered a job working for Mr. Fry and Eveline's happy for her. She envies Jennie’s freedom, when she can Eveline escapes her mothers clutches, and spends time with Jennie, her fiancée Ned and Thomas Armitage. She sees a different side to Mr. Armitage, he’s a nice man and Eveline finds him rather attractive.

The railway track, station, ticket office, waiting room, house for the stationmaster and workers cottages are finished on time. Eveline and her entire family are invited to the railways grand opening, they ride the new line to Newport and have a wonderful day. It means Thomas will be leaving, Eveline doesn’t know where he will be working next and he goes to London for an interview!

I received a copy of Stealing Roses by Heather Cooper from NetGalley and Allison & Busby in exchange for an honest review and I loved Eveline’s character. She drove her mother crazy, by wanting to do things that respectable young ladies didn’t do in the 1860’s and her mother finally appreciates her daughter’s unconventional ways. I highly recommend this book, a quick and entertaining read and five stars from me.

Mothers and Daughters

Mothers and Daughters by Erica James
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Naomi Miller lives in the English village of Tilsham, her beautiful garden leads down onto the beach and her property is called Anchor House. Naomi’s husband Colin suddenly passed way two years ago, and she has two adult daughters Martha and Willow.

Martha is her eldest daughter and she’s married to Tom Adams and has a successful marketing career. Martha’s very much like her father, a high achiever, determined and a perfectionist. Martha and Tom want to start a family, after months of trying, she’s still not pregnant and Martha’s feeling very stressed.

Willow is the opposite of her older sister, she’s currently working as a telemarketer and didn’t finish university. Her father found her annoying as a child, she was too sensitive and Martha was his favorite. Willow’s new boyfriend Rick Falconer is charming, he has a good job and an immaculate apartment. Her father would approve of Rick, Willow’s not sure if she and Rick are really suited, she has a more laid back and casual approach to life.

Ellis Ashton moves into Waterside Cottage next door to Naomi, and they have been dating for two months. Naomi doesn’t know how to tell her daughters about Ellis, especially Martha, she was very close to her father and she won’t be happy. Naomi has always kept aspects of her marriage to Colin private, she’s never told anyone what really went on behind closed doors and now is the time. Martha and Ellis both have their doubts about Rick, unfortunately it’s a case of history repeating itself, Naomi needs to protect Willow and she must tell her daughters the truth about their father and they will be shocked.

A captivating story about a mother’s relationship with her two daughters, to protect them she has kept secrets and her daughters now understanding their mother is a free and independent woman, she has every right to live where she chooses, start a new relationship and fall in love.

I received a copy of Mothers and Daughters from NetGalley and Harlequin Australia in exchange for an honest review, this is the first book I have read by Erica James, and it won’t be my last and five stars from me.

What Might Have Been

What Might Have Been by Holly Miller
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

After eight years Lucy Lambert quits her job at Figaro, she works as a copywriter and has always wanted to be a planner. For years her boss Georgia has promised her a promotion, she employees an external planner and overlooks Lucy.

Lucy lives in her hometown and that night she goes to the local bar Smugglers, to enjoy a mocktail and think about what she’s going to do? Lucy meets recently separated photographer Caleb and then sees her ex-boyfriend Max outside. Should she stay and talk to Caleb, he seems like a really nice guy and he lives locally or speak to Max who broke her heart ten years ago and lives in London?

What Might Have Been has two story-lines and looks at two completely different scenarios for Lucy. She can stay in Shoreley, look for another job, finish the book she started writing years ago and ring Caleb. Or Lucy can leave, move to London, share a house with her best friend Jools, start working at Supernova and try to rekindle her romance with Max.

At first I struggled with the sliding doors concept of the book, it’s very different to what I usually read and I ended up enjoying and being emotionally invested in the two stories. We all question the choices we’ve made, were they the right ones, any mistakes we’ve made and of course life doesn’t always go as planned.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton in exchange for an honest review, Holly Miller has written a story about the two alternative directions Lucy can take, at times it’s uplifting and hopeful, other’s it’s sad and tragic, but most of all it's memorable and unforgettable. I look forward to what Ms. Miller comes up with next and four stars from me.

My Heart Belongs in the Blue Ridge

My Heart Belongs in the Blue Ridge: Laurel's Dream by Pepper D. Basham
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Jonathan Taylor leaves England and joins his uncle Edward Anderson in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, in America. His uncle has been like a second father to him, he doesn’t criticize him and he’s going to teach at his missionary school. Life in the Appalachian Mountains is harsh, Jonathan needs to help to build his small house before winter sets in and he can’t cook.

Laurel McAdams lives with her family in Blue Ridge, she works for Mrs. Cappy in her general store and dreams of going to teachers college. When she’s not working or helping her mother with chores, and Laurel can be found with her nose in a book. The McAdams family help the new school teacher, they invite him for supper and Laurel promises to give him some cooking lessons.

Jonathan is excited about his new job, he decorates his classroom, and discovers he has to be very careful about what he teaches. The mountain folk are very superstitious, set in their ways and showing the children a simple science experiment causes parents to complain. But, the flatlander teacher can see beauty surrounding him, the Appalachian people live a simple life, filled with joy, and are extremely loyal.

Laurel and Jonathan both have brothers fighting in The Great War, they share an interest in learning and reading. Sam McAdam is Laurel's father, as winter approaches he starts drinking moonshine and Jonathan’s shocked by his behavior. Jonathan's summoned back to England by his domineering father, Laurel’s worried that he will stay and he finds himself missing her and life in the mountains.

I received a copy of My Heart Belongs in the Blue Ridge: Laurel’s Dream from NetGalley and Barbour Publishing in exchange for an honest review and wow! Pepper D. Basham’s novel is based around life in the mountains, having a strong christian faith and the promise of a sweet romance. Five stars from me, I highly recommend this book and I look forward to reading others by Ms. Basham.

The Refrain Within

The Refrain Within by Liz Tolsma
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

In 1944, Jewish people have already fled Poland and Czechoslovakia and are living in Hungary, since the Germans invaded, and their worried about the inevitable reprisals.

Eva Bognar plays the clarinet and teaches music, she’s engaged to Patrik Kedves and he's a conductor at the Budapest youth orchestra, and the wedding is only weeks away. Her brother Erno is married to Zofia, and when she doesn’t return home one night and the whole Bognar families worried. Zofia is Jewish, Eva’s old school friend Reka starts making alarming accusations and she accuses Patrik of being involved in Zofia’s disappearance?

Eva feels like Patrik is hiding something and he’s not telling her the whole story, how can she marry him when Zofia is missing and he might be the person responsible? Patrik is keeping secrets from Eva, he and Zofia are involved in the publication on anti-German pamphlets and with the Zionists. When Patrik discovers the Bognars are in danger, he has to convince them that he's not lying and he's running out of time.

They begin their perilous journey to freedom, the Germans are not far behind them, and the Russians are bombing train lines and roads. This makes it extremely difficult, they struggle to make it to the first town, and Patrik has no idea how they will get across the border and travel to Palestine in the chaos?

I received a copy of The Refrain Within by Liz Tolsma from NetGalley and Independent Publishers Group in exchange for an honest review, it's a story about survival and keeping secrets to protect the people you love during the Second World War. Four stars from me and I wish I had read the previous two books in the Music of Hope series.

The Artist's Secret

The Artist's Secret by Sonya Heaney
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Peter Rowe works for an accounting firm in Sydney, he’s originally from the southern tablelands in New South Wales and he’s an indigenous man. He accepts the new land mangers job at Endmoor estate working for Robert Farrer, his tribe lived in the area and he wants to find out what happened to his birth family.

Elizabeth Farrer is a talented artist, in her mid-twenties, single, and she’s considering moving to London and studying at Slade School. Her brother Robert’s married to Alice, they have a baby son Duncan and she feels like she’s in their way. When Peter arrives at Endmoor, she makes herself look like a fool in front of him and mentions silly things.

The chemistry between Peter and Elizabeth is obvious, both have plans for the future and Peter has vowed never to get married. It starts raining, soon the tablelands are flooded and the Murrumbidgee river breaks it’s banks and the couple work together helping people escape the rising water and are cut off from Endmoor.

I received a copy of The Artist’s Secret by Sonya Heaney from NetGalley and Escape Publishing in exchange for an honest review, I enjoyed revisiting the NSW tablelands, two years on from the first book in the series and the new relationship between Peter and Elizabeth. Both see the beauty of the Australian bush, Elizabeth as an artist, Peter as an indigenous man and they make the perfect couple. Four stars from me and The Artist’s Secret was my favourite out of the two books.

The Landowner's Secret

The Landowner's Secret by Sonya Heaney
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Alice Ryan wakes up in the middle of the night, she hears noises outside and her cottage is surrounded by strange men. Her brother Ian’s always getting into trouble, they must be looking for him and of course he's not home.

Alice runs for her life, the next morning Robert Farrer finds her curled up in the bush, and he takes her home to Endmoor. Alice has a fever and his housekeeper Mrs. Adamson thinks she may have been bitten by a spider and she calls for the doctor. Alice slowly recuperates, Robert isn’t keen for her to return to her cottage, and it’s not safe for her to live on her own. With Mrs. Adamson and his sister Elizabeth as chaperones it’s perfectly respectable and then people in Barracks Flat start talking.

Robert does the honorable thing, he and Alice are married. Alice worries that she’s not good enough for her husband, too common and he’s married below his social status. Robert runs merino sheep on his land, he and his friend John Stanford are considering starting a vineyard and making Riesling. The Southern Tablelands in New South Wales have the perfect soil and climate to grow grapes and all they need is financial backing.

Alice and Robert both have secrets, Alice does reveal hers to Robert, and she stumbles across his and it make her feel insecure. When a Cobb & Co Coach is robbed and two people are shot, Alice is worried, surely Ian wouldn't join a gang of bushrangers and what will Robert think!

The Landowner’s Secret by Sonya Heaney is a historical romance set in Australia in 1885, it’s about Alice and Robert slowly falling in love and facing life's challenges together. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series, The Artist’s Secret and three and a half stars from me.

The Next Ship Home

The Next Ship Home: A Novel of Ellis Island by Heather Webb
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Francesca Ricci endures the third class boat journey from Italy to America and the conditions below deck are terrible. People cry and others cheer when they see the Statue of Liberty for the first time, and they’re hoping for a new start in the land of opportunity. Francesca and her sister Maria are worried, they need to pass the medical check at Ellis Island and to be given an entry visa into America.

Can you imagine arriving in a strange country, you don’t speak the language, you’re tired, hungry, and have to stand in a line for hours in the cold and endure the degrading medical check! Francesca’s a determined person, she will do whatever it takes to get off Ellis Island and corrupt officials take advantage of vulnerable women in her position.

Alama Klein is one of seven children, she lives on Orchard Street, and her stepfather Robert Brauer owns and runs a bierhaus. Alma’s twenty one, single, she’s nothing but a liability to her stepfather and he obtains a job for her at Ellis Island. Given no choice, her brother Fritz makes sure she arrives safely on her first day at work and she’s really nervous. Mrs. Keller is in charge, she explains to Alma, she will be expected to work either in the baggage room, help the doctors with the medical inspections, in the registry office and detainees quarters. Thousands of people arrive at Ellis Island every day, most are poor, hungry, can't speak English and they smell. Alma has an interest in languages, she can speak German, Italian and a little Russian and her dream is to become an interpreter. Francesca and Alma meet in the processing department, Alma feels sorry for the young woman from Italy and she becomes personally involved in her case.

In 1902, President Roosevelt is concerned by illegal acts happening at Ellis Island, he appoints a commissioner to investigate, and the staff are hesitant to report anything to him. Alma’s alarmed by the condition of the immigrants when they arrive, most are malnourished, poorly clothed, scared, families are torn apart and it breaks her heart. Alma has never questioned her parent’s prejudice beliefs about immigrants, now she does, she fights for her own independence and for justice for the women being abused at her work place.

I received a copy of The Next Ship Home from Edelweiss and Sourcebooks in exchange for an honest review, based on a true story, Heather Webb writes about what really happened on Ellis Island, how the migrants were treated and taken advantage of, given false and misleading information, the crimes committed against them and the corruption was widespread. I highly recommend this book, it's a page turner and five stars from me.

The Little Wartime Library

The Little Wartime Library by Kate Thompson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

During the first week of the blitz, the Bethnal Green library was destroy, due to the war, construction of the Bethnal Green tube station had stopped and the vast empty space wasn’t being used. Despite losing her mentor, Clara Button and her assistant Ruby Munroe open an underground library and a sanctuary in London's East End.

So many families are homeless and a safe place is made for them to live underground, five thousand three tiered bunks are installed, it has a café, nursery, theater and a library. Clara’s a trained librarian and Ruby isn't your typical assistant, between them they make a great team and devise ingenious ways of lending out as many books as they can. Visiting factories and delivering books to shift workers, holding a nightly story time for the children, starting a boozy book club for their mothers, and Clara sends a letter to Canada asking for donations of children’s classic books.

As the war drags on, the Germans start using their secret weapon and it creates shocking mayhem and carnage. No one living underground has escaped being effected by the doodle bugs, Clara and Ruby aren’t just librarians, they become vital to the community, they make friends, helping those in need, listening to and solving people’s problems and are their main confidants.

The Little Wartime Library is wonderful story, about the struggles and triumphs of Clara, Ruby, and the books cast of delightful and inspiring characters. It made me feel a wide range of emotions, I cried, laughed, and cheered them on. Based on a true story, it’s amazing how reading, helped Londoner’s live through the terrible years of the blitz, they could switch off for a little while and escape reality between the pages of a book.

I received a copy of The Little Wartime Library from NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton in exchange for an honest review, Kate Thompson’s book is outstanding, and five big stars from me. View all my reviews

A Forbidden Love

A Forbidden Love by Kerry Postle
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Maria and her best friend Paloma live in the small Spanish town of Fuentes, the girls dream about what they will do when they grow up. Maria can’t decide if she should travel the world, be a writer or get married? Maria’s father is the local doctor and Paloma’s mother works as a cook for Don Felipe and Dona Sofia.

The Spanish Civil War erupts, in Fuentes they hope the remote location will keep them safe, and then the rebel soldiers arrive. The villagers have heard rumors about the violence the soldiers have committed in other towns, everyone's on edge, and Maria’s father has forbidden her to leave the house. Maria doesn’t listen to her father, while out of the house shopping for food, she meets a soldier called Luis, and she stops paying attention to what’s happening around her. Corrupt people are compiling lists to give to the authorities, those who have been out spoken in the past, Maria’s one of them and she has no idea. A terrible crime is committed in the village, Maria’s father knows they have to leave and quickly.

Like many others they flee to Madrid, with only the clothes their wearing, and they stay with Maria’s maternal grandparents. The Government leaves for the safety of Valencia, the Italians and the Germans are bombing the city and the civilians are starving. Maria questions if she will survive, and can she love a man who’s fought in the terrible war and will she ever see Luis again?

I received a copy of A Forbidden Love by Kerry Postle from NetGalley and HQ Digital in exchange for an honest review, its a story about a young selfish girl and Maria did eventually learn from her mistakes and during a violent war. I gave the book three stars, it was a little long and tedious in places.

The Helsingor Sewing Club

The Helsingør Sewing Club by Ella Gyland
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

2018: Cecilie Lund is cleaning out her grandmother Inger’s flat, in the cellar she makes an unexpected discovery, armed with one clue and she contacts David Nathan. He lives in Palestine and Cecilie hopes he might be able to help her solve the mystery, he shares so much more and she learns of her grandmother’s wartime experiences.

1943: David Nathan is sitting in a synagogue in Copenhagen when the rabbi announces all Danish Jews will be arrested by the Nazi’s in early October, taken to the harbor and loaded onto boats. With only a couple of days notice of the secret deportations, the Jewish population disappear, and are in hiding all over the country. The citizens of Denmark perceived the German’s actions towards their Jewish friends and neighbors as abhorrent and did what they could to help them. The Germans didn’t have the capacity to search everywhere, and unlike other countries under their rule, they didn’t have local informants.

1943: Inger Bredhal a bookbinder, she moves to Helsingør, and is staying with her Aunty Marie, Uncle Poul and sharing a room with her cousin Gudrun. Inger receives a letter from her mother, she’s shocked by the news, and she starts helping the resistance via her job. She meets a Jewish man called David Nathan, he was once a care free student and wanted to be a lawyer. Now, he’s in hiding and waiting for his sick mother Rebecka to be well enough to travel and hopefully they can make the short boat journey to Sweden and to safety.

The Helsingør Sewing club/The Day The Germans Came is a dual timeline story and it’s based on true facts of how the people of Denmark saved ninety five percent of the Jewish population from being sent to concentration camps. Ella Gyland has skillfully written a narrative that describes how a country, despite years of German rule and enduring terrible hardship, the citizens did what was morally right, and they remained united and it’s truly inspirational.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and HarperCollins UK in exchange for an honest review, a unique WW II historical fiction story, the characters of Inger, Cecilie, David and Rafi are my favourite, you do discover the reason for the books title and five stars from me.

Think of Me

Think of Me by Frances Liardet
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

1942: Due to the war, half of Alexandria has fled to the countryside, the Haddad family decide to stay and are looking forward to their eldest daughter’s wedding. Cecla is marrying flying officer Peter Ingram, the night before the big day, the wedding party find themselves huddled in a basement, praying they will survive and a terrified Yvette’s holding onto best man James Acton’s hand.

James flies hurricanes, after the wedding, he and Peter are sent to different parts of Africa to stop the German advance. Yvette learns to drive a truck, she joins the WAAF and her first job is packing parachutes. Yvette doesn’t hear from James, it’s not unusual considering the times and when he finally returns and she discovers he’s been a German prisoner of war. Despite not knowing each other well, they marry and Yvette moves to England.

James returns to the ministry, he’s an Anglican priest and the couple are happy. But, James silently struggles with his traumatic wartime memories, the couple experience a tragic personal loss, and their relationship changes.

Think of Me has a dual timeline, it alternates between Egypt in 1942 and England in 1974.

1974: James is now a widower, his son Tom’s at university, after twenty years and he decides to put in for a transfer. His new parish is in the small village of Upton, the vicarage is a mess, Ronald Frobisher the Archdeacon wants to pay him a visit and he puts him off! James makes friends in the new village, delivers his sermons, christens children and visits elderly parishioners. When he finds a discarded Hermes scarf or head-square, it reminds him of Yvette’s and surly it couldn’t be the same one? James starts to look back at the past, things he’s hidden away in his memory because they were too painful to deal with at the time and now he’s questioning his relationship with both his deceased wife and god.

I received a copy of Think of Me from Edelweiss and Penguin Random House in exchange for an honest review. Frances Liardet has written a compelling story about the Second World War in Africa, and how the years after the war were extremely hard for returned servicemen, and their war brides. I had no idea clergymen fought in the war, some soldiers discovered their faith during the war and became priests afterwards. I highly recommend both Think of Me and the author’s previous book We Must Be Brave and five stars from me.

A Family of Strangers

A Family of Strangers by Fiona Lowe
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Andy Topic moves back to Rookery Cove in Tasmania, her parents passed away four years ago, and she’s been offered a teaching job at the local tafe college and with a possibility of a promotion. Addy’s a very mixed up person, who uses alcohol and one night stands, to cover up her pain. She reluctantly becomes involved in the community choir, her mum’s best friend Brenda convinces her to join and so much for keeping a low profile while in town!

Stephanie Gallagher moves to Rookery Cove with her husband Henry and young son Monty for a sea change and to live life at a much slower pace. Stephanie desperately wants to have another baby and Henry has a teenage daughter Zoe who lives with her mother in Melbourne. The dynamics in the house change when thirteen year old Zoe starts living with them full-time, Stephanie feels she’s doing everything for both children, she's frazzled, and Henry’s clueless. Stephanie decides to join the newly formed choir, it will give her a break from being at home and hopefully she will make some friends.

Brenda Lambeck's husband Glen suddenly passes away, and she decides to still build their retirement home in Rookery Cove. Marilyn boards with Brenda, she’s a teacher at the local school and she thinks it’s a great idea to start a choir? Brenda’s has three adult children, Colin, Courtney and Richard and she’s a proud grandmother and sees her grandchildren every week. Brenda’s been keeping a big secret for years, if it's discovered, she knows the one person who will make her life difficult and judge her very harshly will be her daughter Courtney.

All hell breaks loose when someone blabs about Brenda's private life and it has a domino effect. Andy, Brenda and Stephanie are all forced to face the problems and challenges in their lives and can they make to changes to save their troubled relationships and friendships? The story highlights very common issues that women and teenage girls face in today’s world, sexism in the work place, gas lighting, using alcohol to cope, imbalance of parenting and running a household, teenage girls being bullied at school and how it changes their behavior, and the difficulties of coming out to your family and friends.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Harlequin Australia, Fiona Lowe’s narrative tackles subjects that most women can relate to and will have experienced. Using music, singing and being in a choir creates a bond between the characters, shows the importance of being part of a group and the community can help a persons mental health and self esteem. I highly recommend reading A Family of Strangers and five big stars from me.

A Map of the Sky

A Map of the Sky by Claire Wong
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Christopher Shackleton Fisher is eleven, just a week before the end of the school term and his mum Catherine decides to leave the city and stay at Askfeld Farm Guest House. Kit can’t understand why they left London in such a hurry, his dad remained behind, and he and his older sister Juliet didn’t get to say goodbye to their friends and now they’re living in Yorkshire. His parents are building a new house in the area, but it’s not ready yet and his mum acts funny when he asks her when his dad will be joining them?

Also staying at the guest house are some interesting guests, Professor Albert Sindlesham an avid bird watcher and Maddie Morley and she’s on her own personal pilgrimage. Kit meets Beth Garsdale, she’s confined to her room due to an invisible illness and she’s having a baby. Her husband Sean’s busy running the guest house, Beth’s creating a map, and she has to draw it from memory, as she can no longer visit the places. Kit decides to help her make the childhood’s worth of adventures map, he visit the sites, despite the fact his mother doesn’t like him to going exploring on his own and getting his clothes dirty. Kit’s has an amazing imagination and is extremely curious and he uses this to help others and he wants to be Beth’s hero.

The story highlights the importance of always telling children the truth, families need to spend quality time together and parents shouldn't appear to be totally consumed by their work. I received a copy of A Map Of The Sky by Claire Wong from NetGalley and Lion Hudson Ltd, in exchange for an honest review, four stars from me and it's a suitable book for young teens to read.

Summer Dreams at Villa Limoncello

Summer Dreams at Villa Limoncello by Daisy James
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Izzie Jenkins travels back to Tuscany, to beautiful Villa Limoncello and she’s not ready to return home to Cornwall. Her new group ride Vespas, quickly navigating their way around the winding roads and all make it safely to the Villa. They have signed up for a week of making pasta, painting and relaxing in the Tuscan sunshine.

Tom, Hannah, Beth and Carmen are the new guests, unfortunately one of them feels unwell and Izzie discovers a hidden bottle of laxatives? Both Izzie and Chef Luca Castelotti are extremely concerned, was it a simple mistake or is someone trying to poison one of the guests. The last thing they want, is the police to be called and the health department at the villa.

Summer Dreams at Villa Limoncello by Daisy James is a short and light mystery, Izzie manages to narrow down the suspects, finds out who's responsible, no police required and she receives a surprise visit at the end of the book. I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Canelo in exchange for an honest review, a very quick read and three stars from me.

Osprey Reef

Osprey Reef by Annie Seaton
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

2019: Bethany Kristensen is the skipper of her family’s charter boat and her two brothers Andrew and James both have shares in the business. The Stella two, is a sixteen cabin boat, Bethany hires it out for events and fishing charter trips and she can be at sea for as long as two weeks. Of course she needs a crew to help her, she employ’s four people and she’s feeling the financial pressure. The Riley brothers are her main rivals, they undercut her prices, make up stories about her boat not being seaworthy and question her qualifications.

Bethany's approached by Peter Brooks, he’s looking for a boat to hire for his scientific program for the South Queensland Marine Institute and it would solve her financial problems. Peter’s impressed by the Stella two, Bethany runs a tidy ship, and how quickly she delivers the charter estimate. They will be traveling to a beautiful area called Osprey Reef, doing vital research into coral spawning and preserving the Great Barrier Reef for future generations. A series of odd incidents has Bethany worried, and she wants everything to run smoothly when Peter and his team are aboard the Stella two.

1934: Stella Booth leaves her home in Mount Perry, and she moves to Mackay, and by accident she meets Captain Jens Kristensen. Jens was making his final trip on his old boat, he’s purchased a block of land near the new harbor development in Mackay, and he plans on building a new house and boat. He and Stella fall in love, they marry and he names his new boat after his bride. When he fails to return from a sea voyage in 1939, rumors are rife, and Stella knows Jens wouldn’t have done a runner and left her with a baby on the way.

Osprey Reef is a story about Stella and her great granddaughter Bethany Kristensen. Despite living decades apart, they are linked together by Lars, Stella’s son and Bethany’s beloved grandfather, and the house her great grandfather Jens built, what’s been stashed away in her grandfather’s cupboards for years and secrets hidden deep in the beautiful blue Queensland ocean.

Osprey Reef is the first book I have read by Annie Seaton, I loved the dual timeline story set in sunny Queensland and it's two independent and strong female characters, and five stars from me.

Love in a Time of War

Love in a Time of War by Adrienne Chinn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Fry sisters, Cecilia, Jessie and Etta live at Clover Bar in 1913, with their father Gerald and mother Christina. Gerald owns a photography studio, he tries to keep his snobby wife Christina happy and he has no idea she’s kept a big secret from him for years!

Cecilia Fry's studying German, she madly in love with her teacher Max Fisher and he’s only four years older than her, with the outbreak of the war looking imminent, Max returns home to Germany and they promise to wait for each other. Celie helps her father in his photography studio, and he’s busy taking portraits of young men going off to fight in The Great War. Celie has always been interested in photography and she starts writing articles and taking pictures for the Mirror and she wants proper credit for her work. Years go by, she hasn’t heard from Max, meanwhile Frank Jeffries continues to pursue Celie and he hope’s she will change her mind about the German?

Jessie Fry's studying to be a nurse at Kings College Hospital, and matron puts her name down as a possible candidate to join the Queen Alexandra Imperial Military Nursing Service. When the war breaks out, Jessie's sent overseas, and she’s nurse’s patients on a hospital ship during the Gallipoli campaign. Eventually she's working as a theatre nurse at the General Hospital in Alexandria in Egypt, here Jessie meets Doctor Aziz Khalid, she has to keep reminding herself that she wants to remain single and stay dedicated to her career.

Etta Fry's studying art, much to her mother’s horror and meeting all kinds of bohemian people. Carlos Marinetti’s a struggling Italian artist living in London, they fall madly in love and elope to Italy. Etta and Carlos are living together in Naples, and Carlos joins the second army thirteenth infantry division and a pregnant Etta goes to stay with her mother’s cousin Stefania in Capri.

Love In A Time Of War follows the three Fry sisters through the long war years, it was a time of great change, young women left home for the first time, traveled overseas unchaperoned, employed in jobs that men traditionally did and many decided they were no longer happy working as domestics. Like Milly the Fry's maid, she starts working in the dangerous ammunition factory, handling TNT and they became known as the canary girls.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, I did find the story a little slow to start with and Adrienne Chinn skillfully picked up the narratives pace. The Fry sisters found themselves having to forge new lives during, and after The Great War and over come many challenges. I look forward to the next book in the series and four and a half stars from me stars from me.

Where the Grass is Green

Where the Grass Is Green by Lauren Weisberger
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Peyton Marcus is the co-host of a top rating New York morning television program, she’s married to Isaak and they have a seventeen year old daughter Max. Peyton lives in the limelight, she gets driven to work in the early hours of the morning and only wears designer clothes. Her husband works part-time selling real estate and Max has just finished high school and this will be her last summer at home and then she’s off to college.

Skye Lee is Peyton’s sister, she lives in Paradise an outer suburb of New York, she’s married to Gabe and they have a six year old daughter Aurora. She’s much more down to earth than her famous sister, they look nothing a like and people are shocked when they find out their related. Skye want’s to open a house for underprivileged teens, she’s found a rundown five bedroom building and the girls would be able to attend Paradise’s award winning public school. Despite not having the funds secured yet, Skye can’t help herself, she starts buying items to furnish the girls rooms and turns into a compulsive shopper.

Then everything goes pear-shaped, Isaac’s arrested for paying a bribe for Max to get into Princeton, and it’s illegal. Peyton’s sent home from work in disgrace, Max receives a letter saying she’s no longer welcome at the prestigious college, while waiting for his day in court, and Isaak’s been told to distance himself from his wife

So Peyton and Max move to Paradise for the summer, the entire families relationships are put under the microscope, both sisters learn they need to tell their spouses the truth, face up to the mistakes they have made, and Max discovers her life isn’t over because she didn’t get into Princeton and other opportunities are just around the corner.

I received a copy of Where the Grass is Green from NetGalley and Harper Collins UK in exchange for an honest review, the first book I have read by Lauren Weisberger, I loved all the drama and it won't be my last and five stars from me.

Her Hidden Genius

Her Hidden Genius by Marie Benedict
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Doctor Rosalind Franklin has a brilliant mind, an eye for picking up details that others miss and she’s determined to unearth the secrets of DNA. In 1947, she starts working in Paris, and here she’s treated as an equal for the first time in her professional career.

Her parents start to pressuring Rosalind to return to England, after her heart is broken and she returns home. Her wealthy parents are Jewish, they believe in giving back to the community and they do through their philanthropy.

Rosalind has to deal with men being chauvinistic at her new job at Kings College, they don’t use her proper title, they call her names, she’s not invited to their boy’s club lunches, and her office isn’t secure. Three men are determined to make her life difficult, she constantly has arguments with them and their names are Maurice Wilkins, James Watson and Francis Crick. Rosalind and her assistant Raymond Gosling, do very through research and take thousands of photographs using x-ray diffraction techniques and x-ray crystallography, they discover sample “A” which is wet and sample “B” which is a dry crystalline, and their sure it's the double helix structure of DNA.

Rosalind starts working at Birkbeck College, she misses Ray and his name will included in any of her future scientific publications. In 1956, Rosalind has her annual medical check-up, after years of battling stereotypes, discrimination, her ideas been picked apart and stolen, and Rosalind Franklin’s given the devastating news.

Her Hidden Genius by Marie Benedict, looks at the extraordinary life of Doctor Rosalind Franklin, a woman who excelled in physics, chemistry and was a brilliant scientist at a time when it was a male dominated field. She overcome so many challenges and setbacks in her life and you do wonder if she exposed herself to too much radiation and underestimated the damage it could do to her own health.

I received a copy of this book from Edelweiss and Sourcebooks in exchange for an honest review, Rosalind Franklin’s the perfect role model and inspiration for young girls who have an interest in STEM and five stars from me.

99 Days With You

99 Days With You by Catherine Miller
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Emma Wood and Nathan Foxdale meet in a hospital waiting room, Emma’s rather shy, and she shocked when a handsome stranger starts talking to her. Both are really nervous, attending their medical appointments alone and Nathan asks Emma if she would like some moral support and she can return the favor.

Emma’s a librarian, she looks after her disabled mother Carole and has never had a boyfriend. She has a best friend Alice, together they run a support group for young people who are caring for sick loved one's and missing out on their teenage years.

Nathan’s a sky diving instructor, he does tandem jumps from fifteen thousand feet, he lives his life at a fast pace and he’s a bit of a maverick. Nathan's mother passed away when he was a baby, he was raised by his grandparents and he doesn’t get on with his half-brother Marcus.

While waiting for their results, Nathan takes Emma to see the Puffins and Emma introduces him to her mother Carole. Emma and Nathan are the complete opposites, they vow to not waste an hour of whatever time they have and they fall in love. Nathan senses he doesn’t have long in this world, and together they create a foundation called Everlasting Acts and unfortunately Nathan's right.

I received a copy of 99 Days With You from NetGalley and Bookouture in exchange for an honest review, I haven’t cried so much since I read A Walk To Remember, Catherine Miller’s book is beautifully written, poignant, I highly recommend reading it and you will need a big box of tissues, and five stars from me.

Hold on Edna

Hold on Edna! by Aneira Thomas
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

On the fifth of July 1948, a baby girl called Aneira is born just after midnight at the Autman Valley Village Hospital in South Wales, and she’s the first baby to be delivered via the new National Health Service. Her mother, Edna May has had her previous six children at home, delivered by the local midwife and she and her husband Willie find it difficult to comprehend the new free system.

Hold on Edna is written by Aneira ‘Nye’ Thomas, the baby who made history, seventy years later in 2018, and she’s interviewed by the media to celebrate the NHS’s special birthday. Her biography is about the generations of her Welsh family, you follow their stories and daily struggles. From the workhouse, some own small farm holdings and her male relatives worked deep underground in the dangerous coal mines.

Over the years, women died in childbirth, from child-bed fever, and the mortality rate of infants was high. People didn’t have a decent quality of life, they put up with aliments because they were poor and they couldn’t afford to see a doctor. Welsh miners didn’t live long lives, they suffered from miners lung and its official name is Pneumoconiosis. They didn’t receive palliative care, dying at home and with no pain relief.

I received a copy of Hold on Edna from NetGalley and Mirror Books in exchange for an honest review, it was interesting reading about Nye’s family, how she was the first baby delivered by the National Health Service and it's a lasting testimony to her relatives. I live in Australia so I have very little knowledge about the NHS, I can certainly see how it changed healthcare in the United Kingdom, and it provided a much needed free service to everyone and three and a half stars from me.

A Valiant Deceit

A Valiant Deceit by Stephanie Graves
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Olive Bright has returned home to Pipley in Hertfordshire, after doing her First Aid Nursing Yeomanry course, she and fellow FANY’s, Marie, Kate and Liz are working at nearby Brickendonbury manor. As part of her cover story, she and Captain Jameson Aldridge are pretending to be dating, he’s an Irish intelligence officer and it gives him a valid reason to visit her at home.

Olive raises pigeons, a special mission called Operation Conjugal will drop her pigeons into Belgium and Jameson involved. It’s a way of communicating with the Belgian resistance, Olive has to choose three suitable birds, and they need to be in peak condition and to make dangerous journey back to Bright Lofts.

The local guide group is camping in Balls Wood, when they find Lieutenant Jeremy Beckett dead, and Henrietta Gibbons alerts Olive to the scene. He’s an instructor Station XVII, a highly secret training school at the manor and Olive met him at the village library. The police think he died from a tragic accident, Olive’s not convinced, she starts making a list of nine strange things she has noticed and she’s concerned they have a murderer and a traitor working with them at Brickendonbury manor.

Olive's sure all is not right with the three Belgian agents, the first message they sent back to England seems a little off and one of her pigeons has failed to return. Major Boom’s positive everything’s just fine, and Jamie and Olive do a little investigation work of their own.

A Valiant Deceit is a story about life in a small village during WW II, where Olive's the pig keeper, amateur sleuth, beloved daughter, pretend girlfriend, and trouble seems to follow her. Characters from the previous book Olive Bright Pigeoneer are included in the narrative and two new characters Lady Revell and wounded war hero Honorable Maxwell Dunn make their debut.

I received a copy of this book from Edelweiss, Kensington Publishing and author Stephanie Graves in exchange for an honest review, I enjoyed reading about Olive's and her pigeons latest wartime adventures and four stars from me.

Invisible Girl

Invisible Girl by Jill Childs
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Madeline Crosby, is a homeless woman and a little girl called Rosie notices her and can’t understand why no one will help her. People either give Maddy a look of pity, some might give her a small amount of money and others simply look away. It’s very hard to be clean living on the streets and sleeping rough and Maddy’s quite aware of the fact she smells.

Rosie doesn’t notice, she’s five and wants her mother Becca to help her new friend. Her teenage brother Alex finds the idea of helping a homeless person revolting, so does Becca’s neighbor and friend Sarah. How could Becca trust a woman who’s being living on the streets, she could be a drug addict or a serial killer?

Maddy's a person who’s made mistakes in her life, things happened that she had no control over and like everyone she has secrets. As the story unfolds, you discover that Becca chose to end her marriage, Sarah became pregnant as a teenager and theirs defiantly serious tension between Maddy and Sarah.

Invisible Girl is a story that slowly reveals information about Madeline’s past, and about not judging someone who’s homeless and everyone's invisible in different ways. When Madeline’s main secret is finally uncovered, it’s a big shock, and I certainly didn't see it coming.

I received a copy of Invisible Girl from NetGalley and Bookouture in exchange for an honest review, Jill Childs books really makes you think, the stories plot was a pleasant surprise, not what I was expecting at all and five stars from me.

A Fair Trade

A Fair Trade by Laylah Abrams
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Jack Briggs has been a scout for the army, made the trip to Oregon in three months with his pack mule and he’s decided it’s where he wants to live and this will be his final trip west. Going by wagon train is much slower, it will take six months, and they need to cross the mountains before it starts snowing.

Penelope Findley’s married to Oliver and like many people traveling the Oregon Trail they’re not prepared for the hardship, danger and have overloaded their wagon. Disaster strikes when they cross a river, one of the oxen slips, the wagon and Oliver are taken by the fast moving current.

Penelope’s suddenly a widow, she lost most of her belongings and the Long family take her in. The Longs have six children, two hired hands and Penelope tries not to be a burden. They managed to save a box of her supplies, she sells the three remaining oxen and gives the money to the Long’s. Jack notices that Penelope's losing weight, she’s struggling with walking to Oregon and he asks her to marry him. As a married man he’s entitled to twice the amount of land, he makes it sound like it will be a marriage of convenience and the couple develop feelings for each other.

Penelope has kept her past from Jack, she’s worried that if he knew her history, he wouldn’t have married her and now it’s too late to tell him. When her husband's cousin arrives at her new home, he threatens her, and will Penelope lose Jack and the future they have planned together? Penelope learns that you can't escape the past, the importance of telling the truth and Jack discovers the peace found in forgiveness.

I received a copy of A Fair Trade from NetGalley and The Wild Rose Press in exchange for an honest review, a dramatic historical romance written by Laylah Abrams, and three stars from me.

The Saints of Swallow Hill

The Saints of Swallow Hill by Donna Everhart
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Left at an orphanage as a baby, Rae Lynn marries older widower Warren Cobb and for security. He owns a small run down turpentine farm in Harnett County, North Carolina, Warren’s not keen on changing his ways and he harvests his trees the old fashioned way. He’s rather frugal and a stubborn man and unfortunately this leads to his downfall.

Rae Lynn’s left to deal with the repercussions of her husband’s actions, she flees the farm, disguised as a man, she changes her name to Ray, driving her husbands truck and heads for Georgia. A turpentine camp called Swallow Hill is located there, Rae Lynn hopes to get work and find somewhere to live. Ray's shocked by the squalid conditions in the camp, the flimsy shack's filthy, her fellow workers are colored people, and everyone has to buy their provisions from the commissary shop, and are quickly in debt.

The workers days are long, chipping, dipping, scraping and tacking tin and Ray struggles to meet the daily tally. Some of her fellow co-workers complain, it also makes her a target of Crow Sweeney, he’s one of three foreman, he rides around on a horse all day and he’s a bully. He’s extremely racists, he treats the colored workers like their still slaves, and he has a whip and uses a punishment box. Otis Riddle owns the commissary shop, he’s a miserable man, he abuses his young wife Cornelia and he’s almost as mean as Crow.

Delwood Reese, is a drifter, he's been on his own since he was a teenager and is a bit of a ladies man. He started working at Swallow Hill just before Ray, he can’t abide anyone being abused, he's spent time in the punishment box himself, Crow hates him and Del wants to change the conditions in the camp. He sense that Ray is hiding something, a unlikely friendship forms between Ray, Del and Cornelia.

Del’s given the opportunity to be a one of the overseers, you can imagine what Crow thinks, Del gets to know his workers by name, treats them fairly and they reach their daily tally with time to spare. This causes tension, when it escalates Ray's hurt, they discover she’s a woman and Rae Lynn decides to leave, so does Cornelia and Del.

Set during the great depression, The Saints of Swallow Hill is a story about how it takes courage to save yourself, and Del and Rae Lynn do this by facing their pasts and returning home to North Carolina and Cornelia leaving her abusive husband. Written by Donna Everhart as a tribute to the original tar heels who lived and worked deep in the piney woods of the South, it’s a story full of interesting information about the turpentine industry, types of trees used, the workers and how they were treated.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Kensington Books, Rae Lynn, Del and Cornelia were my favorite characters, they didn't tolerate racism, the friendship and dynamics between them, added an emotion and feeling to the narrative, and five stars from me.

Nancy Wake

Nancy Wake by Russell Braddon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Nancy Wake moved to Sydney as a young child from New Zealand, she was a brilliant student at school and hated having to help at home. Once she was an adult, Nancy decided to go on a world tour and she worked as a freelance journalist.

France 1930’s, she met steel industrialist Henri Fiocca, and despite the threat of another war, the couple marry on the 30th of November 1939. Henri wanted Nancy to be a lady of leisure, they owned a beautiful house in Marseilles, Nancy wanted to learn to drive and a skill she used during the war.

Nancy worked as an ambulance driver, she took special train journeys from Marseilles to Cannes and back again. This was the start of Nancy living a double life, when Henri was called up to fight and she wanted to do more. Nancy made her way to England, here she was trained and became a Special Operations Executive. Nancy was dropped in to France, she used the name Madame Andree Joubert and her code name was Helene. Nancy soon gained a reputation for being fearless, she remained cool under pressure, was a natural leader, she liked to have fun, had a wicked sense of humor and she was only twenty seven.

Despite the bounty on her head, Nancy managed to invade being captured, and towards the end of the war, she and over seven thousand resistance fighters made life extremely difficult for the Germans. In the Auvergne area of France, they planned their successful raids, blew up railway lines and buildings, attacked convoys, and their job was to keep the Germans busy and as the allies slowly advanced towards Paris.

Nancy Wake’s biography by Russell Braddon was originally written in 1956, with her permission and input. Nancy was an extremely brave, courageous and selfless woman and she received many accolades and medals after the war. Looking back at what she'd achieved, Nancy was proud of feeding hundreds of hungry people during the war, the lifelong friends that she made with her fellow resistance fighters, the lady they called Gert and she did what she felt she had to do!

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK in exchange for an honest review, the most inspiring and interesting biography I have the pleasure of reading and five stars from me.

Beyond the Wire

Beyond the Wire by James D. Shipman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

October 1944, Jakub Bak is a prisoner at Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp, he works as a Sonderkommando, and he was selected for the job when he first arrived at the camp, he has no choice and to survive he does what he’s told. Jewish people of all ages are unloaded from trains, go through a selection process and I can’t imagine how scared they felt. Jakub jobs to inform new arrivals they need to undress for a shower, he takes them to a gas chamber, and he removes the bodies after twenty minutes and takes their bodies to the crematorium. His final task is to gather up all the people’s clothes, sort through them, all kinds of things are hidden, and sometimes it's food and small items he takes without the Germans noticing and to use as currency on Auschwitz's black market. Jakub promised his father he would survive, he had no idea what he would be doing in Auschwitz, and he loathes his work and he has terrible nightmares.

His friend Tomasz tries to keep Jakub going, they work together and Jakub has a girlfriend Anna. She lives in the women’s block, she works at the ammunition factory, she’s one of the women smuggling out small amounts of gunpowder and a group of male prisoners are planning to revolt and try to take over the camp. Jakub’s pressured to join the resistance group, Tomasz thinks he’s crazy even considering the idea and they just need to hold on and the Russian army is getting closer. Jakub’s at breaking point, he’s fading fast, running out of energy, and he doesn’t know how much longer he can tolerate doing his gruesome job?

The average life expectancy for a prisoner doing hard labour in Auschwitz was six weeks, due to long fifteen hour days and starvation diet. So compared to others Jakub has some hope of surviving, when so many others didn't and he feels incredibly guilty.

Beyond the Wire is a story about the Holocaust, it looks at the horrendous inhumane atrocities from different perspectives, and ones I hadn’t considered. Prisoners couldn’t trust anyone in the camp, and they would betray a friend to the Germans for a piece of bread, guards took bribes and some prisoners were given special privileges. It makes you consider what you would do to survive, some people simply gave up, threw themselves on the electric fence and others fought until their final breath. It’s true some prisoners wanted to escape, they spent months planning what they were going to do, most thought it was better to die trying to gain their freedom, rather than being worked to death, or being sent to the gas chamber and many of the German guards were sadistic, ruthless and showed no mercy. James D. Shipman book is well written, at times it’s hard to read and to get a better understanding of what it meant to be a Sonderkommando, I highly recommend reading the notes at the end of the book.

I received a copy of this book from Edelweiss and Kensington Publishing in exchange for an honest review, five stars from me, and it's an extremely heartbreaking story and we should always remember and honor the victims and the survivors of the Holocaust.

A Dangerous Goodbye

A Dangerous Goodbye by Fliss Chester
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In 1944, a letter is waiting for Fenella Churche on the farmhouse table, she knows its bad news and about her fiancé Arthur. Fen has been working as a land girl in West Sussex with her friends Kitty, Dilys, Edith and Mrs B. the housekeeper and she supports a devastated Fen.

Fen met Arthur Melville-Hare at The Spread Eagle, after a whirlwind wartime courtship and they get engaged. She assumes he was sent to France as an undercover agent, Arthur never spoke about his war work, the letter is his last goodbye and Fen’s sure it contains hidden clues.

In 1945, Fen boards a Red Cross ship bound for France, she wants to visit Morey-Fontane, a small village in Burgundy and Arthur's letter links him to the area. Fen speaks fluent French, she goes to a nearby chateau, the Bernard family are looking for workers at their winery and vineyard.

Pierre and Sophie Bernard own the winery, they have two young sons and Pierre’s father lives with them. Not long after Fen arrives, three people die, just a coincidence, and she doesn't think so? A priest is poisoned, another man dies of carbon dioxide inhalation and a man is stabbed. Fen believes they were all murdered, Arthur was defiantly a secret agent, was it to stop them from talking to her and she’s determined to uncover the truth.

A Dangerous Goodbye is the first book in the Fen Churche Mystery series by Fliss Chester, set during the Second World War, it’s a story about secret agents, hidden church artifacts, a petty thief, and an evil traitor and collaborator. I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Bookouture in exchange for an honest review, it kept me guessing until the end, four stars from me, and I can’t wait to read Night Train To Paris.

The Royal Correspondent

The Royal Correspondent by Alexandra Joel
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Blaise Hill might be a girl from the poor Sydney suburbs, but she has big dreams, and she wants to be a newspaper journalist. In the late 1950’s, the women journalists working at The Clarion, write articles for the women’s pages and Blaise wants to be an investigative reporter.

Dressed in her op shop clothes, Blaise is employed as copy boy at The Clarion, she’s the butt of many jokes in the male dominated workforce and is sent off to find mystery objects! Blaise works hard, she earns a cadet ship and then she's transferred to the dreaded fifth floor. At first Blaise isn’t impressed by being moved to the women’s pages, she really underestimates the importance of wearing the right clothes, having a sound knowledge of fashion, and the opportunities it brings.

Blaise is sent to London, to write and send articles back to Australia about Princess Margaret’s wedding to a commoner Antony Armstrong Jones, held on the 6th of May 1960, and it was the first royal wedding to be televised and London hotels were booked out. With her Australian press pass, Blaise attends Buckingham Place and Westminster Abbey, and she can’t believe how lucky she is. But, espionage is rife in England's capital, politicians could be involved, and soviet spies. Blaise is drawn into the sinister side of London, not knowing who she can really trust, it’s a dangerous place and she’s extremely concerned.

Inspired by real events, Alexandra Joel used her newspaper journalist father’s stories and experiences and considered what it would have been like for a woman working in the same field during the 1950’s and early 1960’s? The Royal Correspondent is the amazing result, the story highlights the discrimination women faced in the workforce at the time, they were paid less and had to stop working when they married. The 1960's was a time of major change, fashion, dancing, music and morals. Shout by Johnny O'Keefe is a classic Australian song from the era, I loved how it was included in the narrative and all the residents of Fotheringham Street dancing to it's beat and Blaise is a character that you will never forget.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers Australia in exchange for an honest review, every page was perfect, and five big stars from me.

Glimmer as You Can

Glimmer as You Can by Danielle Martin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Starlite boutique is a dress shop owned by Madeline Abbott in Brooklyn Heights, she a talented dressmaker and clothes designer. After Madeline’s marriage ended, she starts a social club at night in her shop, a safe place for women to meet and forget about their troubles. Some of the ladies like to chat, others listen to music, dance, and sing, read poetry, have a drink and sleepover.

Elaine Huxley joins the club, she’s English, and living with her fiancée Tommy. Elaine's unhappy in her relationship, Tommy’s drinking too much and he doesn’t work. If she leaves him and gets a job, she worries Tommy’s life will spiral completely out of control and she will be to blame.

Lisa O’Malley works as an air hostess, and is madly in love with Billy. Out of the blue, Billy fails to pick her up from the airport, he stops calling and Lisa doesn’t know why? She starts to visit the Starlite, she realizes her whole life revolved around what Billy wanted to do, keeping him happy and worrying about the dreaded weigh ins to keep her job.

When Fred Abbott starts lurking around, Madeline doesn’t trust him, she worries about her own and her friend’s safety at Starlite? The women rally around Madeline, determined to keep Starlite open and do what every it takes to keep Madeline safe.

Glimmer As You Can is a story set in the 1960’s, it’s about how women’s roles and expectations changed at the time and they felt empowered. However, societies and most men’s attitudes hadn’t changed, they saw women’s liberation as a threat, why would women need to meet at night and it has dire consequences for one member of the Starlite club.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Alcove Press in exchange for an honest review, Danielle Martin handled difficult subjects in her book with sensitivity, and four stars from me.

The Magnolia Palace

The Magnolia Palace by Fiona Davis
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In 1919, after eight months Lillian Carter’s still grieving and her mother died during the Spanish flu epidemic. Lilly owes her landlord Mr. Watkins rent money, she's been unable to work, and when his wife is found murdered, and the police consider her a suspect? Supervised by her mother Kitty, Lillian started working as an artists muse when she was fifteen and many of her statues are on public display around New York City.

Her mother wanted her daughter’s identity to remain a secret, Lillian uses a stage name and everyone in the art world knows her as Angelica. She flees her apartment, the opportunity to become Helen Frick’s secretary lands in her lap, and it gives Lilly a place to stay and time to work out what she’s doing to do? One of her statues is located at the front of the Frick mansion, no one recognizes her, and Miss. Helen’s a rather demanding person, eccentric, and Lilly can’t wait to leave.

Henry Clay Frick, made a fortune from producing steel, his grand home is a showcase for his huge and expensive art collection. Behind the expensive facade, there’s a lot of tension in the house, his wife locks herself away in her room, his two remaining children don’t get along, he desperately wants Helen to marry, and he finds her a suitor.

The Magnolia Palace, has a dual timeline, both characters are models and find themselves in the Frick mansion and a half a century apart.

In 1966, Veronica Weber’s in New York, doing a fashion shoot for Vogue and at the Frick museum, she feels very out of her depth and she’s only done smaller modelling jobs in the past. Veronica's worried about leaving her mum and sister Polly behind in England, and she wants to make enough money to take care of Polly who has special needs. Veronica finds herself locked inside the Frick museum, the power has gone out and New York’s been hit by a snow storm. College intern and budding art curator Joshua Lawrence has also been locked inside with Veronica and to pass the time they start a scavenger hunt. Looking for clues about the Frick family and they try to solve the mystery of what happened to the rare and expensive Magnolia diamond, it went missing in 1919 and hasn't been seen since.

The Magnolia Palace is a historical fiction story about the wealthy Frick family, it highlights the tension between the siblings, Helen and her mother’s odd behavior and Mr. Frick’s obsession with buying and collecting art. Based on true facts and you do wonder if Henry Frick felt any guilt about the flooding in Johnstown, Pennsylvania when a dam collapsed in 1889 and he was one of the investors. Fiona Davis has written another fascinating dual time masterpiece, thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Publishing for my copy in exchange for an honest review and five big stars from me.

Task Force Baum

Task Force Baum by James D. Shipman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Captain Jim Curtis was captured by the German army the day he landed in the Ardennes forest, and in March 1945, he’s in a prisoner of war camp near Hammelburg, in Bavaria. Coming from different directions, the Russian and American armies are advancing into German held territory, and will they arrive in time to liberate the desperate POW’s?

Fifty miles away a task force has been quickly formed for a special mission, Captain Abe Baum is in charge, and the battle hardened veteran always follows orders. Supported by ten Sherman tanks and five light tanks, he sets off with three hundred poorly armed soldiers, and it doesn’t take long for things to start going wrong.

After seeing action in Russia and being in the German army for six years, and Hauptmann Richard Koehl is putting his entire and depleted force in danger. He wants to avenge the death of his sister Gerta, he’s disobeying orders by continuing to pursue to the American task force and he desperately wants to find them!

Task Force Baum is based on a true story, and real reason for the mission being kept secret for twenty years, was because Commander George S. Patton wanted his son-in-law Colonel John Waters rescued from the prisoner of war and it was hushed up.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Kensington Books in exchange for an honest review, it’s a fast paced story, full of military action, brutal battles, and tactical movements. I’m looking forward to reading James D. Shipman’s next book, Beyond the Wire, and I gave Task Force Baum four stars.

The Winter Rose

The Winter Rose by Melanie Dobson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Grace Tonquin is the daughter of a famous movie star, and she was raised by her Quaker grandparents on their dairy farm in Oregon. Addie travels to Spain and then to France, where she’s a member of Les Secours Quaker movement, they rescue Jewish children and take them to safety in Spain. They have to travel across the dangerous snow covered Pyrenees Mountains, sleep in isolated huts and stay one step ahead of the German patrols. Grace has no idea that her final crossing will be in 1943, and it doesn’t go as planned.

Elias and Marguerite Dupont travel with Grace from France, to Spain and to America. Grace assumes the children’s mother and baby brother died after they left camp at de Gurs by train, possibly bound for Auschwitz and are victims of the Holocaust. Grace and her husband Roland raise Marguerite and Elias as their own, Elias struggles with his memories of the terrible war years and he turns into a very angry teenager and he lashes out. One night everything spirals out of control, the Tonquin family are torn apart, and they leave Oregon?

Addie Hoult arrives at Tonquin Lake fifty years later, hoping to find members of the Tonquin family and she discovers they left in 1947? Addie asks local's for information about the mysterious family, searching through papers and documents at the town's library and she’s sure Caleb Lange a furniture restorer knows more than he’s willing to tell her. Addie was once a troubled teen, she was sent to Sale Creek Home for Girls, where she turned her life around, and all thanks to Charlie and Emma. Now Charlie’s suffering from cancer, he needs a bone marrow transplant, from a blood relative and Addie’s determined to find one.

The Winter Rose is a dual timeline story that’s set in 1940’s and in the early 2000’s. It’s about two women who have devoted their lives to Christ, how they overcome their own challenges, helped others, and decades apart. Melanie Dobson’s book is a tribute to the brave men and women who transported Jewish children over the Pyrenees Mountains, despite the huge personal risk and harrowing conditions.

I received a copy of this book from Tyndale House Publishing and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review, I found the dual timeline a little confusing at times, and it took my attention away from Grace's incredible story and four stars from me.

Our Kind Of People

Our Kind of People by Carol Wallace
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Helen Wilcox knows how important it is for her two daughters Jemima and Alice to be properly launched into New York’s society and be invited to the right social events. She’s married to Joshua, he comes from humble origins, her mother Selina wasn’t happy with her choice of husband and it’s affected her own social status.

Joshua Wilcox’s operates a transport company, he and his business partners plan on building an elevated railroad, it will revolutionize public transport in New York and he can see huge potential in the idea, for the project to begin, he must use his own money and the Wilcox’s risk losing everything. This puts pressure on both Helen and Joshua, their relationship suffers and Helen questions her decision of marrying for love for the very first time. Set during the gilded age, socialites at the top of the ladder want to keep their position, they also dictated who’s invited to the coming out parties and dance classes.

Helen wants the best for her girls, so does Joshua, he can’t see what all the fuss is about, if Jemima has two wear the same dress twice, and it’s not the end of the world? He understands what he’s done, when people start to snub his wife in public and his daughters are no longer invited to the important parties.

Our Kind Of People gives you a glimpse into the life of New York’s elite, at a time when money, social status, and a large dowry were the three most vital assets for a debutante. Both Helen and Joshua have to dig deep to find the strength to keep going, it’s not easy and bond between them and their marriage is tested. Jemima and Alice are resilient young women, they meet two suitors, Helen’s shocked by her daughter’s choices and they must take after their mother!

I received a copy of Our Kind Of People by Carol Wallace from Edelweiss and Penguin Random House in exchange for an honest review, I enjoyed reading about New York in the 1870’s, how rich people lived, the stories full of family drama and I liked the Wilcox's, and five stars from me.

The Prodigal Sister

The Prodigal Sister by Darry Fraser
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Prudence North has just returned to Melbourne, she’s been studying at St Andrews University in Scotland and she has an interest in forensic science. In 1900, it’s an exciting new discovery, and everyone’s fingerprints have a unique pattern and she would love to find work in this field and be able to develop her knowledge.

She has another reason for returning home, her mother’s suffering from Huntington’s chorea, her younger sister Valerie is showing signs of the awful disease and her father needs her support. An acquaintance of her father's and a police officer Everard Bankston corners Prudence three weeks after she arrives home, and he threatens her. He believes her father’s involved in illegal medical practices, to keep him silent, he wants Prudence to gather information about a Mr. Jasper Darke, a wealthy landowner and qualified architect.

She locates Mr. Darke's house in Kew, the only person present at the property is a gardener, she feels uncomfortable driving past his house and snooping. Prudence is carrying a heavy burden, she’s trying to juggle a major family crisis, her sister’s rapidly declining health, and she’s worried her father will lose his medical license and income.

Prudence meets Jasper at a party, he’s a handsome man, she’s expecting him to be nasty, and he’s not the villain he's been portrayed to be. Prudence’s family home’s being watched, a man’s found dead in her father’s surgery, she starts to question what her father’s up to, with her knowledge of science she’s determined to solve the crime, and prove her father is innocent of any wrong doing.

I love Darry Fraser’s books and I feel she’s taken her writing and research to a higher level with The Prodigal Sister. The story highlights the limited education and work opportunities women had at the time, most were expected to marry and be happy with carrying out domestic duties and bearing children. Including the new science of forensics, how it could be used to solve crimes and how hereditary diseases were being discovered, the lack of treatment for suffers, and this information made the narrative really interesting.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Harlequin Australia in exchange for an honest review, a brilliant Australian historical mystery, and five stars from me.

Where the Forest Meets the Stars

Where the Forest Meets the Stars by Glendy Vanderah
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Joanna Teale has had a rough couple of years, she lost her mum Eleanor to breast cancer and discovered she inherited the deadly gene. Joanna’s cancer was caught early, she had a double mastectomy, chemotherapy and her ovaries removed. She’s started working in Southern Illinois, researching nesting birds, and wants to finish her PHD in bird ecology and conservation.

Joanna hasn’t had a lot of experience with children, when a young girl arrives at her cabin and she’s extremely concerned. The little girl looks to be around eight or nine, she’s dirty, covered in bruises and doesn’t have any shoes. When Joanna asks her questions, she gives her answers that make no sense and when Jo calls the police she runs away.

Ursa claims she has been sent from the stars to earth, in another girl’s body and she’s here to preform five miracles? Ursa seems very intelligent, and Jo agrees to let her stay for now and looks on the internet for any missing children. Her neighbor Gabriel Nash, lives next door and knows most people in the area, and Jo asks him if he knows anything about a girl being missing or any local families with a history of domestic violence? Jo discovers Ursa reading some of her Ornithologist books, she can follow Shakespeare, remembers all the characters names and Jo thinks she's gifted. Ursa love’s animals, she informs them she’s getting closer to finding her fifth miracle and still runs off when she feels anxious. Jo and Gabe feel a connection to each other, they’re extremely protective of Ursa and they would do anything to keep her safe, and they discover her tragic and shocking past.

I received a copy of Where the Forest Meets the Stars from NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing, it’s not a book I would typically read, however I thoroughly enjoyed it and I now understand why so many people have highly recommended Glendy Vanderah’s debut novel to me, I can’t wait to read The Light Through the Leaves and five stars from me.

The Library

The Library by Bella Osborne
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Tom Harris lives with his father Paul, he’s only sixteen and he has the weight of the world on his young shoulders. His mum passed away when he was eight, his dad works nights, and Tom's left home alone. He has a crush on Farah Shah at school, he blushes every time he sees her, and loses the ability to speak. He hasn’t a clue about girls, he starts borrowing romance novels from the local library, and to get some ideas on how to be less awkward around girls. Here he meets Maggie Mann, she’s seventy two, a widow and Tom comes to her rescue.

Despite the age difference Tom and Maggie become friends and he starts helping her around her farm. Maggie has twenty acres, she runs sheep, keeps chickens and grows her own vegetables. Maggie takes Tom under her wing, he appreciates her home cooked meals and she senses Tom isn’t happy at home and she leaves it up to him to tell her what’s going on.

Tom discovers the joy of reading, he gains confidence, he starts to apply himself to his studies, he wants to pass high school and go to university. When they threaten to close the library, Maggie, Tom, Farah, Christine and the members of Maggie’s book group start a petition and come up with ideas to save the library. An emotional story about an unlikely friendship, Maggie gives Tom the love and attention he desperately needs and she has a new lease on life. Tom learns valuable life skills from Maggie, and also people do make mistakes and you can’t hold their past against them.

I recived a copy of The Library from NetGalley and Aria & Aries in exchange for an honest review, Bella Osborne's book is beautifully written, it made me cry in a good way, my heart is full of hope, and five big stars from me.

Hotel Portofino

Hotel Portofino by J. P. O'Connell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Bella Ainsworth is ready to open her new luxurious hotel in the Italian Rivera and she named it Hotel Portofino. The rooms have been tastefully decorated, the beds are made up with fine English linen, bathrooms stocked with fluffy towels and expensive toiletries, and she's waiting for her upper class guests to arrive.

For Bella, her husband Cecil, daughter Alice, granddaughter Lottie and son Lucian it’s a fresh start. Like so many English families they’re still trying to get over the Great War, Alice lost her husband George, Lucian was badly injured and has terrible flashbacks. Bella’s marriage to Cecil has been rocky for a while, due to differences over money and he’s not a very supportive husband. Both Cecil and Bella live separate lives, hopefully living in Italy might rekindle the romance and save their marriage?

Italy in the 1920’s, is ruled by Benito Mussolini and his black shirts and one member of his party Vincenzo Danioni seems to hold a grudge against Bella? She and her staff feel threatened by this, Bella worries about what he could do to interrupt her new business venture and Cecil doesn’t seem to be too concerned. Bella’s busy looking after her guests, most are pleasant and charming, and she waiting on two new arrivals. Lady Julia Drummond-Ward and her daughter Rose, Cecil’s keen for Lucian to marry Rose and she’s ruled by her domineering mother.

Hotel Portofino is a delightful story and set in beautiful Italy, and you read about the weather, scenery, food, culture and wine. The narrative includes details about the various guests staying at the luxury hotel, a mixed group of interesting individuals and nationalities, the staff working at the hotel, and shocking secrets and romances are revealed.

I received a copy of Hotel Portofino from Edelweiss and Blackstone Publishing in exchange for an honest review, a well written book by J. P. O’Connell, and perfect if you like reading historical fiction full of drama and a little intrigue. I loved the members of the Ainsworth family and how they interacted with each other, and of course I didn’t like Cecil at all and five stars from me.

A Cold Wind Down the Grey

A Cold Wind Down the Grey by Wendy M. Wilson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

In 1888, William Henry James has worked his way up the ranks, in both the Australian and New Zealand police forces. He lives in Greymouth, in New Zealand, with his wife Elizabeth, he’s shocked when he’s forced to retire due to funding cuts and he looks back at his thirty seven year police career.

In 1866, the Burgess gang killed five innocent men on the Maungatapu track and soon after another body was discovered. George Dobson was from one of New Zealand’s most affluent families, he was a nice young man, his future was bright and he worked as a surveyor. He’d been missing for six weeks, when detective James found his body in a shallow grave, the case still haunts him and all these years later.

A Cold Wind Down the Grey is based on a true story and the author Wendy M. Wilson is distantly related to George Dobson by marriage. William Henry James did his best to keep crime in the area under control, it was impossible in the gold fields, and unfortunately for poor George Dobson he was a tragic victim. You’re given an idea of what it was like in New Zealand at the time, it was a wild place to live and even ex Australian convicts had moved there. The personal toll being in the police force took on the James’s marriage, they moved around a lot, lived in very remote and unsanitary places, the couple lost five young children and the infant mortality rate at the time was shocking.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley/Kindle Unlimited in exchange for an honest review, an interesting read and about an infamous criminal case in New Zealand in the 1860’s, and three and a half stars from me.

The Night Train to Berlin

The Night Train to Berlin by Melanie Hudson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Night Train to Berlin is a historical fiction story with a dual timeline, it seamlessly goes between the present time and World War Two. It takes you from the pretty idyllic beaches of Cornwall and to the blood soaked beaches of France.

Ellie Nightingale is on her way to stay at her Great Grandmother Nancy’s cottage in Penzance, in Cornwall and she catches a restored sleeper train from Paddington Station. Ellie teaches music to children online, she can play the violin, guitar, cello and ukulele. She’s has her violin with her, a beautiful green couture evening dress and a diary full of wartime sketches. Aboard the same train is Joe Burton from Leeds, they have a magical night of dancing to 1940’s music, for Ellie it’s a memory she will always treasure, that’s all it can ever be and due to her being born with a heart defect.

Eliza Grey is traveling to her cottage Meadowsweet in Cornwall, she’s going home to think about her life, future and paint. Leaving Paddington Station aboard the same train is Alex Levine, he’s an ex spitfire pilot and is now a war correspondent. Eliza has been working as a nurse in London, she desperately wants to be on the front line and be a war artist. The people in charge don’t want women anywhere near the action, or involved with the invasion and are nothing but a nuisance. Alex and Eliza feel a connection, they spend a wonderful week together in Cornwall and promise to meet each other in Berlin. Eliza makes it to France, she’s a nurse on a hospital ship, despite taking care of people injured during the Blitz, and nothing prepares her for the carnage on the beaches of Normandy and as the allies slowly fight their way towards Paris.

The Night Train to Berlin is a story about Ellie and Eliza being linked together by friendship, a cottage in Cornwall, Nancy, a small clock, a trip on a historic train, secrets, and fate. Both are caught up in situations that they can’t change, and they don’t regret meeting Alex and Joe, and if only they were both free to fall in head over heals in love. I received a copy of this book from Edelweiss and HarperCollins in exchange for an honest review, and it's beautifully written by Melanie Hudson and she also wrote The Last Letter From Juliet. Reading about the D-Day landing was heartbreaking, horrific and very graphic, the story is a tribute to a generation of brave men and women serving on the front line during WW II and five stars from me.

In Darkest Days May Blossom

In Darkest Days May Blossom by Leila Snow
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Jonathon Hawthorne notices an altercation in the street, a young woman is being assaulted by the Bromsgrove Constabulary and he steps in to help. Charlotte Bausand is an apprentice nailer, she works for Mr. Higgs and he accuses her of theft. Charlotte has had a hard life, her parents and younger sister were sent to the workhouse and she was forced to work. Ten years later, she’s tired of the way Mr. Higgs has been treating her, since his wife passed away he’s been making unwanted advances towards her and she didn’t steal anything from him.

Jonathon rescues a severely beaten Charlotte, she’s taken to Worcester Goal, and unfortunately his father is the town magistrate. He’s furious with his youngest son, he does everything in his power to stop Jonathon from seeing Charlotte, when he continues to defy him and he's forced to take drastic action. England in the 18th century is clearly divided into social classes, they don’t associate with each other and certainly don't fall in love!

In Darkest Days May Blossom by Leila Snow, Jonathon falls madly in love with Charlotte, despite his father’s interference, his brother manages to save her from the hangman’s noose and she flees. The couple spend months trying to find each other, Jonathon gets rather despondent and Charlotte has to change her name to stay one step ahead of the law and try to find work when she doesn’t have a reference. I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, a story about forbidden love and not set in the most romantic of places, a quick read and three stars from me.

Under a Sky of Memories

Under A Sky of Memories by Soraya M. Lane
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Evelyn, Vita and Dot are American nurses who have completed a specialist flight training program, and are now qualified members of the Medical Air Evacuation Transport Squadron. After being wounded in action, to increase the soldiers chances of survival, they needed to get to a hospital for treatment and quickly. The solution, planes specially fitted out to carry around twenty six wounded patients, with one nurse, a medic, and a surgeon aboard to look after them during the flight.

The nurses leave for their first overseas posting, the destination is all very hush hush, and everyone’s feeling nervous. Dot, Evelyn and Vita become best friends, and they come from different walks of life. Evelyn’s mature of her age and sensible, her mother passed away when she was a teenager, she looked after her father and three younger sisters. Dot was orphaned at a young age, she was raised by her elderly grandparents, and she’s quiet and rather shy. Vita comes from a wealthy background, she’s confident and looks like a movie star.

They arrive in Sicily in 1943, a group of twenty six people are selected for a special mission, flying in a big Skytrooper and they come under enemy fire. The plane’s pilot Bobby Redfern, manages to preform an amazing crash landing, and they have no idea where they are? The crew’s behind enemy lines in Albania, with no form of communication and completely stranded. Local partisans come to their aid, not knowing if they can trust them, still in extreme danger and the nurses are scared.

Constantly on the move, having to stay one step ahead of the Germans, with few supplies, sleeping rough, and it doesn’t take long for everyone to struggle physically and mentally. Evelyn, Vita and Dot have all experienced tragedy in their lives, they’re much stronger than they think, it takes every ounce of courage, determination and effort for them to keep going, continue to believe they have a chance of being rescued and despite the terrible odds.

Under a Sky of Memories is a brilliant wartime story about three brave nurses, a handsome American pilot, a British agent and a local man called Stefa. I was totally hooked by the narrative after the first chapter, with a cast of gutsy characters, it’s a story about survival, in a brutal and remote place. I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK in exchange for an honest review, Soraya M. Lane at her best, a perfectly balance story, with a little romance, and five stars from me.

On the Wings of Hope

On the Wings of Hope by Ella Zeiss
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The German’s army is advancing across the Soviet Union in 1942, and the German citizens living there are scared, and those who haven’t been sent to a work for the labour army are worried their name will be next on the list.

Harri Pfeiffer is sixteen, he’s living with his mother Hilde and sister Emma in Kazakhstan. He’s receives a days notice and he’s to be sent to Chelyabinsk, and nothing could prepare him for life in the camp. Every day he has to unload trains by hand, with a crew of teenage boys, and it’s physically brutal. They live on two small meals of watery soup and bread, and he’s always hungry. Harri tries to harden his heart, people die daily from exhaustion, starvation and disease. He meets Erich Scholz, they become friends, Erich’s most treasured possession is a picture of his fiancé Rita and his sister Anna and Harri doesn’t remember his link to the Scholz family.

Anna and her daughter Yvonne Scholz have managed to stay together, first Anna's husband Wilhelm was sent to a camp and then her son Erich was summoned to join the labour army. The women haven’t had an easy time, forced to leave Komi, Anna the ex-school teacher, cuts wood in a forest, clears debris with Yvo from a factory, and after three years they haven’t heard from Erich. When the war ends, they travel to Chelyabinsk desperate to find him, they register for work and rent a room.

Both Harri and Yvonne were excellent students before the war, Anna could sew, and this is the reason they managed to survive the Russian work camps. On the Wings of Hope by Ella Zeiss is a story about courage, hardship, determination, friendship, family, fate, never giving up, and a treasured photograph.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, I have read the previous book in the series In the Shadow of the Storm, it made it easier for me to follow the English translation, and I remember the familiar characters, the secret link between the families and four stars from me.

The Spanish Daughter

The Spanish Daughter by Lorena Hughes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Maria Purificacion de Lafont lives in Sevilla Spain, she’s married to Christobal de Balboa, and she owns a chocolate shop. In 1920, times are still tough in Spain after the end of the First World War, when Puri receives a letter from a lawyer in Vinces, Ecuador, a town known as “little Paris” and she’s inherited a share of her estranged father’s cocoa plantation.

Don Armand Lafront, abandoned his wife and Puri when she was two and moved to Ecuador. Puri’s closes her shop, with her husband Christobal they embark on the sea voyage to Ecuador and he plans to write his novel. They have no idea that Puri’s life’s in danger, when Christabal comes to her aid, he’s killed, and Puri’s left in shock and terrified. She decides to dress in her husband’s clothes, take on his identity until she finds out who wanted to kill her and why?

Arriving in Ecuador, she discovers her father was a rich man, she has three half siblings and she continues to maintain her disguise. Marin Sabater runs the plantation, he takes Puri on a tour, as a chocolate maker she finds, the process of growing, harvesting, fermenting and drying of the cocoa beans fascinating.

The house is full of tension and she uncovers her father had other affairs, he kept secrets and his eldest daughter by his “second wife” resented Puri for being his only legitimate child. Puri doesn’t feel safe at all, she’s cant confess who she really is, until she works out who’s wants kill her, and is it one of her father’s children, their spouse, a disgruntled employee and has someone been forging her father’s signature?

The Spanish Daughter is a story full of intrigue, secrets, deception, and of course deceit. It was based on author Lorena Hughes discovering a cacao bean roasting machine was patented by a woman in 1847, and she created her story around that vital piece of information. It’s really interesting that cacao growers in 1920’s Ecuador, had never tried the final product and despite making a fortune from harvesting cacao beans.

I received a copy of this book from Edelweiss and Kensington Publishing in exchange for an honest review, a light historical mystery, four stars from me, and I look forward to reading The Sister of Alameda Street, I didn’t realize it was by Lorena Hughes and I purchased it a few weeks ago!

The Cobbler's Wife

The Cobbler's Wife by Lynette Rees
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Seren Edwards marries the village cobbler, Morgan James and he’s tall, charming and handsome. Seren wants to have children, Morgan accuses her of being barren and despite only being married for a few months. A desperate Seren visits Anewn Llewellyn, a herbalist and some of the locals accuse her of being a witch. Due to Morgan’s excessive drinking, he stops opening his shop, she tells Seren it’s only going to get worse, and she should leave him.

A new minister has taken over the parish, Elwyn Evans is kind and caring man and Seren regrets marrying Morgan. When the situation for Seren escalates, Mr. Watkins the owner of The House of Blazes, a notorious place of ill repute and he finds her a safe place to stay. Living in a boarding house with Jim and Marged, she hears of a terrible Cholera outbreak in Lewis square where her aunt lives and it spreads further throughout Abercanaid, Seren’s worried about her mother Mabel and sister Gwen.

The Cobbler’s Wife by Lynette Rees is set in 1866, it’s a historical saga, and it portrays life at the time, in a small Welsh village and a coal mining town. Many women suffered terrible abuse by their husbands, they had no rights, lived in poverty, with poor sanitation and infectious diseases spread very quickly due to overcrowding. I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, Seren is a resilient character and a strong woman, I look forward to reading The Workhouse Waif and three stars from me.

The Light We Left Behind

The Light We Left Behind by Tessa Harris
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Maddie Gresham receives a message asking her to report to Trent Park in Middlesex, a grand country house that was once owned by Sir Philip Sassoon and it’s now being used by the British army. Maddie’s a psychologist, she works with Dr Tobias Baskin, she spends her time, trying to read her mentors terrible handwriting and typing up his notes. In 1944, England’s desperate to end the war, and very concerned by reports the German’s are working on a secret weapon and British intelligence is busy trying to stop them.

Maddie’s interviewed by Colonel McKie, her new job is all very hush hush and she has to sign the official secrets act. Captured high ranking German officers are staying at Trent Park, and in a building bugged with listening devices, Maddie’s to give a profile on each officer, look for any weaknesses, if needed meet them and she finds this daunting.

Maddie stayed in Germany as an exchange student in 1936, she was forced to leave the country and her past experience with the Nazi’s was terrifying. Her German penfriend Greta’s mother Mrs Weitzler is Jewish, and she worried about their safety and hasn’t heard from them in years. At Trent Park they have what they call “stool pigeons” cleared German speaking prisoners, who serve as batman for the German officers and they gather and interpret information for the British. Maddie’s shocked to discover Max Weitzler, Greta’s older brother is serving as one, she fell in love with him eight years ago while staying at his parent’s house and it needs to remain a secret.

As Hitler’s doodlebugs start landing in London, the pressure's on the people working at Trent Park escalates and Maddie’s worried they have a traitor in the ranks. Maddie’s highly suspicious, she’s being followed, and she doesn’t believe Dr Baskin died of natural causes, some things simply don't add up and she has no idea who she can trust?

I received a copy of The Light We Left Behind from NetGalley and HQ Digital in exchange for an honest review, I find it fascinating how everyday people signed the secret services act, suddenly they were involved in espionage, they went extraordinary lengths to help England win the war, defeat Germany and Maddie’s character is one of these brave and selfless individuals. I really enjoyed Tessa Harris's previous book Beneath a Starless Sky and her latest wartime mystery is absolutely brilliant, and five stars from me.

Christmas with the Shipyard Girls

Christmas with the Shipyard Girls by Nancy Revell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

1942, has been another year of challenges, for Polly, Gloria, Helen, Rosie and their loved ones. All the workers at Thompson’s Shipyard in Sunderland, are busy trying to get SS Brutus finished on time and the last couple of months before Christmas are frantic.

Polly Elliot is engaged to Petty Officer Tommy Watts, he’s seriously injured in Gibraltar, and being treated on a Red Cross ship, when it's torpedoed, he almost drowns and he's lucky to survive. Tommy’s slowly recovering from surgery in Ryhope hospital, Dr. Parker is sure he will be fit enough to be discharged and Polly’s dreaming of a winter wonderland wedding.

Helen Crawford’s the manager at the shipyard, she’s had a terrible year and only Dr. Parker and her mother know about her tragic loss. She has her sights on breaking the yards production record and getting Brutus off the slips. Helen wants Polly to marry Tommy, has no time for romance herself and she's oblivious to the fact that John Parker admires her from afar.

Rosie Miller lives a double life, she works as welder at the shipyard and she’s part owner in a business. When her younger sister Charlotte Thornton runs away from her Harrogate boarding school, she arrives on Rosie’s doorstep unannounced, she needs Charlie to return to school and before she discovers how Rosie's managed to pay for her expensive education.

I really enjoyed reading Christmas with the Shipyard Girls by Nancy Revell, it’s the seventh book in the popular series, full of familiar characters, secrets, drama, two weddings are planned and only one couple manages to walk down the aisle. Thanks to NetGalley for my copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, I look forward to reading the eighth book in the series and four stars from me.

The Visitors

The Visitors by Caroline Scott
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Esme Nicholls like so many women of her generation, lost her husband Alec in The Great War and she’s being mourning him for years. As time goes by, she tries to hold on to the precious memories she shared with Alec, and they only had seven months together when he marched off to war.

Her employer and friend Mrs. Fernlea Pickering notices Esme's looking rather peaked, she suggests spending the summer with her in Cornwall and where her brother Mr. Gilbert Edgerton owns a house called Esperance. Alec grew up in nearby Penzance, she hopes to be able to visit the cottage where he lived as a child, and it might make her feel closer to her deceased husband?

Esme works in Mrs. Pickering’s garden, it saved her from succumbing to her grief, and she enjoys looking at the beautiful scenery as she travels by train from Devon to Cornwall. Gilbert’s newly renovated garden and house is lovely, and he shares it with members of his regiment, former soldiers, Sebastian, Rory, Hal and Clarence. A group of artists, writers and misfits, and all have suffered terribly during the war and Esme hears men crying out during the night.

Esme finds solace in Cornwall, she and Rory become friends, they share the love of gardening and she doesn't feel so old and downtrodden. Another member of the regiment visits Esperance house, it causes Esme to question what really happened during the war to Alec, and she feels betrayed.

The Visitors is a story set five years after the end of The Great War, it's about the lasting impact it had on the men who fought so bravely, many struggled mentally, and they couldn’t to return to work, and their marriages failed. Caroline Scott has a way of writing about WW I, that immediately grabs your attention and through her narrative, you feel and experience the burden of the war to end all wars. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley and Simon and Schuster UK, brilliant, and five stars from me.

This Fragile Heart

This Fragile Heart by Kate Hewitt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Isobel Moore comes from one of Boston’s finest families, yet she finds herself almost thirty and unmarried. The man she loved, married another and she's left heartbroken. Isobel keeps busy by teaching at Boston’s Poor First School, for immigrant children, and her sister-in-law Margaret Moore started the school. She desperately wants to find love, have children, a home of her own and she’s stuck living with her parents.

Isobel’s willing to take a risk, she discovers single missionaries are looking for wives, in India and Burma, and she puts her name down on the list. Her parents are horrified, when a godly man in Burma sends a letter looking for a wife, Isobel seizes her chance and packs her trunks. Her brother Henry has sailed to China aboard his ship the Charlotte Rose, his wife Margaret will be on her own for a year, her niece Maggie MacDougall is visiting from Canada and she’s willing to help teach at the school in Boston.

After a four month long journey, Isobel arrives in Burma, she’s nervous and it’s so humid. Her path to find true love doesn’t go as planned, and she decides to stay in Moulmein Burma for a few months. Isobel’s introduced to recent widower, Mr. Jack Braeburn, and young Maggie meets Seamus Flanagan a young Irish immigrant in Boston.

This Fragile Heart by Kate Hewitt, is a story about Isobel and Maggie both finding love, it's not easy, and they have to leave home and fight for their independence. I really liked the characters of Isobel and Maggie, despite the age difference, they both stood up for what they wanted and at a time when women didn’t have the freedom they now have. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, it's the last book in the Far Horizons series, my favorite out of the three, and four stars from me.

Her Rebel Heart

Her Rebel Heart by Kate Hewitt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Caroline Reid lives in Scotland, and her uncle Sir. James Riddell is always away on business and she’s left alone with his grumpy housekeeper. When her uncle finally returns to Scotland and he informs Caroline, she will be traveling to America and living with him in Boston. Caroline was hoping for a season in London, she will have to make the most of Boston’s society and find a suitable husband. Her uncle business dealings are with a Mr. Matthew Dearborn, he’s an older man, lives in Boston and Caroline's concerned her uncle wants her to marry him?

Caroline sets sail for America, accompanied by her chaperone and things don’t go as planned. The Atlantic crossing is rough, when a storm hits, Caroline and widow Eleanor McCardell are the only two ladies unaffected by seasickness. Caroline’s a rather shallow and selfish young woman, and Eleanor points out it’s their duty to help the sick women aboard the ship, and she reluctantly agrees.

Arriving in Boston, Caroline’s uncle isn’t at the docks to meet her, Eleanor’s brother Dr. Ian Campbell is waiting for her and they drop a nervous Caroline at her uncle’s house. Eleanor hasn’t seen her brother Ian and sister Harriet MacDougall in over ten years. Harriet’s married to Allan MacDougall, they have two children and live in a farm in Canada.

Caroline develops feelings for Ian Campbell, he’s had dealings with her uncle in Scotland, he blames him for the loss of Achlic Farm and he hates Sir. James Riddell. Caroline discovers her uncle’s plan is to marry her off to his unsavory business partner, she feels trapped and doesn’t know what she will do? Isobel Moore has been patiently waiting for Ian Campbell to propose marriage, so when Caroline arrives, she feels threatened, Ian Campbell is torn between two women and he must follow his heart.

Her Rebel Heart is the second book in the Far Horizons series, is a story about Caroline moving across the other side of the world, old rivals meeting again, Ian having to make peace with his past, and choose the women he wants to make his bride. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, nice to catch up with familiar characters, I look forward to reading the next book in the series This Fragile Heart by Kare Hewitt, and fours stars from me.

Boy Underground

Boy Underground by Catherine Ryan Hyde
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Steven Katz has just started high school in 1941, he meets three teenage boys Suki, Ollie and Nick and they become best friends. Steven’s father owns a large farm, he feels the odd one out in his family and his older brother Terrence is his mother’s favorite. The boys go on a camping trip, when they return the Japanese have bombed Pearl Harbour and his parents are unhappy his friendship choices. American enters the war, and the Yamanto family are sent to an internment camp in California called Manzanar and older Ollie joins up.

Steven returns to school, nothing is said about all the empty desks and everyone acts like nothing has changed in town. This makes Steven mad, his friend Nick’s accused of a crime he didn’t commit, Steven’s the only person who can help him and he hides him in his parent’s root cellar. Nick and Steven are teenagers, and are very confused by their feelings towards each other. Nick leaves, Steven waits to hear from his friend and his relationship with his parents continues to deteriorate.

Steven leaves the farm when he turns eighteen, he sets off to find Nick and he does. Steven discovers that life doesn’t always go as planned, he takes a big risk leaving home, he has to find his own place in the world, and work out his true feelings. The one thing that never changes is the bond between the friends, they continue to keep in touch over the years and as the decades go by.

Boy Underground is a story about friendship, social injustice, growing up during a war, young men going off to fight, making the ultimate sacrifice, and it’s a coming of age story. Catherine Ryan Hyde has a way of making you connect emotionally with the characters in her books, and she has done this once again. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, it's very moving and five stars from me.

Saving Mrs. Roosevelt

Saving Mrs. Roosevelt by Candice Sue Patterson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Shirley Davenport lives in a small coastal town in Maine, she has four older brothers and two are serving in the American military. Shirley wants to help the war effort, and she stuck working on a fishing boat with her father Winston. Her best friend Joan Fischer lives next door, she informs Shirley the Coast Guard are recruiting single women, over the age of twenty two and they both apply to join the SPARs.

Eleanor Roosevelt has asked American women to help their country in its time of need, they have lived through hard things, survived and are strong resilient women. Shirley’s not confident she has the right skills, to her surprise she’s accepted and starts six weeks of training. Her mother Helen supports her decision, her father’s very old fashioned, he thinks she should stay home and continue helping him.

At training she meets Captain Leonard Webber, he needs to post recruits at Maine and Shirley‘s the obvious choice. She’s going to be doing secret surveillance work, the German American Bund, is using Lubec as a drop off point for German spies, and their target is the First Lady. Her cover story is, she's been dishonorably discharged from the SPARs, her parents are horrified by her behavior and the people in Lubec no longer want to associate with her.

Saving Mrs. Roosevelt is a story about Shirley putting her country first, despite it ruining her reputation, she proud to be helping America and she follows the Coast Guards motto. Shirley notices some odd things happening on her fishing trips in her dads boat, she has no idea her own life will be in danger, the traitors are the last people she expects and are extremely dangerous.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Barbour Publishing in exchange for an honest review, the first book I have read by Candice Sue Patterson and it won’t be my last. Shirley’s character is wonderful, she’s completely devoted to doing what she thinks is right, her faith never wavers, she believes everyone is equal, her friendship with Alma Evan’s was one of the many highlights in the narrative. I highly recommend Saving Mrs. Roosevelt and five stars from me.

Olive Bright, Pigeoneer

Olive Bright, Pigeoneer by Stephanie Graves
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Olive Bright returns home to Pipley in Hertfordshire, she was studying to be a vet and the war has interrupted her studies. Her father Rupert’s the local vet, he needs Olive’s help with his practice and her step-mother's unwell. Olive's looking after Bright's Loft Service for her father, and they breed award winning racing pigeons. The Bright’s are waiting to hear back from The National Pigeon service, their birds could be used to send vital messages across the channel and help England win the war.

When Jameson Aldridge and Danny Tierney want to view the lofts and pigeons, Olive assumes there from the NPS and she’s wrong. From the British intelligence organization, and they work in a special branch called Baker Street at the nearby manor house. Olive agrees to help them, they need her fasted pigeons, she has to sign the national secrecy act, she can’t tell anyone what she’s doing and she informs her family she’s joined the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry as a secretary based at the manor.

When Miss Verity Husselbee or as Olive calls her "The Sergeant Major" is found dead, in a pool of vomit and outside of Olive’s pigeon loft. Olive’s determined to find out what happened to Miss. Husselbee, did she stumble across some vital information, and is a killer living in Pipley and possibly even a spy?

Olive’s rather smart, she looks for clues and ponders the facts to try and solve the case. With the help from Jameson Aldridge and one of her pigeons she’s rescued in the nick of time, and the killer’s identity is revealed. I can’t wait to read the next book in the captivating cosy mystery series called A Valiant Deceit, and let's hope Olive's learnt her lesson and thinks before she rushes in and puts herself in danger. Olive Bright, Pigeoneer is a light entertaining read, about life in a small English village during WW II, with elements of mystery and drama and four stars from me.

Christmas on the Home Front

Christmas on the Home Front by Roland Moore
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The land girls working at Pasture Farm are determined to celebrate Christmas in 1944 and despite the hardships they have all faced over the last four years. Joyce, Connie and Esther have all suffered due to the war, Joyce lost her mum and sister Gwen when a bomb landed on their house in Coventry and she misses them.

The villagers living in Helmstead notice a German plane crash after a dog fight, despite bursting into flames, their concerned two German airmen escaped and everyone in the area are worried. Siegfried Weber and Emory Moyer did survive the crash, are hiding in the woods and sleeping in an abandoned car. The two Germans think Joyce is alone at Pasture Farm, and don’t realize Esther Reeves is also there. They capture the two women, hold them hostage, they make a radio, send out Morse code messages and hope a local traitor might be able to help them? Connie decides to visit Joyce, she has no idea that she will become the Germans third hostage, the women are determined to overcome the airmen and alert the authorities. Connie has her suspicions who’s the spy, she’s right and she wants all three to be arrested.

Christmas on the Home Front by Roland Moore, is the final book in the popular Land Girls Series, it’s nice to catch up with the characters from the previous two books, the preparations for Christmas don’t go quite as planned and the three brave women take down two German pilots and a spy. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, not your typical Christmas story, and four stars from me.

The Jasmine Wife

The Jasmine Wife by Jane Coverdale
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sara Archer was born in India, as a small child her parents died and she went to live with her aunt in England. Her memories of India are rather fuzzy, she remembers feeling warm, her ayah and she’s not a fan of the English weather. Charles Fitzroy works for the Department of Justice in India, he’s visiting England, after a quick courtship he proposes to Sara and she accepts.

After being apart from her new husband for months, Sara arrives in India, eager to see Charles and looking forward to living in her new home. Sara meets Charles’s friends, their snobby English society people, she doesn’t like them, their very racist and treat their Indian servants terribly. Sara’s disappointed and unhappy in her marriage, Charles is controlling, ruthless, and she feels trapped.

Sara starts to feel like a Jasmine Wife, a term used for an English woman living in colonial India, they wilt like a picked jasmine flower, they fade fast, often become ill, their marriages fail and they return home to England. Sara meets French-Indian Ravi Sabran, he’s the kind of person Sara should have married and they feel an instant connection to each other.

Charles is greedy, he encourages Sara to visit The Maharajah and his wife The Maharani, both are known for giving extravagant gifts of precious stones, and Sara’s given so much more. The Maharani knew her parents, and she tells Sara about her family and her secret heritage.

The Jasmine Wife by Jane Coverdale, is a wonderful historical story set in beautiful colonial India, Sara’s a lovely character, she’s reunited with her beloved ayah Malika, finds her childhood home, and discovers her true identity. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, I love stories set in India and four stars from me.

The Young Survivors

The Young Survivors by Debra Barnes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Laskowski family live in Metz, they have three boys Pierre, Samuel and Claude and they have just celebrated the birth of twin girls Henriette and Georgette. They have no idea that before the girls turn one, the family would have to leave Metz, to put some distant between them and the rapidly advancing German army. The Germans easily invade France, Jewish adults start being arrested in the middle of the night, they disappear and never to be seen again.

The Jewish agency does it’s best to keep the children safe, by hiding them on isolated farms, using various remote youth camps, the twin girls are looked after at orphanages and the catholic church also hides Jewish children. The five siblings desperately try to stay together, it’s difficult due to the age difference and girls being housed separately from boys. The situation in France gets worse, decisions have to be made quickly to move vulnerable children, it’s impossible to keep track of five siblings, after the war they try and reunite families, and it's utter chaos.

After reading The Lost Wife by Alyson Richman, discovering her own mother’s shocking childhood, and Debra Barnes wrote her book to pay tribute to the French Jewish children who suffered during the holocaust. The Young Survivors is a moving and inspiring true story, about surviving despite the terrible odds, and a generation of Jewish children losing the innocence of childhood and their parents. I recived a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, it made a lasting impression and five stars from me.

By the Light of Embers

By the Light of Embers by Shaylin Gandhi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Lucia Lafleur is working as a candy striper at a hospital while studying at Penn College, she has a few run arguments with Sebastian Banner, her father’s a well known doctor in Louisiana and she’s always wanted to follow in his footsteps. She’s engaged to Kip O’Neill, their getting married in October and Lucia hasn’t told him she’s been accepted into the Pennsylvania School of Medicine.

Kip expects her to marry him, not have a career and raise his children. She travels home with her best friend Gretchen, she has never been to the South and Lucia’s still deciding what she’s going to do about Kip and his ultimatum? Gretchen notices on the train how people of color are treated differently in the South, they still have segregation and some people are extremely racist.

Lucia and Gretchen are invited to a masquerade ball at Inverness plantation, and Gretchen has fun creating their costumes and taking photo's. The Moore family own Inverness, father Richard and son Robbie are both racist, dangerous and Robbie takes a shine to Gretchen. Lucia meets Nicholas Fletcher, he’s a dark skinned scholar, poet and works for the Moore’s.

Lucia and Nick share a love of reading, they both admire Oscar Wilde and his literary masterpieces. It’s extremely risky for Nicholas to be seen with a white woman, he could be killed and they meet in secret. Tension is rife in Louisiana, Lucia realizes how dangerous it is for Nicholas, she wants them to both leave and has she left it too late?

By the Light of Embers by Shaylin Ganghi is a story about living in the American South during the 1950’s, attitudes haven't changed towards colored people since the Civil War, and Lucia discovers the pain of forbidden love, and it can either destroy you or make you stronger. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, Lucia’s a feisty character and she has a positive influence on Dr. Banner, and four stars from me.

A Little Bird

A Little Bird by Wendy James
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Josephine Sharpe returns home to Arthurville, her dad Michael still lives there, and she’s been offered a job working as a journalist for the local community newspaper. Her father Mick still drinks too much, sits around the house all day and Jo’s living with her dad. The newsletter's really small, with a tight budget, and Jo's to concentrate on covering happy events. Things like grandparent’s day at the primary school, what’s happening at the local cricket club and town meetings.

You can understand why Mick Sharpe struggles, his wife Miranda and baby daughter Amy disappeared in 1994, and haven’t been seen since. Merry went missing just before Jo turned eight, it was the talk of the town and it still is twenty four years later. Was Merry unhappy being married to Mick, wanted to make a fresh start and she sent a letter a few months after she disappeared from Queensland?

Returning to Arthurville for Jo’s bittersweet, she meets up with old friends and the small town hasn't changed. She want's answers to her questions about her mum’s troubled relationship with her family, why she didn’t speak to her mother Ruth and brother Roland Beaufort. They live at Pembroke, a grand house and property, they disowned her mother when she married Mick and they didn’t worry about Jo’s welfare after her mother left.

Jo’s starts looking into her mother’s disappearance, and she remembers small things that happened around the time she left, and somethings don’t make any sense. Jo focuses on the facts and little details; her parent’s marriage, was her mother keeping secrets, her mum's friends, family, work colleagues and people she knew in Arthurville. Merry's job, she uncovers her mother wrote articles for the Chronicle and she wasn’t just a secretary.

The Little Bird by Wendy James, is a small town thriller, about family rifts and grudges, shocking secrets, stunning revelations, and Merry's not the first person to have gone missing in the small town and with so many hidden clues! I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley, I found the story fascinating and it wasn't at all predictable and five stars from me.

The London House

The London House by Katherine Reay
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Caroline Payne, was friends with Mat Hammond in collage, he has an interest in History and he contacts her out of the blue. While doing research for a client, Mat uncovers some interesting information about Caroline’s English great-aunt and Caroline thought she died as a child? Caroline was named after her great-aunt, how could she have possibly been in France during the 1930’s and Mat must have his wires crossed. Her father isn’t happy about Caroline or Mat delving into his families past, he believes his aunt Caroline died as a child and Mat shouldn’t publish any of his crazy theories.

Caroline travels to England to visit her mum, despite being divorced from her husband, her mother-in-law Margaret left her The London House to Caroline’s mum and she's been renovating it. Mat joins her in London and they find old diaries, letters, photographs, and discover Margaret and Caroline Waite were actually twins. The girl’s father John was the Earl of Eriska, he served in the navy with distinction during WW I, and they owned a property in the country called Parkley and of course the town residence in London.

The once close sisters slowly drifted apart, it started when Margaret was sick with scarlet fever and Caroline moved to France after she left finishing school. Caro started working for Elsa Schiaparelli as a modernist dressmaker, she ignored the rumors about another war breaking out and Caro left it too late to return home. Was, Caro possibly a German sympathizer, a traitor to her country, and that’s why she was disowned by her family and they told the next generation she died as a child?

Caroline and Mat, slowly piece together what Caro did during the war, they check national archives in England, France and Germany, she also left behind hidden clues, and they discover what really happened on October 1941 and it wasn’t what the Earl thought. Mat opens up old painful wounds for Caroline junior’s family, Mat had no idea about Caroline’s tragic childhood, and her feelings towards Mat change and could they be more than friends?

Caroline Waite was extremely brave, courageous, loyal, and dedicated to her country, she didn’t run off with a German officer, and she certainly wasn’t a traitor. The London House by Katherine Reay, is a brilliant dual timeline historical fiction story about family secrets, misperception, and misunderstanding, war, lost love, jealousy, resilience, hope, discovering the truth and changing the injustice from the past.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Harper Muse, one of the best books I have read this year, absolutely brilliant and five stars from me.

Summer Moon

Summer Moon by Jill Marie Landis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Kate Whittington reads an advertisement in the newspaper for a mail order bride, at twenty nine it’s a solution to her problems and she will finally have the family she’s always dreamed of. Her mother was a prostitute, she was raised in a Catholic orphanage by stern nuns and everyone in her home town of Maine knows her history. She writes to Reed Benton, a lonely Texas rancher and they marry by proxy. After a long journey she arrives at Lone Star Ranch eager to meet her new husband, he’s not happy to see her, he’s been injured fighting the Comanche and it was his father Reed Senior who’s been writing love letters to Kate.

When Texas Ranger Reed Benton rescues his long lost son Daniel from the Comanche village, the boy Fast Pony is wild, he doesn’t want to live in the white man’s house and he doesn’t understand why he’s been taken away from his people. Reed's furious with his father, he doesn’t want another wife, and after his traumatic past and he sees Kate as another problem he has to deal with. He needs a housekeeper, someone to look after Daniel and reluctantly he lets Kate stay. She loves children, she wants to help Daniel to learn English and adapt to his new life. But Daniel worries about his Comanche family, he knows their situation is precarious and he wants to save them.

Reed Benton is rather arrogant man, and I guess you can put his attitude down to the tragic loss of his wife and son during the Comanche raid. He soon takes notice when Reverend Preston Marshall is interested in Kate, he changes his tune and he’s very lucky she doesn't leave him. I first read Summer Moon way back in 2004, it was rather nostalgic to read it again, a classic western style historical romance by Jill Marie Landis, thanks to NetGalley for my copy and four stars from me.

Christmas with the Cornish Girls

Christmas with the Cornish Girls by Betty Walker
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Lily Fisher is living in Porthcurno, West Cornwall in 1941, her family’s home in London was destroyed during an air raid, and Lily, her gran Sheila, Aunty Violet and younger sister Alice are all living in a small cottage, and working as cleaners at Eastern House. Lily’s given the opportunity to work as a trainee nurse at Symmonds Hall Convalescent Home near St. Ives, and she’s nervous about leaving her family. She enjoys helping the soldiers, working with her friend Eva, and they want her to organize the Christmas party.

Eva Ryder is a nurse at the convalescent home, her father’s in charge of Eastern House in Cornwall and she’s knows Lily’s entire family. Eva recommended Lily to Sister Gray, Lily’s a sensible girl and she needs a change from cleaning at Porthcurno. Eva’s always getting into trouble with Sister Gray, she’s often running late and gets caught chatting to the patients. Flight Lieutenant Max Carmichael, saved Eva from serious harm in London and he’s recovering at the home. He’s rather dejected, he doesn’t think his condition will improve, Eva’s madly in love with Max, she’s sure he will get better and she’s used to getting her own way.

Sister Rose Gray is in charge of the wards at Symmonds Hall, she works closely with Dr Edmund Layons, Dr Lewis Layons and she has a secret crush on the younger doctor. Rose is concerned about the safety of the children living at the orphanage next door, they look thin, are forced to play outside in the cold weather, and she hears crying at night.

Christmas with the Cornish Girls is a delightful story about the nurses and doctors caring for the injured soldiers at the convalescent home during WW II, you get to know the staff and owner Lady Babs Symmonds, discover what’s happening at the orphanage, how Lily plans the Christmas party with the help from cook, Eva, the children are invited and it's a huge success. Characters from the first book in series Wartime with the Cornish Girls are included in the uplifting narrative, I loved both books by Betty Walker and five stars from me.

Before and After

Before and After: The Incredible Real-Life Stories of Orphans Who Survived the Tennessee Children's Home Society by Judy Christie
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Before and After by Judy Christie gives the reader an in-depth look at what happened in the Tennessee Children’s Home Society in Memphis, information about Georgia Tann the women who owned the orphanage and the terrible acts of cruelty she committed.

Georgia Tann used three events to her advantage, the stock market crash, the great depression, and the Second World War, people were vulnerable and desperate. Living in poverty, families were struggling to feed hungry children, unwed mothers were shunned by society, people moved around a lot to find work, and Miss. Tann had a corrupt mayor on her side.

There was a huge demand for babies, older couples who couldn’t adopt due to their age, parents who had suffered the loss of an infant and others who couldn’t conceive. Georgia Tann took advantage of poor families, young single mothers, she removed babies from maternity wards and told new parents their baby had passed away overnight. She forged paperwork, didn’t issue adoption and birth certificates on time, she lied about children being orphans and about birth mothers backgrounds, and religious beliefs.

Before and After shares the personal stories of fifteen people who were adopted as babies from the infamous home, some had happy childhoods and others didn’t, from different social back grounds, and all shared the common feeling of loss. They lost their birth parents and real name, knew nothing about their heritage and medical history, and if they had siblings, cousins and extended family? The reunion held by Lisa Wingate and Judy Christie, brought survivors together, to share their stories and feelings, information and photo’s they had collected over the years, and they felt united and not unwanted.

Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate was released in 2017, and she had no idea the impact her novel would have, and I highly recommend reading it first and then Before and After. A well written and heartbreaking story, and it’s a tribute to the thousands of babies, children and their families who were effected by the inhumane actions of Georgia Tann, and five stars from me.

The Last of the Moon Girls

The Last of the Moon Girls by Barbara Davis
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Eight years ago Elzibeth Moon left Salem Creek in rural New Hampshire, she wanted to study and she’s now the creative director of Chenier Fragrances in New York. Her grandmother Alethea passes away, Lizzy had no idea she was sick and she has to return to Salem Creek to deal with the deceased estate. Moon Girl Farm has been in her family for nine generations, they grow herbs, apples and run an apothecary shop. Lizzy meets her grandmother’s friend Evangeline Broussard, she took care of her when she was ill, and the farm looks very different. The buildings haven’t been maintained, the gardens are over grown, the apothecary shop is closed and of course Evvie’s main priority was looking after Alethea.

Lizzy has to face the tragic past, two young girls Heather and Darcy Gilman were murdered eight years ago, her beloved grandmother was one of the suspects and ever since the people of Salem Creek have shunned the Moon’s. Elzibeth knows her sweet, kind and loving grandmother didn’t kill the girls, the investigation has gone cold, Lizzy wants to find the killer and clear her family’s name.

Lizzy stirs trouble in Salem Creek, she has issues with disturbing things happening on the property and this doesn’t put her off trying to find the girls killer. Althea left behind a Book of Remembrances for Lizzy, all of the Moon women have a special gift, or a light and in Lizzy’s case it’s a heightened sense of smell. She realizes it's impossible for her to move back to New York, the farm wouldn’t sell in it's present condition and her neighbor Andrew Greyson is helping her with the repairs.

Living again at Moon Girl Farm, Lizzy remembers the good times she had with her grandmother as a child, Evvie becomes a friend, her estranged mother Rhanna returns, and Lizzy embraces her gift, and it changes her plans for the future. The Last of The Moon Girls by Barbara Davis is a really captivating story, full of mystery, secrets and magick, five stars from me, and I can’t wait to read Keeper of Happy Endings.

The Work of Art

The Work of Art by Mimi Matthews
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When Phyllida Satterthwaite’s grandfather dies, she has to leave her peaceful life at Fox Cross in country Devonshire behind, and move to noisy London. Her male cousin inherited her grandfather’s estate Satterthwaite Court, he lives in London, and he wants her to marry. He allowed her to bring her four dogs, Basil, Jasper, Dash and Fox with her, they annoy him and he’s keen to marry her off to an older man, the Duke of Moreland, and he has a sinister reputation and likes to collect things out of the ordinary.

Philly's concerned by the Duke's cold behavior, she has two different colored eyes and she's sure it’s the reason why he wants to marry her. Captain Arthur Heywood is the only person she knows in London, she contacts him and he offers to help her, and they quickly marry. Injured during the Peninsular War, he’s been left with a severely damaged leg and hand and uses a cane walk. Arthur lives a quiet life in Somersetshire, he’s withdrawn from society due to his injuries and he doesn’t think his condition will improve. Philly is the sweetest person, kind, compassionate, and she's sure she can help him recover.

Arthur and Philly settle into a marriage of convenience, he’s still concerned about the vengeful Duke of Moreland, he has a tendency towards seeking revenge and he's not sure if he will be able to protect his wife. The Work Of Art is a regency romance by Mimi Matthews, I haven't read one in years and I highly recommend this book. The handsome war hero, meets a beautiful woman in danger, he doesn't think he can offer her more than his name and he gives her everything she has ever wanted and more. I recived a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, it's delightful, and five stars from me.

The Girl from Bletchley Park

The Girl from Bletchley Park by Kathleen McGurl
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Pamela Jackson is about to finish school in 1942, she’s extremely smart and she receives an offer to attend Oxford University. She puts this on hold due to the war and Pamela’s interviewed to be a codebreaker at Bletchley Park and she joins the Wrens. Here she meets Clarissa Morton, Norah Clarke, Edwin Denham and Frank Miller. One of the men is extremely friendly and charming to Pamela, and then she begins to have second thoughts about him, his loyalty to England and has he been lying to her?

Julia has been married to Marc for fifteen years, they have two sons and she runs her own IT company. Julia’s busy juggling her work, two children, and their after school actives. Her husband Marc has always been negative about her career, he doesn’t help her with daily tasks at home, and he’s become very distant. Her brother Bob is cleaning out his house, he gives Julia photos of their grandmother and she worked at the English country house called Bletchley Park. Julia’s grandmother never spoke about what she did during the war years, with her being good a maths and languages, and it makes sense to Julia why her grandmother was given the opportunity.

Julia discovers what her grandmother did at Bletchley Park, from having to sign the official secrets act, not being able to speak to anyone about her work, using the huge digital electronic computer called Colossus, and how being able to decipher the German messages, reduced the length of the war by several years. Julia gains strength from her grandmother’s experiences, it helps her deal with the problems in her own life, to keep going during the tough times, and she defiantly takes after her grandmother.

The Girl from Bletchley Park is a dual timeline story about two intelligent women, and I found reading about Bletchley Park fascinating, I liked the two main female characters of Pamela and Julia, and I despised Marc's character. A slightly different writing style and story line to Kathleen McGurl's previous books, a nice change, thanks to NetGalley for my copy, and five stars from me.

Emily, Gone

Emily, Gone by Bette Lee Crosby
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In 1971, the small town of Hesterville in Georgia, was invaded by hippies there for a music festival. The crowd was much larger than expected, despite tickets being sold, and many of the shops in the town had to close. The festival played continuous loud music, some of the crowd behaved badly, and caused problems.

Rachel Dixon had a young six month old baby Emily, after two nights of blaring music, no sleep, a storm hit, and she and her husband George were exhausted. They didn’t hear the back door opening, a small woman entered the house, took Emily and in the morning her cot was empty. The local police immediately started investigating Emily’s disappearance, and they had very little to go on, a few smudged thumb prints and some dusty footprints. They had trouble solving the missing baby case, despite posters being distributed, a reward being offered and lots of media attention.

Vicki Robart, was at the festival with her boyfriend Russ Murphy, she’s depressed, she had a baby girl seven month before and she was stillborn. Not until later does Russ discover what Vicki had done, he’s shocked and he tries to convince her to return the baby. Vicki’s mentally unstable, she’s determined to keep Lara and Russ can’t get her to listen to him. Vicki had a sister called Angela, she hasn’t seen her in over three years and Russ doesn’t know anything about her. Angela and her husband Kenny are surprised to suddenly hear from Vicki, when she arrived with a baby and they have no reason to suspect the baby wasn't hers?

Emily, Gone by Bette Lee Crosby is a story about a family’s heartache of losing their baby daughter, for years they suffered every parent’s worst nightmare, they hoped Emily was alive and being cared for. Years later, what happened on that night is reveled, two mothers find out the truth about their daughter, and for one it’s a devastating revelation. I recived a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, you feel so sorry for the characters of Rachel and George Dixon, a heartbreaking story, and four stars from me.

Love, Theodosia

Love, Theodosia: A Novel of Theodosia Burr and Philip Hamilton by Lori Anne Goldstein
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What would happen if Theodosia Burr and Philip Hamilton fell in love, and author Lori Anne Goldstein explores this scenario in her first novel? Unlike most women of the time, Theodosia Burr is well educated, fluent in four languages, and has a mind of her own. Her father Senator Aaron Burr, is running for office in the 1800 presidential election, possibly in debt, and desperate to keep the family home Richmond Hill.

Philip Hamilton is the charming, handsome and eldest son of Alexander Hamilton. Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton are political opposites and bitter enemies. Theodosia and Philip fall in love, having to choose between loyalties to their families, preserving the legacy their fathers have created, and changing their destiny.

Love, Theodosia, is a “what if story” about the possible romance between Theodosia Burr and Philip Hamilton, attracted to each other, do they succumb to desire, or do they walk away and do what’s expected of them? Being Australian I didn’t know a lot about the Hamilton era, I read the book, authors notes and she did extensive research, with help from my friend Google, I worked it all out, and I now know a little more about America's first families. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, it’s a tastefully written romance, and four stars from me.

A Life of Secrets

A Life of Secrets: An uplifting story of betrayal and resilience by Margaret Kaine
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Lady Deborah Claremont like many women of her generation, lost her fiancé in the Great War, she’s now in her mid-twenties and unmarried. She secretly runs Bloomsbury Staff Agency, she finds work for people who are struggling to gain suitable employment, and no one knows she’s an aristocrat.

Despite fighting for their country, lower class men are poorly paid, have no leave entitlements, work long hours, and their widows get little financial support. In 1926, it’s a time of social unrest in England, Deborah supports the cause, and she goes to a meeting at Battersea Town Hall. Theodore Field is a MP in the British parliament, he accompanies Deborah and they listen to union supporter Evan Morgan speak. If her controlling brother Gerard knew what she was doing, he would be furious, he’s an awful snob and has no sympathy for anyone.

Deborah finds Evan Morgan fascinating, they live in very different worlds, and she’s attracted to Theodore Field. Like Deborah, he also lost his first love, they have a lot in common and start courting. But, Deborah has a secret, she discovers she’s been manipulated for years and betrayed in a terrible way. Deborah trusts Theo, she tells him about her past, he’s really understanding, and he confronts the person responsible.

A Life of Secrets is a story about Lady Deborah Claremont, I loved her character in the narrative and she’s a strong female role model. Unlike many aristocrats, Deborah has empathy towards lower class people, she wants to help them, and change the social justice system in England.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, Margaret Kaine has written a interesting book, it makes you think about life in England at the time and how unfair it was, and five stars from me.

The Fossil Hunter

The Fossil Hunter by Tea Cooper
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Mellie Vale, lives in Wollombi, with her father and he mixes with some rough characters. With a high fever, Mellie remembers running through the Australian bush, with a bunyip chasing her, and everyone thinks she has an overactive imagination. Bunyips are mystical creatures that live in the bush and near lagoons, they make a roaring noise and Aboriginal people believe they exist. The Pearson family give her a place to stay, she has no idea what happened to her dad, and their two daughters Lydia and Bea, bully Mellie.

When Lydia and Bea, Ella and Grace Ketteringham, and Millie are given and oppituinty to stay with Anthea Winstanley, a family friend of the Pearson's, Mellie’s nervous, and Anthea's an amateur paleontologist. Anthea’s interested in fossils, and convinced she will find proof of the ancient sea dragons, and the ichthyosaur and the plesiosaur. The Hunter Valley was once a vast in land sea, full of prehistorical marine life, with the right conditions they eventually turned into fossils, and Anthea’s property at Bow Bow Gorge is the ideal location.

Penelope Jane Martindale is an Australian ambulance driver, she served in France during WW I, and she’s waiting for a ship to taker her home and she visits the Natural History museum in London. Her brothers Dan and Riley died in the war, as young boys they collected fossils and Penelope also finds them interesting. She travels to Lyme Regis, to visit the graves of three famous women paleontologists and speaks to a Mr. Wood.

Returning to Australia with her fiancé Samuel Groves, her father isn’t happy to see her and he blames her for her brother’s deaths. Penelope discovers a connection between a fossil at the museum in London, her brother’s fossil collections and where they were found. Determined to discover the truth she travels to Bow Wow Gorge, locals don’t like talking about the place, it has a sinister past, and she meets two influential women Dr. Mavis Elliot and Ms. Amelia Baldwin.

The Fossil Hunter is a dual timeline historical mystery, set in 1847 and 1919, its full of scientific information, interesting characters, long kept secrets, startling discoveries, and complicated family relationships. I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Harlequin Australia in exchange for an honest review, Tea Cooper at her very best, I highly recommend reading this book, and five stars from me.

The Green Lace Corset

The Green Lace Corset by Jill G. Hall
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Green Lace Corset is a dual timeline story set in the American West in 1885 and the present time in San Francisco.

Anne McFarland’s an artist, while on holidays in Flagstaff, she buys the antique green corset from a second-hand shop, and it has a black lace trimmed bodice and a flouncy skirt. Anne lives in a small studio apartment in San Francisco, she’s getting over the loss of her beloved mentor Sylvia and break up from her fiancée Sergio. She applies for a new position teaching art, her idea is to create a woodland mosaic, and her life is turned upside down with an unexpected personal development.

Sally Sue Sullivan lives in Missouri, she’s on her way to stay with her sick Aunt Sarah, a man boards the train, she recognizes him, she was the only witness, when he robbed a bank, and the law are looking for him. With a bounty on his head, Cliff abducts Sally and takes her to a remote ranch in Arizona near Flagstaff. Once winter hits, Sally and Cliff are snowed in, at first she’s angry, hostile and recklessly tries to escape. Sally’s heart starts to warm towards the Civil War veteran, wanted bank robber and a man who has taken good care of her, been a gentleman and she no longer feels like an unattractive spinster.

As owners of The Green Lace Corset, Sally and Anne have to face their fears, challenges, and insecurities. By doing this, they find happiness, love, and the joy of creating an unexpected family. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, I can’t wait to read, The Black Velvet Coat and The Silver Shoes by Jill G. Hall. I own both books, they have been sitting on my kindle for a while, and four stars for my current read.

The Long Path Home

The Long Path Home by Ellen Lindseth
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Violet Ernte ran away from home as a teenager, she lives in Chicago and works as a burlesque dancer. She’s made mistakes in her life, she’s her harshest critic and she thinks it’s her own fault. Due to her career, she meets ruthless men, one of them being Tony Vecchione, he has seedy plans for her, Violet’s life's in danger, and she needs to quickly leave Chicago.

Violet joins the USO, as a dancer and part of her job is to keep an eye on Marcie May. They wear a uniform, have to get through army boot camp, and pass the physical. Marcie's actually a mobster’s daughter, she’s rather naive, and spoilt. The USO group, board a military ship full of soldiers, have no idea where they’re going, and it’s defiantly somewhere near the action. They arrive in Italy, everyone's shocked by the damage the war and the German's have caused, and the suffering of the civilians. The troops deserve to be entertained, take their minds off the terrible war and it’s far from over.

Vi meets battle hardened sergeant Ansel Danger, they call him sergeant dangerous, he’s in charge of making sure the USO members are safe and abide by the long list of rules. When the main act Luciana hurts herself, suddenly goes missing, and Vi feels like something isn’t what it seems and she’s right! Violet’s willing to help her country, she has to tell them the truth about her identity, her past, and she’s embarrassed and ashamed.

The Long Path Home is a story about Violet being taken advantage of when she was a teenage girl, she blames herself, and not the perpetrator. By going to war torn Italy, she gains confidence, she realizes that she was an innocent victim, everyone deserves a second chance, and she can leave her past behind and look forward to the future. I recived a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, I felt compassion for Violet's character and the Italian civilians, and four stars from me.

Outback Secrets

Outback Secrets by Rachael Johns
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Henrietta Forward loves her job as a light plane pilot, she musters cattle and works as a crop duster. Henri grew up on a farm, she likes her independence, and not being in the same place for long. With a knowledge of animals, crops and flying, her job suits her perfectly and Henri has the best of both worlds. After an alarming indecent she returns home to Bunyip Bay, to the family property called Bungara Springs, and she's staying with her mum.

Liam Castle owns and runs the pub in Bunyip Bay, not much happens in town that he doesn’t know about, and he doesn’t mention his own past. He’s from America, single, very good looking and a bit of a mystery man. Henri’s mum’s wants her daughter to settle down, stop gallivanting around, get married and start having babies. The last thing that Henri wants, she likes her freedom, she’s not all that keen on having children and maybe Liam and Henri would make the perfect couple?

They decided to play along with the idea, it will solve Henri’s problems, and the town’s matchmakers will leave them both alone. What they didn’t take into consideration, is that they have fun together, the chemistry between them is electric, the sparks fly, and can they keep their relationship platonic?

Outback Secrets is a story full of small town drama, slightly dysfunctional families, dealing with the loss of loved ones, keeping of secrets, facing fears, life's challenges and a hot romance. Rachael Johns has done it again, I always love the characters in her books, the use of Aussie language, being set in Australia, and it made me laugh out loud. Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Australia for my copy, and five big stars from me.

A Sister's Song

A Sister’s Song by Molly Green
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Suzanne Linfoot lives in Bromley, she’s has an older sister Raine and a younger sister Ronnie. Raine’s a members of the Air Transport Auxiliary, and Suzy would like to do her bit for the war effort and convincing her stubborn French mother Simone isn’t going to be easy. Suzanne’s a talented musician, she can play the violin and the piano. Her mother’s plan is for her to study music in London, Suzy wants to join the Entertainment National Service Association and perform for the troops.

She meets with Miss Elizabeth Foster, she’s accepted into the ENSA, and Suzy has no idea where they will be posted. Suzanne has made friends with Betty a saxophone player, soon their aboard the Orbita, and on the way to an unknown destination. Suzanne discovers she can sing, she enjoys entertaining the allied troops, she gains confidence and thrives being part of the gang of performers.

Just before she left home, Suzy met James Mortimer, he’s in the navy, they write to each other and she worries about his safety. She also discovered a family secret, her mother has been keeping from her, time away has given her a chance to think about the shocking discovery, and she hopes her mother will answer her questions when she returns home to England?

A Sister’s Song is a wonderful WW II Historical Fiction story, Suzanne’s character is lovely, and my favorite out of the three Linfoot sisters. I enjoyed reading about her discovering her voice, making friends with her fellow performers, her trip overseas, and boosting morale, her falling in love with James and how her relationship with her mother Simone changed. I received a copy of this book in exchange for on honest review, and I can’t wait to read the next book in the series by Molly Green, and five stars from me.

A Sister's Courage

A Sister’s Courage by Molly Green
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Raine Linfoot is the eldest of three girls, her father Robert is English and her mother Simone is French. She's rather spirited, determined, smart, and she drives her mother crazy. She gets a job working as a clerk at a flying school when she’s seventeen, her mentor Doug Williams teaches her to fly, and her mother has no idea.

When the war starts, like most young people Raine wants to do her bit, and knitting socks isn’t really an option for her. She joins the Air Transport Auxiliary, Pauline Gower is in charge, Raine passes her basic training and she’s to be member of the ferry pool. They need all male pilots to defend English skies and for bombing raids, and women pilots are used to transport planes around England and Scotland.

Raine's very upset when Doug's reported missing in action, its hard, and many of her friends have continue working despite losing loved ones in the war. Raine decides it’s best to not start any romantic relationships during the war, but she seems to bump into Alec Marshall everywhere, she finds him rather annoying, and handsome.

A Sister’s Courage by Molly Green is a wonderful historical fiction story, I really liked the character of Raine, and she's feisty. I also enjoyed reading about the friends she made in the ATA, where she was billeted, and of course what happened when she was flying. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, loved it, and I can’t wait to read the next book in the series A Sister’s Song, and five stars from me.

Toward the Midnight Sun

Toward the Midnight Sun by Eoin Dempsey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Anna Denton loves her three sisters, her father’s having money problems and she agrees to the marriage he’s arranged. Leaving Seattle is hard, she’s in tears as she waves goodbye, and she’s accompanied by two chaperones who will be traveling with her to Klondike in Alaska. Due to the gold rush, it’s a very dangerous place, and especially for a pretty young woman.

Henry Bradwell is the King of Klondike, and marrying him will solve her father’s financial problems. Aboard the Mercury, she meets William Leary and his adopted brother Silas Oliver, both are concerned about the character of the two men her fiancée has employed to get her safely to Dawson city? Sure enough they leave Anna stranded, Will and Silas agree to take her the six hundred miles, it’s a long and dangerous trip, and they need to make it Dawson city before the mountain pass closes due to snow. Anna’s a lot tougher than she looks, she walks without complaining, climbs the mountain terrain, and travels last part of the journey by boat.

When she arrives, Henry Bradwell is charming older man, and the business he owns is a saloon. Winter sets in, Anna realizes she’s trapped, she can’t contact her family, and Henry’s pressuring her to set a date for the wedding. She’s starting to have big doubts about her fiancée morals, she’s also attracted to Will and the situation becomes dire.

Towards The Midnight Sun by Eoin Dempsey, is an adventure story set in Alaska, Anna’s character's brave, she didn’t give up, faced the challenges, and I really liked heroes Will and Silas. I received a copy of this book in exchange for on honest review, interesting reading about the gold rush in 1897, the stampeders, and four stars from me.

The Bookseller of Dachau

The Bookseller of Dachau by Shari J. Ryan

Matilda Ellman lives in Augsburg Germany, in a small apartment complex and near her best friend Hans Brauer. Life is becoming extremely hard for Jewish people living in Germany in 1939, Matilda’s close to Han’s entire family, she’s known them her whole life and their Jewish. When the Brauer's are forced to move, and seventeen year old Matilda creates a place for Han's to live in the attic of her parent’s house, and hides him. German soldiers move in downstairs, for months Hans tries not to make any noise, he writes by candle light, Matilda smuggles him food and she loves him.

Grace Laurent, lives in Boston and she’s an architect. One day she receives an envelope in the mail, from a solicitor in Germany and she’s inherited a book shop in Dachau and from a grandmother she didn’t know existed. Grace’s mum died in 2015, as a baby she was sent to America during the 1930’s from Germany, and she tried her whole life to find her birth parents. Grace travels to Germany, hopefully to get some answers about her mother’s origins and solve the mystery. The bookshop’s called Runa’s Wunderbare, it’s a beautiful old building, and she’s given letters and photographs that belonged to her grandmother Matilda. Grace is taken on a tour of Dachau, she’s horrified by what happened to Jewish people in the nearby camp, and it’s very confronting.

Grace discovers the secret to her identity, she’s taken on an moving and life changing journey. The dual timeline book is about young love, never giving up, friendship, the power of believing in what’s right, it’s an uplifting and hopeful story. The Bookseller of Dachau by Shari J. Ryan is one of the best books I have read this year, I was so emotionally connected to the characters, I was crying, and five stars from me.

The Golden Bride

The Golden Bride by Kimberley Woodhouse
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When Olivia’s parents suddenly pass away, she marries Hezekiah Brighton and she’s only know him for a day. He promises to take her to San Francisco, where her brother Daniel lives and all he’s done is drive around in circles for six weeks. Olivia tries to keep positive, believe in her husband and she draws strength from her faith in the lord.

Hezekiah is killed, Olivia has run out of food and she needs to get to San Francisco as soon as possible. She’s been warned that the town’s really wild, full of rough men and no place for a lady. After ten years she’s reunited with her brother Daniel Livingston, he owns and runs a successful restaurant. Olivia starts working as a waitress, she attracts a lot of unwanted attention and receives over twenty marriage proposals a day.

Her brothers best friend Joseph Sawyer, is a member of the town council, he’s worried about the fire risk in San Francisco, and the trafficking of Chinese people and being forced into slave labor. Joseph was saved by his friend Daniel, he introduced him to the lord, he wants to help others and so does Olivia.

Daniel gives her a precious gift, a box of journals from her mother, that have been passed down through generations of the women in her family and Olivia feels blessed to receive them. Olivia has given up on love, but she finds Joseph attractive, he has the qualities that she admires in a man and they study the bible together. A devastating fire and dangerous threats, bring Olivia and Joseph closer together and they share the same strong faith.

I received a copy of The Golden Bride from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, even though I haven't read other books in the series, I enjoyed the story and four stars from me.

The Secrets pf Hawthorn Place

The Secrets of Hawthorn Place by Jenni Keer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When, Molly Butterfield’s relationship ends, she assumes she can stay with her mum Annetta and step-father Brain. They have other plans, her grandfather Walter’s recently been widowed, he’s lonely and Brian agrees to take her to stay with her Pop. Her grandfather lives in an odd house called Hawthorn Place, on the Dorset Coast, it’s a very unique house and it’s around a hundred years old.

Molly’s used to everyone picking up after her, she’s spoilt, twenty four and broke. She discovers that her grandfather hasn’t been coping, he’s been sleeping in a chair, and eating microwave dinners. His once beautiful garden is over grown, Molly stops feeling sorry for herself, and tries to get her grandfather interested in more than watching TV and he discovers the internet.

Molly finds a tiny door, it reveals an identical Art and Crafts house, called Acadia House, and it’s in Norfolk and two hundred miles away. The Secrets of Hawthorn Place, has a dual timeline that goes between the past, present, it’s a whimsical and mystical story about the two houses and the people who lived in them. They were designed by architect Percy Gladwell, the current owner of Arcadia House, Rory Brooker has his own issues with mental health and he and Percy have a lot in common.

Molly is transformed from being a rather selfish person, she becomes interested in history, architecture, domestic tasks, and helping both her grandfather and Rory overcome the tragedy in their lives. Jenni Keer has written a really interesting story, the past and present are linked together in a very clever way, and five stars from me.

Once Upon a Wardrobe

Once Upon a Wardrobe by Patti Callahan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Megs Devonshire is the best sister in the world, her little brother George is eight, seriously ill and enthralled by a new book called The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. He begs Megs to find out where Narnia came from, and how can she refuse the request of her sweet brother and grant him his dying wish.

Megs is sitting on the fence of the famous author’s property called the Kilns in Oxford, and she wonders how can she approach him, and ask C. S. Lewis her brother’s question? She has no idea, that Jack and Warnie Lewis are the kindest of men, they invited Megs in for afternoon tea and she explains her situation. Jack Lewis shares with her stories about himself and his brother growing up as young boys in Ireland and she shares these with George.

Both Megs and George are given a gift, where a world of make believe, fairy tales, books and drawing, brings hope to a young boy, who's only months away from death, and peace to his sister who doesn’t know how she can go on without him. Once Upon a Wardrobe is a delightful story, about the love between siblings and you find wonder in the natural world, castles and in between the pages of a book. Thanks to NetGalley, Harper Muse for my copy, I sobbed at the end, and five big stars from me.

Windswept

Windswept by Annabelle McCormack
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Lady Virginia Whitman is from a well to do English family, her parents own a residence in Cairo and her father works for the foreign office. Ginger and her friend Beatrice Thornton, work as nurses at a busy causality clearing station in Palestine and are close to the action. The Turks hold vital territory, the British campaign in Egypt has been costly and they need to keep control of the Suez Canal. Ginger finds a wounded Turkish soldier hiding in a hut, he claims to be carrying important intelligence and has information about a secret plot against the British army. Gravely wounded, not sure if he will live, Ahmed makes Ginger promise to hide his possessions, and he informs her that someone has infiltrated British intelligence, and is a spy.

Ginger doesn’t know who she can trust with the information, she has no idea how much danger she’s in and she contacts her brother Henry. Instead of coming to her aid, he sends the one person she has never liked, his best friend Lord Stephen Fisher, he’s rather obnoxious and her father wanted her to marry him. Trouble seems to follow Ginger, Major Noah Benson saves her when she's stranded in the Arabian desert, he’s a British intelligence officer, he takes her to a Bedouin camp, she sees how he interacts with the local people and she could easily fall in love with the handsome Major.

Windswept, is an incredible adventure story about a British nurse during WW I, it's full of intrigue, suspense, danger, corruption and murder. Ginger discovers the identity of the enemy spy working for the Germans, she has the ability to change the course of the war and has to question the motives of members of her own family. A engrossing historical fiction saga, I was hooked by the end of the first chapter, thanks to Edelweiss for my copy, and five stars from me.

A Picture of Hope

A Picture of Hope by Liz Tolsma
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

American journalist Nellie Wilkerson has spent her time in England, taking photos of mothers waiting in ration lines and she wants to be on the front-line. The big push is about to happen, all the male journalist are going to land in France with the allied troops, and General Eisenhower doesn’t want a bunch of women journalists getting in the way. They write a letter to the general, informing him, women want a women’s prospective of the war, and they have send their husbands, brothers and sons to fight!

The Prague is a hospital ship leaving for Normandy, Nellie sneaks on board and nothing could prepare her for what she witness at Omaha beach. Nellie’s taking photos to send back to the Chicago Tribute, she finds herself close to the action and German soldiers are still patrolling nearby. She meets resistance fighter Jean-Paul Breslau, he and Nellie end up traveling through the French countryside together.

They come across a little girl hiding in some bushes, they sneak into the town and what the Germans are doing is truly barbaric. They can’t leave little Claire, an orphaned child with special needs on her own, and they take her to a nearby convent. Here they meet three dedicated nuns, Sister Maria-Theresa, Sister Angelica and Sister Raphael. With the Germans in pursuit, Nellie and Jean-Paul need to get to safety in Switzerland, taking the nuns and three young special needs children with them on the dangerous journey.

A Picture of Hope by Liz Tolsma, is based on true facts, while filled with the horror of what the Germans did during WW II, it’s also an uplifting story, about believing in what they are doing is good, god is always with them and guiding them on the right path. I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Barbour Fiction in exchange for an honest review, I highly recommend reading this enlightening book, and five stars from me.

The Officer Girl in Blue

The Officer Girl in Blue by Fenella J. Miller
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Charlotte Fenimore has finished her officers training in Somerset, she and a fellow WAAF’s officer Marion Russell travel to London together. Charlotte has a week’s holiday before she starts her new job and she’s excited to be able to visit her friend Nancy, her husband David and their menagerie of children and animals.

Charlotte’s single, she wants to concentrate on her career and then she meets handsome homicide detective Dan Chalmers at the Sanctuary Hotel, where she’s living. He was severely wounded at Dunkirk, he’s lucky to have not lost his leg, he’s still in a lot of pain and he doesn’t think any women would be interested in him.

Daniel Chalmers is trying to arrest a gang of dangerous East End criminals, and he’s sure their getting inside information from some corrupt policemen. Their extremely violent, this puts Charlotte in danger and the couple have to constantly have their wits about them. Charlotte has started working for Wing Commander Sanderson, after she tidies up his messy office, it’s her job to find any suspicious requests for personnel and it’s costing the British military money.

Charlotte and Dan have a lot in common, both have a good work ethic, and you can feel the chemistry and connection between them. I enjoyed reading about the three young women, Jane, Nancy and Charlotte who joined the Women's Auxiliary Air Force together, their careers, friendship and all finding love. I highly recommend reading The Girls in Blue, The East End Girl in Blue and the final installment The Officer in Blue, and a fitting way to end the series. Thanks to Aria Fiction and NetGalley for my copy, in exchange for an honest review, and four stars from me.

Apples Never Fall

Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Stan and Joy Delaney have been married for almost fifty years, they live in a quiet street on the outskirts of Sydney and the couple recently sold their successful tennis coaching business and have retired. They have four adult children, Troy, Logan, Amy and Brooke and the couple are classed as empty nesters. The one thing Joy doesn’t have, is grandchildren, and she’s eagerly waiting for one of her children to make her a grandmother.

Joy mysteriously vanishes on a hot summers day, she left home, didn’t take her phone, handbag, spare clothes and her bank account hasn’t been touched. Stan’s a big man, he’s fit for his age, and he wouldn’t have harmed Joy, hid any evidence and lied to his children? The Delaney siblings are suddenly looking back at their childhood, for any signs their parent’s marriage wasn’t a happy one and like most couples they had the odd disagreement. Joy seemed happy being a wife, mother, business and tennis partner of Stan. Did she resent being the only one to cook the family meals, pack the school lunches, do endless loads of washing, did they all take what she did for granted and has she done a runner?

Stan and Joy, had a young woman stay with them for six weeks last year, her name is Savannah, and could she have something to do with Joy’s disappearance? As the two detectives, family, friends and business acquaintances look back at life in the Delaney home, conversations, family interactions and celebrations can be viewed very differently and opinions vary. Liane Moriarty has a way of layering a story, with lots of little details and moments, that makes you think about what really goes on behind closed doors and anything is possible.

I received a copy of Apples Never Fall from NetGalley and Pan Macmilan Australia, it has the perfect amount of intrigue, mystery, suspense, anticipation and family drama and five stars from me.

All That We Have Lost

All That We Have Lost by Suzanne Fortin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

2019: Imogen Wren’s a young widow, her husband passed away four years ago, and she’s still working for the same company as a house designer. In her spare time she visits her mother-in-law Denise, her sister Meg and reads. Imogen’s still morning James, all she lost when he died and how long can she continue doing this for? James and Imogen had plans to move to France, she decides she needs a change of pace, she moves to France and buys an abandoned chateau in Brittany.

Imogen discovers the locals don’t want to have anything to do with the chateau, none of the contractors she calls will even consider working for her and the chateau needs major structural repairs. During the Second World War, the chateau was taken over by the German’s, used as accommodation for officers and they think it's cursed. Like most towns in France, the Germans treated the residents terribly, punished anyone who was involved in the resistance and helped them.

1944: Simone Varon lives in the village of Tredion with her mother Marianne and her younger brother Pierre. Her mother runs a grocery shop, food is strictly rationed by the Germans and one officer in particular makes Simone feel very uncomfortable. Pierre’s a sickly child, he has asthma, his health is getting worse and medicine is in short supply. Not much gets past the Germans, they know Pierre’s very ill, they have medicine and can use this to force Simone do what they want. Simone plays the flute, a German officer demands she plays at the chateau, she tries to keep her distance from him and it gives her a chance to pass on information to the resistance.

Not all Germans are the same, Simone meets Max Becker, he’s kind and Simone has to be very careful that no one in the village sees her talking to a German soldier and they hate people who collaborate with the Germans. Simone has no idea, the events she's caught up in during the war, will have devastating consequences, and the descendants of people living in the village will continue to carry a grudge against her family decades later.

As Imogen restores the fire damaged chateau, she’s determined to uncover the truth of what happened in Tredion during the war, she has no idea a vital clue has been left behind in a section of the chateau, and it will prove that Simone Varon wasn’t a collaborator. All That We Have Lost is a brilliant dual timeline historical fiction story, the characters of Imogen and Simone are both strong and brave women and I admired their resilience and courage. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, it's well written, hard to put down and five stars from me. I highly recommend reading both All That We Have Lost and Suzanne Fortin's previous book The Forgotten Life of Arthur Pettinger.

The Forgotten Life of Arthur Pettinger

The Forgotten Life of Arthur Pettinger: absolutely heartbreaking World War 2 historical fiction by Suzanne Fortin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Arthur Pettinger’s ninety six, he has Alzheimer’s and his memory isn’t want it used to be. His granddaughter Hazel's taking care of him at his home, she’s not patient, or understanding and she demands a break. She contacts her sister Maddy, she has an eleven year old daughter Esther, and they agree to take care of Arthur. He’s a sweet man, he calls all his caretakers “duck” and because he can’t remember anyone’s name. The one name he does remember is Maryse, a French woman, he hasn’t seen her for seventy years and he loved her. Maddy doesn’t mind taking care of her grandfather and she doesn’t understand how time consuming it will be and exhausting.

Arthur wakes up a lot at night, he tries to dress himself to get ready to go to work, he leaves taps running, puts his slippers on the wrong feet and he’s forgotten his wife Joan has passed away. Esther’s a typical eleven year old, she loves making cooking videos and uploading them to YouTube. She decides to make a video, to try to find Maryse for her great-grandfather and she doesn’t ask her mum for permission. Suddenly Maddy’s phones ringing nonstop, everyone wants to have the rights to Arthur’s story and she needs advice. The only person she knows who can help get rid of the media, and find Maryse is Joe Finch, he's a private investigator, and unfortunately her ex-partner.

Joe and Maddy travel to France, to try to find any descendants of Maryse Dupont and Maddy has no idea what her grandfather did during the war. They discover that Arthur was a Secret Operations Executive, the allies were preparing for D-Day, and they needed the local resistance and agents to cause mayhem and distract the German army. The Forgotten Life of Arthur Pettinger is a story about how brave Arthur was during the war, his dedication to his country, his fellow agents, and he and Maryse put the lives of two vulnerable children before themselves. A poignant and heartfelt book by Suzanne Fortin and I can’t wait to read her new book, All That We Have Lost and five stars from me.

Summer of Serenity

Summer of Serenity by Nicola Marsh
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Jy Atherton works as a principal at an elite Melbourne private school, he’s rather outspoken and he’s annoyed his bosses at the education department. As his punishment, he’s sent to assess a small school in the beach side town of Acacia Haven and it’s year twelve class has the lowest VCE results in the state. The school's on the brink of closure, the education department has made up its mind, Jy has to endure a month at the school and submit his report.

The first day of school, the attendance rate at Acacia Haven for the high school students is extremely low, and Jy can’t understand why? The primary school aged children are keen, paying attention, the curriculum isn’t standard and it would defiantly be classed as an alternate school. Teacher Summer O’Reilly doesn’t get off to a great start with Jy, she was born and raised in Acacia Haven and she’s protective of the town and its school.

Summer shows Jy the sustainable living community of Serenity, families don’t see formal education as a priority, they prefer children to learn by life experience and connecting with nature. Jy’s impressed with the way people live, the community garden, and he understands children’s education priorities and requirements are different to students in the city and he will include this in his report. The sparks fly between Jy and Summer not only at work, they can’t avoid each other in a small town and the principal’s a good looking and single.

Summer’s mother Rayne is facing her own challenges, she seems like she has everything under control, she’s been keeping a secret for years, it’s a heavy burden to carry and she needs to find the courage to deal with her past. Summer of Serenity is a story about a small coastal town, it’s a tight knit community, with a dedicated teacher and she and others will fight to keep the school open. Despite being vulnerable, mother and daughter still believe in love, romance and both have to follow their hearts.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Harlequin Australia in exchange for an honest review, the first book I have read by Nicola Marsh, I was impressed, five stars from me and I now look forward to reading The Liar Next Door.

The Orphan's Daughter

The Orphan's Daughter by Sandy Taylor
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Nora Doyle lives in Ballybun, Ireland in 1924, with her parents and large extend family. It's a small rural village, where everyone knows your business and she's best friend's with Kitty Quinn. The two thirteen year old girls, think it’s their duty to witness any local funeral officiated by Father Kelly and make sure everyone gets a fitting send off. Her family live in a cottage called Grey House, her dad Colm delivers milk and Nora has almost finished school. Kitty and Nora spend their free time, running around the village, exploring the countryside and dreaming of what they will do when they grow up.

Nora loves to read, her grandad gives her a book every Christmas and she’s a very curious teenager. The big house on the hill is owned by the Bretton family, during one of their adventures the girls notice a whole in the wall, they discover a secret garden and it’s looked after by a boy called Edward. Nora’s family don’t like to talk about the Bretton's, she has no idea why and she keeps her visits to the garden a secret. Edward and Nora, have a real connection, and it’s hard to explain how they feel about each other.

Nothing stays a secret in Ballybun for long, Nora’s forbidden to go to the garden by her mother and Caroline Bretton. Nora and Kitty finish school, they both find jobs locally and life continues on. A series of unfortunate events, including sickness, and an accident, changes Nora’s feelings towards herself, home, Edward and her family.

The Orphan's Daughter, is a delightful story, and you feel like your actually living in Ireland at the time, and I really enjoyed the Irish sense of humor and banter in the narrative. Most of all I loved the character of Nora, she has spirit, kindness, compassion and a way with words. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, I highly recommend reading it and When We Danced At The End Of The Pier also by Sandy Taylor and five stars from me.

Red Mistress

Red Mistress by Elizabeth Blackwell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Nadia Shulkina, is the teenage daughter of Russian aristocrats and her parents own a house in Saint Petersburg and have a small county estate in Priyalko. In 1914, Nadia and her family are worried about her brother Vasily, he’s fighting in the war and the Russian troops are hungry and poorly equipped. Nadia’s sad when her English governess Miss Field’s returns to England and she's lucky to leave when she did.

The Shulkina’s have no idea, the Russian revolution is about to start, the friendly peasants living nearby, break into their country house and violence erupts. Nadia and her mother manage to hide, they return to Saint Petersburg, the house is taken over by the government and the two women are homeless. Nadia’s loses everything, the comfortable life she took for granted is gone, her extended family, friends and brother have either left Russia, are caught up in the civil war and some are in hiding.

Nadia marries Alek Semelkova, he’s older, and a Bolshevik and she has very few options. Alek wants her to travel Paris in the 1920’s, she’s to work as a translator and be a spy. Paris is full of Russians, they fled the country during the revolution and many are involved in the Russian Cultural League. Working under cover for the Soviets, Nadia has no idea who she can trust, and she’s not sure if she can even trust her own husband. She meets Lee Cooper, he’s English, he’s writing a book, he employs her to translate documents and she developes feelings for him. Nadia’s involved in something that’s gotten out of control, a conspiracy, she feels like she’s being followed, she feels unsafe, and she's trapped in her unhappy marriage.

Red Mistress, is a story about the Russian revolution, the terrible inequality, and people were literally starving in the streets, the rise of the communist party, and Nadia surviving in a time of civil unrest, danger, and turmoil. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, I liked Elizabeth Blackwell's writing style and the book's full of interesting characters, historical facts and five stars from me.

The Collector's Daughter

The Collector's Daughter: A Novel of the Discovery of Tutankhamun's Tomb by Gill Paul
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Lady Evelyn Herbert’s the only daughter of the Earl and Countess of Carnarvon, she and her brother Porchy were born at Highclere Castle. Evelyn wants to be an archaeologist, she’s traveled to Egypt numerous times with her father Pups, they work with famous archaeologist Howard Carter and they search for the elusive tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun.

In November 1922, they found it, crammed full of gold and priceless artifacts for the boy King to take with him on his journey to the afterlife, it’s an amazing discovery and receives a lot of attention. The newspapers later went on about “the curse of Tutankhamun” and anyone who visited his sacred burial place or had entered the tomb would be forever cursed.

Evelyn marries the love of her life, Sir Brograve Beauchamp, they have a daughter Patricia, and an elderly Evelyn has a number of stokes over the years. Her most recent stoke has affected her speech, she can’t walk and her memory is rather fuzzy. When an Egyptian academic, Ana Mansour starts asking Evelyn questions about what was in Tutankhamun’s tomb, it causes her a lot of distress and Brograve becomes very concerned for her health. Evelyn tries to remember exactly what happened fifty years ago, should she keep the secret or finally reveal the truth and can she trust Ana Mansour?

A fascinating dual timeline story, set in the 1920’s and the 1970’s and it takes you from Egypt to England. I enjoyed reading about Evelyn traveling to Egypt with her father, the adventures they had together and it was exciting when they found King Tutankhamun’s tomb with Howard. A story full of intrigue, superstitions, history, and the relationship between Evelyn and Brograve is wonderful and so is the book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Gill Paul for my copy of The Collector's Daughter, I loved every page and five stars from me.

All In Good Faith

In All Good Faith by Liza Nash Taylor
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

May Marshall returns home to Keswick Virginia, with her new husband Byrd Craig and she’s traveled all the way to France and to end up marrying the boy she lived next door to as a ten year old girl. America is going through tough economic times, and May’s struggling to keep her father’s Keswick farm and business afloat. They grew fruit and vegetables, once they made and sold jams and bottled produce. May has two young children, with the help of Delphina her father’s maid, she juggles looking after her disabled father, caring for her children and she has a new idea to adapt her fathers failing business. Using the produce they grow on the farm, some of her father’s equipment and help from an employee Blue. She has a plan to make, and sell homemade candy and chocolates. Her husband Byrd works in Washington, he’s not keen on his wife’s idea, and May doesn’t listen to him.

The Sykes family live in Boston in a rundown tenement building, Roy resides with his son Walt, daughter Dorrit and his wife Augusta passed away four months ago. The Sykes follow the Christian Science Beliefs, and they don’t believe in medical treatment and sixteen year old Dorrit has never seen a doctor. Dorrit’s has a beautiful soul, she’s wonderful with young children, and she sews beautifully and loves to read Nancy Drew stories. Dorrit suffers from anxiety, she’s rather quiet, shy and spends her free time at the library.

Roy wants to travel to Washington DC, during the summer of 1932 to camp and march with over 20,000 war veterans who want president Hoover to pay their war bonuses early. He takes Dorrit with him, the plan's to go for ten days, and during the chaos Dorrit and her father are separated. Dorrit’s alone for the first time in her life, like many people at the time she starts traveling the rails, she has to have her wits about her and she has with her father’s tool box. Dorrit finds herself in Keswick Virginia, she’s sick, a kind May helps her and tries to find out what happened to her father. May can see what a wonderful person Dorrit is, together they make a winning team, and both have dreams and aspirations.

All In Good Faith is set during the American Depression, the story is about hope, kindness, compassion, helping others, finding joy in life and during the difficult times. An inspirational story, it's well written, uplifting and five big stars from me. Thanks to NetGalley, Edelweiss and Liza Nash Taylor for my copy and I highly recommend reading the book.

Birds of a Feather

Birds of a Feather by Tricia Stringer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When Eve’s Monk’s husband Rex passes in 1988, she’s a widow and with two young sons to raise. Eve continues to run the Wallaby Bay prawn fishing fleet with her husband’s business partner Spiro, now he wants to sell and Eve’s not sure if she’s ready to retire. Her sons have grown up, moved away, she lives alone in a beautiful old house overlooking the bay and she loves still being involved with the prawn boats.

Eve’s seventy, she’s fit and very independent and when she damages the rotator cuff in her shoulder, she’s in a lot of pain and needs surgery. For the first time in her life, she feels old, useless, isolated and she doesn’t know what she’s going to do? Lucy has recently moved with her partner Alec and their two children to Wallaby Bay, she’s working as a casual cleaner and she’s a registered nurse. Eve needs help at home, someone to drive her to see the specialist in Adelaide, when she has her surgery and during her recovery. The obvious person for her to employ is Lucy, and she can fit helping Eve in with her schedule of being a busy mum.

Lucy and Eve are just getting into a routine, when Eve’s goddaughter Julia arrives for a surprise visit and it causes tension. Julia’s in between jobs, she's taking a break from her partner, the perfect opportunity to catch up with her brother, sister-in-law and Eve. Julia isn’t used to sharing her godmother, she and Lucy don’t hit it off when they meet and Julia can’t see why Eve needs Lucy when she’s available? Eve explains that she needs help that Lucy’s trained to provide, and she’s not changing her plans. When Lucy’s rental's damaged, she moves in temporarily with Eve and brings her two children Noah and Polly with her. All three women, Eve, Lucy and Julia have had personal challenges in the past, while staying under the same roof, they share their stories, insecurities, feelings and form a special friendship.

Tricia Stringer has a way of making you feel a connection with the characters in her stories, and I really wanted to sit, have a cuppa and a chat with Eve, Julia and Lucy and I felt like they were real women and I really wanted to be part of their group. I received a copy of Birds of a Feather from NetGalley and Harlequin Australia in exchange for an honest review, I was hooked from the first page and five stars from me.

Song Of The Nile

Song of the Nile by Hannah Fielding
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Aida El Masri returns home to Luxor in Egypt in 1946, after spending eight years in England and where she trained to be a nurse at the Royal London Hospital during the Second World War. Her beloved father Ayoub an archaeologist, was framed for stealing a precious statue, he passed away after he was found guilty of the crime and Aida left for England.

Aida has always known her was father innocent, but she couldn’t do anything at the time and she believes her father’s best friend Kamel Pharaony is the real thief. Aida was best friends with his daughter Camelia and had a crush on his handsome son Phares. Phares is now a respected doctor and general surgeon, he owns his own hospital, and he wants to marry Aida, combine the two family’s estates and fortunes.

Aida isn’t ready to get married, even though she finds Phares extremely attractive and how can she marry the son of the man that caused her father’s down fall and death. Aida enjoys being in Egypt again, unlike England it hasn’t been damaged by the war, the food is delicious, and she buys herself beautiful new designer clothes and visits all the places she loved as teenager. She meets a Price, his name is Shams Sakr Eldin, he’s very attentive, and he makes Aida feel uncomfortable. Egypt is a dangerous place, Aida isn’t sure who she can trust and she desperately wants to prove her father’s innocence.

Song Of The Nile is a story about a daughter wanting justice for her father, you’re also taken on a journey down the Nile, into the desert, to the Polo and experience how affluent Egyptian’s lived at the time. While I enjoyed the story, I found it too much of a steamy romance for me and I can only give is three stars. Thanks to Hannah Fielding and NetGalley for my copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion and review.

Daughters of War

Daughters of War by Dinah Jefferies
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Sister’s Helene, Elise and Florence Baudin live in the river valley of Dordogne in France, near the village of Sainte-Cecile and they have lived here for seven years. When their father Charles passed away, their mother Claudette took the girls to the family’s cottage in France and returned alone to England. Being the eldest Helene is responsible for looking after her younger sisters, she puts her own hopes and dreams on hold. Due to the war the sisters are unable to return to England and they hope no one in the village will tell the Germans they are only half French. Like everyone in France, they resent the Germans presence, and can’t wait for the allies to arrive and the war to end.

Helene's caring, she helps everyone and works for the local doctor Hugo Marchant, Elise owns a small cafe in town, and Florence looks after the cottage garden, she's a wonderful cook and homemaker. All three of the sisters become involved in the fight to free France, they all face hardship, danger, loss and the challenges of living in an occupied country. Daughter of War story is full of wonderful descriptions about the beautiful French countryside, the forest near the Baudin sister’s house, and life in the village of Sainte-Cecile and how the locals all support, help each other during the terrible war years and German reprisals.

Dinah Jefferies has done it again, the book is well written and I'm so excited that it’s part of a series, and I can’t wait until the next book is published and discover what else happens to Helene, Elise and Florence and especially after France has been liberated by the American's. I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, in exchange for an honest review, five stars and if you like historical WW II fiction and I highly recommend reading it.

One Year Gone

One Year Gone by Avery Bishop
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Jessica Moore returns home one morning, to find her seventeen year old daughter Wyn isn't in her room, she hasn't left a note, and her clothes, guitar and car are all gone. Jessica knows something is seriously wrong, it's very out of character for her daughter Bronwyn to leave home and not tell her. The local police inform her teenagers run away all the time and she will come home when she's ready? No one has heard from Wyn, Jessica visits the supermarket where her daughter works, checks with the high school principal, her teacher's, asks her ex-boyfriend Aaron, and they know nothing!

Weeks go by, then months and it’s a year since Jessica last had any contact with her daughter and maybe she will never see Wyn again. Unexpectedly she receives a couple of text messages from Wyn, she’s being held captive, she needs help and the man who abducted her wears a badge.

Jessica contacts the local police, they bring in extra help and a special agent. Jessica also starts delving into the time prior to her daughter going missing, her ex-partner Wyn’s father Joe Hayden and his wife Emma have been supporting her, they live in a small town and someone must have seen something? When things don’t add up, little inconsistencies in people's stories and Jessica has no idea what she’s about to uncover, who’s involved, how many people have been lying to her, she’s putting her own life in danger, who can she trust and most importantly where's Wyn?

One Year Gone is a story about a missing teenage girl, the plot has so many twists and turns and it keeps you guessing until the very end. I received a copy of this book from NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review, I was totally hooked by the end of the first chapter, well done to Avery Bishop and five stars from me.

Echoes of War

Echoes of War by Tania Blanchard
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Giulia Tallariti lives on a farm near the remote village of Bruzzano in Calabria in Italy, with her parents Andrea and Gabriella and siblings Vincenzo, Teresa, Poala and Antonio. Their farm supports the entire family, they grow crops and vegetables, have a flock of sheep and make cheese. Her father’s a rather stubborn and old fashioned Italian man, he can’t understand why Giulia wants to be a healer like her Nonna Mariana, at her age, she should be getting married and having babies. She’s caught between wanting to make her own way in life, her duty to her family and she seizes her only chance.

Giulia's given the opportunity to study at a monastery, with the famous herbalist Fra Fortunato, here she learns about growing herbs, drying them, and their healing properties. She meets sister Agata a nun who shares her interest in herbs, medicine and they become friends. Her older brother Vincenzo and his two friends Angelo and Stefano have been conscripted into the Royal Italian Army, they have been fighting in Abyssinia and Albania. They return home hungry, thin, tired, and dirty and the young men have a haunted look about them.

This is just the beginning, Italy's ruled by a fascist government and Mussolini, even veteran of the First World War Andrea is called up, the Tallariti women are left to run the farm, harvest the crops and Poala is in her element. Giulia and her Nonna are busy running their clinic, as the Second World War year’s drag and their traditional herbal medicine is a godsend. For the Tallariti family there are times of joy when new babies are born and when widowed Giulia marries Stefano, terrible sadness when a loved one’s are killed and every family in Bruzzano dreads getting a telegram.

Echoes of War story is based around the author Tania Blanchard’s grandfather being a member of the Royal Italian Army, and fighting in Abyssinia and Albania. Her family’s historical ties to Italy, her Nonna’s interest in herbal medicine and moving to Australia after the Second World War. I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Australia and in exchange for an honest review. I have read and enjoyed all of Tania Blanchard’s books and her newest edition Echoes of War is absolutely brilliant and five stars from me.

We Must Be Brave

We Must Be Brave by Frances Liardet
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Germans are bombing England, Southampton’s the target this time and Londoner’s are fleeing the city to the surrounding countryside and the quaint village of Upton's full of displaced people. Ellen Parr’s married to older Selwyn, they met one day, when they literally bumped into each other and Ellen was working as a typist. Ellen’s on the bus on the way home to Upton, and she notices a little girl all on her own and she's sound asleep. Ellen takes the little girl to the local displaced persons center, it’s busy and she takes Pamela home and cares for her until her family can be found. Ellen and Selwyn already have three evacuees staying with them, Jack, Donald and Hawley and they have room for one more.

Pamela only knows her middle name, she very upset and want’s her mother. Ellen finds a tag on her dress, it has an address on it in Plymouth and Pamela’s last name is Pickering. Tragically, Pamela’s mother's killed in the bombing raid, she stays with the Parr's, Ellen grows to dearly love Pamela and cares for her like her own daughter. The three of them become a family, their life revolves around Pamela and living in the small village. Suddenly, Ellen’s world is turned upside down, she needs to let Pamela go and it breaks her heart.

Ellen’s a strong person, she’s experienced a lot of sadness in her life, her family lost their beautiful home, her father abandoned them, her brother left home to find work, her mother passed away, she had to fend for herself as a young teenager and she’s no stranger to loss. This is what made her into the kind, thoughtful, compassionate and strong person, she continues to be and this helps her to get through the days after Pamela left. Time goes on Ellen always wonders what happened to Pamela, she holds a special place in her heart, Ellen has the support of her beloved Selwyn, her best friend Lucy, William Kennet and the community of Upton.

We Must Be Brave, looks at the love a person can feel for a child, not a child of their body and instead a child of their heart. Despite distance, time, growing older, Ellen continues to think of Pamela, and she hopes she’s happy. Thanks to NetGalley, HarperCollins Publishers Australia for my copy of We Must Be Brave, a beautifully written and emotional story, it tugs on your hearts strings, and five stars from me.

The Storyteller of Casablanca

The Storyteller of Casablanca by Fiona Valpy
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Josie Duval is a twelve year old Jewish girl living in Casablanca in 1941, Zoe Harris is staying in the same house in 2010 and their story has a dual timeline. The two main characters are bound together when Zoe finds Josie’s diary, a trinket box, keepsakes, under the floor boards in one of the bedrooms and where they have been hidden for over seventy years.

Guillaume, Delphine, Annette and Josie, flee France when the German’s invade Paris, they eventually arrive in Casablanca, and here they hope to get visas, pass the medical checks and immigrate to America. Josie’s loves Casablanca, it’s warm climate, sights, culture, food, people, visiting the library and spending time with her new friend Nina. The whole process is slow and tedious waiting for a boat to take them to safety, the war is getting closer to Morocco, the Duval's money is running out, German soldiers arrive and the families scared.

Zoe and Tom Harris move to Casablanca for a fresh start, their marriage is struggling, other British expats live nearby and the wives make Zoe feel welcome. However, Zoe becomes captivated by Josie’s story, she wants to discover what happened to the Duval’s and did they make it to America? Zoe and Josie both meet interesting people while living in Casablanca, they both like to help others and feel a deep connection to the place. The story is tied together by themes of hope, friendship, grief, and the importance of storytelling in Moroccan culture and it's deep history.

The Storyteller of Casablanca will have you captivated from the very first page, a beautifully written story, I loved the main characters, Fiona Valpy weaves her magic once again, and what an emotional and unexpected ending. I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, if you enjoyed the Beekeeper’s Promise and I can guarantee you will enjoy reading The Storyteller of Casablanca and five stars from me.

The House at Mermaid's Cove

The House at Mermaid's Cove by Lindsay Jayne Ashford
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Alice McBride’s traveling from Africa and is returning home to Ireland and when her ship takes a direct hit from a German torpedo. She’s washed ashore on a deserted beach called Mermaid’s Cove in isolated Cornwall and found by Viscount Jack Trewella. He takes her to his boathouse, she’s freezing cold, has nasty cuts on her feet and she assures him she will be fine. Jack notices a few things about Alice that are a little odd, she’s wearing a chemise with a numbers on it, her hair is cut really short, she’s nervous and he wonders if she’s an escaped prisoner of war? Alice is in fact a nun, a trained nurse, she’s been struggling with her calling, now she has time to think about what she wants to do and she’s not sure if she wants to return to the convent in Ireland.

Once Alice’s feet heal, she’s keen to help out on Jacks farm, he has a team of land girls, and Alice pitches in, she helps with the milking and works in the vegetable garden. She makes friends with Merle Durand, she's been evacuated from the Channel Islands, with her three children and a little boy she’s looking after called Ned. Jack's been rather vague about what’s going on in his main house, he eventually explains to Alice that he and Merle are working for Churchill’s Secret Army. With Alice’s being able to speak French, she’s soon busy decoding messages and becomes involved with the resistance.

The House at Mermaid’s Cove is a wonderful story, I really liked Alice’s character, and she has courage, composure, dignity and strength. She has a positive influence on Jack, makes him understand, he needs to face his past and embrace his future with young Ned. The first book I have read by Lindsay Jayne Ashford, I thoroughly enjoyed it and I look forward to reading others.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and four stars from me.

The Buchanan Girls

The Buchanan Girls by Emily Madden
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Sydney 1941.
Olive and Ivy Buchanan are identical twins, they might look very similar and they have very different personalities. Olive’s the eldest, she's very spoilt and extremely demanding. Ivy lives in her sister’s shadow, to keep the peace she lets Olive boss her around and get her own way. Olive wants to marry well, she’s engaged to Corporal Lawson Fraser, and the weddings brought forward when Lawson’s deployed to Singapore. Ivy has to help Olive prepare for her wedding, it’s to be a lavish celebration and only the best will do for her sister.

Ivy has her own plans, she wants to join the Australian Women’s Army Service, to escape Sydney, to be free from Olive's demands and serve her country. Ivy sets off for basic training, it involves, early starts, drills, learning to march, being away from home for the first time and Ivy thrives in her new environment. Ivy’s sent to Townsville in Queensland, here she meets fellow AWAS members Dottie, Mavis and Gwen, they become friends and visit beautiful Magnetic Island. Stationed nearby is the American Southern Bomber Command and Ivy meets handsome pilot Lieutenant Leo Hamilton, both of the Buchanan sisters fall in love during WW II and hearts will be broken.

Sydney, 2008.
Madeline Harris leaves New York, devastated by her husband Evan’s betrayal, and she returns home to Sydney and needs the support of her mother Carolyn and her grandmother Olive. She starts looking for a place of her own, Madeline finds a furnished one bedroom apartment and the real estate agent informs her it’s haunted. The apartments and nearby Stepping Stones School have been built on the grounds of the old Bedlam Bay Lunatic Asylum and that could explain the ghost sightings. Evan won’t give up, he sends her text messages, reminding her of important dates and times they shared together. But, Madeline’s extremely hurt, she’s not ready to speak to her husband and doesn’t know if she will return to New York. The one person Madeline can always rely on for guidance is her grandmother, when she discovers her grandmother has herself been keeping a secret for over sixty five years and she’s shocked.

The Buchanan Sisters is an epic Australian family saga about the connection twin sisters have, betrayal, sacrifice, war, secrets, forgiveness, how to make peace with the past, being able to move forward and make important decisions about the future. I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Harlequin Australia in exchange for an honest review, The Buchanan Girls is now my favorite book by Emily Madden and five stars from me.

The Venice Sketchbook

The Venice Sketchbook by Rhys Bowen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Caroline Grant’s married to Josh, they have a little boy Teddy and she works as an editorial assistant at a women’s magazine. Josh is offered his dream job in New York, she and Teddy stay behind in England and it doesn’t take long for Josh to meet another women, Caroline’s marriage is in tatters and he wants Teddy to spend the summer in New York.

Caroline's close to her grandmother Winnie and her great-aunt Lettie, she visits them in Surrey and she’s in need of some moral support. Aunt Lettie lost her sight years ago, she’s getting very frail and she passes away. She leaves Caroline her sketchbook, three keys and with her last breath whispers the word Venice. Juliet Browning wants Caroline to scatter her ashes in Venice, the city she first visited as a teenager in the 1920’s and she will discover her great-aunts shocking secrets that have been kept hidden for over sixty years.

In 1938, Juliet Browning is an art teacher, she arrives in Venice with twelve students, for them to experience the cities, art, history, culture and food. A beautiful city built on water, getting around Venice is a challenge, lots of bridges, canals and boats are needed. For Juliet it brings back memories of her trip as a teenager, she visited Venice with her aunt Hortensia and she met the handsome Leonardo Da Rossi. He comes from one of the oldest, wealthiest and most powerful families in Venice.

Juliet returns to Venice in 1939, she’s studying art at the academia and Leonardo is now married. The outbreak of another war is looming, her fellow art students start leaving Venice and Juliet decides to stay. Juliet has friends in Venice, she can help the British government with vital information and eventually she can’t leave due to a change in her circumstances.

Caroline arrives in Venice, with three keys and her beloved great-aunts ashes. Once she solves the mystery of the first key, key by key she unlocks her aunt’s wartime secrets, she discovers the sacrifices Juliet made, and her undercover work for British intelligence.

The Venice Sketchbook is a story about love, loss, courage, friendship, secrets and self-discovery. For Caroline her time in Venice is valuable in so many ways, she comes to terms with the end of her marriage, she can see things from a different perspective, she has great admiration for her great-aunt Juliet and the lasting legacy she left behind. I received a copy of The Venice Sketchbook by Rhys Bowen from NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review, I was totally engrossed by Juliet’s story, I highly recommend the book and five stars from me.

Where Fortune Lies

Where Fortune Lies by Mary-Anne O'Connor
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Anne Brown lives in Raphoe in County Donegal, Ireland, her family live in poverty and she feels as plain as her name. One night, when all the young people of the village celebrate Beltane, she’s tricked, she leaves Ireland and travels to England. In London she makes a new life for herself, her fortunes change when she’s left some money and a ticket to Colonial Australia. A chance to escape her past, a fresh start and in a brand new country.

Sir John Worthington dies, his son Will and daughter Marigold are stunned when their father’s last will is read. He’s left his money and Mari’s dowry from her mother to his mistress and they can’t believe it. Poor Mari, she thought her fiancée Robert will stand by her, with no dowry and he ends their engagement. The siblings decide to travel to Australia, going with them is Will’s best friend Charlie Tuner, he’s a talented painter and they hope they can all improve their financial situation in Australia.

A heartbroken Mari has a terrible journey to Australia, she suffers from sea sickness and is relieved to make it onto dry land. Will and Charles venture out, to explore Melbourne and they meet Thomas McIntosh. He’s a successful businessman, he owns a winery in South Australia and land in Victoria. Will’s rather taken with Tom’s daughter Alice, he has political aspirations, she comes from a good family and Alice and Mari become friends. Charlie, Tom, Mari visit the high country of the Victorian Alps, it's full of wild horses called brumbies, they might be small and they can run fast.

Charlie finds inspiration for his painting, he also meets a mysterious exotic dancer called Miss. Love, he falls madly in love and can they possibly have a future together? It’s not only horses that run wild in the high country, a gang of bushrangers are on the loose and danger lurks behind ever bend in the dense bushland. Will, Charlie, Mari and Chrystelle Amour are all trying to make their fortunes in Australia, the choices they made in the past tie them together, loyalties are tested, and can they all follow their hearts and start afresh in the new wild land of Colonial Australia?

Where Fortune Lies is the fifth book I have read by Mary-Anne O’Connor, I like her writing style and find her books entertaining. I especially enjoyed reading about the Australian landscape, the wild brumbies and the new wine industry in my home state of South Australia.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Harlequin Australia in exchange for an honest review and four stars from me.

Until We Meet Again

Until We Meet Again by Rosemary Goodacre
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Amy Fletcher lives with her parents and brother Bertie in Sussex. Amy’s a typist, she works in an accountant’s office and secretly she supports the Suffragette movement. She meets Edmond Derwent, he’s studying at Cambridge University, he comes from a well to do family and his mother doesn’t think Amy is good enough for her son.

They fall in love, when World War One begins, Edmond signs up to be an officer and is sent to Flanders. The young couples wedding plans are put on hold, Amy wants to help the war effort and trains to be a nurse or as they were called a VAD. She’s sent to France, here she witnesses firsthand the terrible wounds and devastation the war causes and she constantly worries about Edmond and her brother Bertie's safety.

The couple keep in contact by writing letters to each other, they secretly marry and try to see each other when they can. When Edmond's critically wounded, Amy rushes to be by his side and he’s very lucky to survive. Edmond needs further surgery on his damaged lungs, the couple are separated and Amy returns home to England.

Until We Meet Again is an emotional story, about a young couple in love and devoted to each other. The war's raging around them, they endure the terrible conditions, despite all the challenges, they continue on, so one day they can be together and live in peace.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, I hope to read other books by Rosemary Goodacre and three stars from me.

Along the Endless River

Along the Endless River by Rose Alexander
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Katharine Bird lives in Clerkenwell, England and she works as a sales assistant at busy department store. At the end of a long day, she goes home to help her mother with her younger siblings and she’s extremely close to her little sister Mabel.

At work she meets Anselmo Ferrandis, after a quick courtship and they get married three weeks later. Anselmo plans to travel to Brazil, he wants to buy a rubber plantation and live in the remote Amazon jungle. Tragically he drowns not long after he buys his land, Katharine’s a pregnant widow at eighteen and she’s determined to run the rubber plantation herself. When she arrives at Norwood, it’s not at all what she’s expecting, the buildings are in terrible condition and the entire plantation needs a lot of work. Patrick McNamara owns a large rubber plantation, he gives Katharine some much needed advice and she hires a cook Philippe, a clerk Charles and a hundred laborers. Katharine wants to fulfill her husband’s dream, living in the Amazon jungle is really hard, she has to battle the elements, insects, snakes, food shortages, illness, and she gives birth to a baby boy Antonio and raises him in a remote environment.

Mabel Bird is the youngest in the family, Katharine wants her to finish school and she sends money home to her family in England. She has no idea, her father has been injured at work, her little sister has to leave school and Mabel starts work as a housemaid. The hours are long for a thirteen year old girl, her hands are raw from scrubbing pot and pans and she attracts unwanted attention from her employer’s husband. Mable’s finds a new job as a ladies maid, a step up and better working conditions. Lady Alexandra has beautiful clothes, she takes care of them, does her hair, makeup and she really loves her new job. Mabel's a very pretty young woman, being a servant, it makes her a target of the unwanted advances of men living in the house and it happens again.

Along the Endless River is a historical saga about two sisters struggling to survive in a man’s world, both are extremely strong women and they need to be, to deal with the challenges they face on a daily basis. Despite being an ocean apart, one day they hope to see each other again and be reunited.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, an interesting story set in the remote Amazon jungle and the mansions of London and four stars from me.

Elsa Goody, Bushranger

Elsa Goody, Bushranger by Darry Fraser
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Elsa Goody lives on a farm near Robe in South Australia, her father Curtis is unwell, Elsa has been running the small holding by herself and she has two older siblings. Her brother George doesn’t like farming, he's left and traveling to Victoria. Rosie her sister, is married to tight Frank a baker and they own a busy business in Robe.

A letter arrives from a man called Ezekiel Jones, he lives in Casterton in Victoria, he informs the family that George has sadly passed way and he’s been buried on his property. After receiving the bad news, Elsa goes to Robe to tell her sister Rosie and when they both return to the farm their father Curtis has died. Elsa has no idea that Rosie isn’t happy in her marriage, she has a plan to leave Robe, start again and wants Elsa to go with her.

Curtis Goody found a tin of gold sovereigns, Rosie and George knew about the fortune, after searching the farm the sisters can’t find the tin and they wonder if George took it with him. Two women traveling by horse and cart on country roads will attract attention, the sisters travel on back roads and hide at night. One day, the sisters are driving a long a track, when a Cobb & Co coach comes out of nowhere, traveling at a fast speed and at the same time bushrangers decide to rob the coach. During the confusing, the coach driver thinks the bushrangers used the women as a decoy and are part of the robbery. Elsa's accused of being a bushranger, which is just downright silly, now the law is looking for them and Rosie's husband?

Elsa arrives at Ezekiel Jones farm, he’s not at all what she’s expecting, and he’s a widower and a father of three adorable children. He explains that he found George wounded, he lingered for a few days, and sadly he passed away and with only a few small items in his possession. With everyone chasing her, a violent man posing as her father, a broken foot and life is extremely complicated for Elsa. She finds Ezekiel Jones to be an honest and very attractive man, she needs to help Rosie solve the mystery of the missing fortune, make sure she’s not wanted by the law and then she will be free to follow her heart.

Elsa Goody, Bushranger is an action packed adventure story, set in the Australian bush, it has a cast of likeable characters, with elements of mystery and romance. I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Harlequin Australia in exchange for an honest review and four stars from me.

The Secret Letter

The Secret Letter by Kerry Barrett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Secret Letter has a dual timeline story that links two teachers together, both are fighting for the local children to receive an education in Kent and a century apart.

Esther Watkins is a suffragette, she's just been released from Holloway prison, where she was locked up for a month and force fed. Esther’s a teacher, the school she works for terminates her employment, and she’s not welcome at her mother’s house and fellow suffragette Agnes Oliver employees her as a live in governess for her children. When she’s banished from London due to her involvement with the cause, she moves to Elm Heath, a small farming community, they don’t have a school, and Esther's determined to open one.

Elizabeth Armstrong’s marriage has ended badly, she leaves London and is the new deputy head of Elm Heath School. Lizzie’s pleasantly surprised by her new job, her co-workers are friendly, the students and parents are lovely and she really likes the community spirit. The numbers at the school have been slowly dropping, the council is considering closing the school, Elizabeth and her fellow teachers need to come up with a plan to keep it open and be financially viable.

Lizzie discovers the link between Esther Watkins the founder of the school, her being a suffragette, they use her story as inspiration, the whole community rallies together and saves the school from developers. I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, I look forward to reading other books by Kerry Barrett and four stars from me.

The Hidden Child

The Hidden Child by Louise Fein
My rating: 5 stars

Eleanor is married to world war one hero Edward Hamilton and they have a four year old daughter Mabel. The Hamilton's live in a beautiful home in the English countryside, they own a London apartment and are well off. Edward’s a professor, he’s interested in psychology and the science of eugenics. For me this was a rather controversial topic, using Darwin’s theory of survival of the fittest, adults and children would be put into categories and it also involves more controversial ideas and practices.

Both Edward and Eleanor believe in eugenics and for Eleanor she has a personal reason for her beliefs. When Mable starts having funny turns, she goes blank, mentions a lady she sees during her episodes and Eleanor puts it down to her being tired. Mabel she has a fit, the Hamilton’s can’t ignore their daughter’s condition, they seek medical advice and she’s diagnosed with epilepsy.

Edward’s very concerned about his career, Eleanor’s in shock, and she has no idea how limited and horrible the treatment was for epileptics in the 1920’s. This cause’s immense tension in the couple’s relationship, when Eleanor discovers Edward has been keeping a secret from her for over twelve years and she starts to question his honesty and his beliefs. Eleanor's desperate to help her daughter, she loves her and the doctor treating Mable won’t listen to her at all, and she comes up with a plan and is determined to save her.

To be honest, half way through The Hidden Child, I wasn’t sure I could finish the book, I found the whole idea of the science of genetics horrifying, the medical treatment and attitudes towards children especially distressing. However I continued reading the story, I can understand why Louise Fein included these topics in the book, it was well written and you certainly question the ideas, morals and medical treatment at the time.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and five stars from me.

Darjeeling Inheritance

Darjeeling Inheritance by Liz Harris
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Charlotte Lawrence has spent eleven years at boarding school in England and she’s excited to be returning home to Darjeeling and her family’s tea plantation. When she arrives, the house is empty, her mother Winifred and father Charles are not home and she’s told the terrible news. Her father Charles died a couple of days earlier, from dysentery and she’s devastated.

Charlotte inherits Sundar, Dan Fitzgerald’s the assistant manager, Charlotte wants to learn everything she can about running a tea garden and Dan agrees to show her. It involves early mornings, really long days, delegating jobs to the workers and negotiating with old fashioned tea merchants.

Charlotte’s fathers wish is for her to marry Andrew McAllister, the younger son of Douglas, combine their plantations and create a tea dynasty. Charlotte’s only eighteen, she upset by her father’s death, and she doesn’t want to rush into marriage, she needs time to get to know Andrew and it’s a big decision. An English woman’s role in Darjeeling in the 1930's was to marry, have children and make friends in the small social group, would Charlotte be happy with this lifestyle and she wouldn't be involved in the running of the estate!

Ada Eastman, chaperoned Charlotte on the journey from England, she’s marrying Harry Banning and he’s a neighbor of the Lawrence’s and the McAllister’s. For Ada moving to Darjeeling is a chance for a fresh start, Harry’s a steady chap, she will have financial stability, and live close to her new friend.

Darjeeling Inheritance is a story about family, loyalty, expectations, friendship, romance, secrets, betrayal, and set in a beautiful location. I didn’t realize growing tea was so involved, I enjoyed how the whole process was included in the narrative and I’m a tea lover.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, a fascinating story, well researched, lots of descriptive information and four stars from me.

Daughter of the Hunter Valley

Daughter of the Hunter Valley by Paula J. Beavan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Madeleine Barker-Trent makes the long sea journey from England to the new settlement of Australia in 1831, she finally arrives in New South Wales and she hasn’t seen her Papa in six years. He owns property in the Hunter Valley, he’s been busy building a house and establishing his farm. She discovers her father’s living in a hut, in his letters he made it sound like he had made far more progress and it’s not what she was expecting at all.

The next day her father tragically passes away, Madeleine’s only eighteen, she’s now the owner of Shelby, a thousand acres of scrubby bushland, with three convicts and an overseer Daniel Coulter to help her run the property. Maddy doesn’t want to return to England, she’s determined to stay and the kind Garrick family help her. The other settlers assume she should marry, she needs a man’s guidance and it’s the best option for a woman on her own. The wonder of a new land amazes Maddy, the vegetation, vibrant birds and native animals are all fascinating.

Maddy needs a maid, her only choice is to go to Parramatta Goal and employ a convict. Jane's a hard worker, good company and Maddy doesn’t feel so lonely. Shelby’s a hive of activity, their busy planting crops, caring for sheep, milking dairy cows and growing potatoes. Life in Australia is hard, the weather is extremely unpredictable, it’s either too hot, pouring with raining and the never by river floods. It's a dangerous place, a bushranger targets Shelby and Maddy’s exposed to the violent side of the new colony. A young boy called Luke is left in her care, his mother disappears, people start to talk about her strange ideas and she discovers her father’s secret.

Daughter of the Hunter Valley narrative is about Madeleine making a life for herself in a new, remote and wild land. Despite all the obstacles, she perseveres with incredible strength, bravery and determination. Paula J. Beavan’s debut novel is full of details about life in the new colony of Australia, it’s interesting, well written and I highly recommend reading the book.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Harlequin Australia in exchange for an honest review and five stars from me.

The Light of Luna Park

The Light of Luna Park by Addison Armstrong
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Althea Anderson is working as a nurse in the obstetrics ward at Bellevue Hospital in New York City, childbirth in 1926 can be perilous and babies born too soon didn’t survive. After witnessing a premature baby die, another heartbroken mother and Althea’s completely shattered. She reads an article about premature babies being treated in incubators at Luna Park on Coney Island, she finds it incredible and it gives her hope. Others don’t feel the same, it’s changing nature’s way, not a traditional medical practice, and Althea risks everything to save a baby girls life.

Stella Wright has just lost her mother in 1951, she’s really struggling to cope and feels depressed. Stella’s married to Jack, he served in WW II and is suffering from combat fatigue. Stella works as a special needs teacher in Dutchess County, the school principal is a horrible man, he has no compassion, she can no longer tolerate how her students are being treated and she quits her job. Before the contractors come in, Stella decides to finally check her mother’s apartment, locate her keepsake box and she discovers a letter. After reading it, Stella realizes she has no idea about her mother past, who was the woman that raised her and questions her own identity?

In her search for answers, Stella uncovers an incredible story about, ethics, choices, sacrifice, secrets, love, courage and her mother’s strength. Althea’s determination and dedication to caring for new mothers, babies and her total devotion to Stella. This inspires Stella, she needs to fight for the rights of the children in her special needs class, change society’s ideas and with Jack by her side.

The Light of Luna Park is a well written story, you feel a real connection to the characters, full of little known history and facts. I received a copy of this book from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review, a brilliant debut novel by Addison Armstrong and five stars from me.

The Last Paradise

The Last Paradise by Di Morrissey
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Grace Hagen's married to Lawrence, he’s a successful businessman and he spoils her with expensive presents. They have a daughter Daisy, she’s five and started school. On a night out, not far from home, they hear a loud explosion, Grace’s worried and the Hagen’s house is on fire. Grace is in shock, she and Daisy move in with her mum Tina and Lawrence stays in a city hotel and to be close to his work. While living with her mum, Lawrence doesn’t help Grace at all, barley visits, luckily she has her mum and best friend Melanie for support. Lawrence can be difficult and insensitive, Grace has had enough, her marriage is over, and she can’t trust her husband.

Grace is given the opportunity to promote a new luxurious eco friendly resort in Bali, her dream job, living and working in tropical paradise. With some guidance from a lawyer, help from her mum with childcare in Bali, she accepts the job and notifies Lawrence about her plans.

Grace is given a book about K’tut Tantri, an American woman who moved to Bali in the 1930’s, just prior to WW II, she’s very interested in her inspirational story and what happened to her while she was a prisoner of the Japanese.

Lawrence arrives without notice in Bali, Grace doesn’t trust him at all, and she’s sure he’s up to something. He underestimates Grace, she has some information about his mysterious past, questions about the night of the house fire and what happened to her expensive jewelry?

The Last Paradise is a story about Grace taking charge of her life, landing her dream job in Bali, working with a group of talented people and being highly successful in her promotional career.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, a quick read and three stars from me.

The Missing Letters of Mrs Bright

The Missing Letters of Mrs Bright by Beth Miller
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Kay Bright works in her husband’s Richard’s stationary shop called Quiller Queen in Winchester, they own four shops and Richards’s life revolves around his businesses. The couple have two grown up children Edward and Stella. Edward’s married to Georgia, they have twin boys and Stella’s dating Theo and runs a catering business with a friend.

Kay wrote a list as a teenager, all things she wanted to do before she turned thirty, so far she’s achieved only one of her goals, that’s have children and she’s in her early fifties. Kay loves Richard, but the shops have always come first, and she feels unhappy and trapped. Rose and Ursula (Bear) have been Kay's best friends since they were teenagers in the 1980’s, Ursula's family left England when she was sixteen and emigrated to Australia. Every other month she writes to Ursula, she replies, but she hasn’t written in three months and Kay’s worried. Ursula’s the only one who knows Kay’s big secret, in her letters to her, she shares her inner most thoughts and feelings and it’s very cathartic. Kay goes through the boxes of Ursula’s previous letters, to see if she has missed anything and everything seems fine.

One morning Kay packs her rucksack, walks downstairs, eventually gets Richards attention, and tells him she’s leaving him, puts her wedding ring on the table, walks out her yellow front door and Richard’s left behind totally confused. The Missing Letters of Mrs Bright is a story about Kay rediscovering herself, deciding what she wants out of life, how this effects all of her relationships, especially with her husband, children and friends. Kay's tired of waiting, putting others first, when is the right time, she want's to travel, see more of the world and dust off her camera.

I absolutely loved the book, it made me think about life, how short it is, I laughed and I cried.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and five stars from me.

The Stationmaster's Daughter

The Stationmaster’s Daughter by Kathleen McGurl
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ted Morgan's a stationmaster in Dorset in 1935, he’s a bachelor and he's never found someone he wanted to share his life with. Ted’s in charge of England’s most picturesque railway runs, he’s very efficient and the trains run on time. One of the regular passengers catches his eye, Annie Galbraith, she’s beautiful, and he develops feeling for her. Ted’s very shy, with his sister Norah’s encouragement, he tells Annie how he feels about her and he’s shocked when she returns his feelings. Annie’s seeing Bertram Clarke Watson, her father wants her to marry him and Annie’s father isn’t going to consider Ted as a suitable suitor for his daughter. Ted's informed the railway is going to close, he’s devastated, he’s desperately trying to find another job and tragedy strikes on the stations final day.

Tilly Thomson's marriage has just ended, mentally she’s struggling, and she’s lost her chance to have a family and her job. Her best friend Jo comes to the rescue, she contact’s Tilly’s dad Ken and he drives to London to see his daughter. Ken convinces Tilly she needs a break, it’s lovely in Dorset this time of year and she can stay with him. Ken’s involved in the Michelhampton and Coombe Regis Railway Society, they're restoring the old station at Lynford and he hopes to get Tilly involved in the project. At first she’s not interested, she's struggling to get out of bed in the morning and drinking too much. Tilly finally gets her act together, goes to the station with Ken, she discovers some diaries hidden in the old ticket office, they belonged to Ted and she’s determined to solve the mystery around his lost love and what happened at the railway station on the day it closed.

The dual timeline story seamlessly links the past and the present together. The Stationmaster’s Daughter is a story about love, tragedy, heartache, history, secrets, solving an old mystery, moving forward and making peace with the past. I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, four stars from me and I look forward to reading other books by Kathleen McGurl.

An Island at War

An Island at War: A gripping and emotional World War Two historical fiction novel by Deborah Carr
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Estelle Le Maistre is holding back the tears when she takes her twelve year old sister Rosie to the boat that will take her to safety in England, and she’s one of the lucky ones to leave Jersey. The English government decided the Channel Islands are of no strategic importance, they wouldn’t defend them and the Germans have no idea. Estelle stayed behind to help on her family’s farm, her grandmother Marnie Woods is getting older and they grow vital crops.

When the Germans arrive in Jersey, the locals are terrified and they immediately start enforcing new rules. A strict curfew, all weapons must be handed in, clocks are moved one hour forward, food is rationed and fishing is banned. Estelle and her Gran assume they should be fine on the isolated farm, until they have to billet a German Wehrmacht Officer and Captain Hans Bauer moves in. Now they feel like they can’t relax in their own home, talk freely and it’s odd having a German sleeping under the same roof.

Rosie is living in England with her Aunt Muriel, to cope with her homesickness her Aunt gives her a diary and in this she writes her thoughts and feelings. Muriel is a lovely lady, Rosie finds London big and crowded. The Blitz starts, night after night they endure the terrible bombing, devastation and get no sleep. Rosie misses her family, she just wants the war to end and so she can return home.

As time goes on life in Jersey becomes harder, items like clothes and shoes can’t be replaced and basic necessities are no longer available at the local shops. The German soldiers are everywhere on the island, it’s rather intimidating for the residents and it get worse. People are deported, Russian slaves arrive to help reinforce the defences along the coast, food and firewood become scarce, the locals and the Germans are cold and hungry. You realize the Germans are suffering as well, many are regular men, forced to serve in the army and not career soldiers.

An Island at War is inspired by real stories from author Deborah Carr’s own family who were living on Jersey during the occupation and in London during the Blitz. It’s a story about war, deprivation, brutality, inhumanity, courage and survival. I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter, a unique WW II story and four stars from me.

The River Home

The River Home by Hannah Richell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Margot Sorrell lives in Edinburgh in Scotland, she left home when she was sixteen and she's estranged from her family. She receives a text message from her sister Lucy, she needs her to return to England and she’s getting married. The three sisters Eve, Lucy and youngest Margot grew up running around their parents Kit and Ted’s seventeenth century property in Somerset, it’s in a beautiful location, by the river, the sisters were close, now secrets and tension within the family have kept them apart.

Lucy and Tom have decided to get married, giving everyone a week’s notice and are holding their wedding at Windfalls. Eve’s in her element, she planned her own wedding and she offers her assistance to help her sister Lucy. Things begin to get a little tense, Lucy wants a very casual wedding, Eve gets rather exasperated and when Margot arrives the situation escalates.

The tension in the family is from the past, they all have grievances against each other and some have secrets. Kit’s a rather free spirited person and unconventional, she found motherhood difficult, Ted suggested she try writing a book and she becomes a successful published author. Ted’s a playwright, his career was put on hold to raise the girls and sadly his relationship with Kit ended. When her parents separated Margot was the only child living at home, her mother became even more distracted and just when Margot needed her the most. The wedding forces the whole family to be together, it’s a pressure cooker type of situation, everyone needs to get along for Lucy and Tom's sake, can they move on from the mistakes of the past and tragic secrets will be revealed.

The River Home by Hannah Richell is an amazing story, it’s about a broken family coming together for a happy occasion, all the emotion that comes with it, trying to heal their fractured relationship and receiving unexpected news. You will need a box of tissues, it’s beautifully written, it tugs on your heartstrings in so many ways and I was sobbing at the end.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Hachette Australia in exchange for an honest review and five stars from me.

All About Ella

All About Ella by Meredith Appleyard
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Ella Sinclair is seventy, her husband has recently passed way and she has three adult children Anthony, Julian and Olivia. When Sam died, Ella was exhausted and upset and her children decided she should sell the family home. Ella wasn’t thinking clearly, her family pushed her into selling her house and now she’s having doubts about signing the paperwork for the granny flat Anthony has planned to build in his backyard. Losing your spouse after fifty years is extremely traumatic, Anthony isn’t very sympathetic towards his mum’s feelings and wants to keep his wife happy. Ella’s upset, she leaves Adelaide, travels to the Yorke Peninsula and to a little coastal town called Cutlers Bay.

Zach Cooper is Cutlers Bay's policeman, he receives a call about a missing older lady and he locates Ella. She assure him she’s perfectly fine, having a break from her family, and taking a short holiday. Anthony isn’t happy, he demands Ella returns home, he thinks the local policeman should make her and he forgets she’s an adult.

Angie Daniels is forty, she moves around a lot and doesn’t stay in one place for long. While driving through South Australia, she decides to visit the Yorke Peninsula, the beaches are beautiful and it has lots of places to explore. She arrives in Cutlers Bay, she meets Ella and they become friends.

Ella notices a rundown house on Clifftop Drive in Cutlers Bay and she decides to buy it. The house has been empty for a couple of years, it needs to be cleaned and Angie offers to help Ella make it livable. Zach's worried about Ella living in a remote area, she's only known Angie for a few weeks and is she too trusting?

All About Ella is a story about growing older, having older parents and control. For the first time in years Ella’s independent, she’s tired of being a doormat, she wants to make her own decisions and Ella should be able to. Ella rediscovers herself, she makes friends in the seaside community and she has a purpose for getting up in the morning. I love Meredith Appleyard’s books, included in her stories are so many interesting little details, the topics she chooses are relevant and set in familiar South Australia places.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Harlequin Australia in exchange for an honest review and five big stars from me.

If It Rains

If It Rains by Jennifer L. Wright
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Kathryn Baile is fourteen, she was born with a clubfoot and it causes her a lot of pain and discomfort. She lives in Oklahoma in a dugout with her father James and stepmother Helen and older sister Melissa. Her sister marries Henry Mayfield, he’s a real catch and comes from a well to do family.

Due to the drought, her father James sells the farm, he wants to move closer to Helen's family and Kathryn can have surgery to correct her deformed foot. Kathryn doesn’t want to leave the farm, her sister and she has no choice. Melissa read the book the Wonderful Wizard of Oz to her little sister, Kathryn gives Melissa their battered copy for safekeeping and begins her trip to the city. During the journey to Indianapolis a huge dust storm hits, Kathryn finds herself alone, she meets some interesting and rather unique characters as she tries to find her family along the road.

Melissa's adjusting to being married into one of the richest families in the area and she misses her family. Her new home is huge, with indoor plumbing and it’s rather different to living in a dugout. She’s doing her best to keep Henry happy, married life isn’t at all what she expected, and she finds her new social status rather intimidating. The drought gets worse, Henry's under pressure and he takes out his frustration on his new bride. Melissa is shocked by her husband’s behavior, she feels sorry for people she knows who are struggling, she has a kind heart and wants to help. Henry sees others misfortune as a way of increasing his wealth, he doesn't feel sorry for anyone and Melissa’s horrified by her husband’s actions.

If it Rains is a story about the Great American Dust Bowl, the terrible hardship people faced, the foreclosures, and the poverty and dust pneumonia. It’s also about two strong and brave sisters who are determined to do what’s right for themselves, help others and keep their faith during one of America’s most difficult times.
I received a copy of this book from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review, a quick and interesting read and four stars from me.

The Imperfects

The Imperfects by Amy Meyerson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The Millers are not your average family, they haven’t seen each other in years and they have an unusual relationship. When Helen Auerbach suddenly passes away her daughter and grandchildren attend her funeral and Shiva. Siblings, Ashley, Beck and Jake stay at Helen’s house on Edgehill Road with their mother Deborah. Helen has always been a very private person, they don’t know a lot about her past and it’s a shock when her will is read. She leaves her house to Deborah, money to her grandchildren and a broach to Beck?

Beck assumes the broach is a piece of costume jewellery and she stunned to find out the yellow gemstone in the middle is the Florentine Diamond, a 137 carat yellow diamond that went missing from the Austrian Empire in 1918. How did one of the world most famous missing diamonds end up in America and in her grandmother's possession?

As they look into Helen’s past, they realize they how little they knew about her, she lived frugally and Deborah can’t find any information about her birth. They discover that Helen came to America as a teenager in 1939, one of 50 Jewish children and sponsored by a Philadelphia lawyer. The three Miller children travel to Vienna to find out what they can about Helen’s family, her mother Flora, father Leib and brother Martin. What they uncover is tragic, they understand more about their Jewish heritage and why Helen didn’t talk about her family.

The Imperfects is a story about the Miller family changing it’s dysfunctional relationship, to have a happy future together and they needed to move forward. All while trying to solve the complicated mystery of the Florentine Diamond, how Helen came to have it made into a broach, who's the rightful owner and the value. If you like stories with hidden family secrets and a century old mysterious treasure, a present time setting and I suggest reading The Imperfects. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley and three and a half stars from me.

The Riviera House

The Riviera House by Natasha Lester
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Eliane Dufort lives in Paris, her parents run a brasserie or small restaurant, and she has an older brother Luc and four younger sisters. Eliane loves art, she works part time at Louvre and as a waitress. France declares war against Germany in 1939 and the city of Paris falls to the mighty German army in 1940, and Eliane’s world is now full of uncertainty and fear. Rose Valland and Eliane are employed by the Germans to catalog priceless paintings, tapestries and statues at Jeu de Paume. The German's are stealing the nation’s treasures and art from rich Jewish people and it makes Eliane furious.

They have no idea she can speak German, Eliane and others in the small resistance group are keeping records about the stolen art, decoding notes and passing on information to the resistance. It’s hard to know who she can trust, Xavier Laurent and Ernst Konig are both working for the Germans and they make her feel uneasy. Xavier’s family own a beautiful villa on the French Riviera at Cap Ferrat, and Ernst wants Eliane to attend a Nazi party function with him and stay overnight!

Remy Lang, lost her daughter and husband in a tragic accident. Two years later she’s struggling, not sleeping and living in a world full of sadness. She owns a vintage fashion business called Remy’s Closet and she decides to work on her new collection at her villa on the French Riviera. Remy's adopted, included with her paperwork as a baby, are the deeds to the villa and a painting she has hanging in her childhood bedroom in Sydney. Remy discovers a catalog of artwork stolen during WW II by the Germans and she’s stunned to see a picture of her painting included in the booklet. Remy has no idea about her real family, she worried what she will discover and she’s not sure she can deal with decades old secrets.

The book has a dual timeline, it seamlessly flows between Paris during WW II, the present time and it's fascinating reading about the following aspects in the story. The Germans easily invading France, ruling the country, taking what they wanted, sending stolen treasure back to Germany, the suffering and deprivation the French people endured for four years and how they resisted. The divine vintage clothes and jewellery Remy sells in her business, how the luxurious villa and the painting ties everything together. The Riviera House is thoroughly researched, beautifully written, rich in detail and reading about the beautiful vintage fashion is always a highlight in Natasha Lester's books.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Hachette Australia in exchange for an honest review, it's brilliant and five stars from me.

Beneath A Starless Sky

Beneath a Starless Sky by Tessa Harris
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Lilli Sternberg lives in Munich with her father Jacob, mother Golda and younger brother Leon. Her family are Jewish, things have just started to get tense in the city, and Lilli is studying ballet and she’s an extremely talented dancer. Lilli meets a young career army officer Marco Zeiller, they fall madly in love, suddenly Marco ends their relationship and he breaks her heart. However, Lilli is strong, she can endure the pain of hours of practice and losing her first love.

This makes her more determined to follow her dreams of dancing in Hollywood, she moves to American and receives a movie contract. The news from home isn’t good, even harder restrictions for Jewish people and she wants family to move to America. Lilli Stern dances with her idol Fred Astaire, he introduces her to so many important people and a very famous couple. Edward the Duke of Windsor and his mistress Wallis Simpson and who are rumored to be Nazi sympathizers.

Lilli visits London, here she meets James Marchington, he moves in the same social scene and they become romantically involved. The threat of a second world war is looming, Lilli’s only tie to Germany is her family, the situation in Munich is getting worse, it makes her vulnerable and Hermann Goebbels knows she’s a Jewish actress and uses this to his advantage. Lilli is drawn into underworld of being a spy, for Lilli it’s an easy choice which side she supports, she wants to save her family and she doesn’t want England to be ruled by the Nazi’s.

If you like WW II historical fiction with a strong, brave and resilient main female character and I suggest you read Beneath a Starless Sky. I received a copy of this book from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review and five stars from me.

The Aviatrix

The Aviatrix by Violet Marsh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Mattie McAdams longs to perform her stunts in her families flying circus, standing in her way are her three over protective older brothers, and flying ace Leo Ward. Mattie meets Vera Jones, a very modern woman, and she plans to start a female flying circus, and she offers Mattie a job. Vera’s circus is called Flying Flappers, Mattie and Carrie are the two stunt pilots and Vera and Alice preform aerial acrobatics.

Leo Ward was a pilot in the Great War and he flew with his best friend and Mattie’s twin brother Alfred. Leo feels like he owes the McAdams family a lot, he feels guilty, he survived the war and Alfred was killed. So he’s very protective of Mattie, he cares about her a lot and doesn’t want her to get hurt. Mattie and Leo join the circus together, life in Chicago is amazing, she goes to her first ever speakeasy club, starts wearing modern clothes, has her hair cut, gains confidence and it’s all very liberating.

Mattie has an idea that could change the aviation industry, make flying safer, she needs someone to take her seriously and at a time when men didn’t listen to women. The Aviatrix is a story that will have you sitting on the edge of your seat, it’s full of action and a cast of interesting characters. If you like a narrative about strong innovative women taking the lead and this could be the book for you. I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, an enjoyable read and three and a half stars from me.

A Bright Young Thing

A Bright Young Thing by Brianne Moore
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Astra Davies has recently lost her parents, she moves to London to live with her Aunt Elinor and cousin Toby. Financially, her circumstances are grim, she needs to curb her spending and rent out Hensley the family estate. Her Aunt points out the obvious solution to her problem, to get married, Astra isn’t keen to give up her independence and become a decoration on a man’s arm. She has the support of her friends, Joyce and David, they invite her to parties, weddings, country gatherings, and they cheer her up and give her a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppy.

It's hard for Astra to forget about her money problems, she had no idea about her parents financial woes and she’s left to sort out the mess. Her father invested money in a company called Vandemark, it makes tires and Freddie Ponsonby-Lewis is in charge. Astra’s business partner likes a drink, has trouble making conversation and she’s determined to make both Freddie and Vandemark successful. A payment is made every month to a place called Rosedale, she has no idea why and it’s a big family secret.

Astra meets Jeremy Harris the Earl of Dunreaven, they have a lot in common, both have lost their parents and he owns a crumbling estate called Midbourne in Sussex. A person is making Astra’s life miserable, trying to ruin her reputation, and she’s worried the Earl will find out, the only man to make her heart flutter and talk about bad timing.

Set in England in the 1930’s, A Bright Young Thing takes you from London’s drawing rooms, to the country estates of the English nobility and to the fashion show rooms of Paris. Astra Davies is smart, funny, kind and she deserves to live happily ever after, with a certain Earl and to create a beautiful garden together at Midbourne. The story was interesting and it gives you a glimpse into upper crust English life, thanks to NetGalley for my copy and four stars from me.

The Second Life of Mirielle West

The Second Life of Mirielle West: A Haunting Historical Novel Perfect for Book Clubs by Amanda Skenandore
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Mirielle West lives a lavish lifestyle in 1920’s Los Angeles, she’s married to actor Charlie and has two young daughters. Her days are busy shopping, taking care of her appearance and getting ready to attend swanky parties to further her husband’s acting career. Underneath the beautiful clothes and makeup Mirielle’s a vulnerable women, she lost her beloved son and is struggling to cope with his loss. She accidentally burns her finger, her husband’s concerned and he thinks she should get her family doctor to check it. While examining her finger, the doctor notices a small patch of pale skin on her hand, he recommends she immediately see a dermatologist, at the County General Hospital and Dr Sullivan checks all of the skin on her body and runs some tests. She has no idea what’s wrong with her, she notices the staff act oddly around her, to protect her husband’s fame she uses another name and she calls herself Mrs. Pauline Marvin. The next day Dr Sullivan gets the results of her tests, she has leprosy and her life changes with the diagnosis.

Mirielle's transported to a leper hospital Carville in the Louisiana countryside, people with leprosy live here and receive medical treatment. She can’t believe she’s been ordered to stay in such a place, it’s primitive and she’s also expected to work. Mirielle tries to keep her distance from her fellow patients, it’s impossible while working in the various clinics, at first Mirielle's repulsed and horrified by what she sees and smells while helping the nuns and doctors treat people. Mirielle changes, slowly it dawns on her that she’s no different to the other residents, she makes friends and becomes involved in the social activities. Leprosy didn’t discriminate, it affected people of all ages, including children and from all walks of life. She misses Charlie, her daughters, as time goes on she never knows if she will ever see them again and it’s hard for her to stay positive.

The Second Life of Mirielle West is a story about a woman coming to terms with having a disease that had a huge stigma associated with it, the people inflicted were locked up, lost their right to freedom, and many were shunned by their families and friends. The characters in the book are wonderful and I liked, Irene, Frank, Sister Verena and young Polly. Mirielle's transformed and she changes into a kind, compassionate, caring, thoughtful and inspirational person.
I received a copy of this book from Edelweiss and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, one of the best books I have read this year and five stars from me.

The Clockmaker's Wife

The Clockmaker’s Wife by Daisy Wood
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Newlyweds Arthur and Nell Spelman live in London and during the Blitz. Arthur comes from a long line of clock makers, his parents are from Germany and he was born in England. He wants Nell and baby Alice to go stay with her parents in the country and she’s rather stubborn and won’t leave her husband. One night in 1940 the German bombers are relentless, the Spelman’s house has taken a direct hit, Nell catches the first train to Oxfordshire to stay with her family and leaves Arthur behind in London. He assures her he will be fine, he can find somewhere safe to sleep and he’s needed at work. Arthur works at the Palace of Westminster, he helps maintain the clocks and keeps Big Ben chiming.

One night Nell receives an odd call from Arthur, something is wrong and he’s been arrested? Desperate to find out what has happened to her law abiding husband, she travels to London, Nell uncovers a sinister plot and it involves a major attack on a London landmark.

The Clockmaker’s Wife has a dual timeline, it seamless goes between WW II and the present day. The story is really interesting, it has many twists and turns, and uncovers eighty year old secrets.

Alice is staying in a nursing home in Westchester County, she fell, broke her hip and she's starting the lose her memory. Ellie’s mother has always been very vague about her life in England as a child, she didn’t get on with her father's second wife, when she met American Jeff they married, moved to the states and she didn't stay in contact with her English relatives. Ellie discovers a beautiful watch that belonged to her grandmother Nell, she died during WW II and she wants to find out what happened to her? Arriving in England she meets her Aunt Gillian, she’s her mother Alice's younger half-sister and she doesn’t know what happened to Nell.

Ellie begins to delve into the past and what she discovers is absolutely intriguing, The Clockmaker’s Wife is a very unique historical fiction story, it’s different and in an exceptional way. I really enjoyed reading about the clocks, famous London landmarks, Nell moving to Oxfordshire, her relationship with the Pott’s children and how determined she was to help Arthur and what she did for her country in its time of need. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, absolutely brilliant and five big stars from me.

Beware The Mermaids

Beware the Mermaids by Carrie Talick
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Nancy Hadley, is horrified to catch her husband of thirty six years Roger cheating on her with Claire Sanford and on their sailboat the Bucephalus. She’s absolutely furious, she’s had enough and she wants a divorce. Roger isn’t keen to hand over a single dime, not only is he a cheater and he’s tight as well. With the support of her friends Ruthie, Judy and Lois she’s determined to make her own way and she buys her own boat the Gypsea and moves into her floating home with her cat. Nancy has no idea that Bayside Development is planning to ruin the natural harbor and the place she now calls home.

Nancy knows Roger well, he loves to win and his ego is as big as his head. She challenges him to compete in a 125 mile boat race called the Border Dash Race and from Newport Harbor to Ensenada Mexico. The winner gets want they want, in Nancy she gets her divorce and the Bucephalus. Nancy has prepared her all women’s team, she’s listened to advice, lighten her boat and has a strategic plan to win.

Beware The Mermaids is a story about Nancy seizing her moment, letting go of all the things that have held her back in the past and one of them being Roger. She’s a smart and determined women with a wonderful supportive group of girlfriends and they make a great boat crew.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, a girl power read and four stars from me.

The Last of the Apple Blossom

The Last of the Apple Blossom by Mary-Lou Stephens
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Catherine Turner’s a year one teacher in Hobart in 1967, it’s an extremely hot February day and with strong northerly winds. The perfect conditions for a bushfire to start, it makes a fire very unpredictable and hard to stop. When Catherine leaves her class room, it’s gloomy outside and she can see smoke in the distance. Catherine’s really worried about her father Jack, mother Judith and younger brother Peter. They live and own an apple orchard in the Huon Valley and the fire is headed straight for them. She desperately wants to get home, her car trip along back roads is dangerous and rather foolish. When she arrives, the apple orchards are destroyed, the family home is a smouldering ruin and her brother is dead. Her parents are in shock, her mother's a sobbing mess and her father’s dream of passing his orchard onto his son has ended.

Dave Pearson’s married to Annie, their apple orchard is next door to the Turner’s and they have five boys and she’s just had a baby girl. Annie's home alone with the children on the day of the fire, she's scared, all she can do is keep the children cool and try not to panic. The day after the fire everyone is stunned, the Turner’s have lost everything and the Pearson’s still have their house, some of their apple trees have been burnt and land. Mark Davis is Dave’s best friend, he’s staying with the Pearson’s with his son Charlie and he helps with the clean-up. Annie’s not happy about Mark staying, he’s having a break from his life if Melbourne and his wife Lara has left him.

Catherine becomes fond of Charlie, she’s really great with young children and brings him out of his shell. Mark and Catherine also become friends, in a small town, this causes talk, her parents and Annie are not happy. Mary-Lou Stephens has done really well in describing how people felt, acted and reacted during a bushfire in her narrative. The Last Of The Apple Blossom is a story about a devastating tragedy, secrets, lies, the collapse of the Tasmanian apple industry, the consequences of all of these things happening in the Huon Valley and the families involved.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and five stars from me.

The Shell Seekers

The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Penelope Keeling is sixty four, she’s just had a heart attack and it makes her reflect on her life. She’s the daughter of the famous Victorian era artist Lawrence Stern, her mother Sophie was French and they lived a free spirited life in London and Cornwall. Hers was a happy childhood, filled with love and her parents had so many wonderful and interesting friends. I guess she was a little naïve, she fell for and married the first man she dated Ambrose Keeling and it was a big mistake. She had three children, Nancy, Olivia and Noel and her children are all very different in temperament .

Penelope has always been independent, she lives in a cottage in Gloucestershire, with a beautiful garden and now her children are worried it’s too much for her. Penelope is a wonderful cook, she loves to entertain and finds young people refreshing. Two of her children discover their grandfather’s painting are going up in value, is their mother sensible enough to look after them and how much are they worth? Penelope isn’t silly, she’s one step ahead of her children, if anyone decides what becomes of her father’s paintings and sketches it will be her.

The Shell Seekers is a classic book, a long one and each page has been written to be slowly savored. A masterpiece by Rosamunde Pilcher, rich in characters and places, it’s about life, Penelope lives hers to the fullest, and she’s delightful.
A Wonderful timeless book to read and five stars from me.

The One You're With

The One You're With by Lauren K. Denton
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Mac and Edie Swan are high school sweethearts, they live in Oak Hill, in Alabama and have been happily married for seventeen years. They have two children Avery and Thomas and the family is well known by everyone in the local community. Mac is a busy pediatrician, he’s well-liked by his staff, patients and their parents. Edie’s an interior designer, she’s talented and has a flare for decorating houses with her own unique style.

The only hiccup in their long term relationship, they split up nineteen years ago and didn’t keep in touch for three months. Mac has no idea the summer he spent working at Sunset Marina all those years ago is going to suddenly turn his life upside down and one day an eighteen year old woman walks into Mac’s office. Mac takes one look at her, he just knows she’s his daughter and what is he going to do? He has to tell Edie, she’s not going to take it well, what will his family and children think? It rocks the basis of their marriage, Edie questions what else Mac hasn’t told her, she feels hurt and very betrayed. The family whole unit is now on rocky ground, the children are confused and don’t want their parents to separate.

The One You’re With looks at the choices both Mac and Edie made years ago, how it will affect their future together and will they have a future? For Mac and Edie the relationship with their children and others is tested and will they be able to stick together and work it out? To do this they need to overcoming feelings of being extremely hurt, trust being broken, what they both want out of life, are they still on the same page and take into account a young woman who desperately needs their help, understanding and support.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, absolutely brilliant, the second book I have read by Lauren K. Denton, and it won’t be my last and five stars from me.

The Wartime Singers

The Wartime Singers by Lesley Eames
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Lizzie is miserable living with her father Edward Maudsley, she runs away and her plan is to find her godmother Margaret Penrose in London? Margaret is an unmarried lady, she teaches piano, she provides Lizzie with a safe place live and she thrives under her godmothers care. Always in her thoughts are Polly and Davie her friends from Witherton and the Warren family who she met on her trip to London.

When WW I starts, Lizzie and Margaret want to do something to help the sick and injured serviceman and not everyone is good at knitting. Margaret plays the piano, Lizzie has a lovely singing voice and they decide to preform small concerts at convalescent homes and hospitals. It’s a huge success, music lifts the spirits of the wounded and the staff. Poppy arrives in London, brokenhearted, Lizzie and Margaret find her a job through a mutual friend. To take her mind off her problems; Lizzie encourages Polly to join them in entertaining the troops and she enjoys it. They meet a fellow singer Jack Lomax, they start preforming concerts to raise money for war widows and disadvantaged children. All three women face challenges, uncertain times, the war years drag on, all of England is feeling the pressure and the Spanish flu breaks out.

The Wartime Singers is a delightful story, the characters are warm and charming and I really liked Lizzie, Margaret, Polly, Matt, Edith and Jack. As we know music and songs were popular during all wars, the musical theme worked well in this story, it was fitting for a book about WW I and I really liked it.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, I loved reading every single page of this heart-warming saga and five stars from me.

The Girls From The Beach

The Girls from the Beach by Andie Newton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Kit and Kat formed a strong bond when they landed on Utah Beach during the Normandy landings and work together in a busy field hospital. They treat badly wounded American soldiers, not wearing a white nurse’s dress that Kit imagined, they wear practical men’s army fatigues and boots.

One day in 1944, four army nurses disappear for five days and it’s kept a secret. Kit, Kat, Roxy and Gail think they will be treating wounded soldiers behind enemy lines, they stock up with medical supplies and set off with Dr Burk. It’s actually a top secret mission and an extremely dangerous one. The assignment is to find a chest full of precious treasure, needed to save allied prisoners of war and before the German werewolves do. The women have to walk the whole way, disguised in dresses, they endure everything that’s thrown at them, all the sets backs and establish a strong friendship.

The Girls From The Beach is an action packed story, I didn’t know that nurses landed on the beaches of Normandy during D-Day and came under fire. Kit, Kat, Roxy and Gail were four courageous, strong and brave women. By reading the book, it also makes you aware of the mental toll the war had on the nurses both during and after the war.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and four stars from me.

These Tangled Vines

These Tangled Vines by Julianne MacLean
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Fiona Bell’s mother Lillian told her a life changing secret on deathbed, made her promise she would never tell her father Freddie and she hasn’t. Years later, Fiona receives an unexpected call from Tuscany, her biological father Anton Clark has passed away and has included her in his will.

A jet lagged Fiona arrives in Italy, she has no idea what sort of reception she will receive and the size of her fathers estate. She discovers she has a half-brother Connor, a half-sister Sloane, and they had no idea she existed. When her fathers will is read, Fiona has been left Maurizio Wines and Connor and Sloane are furious. They want to dispute Fiona’s parentage, contest the will and start looking everywhere for any evidence.

Fiona discovers her parents traveled to Italy in 1986, her mother Lillian worked at Maurizio Wines as a tour guide and while her father Freddie was busy writing his first book. Slowly Fiona uncovers what really happened in Tuscany thirty years ago, it's a complicated story and it has three sides and she’s defiantly Anton's daughter.

These Tangled Vines, is a story about lost love, secrets, sacrifice, courage, revenge, family ties, greed and most of all regret. Fiona regrets she wasn’t given the chance to meet her biological father Anton, Sloane also regrets not spending time with her father when she had the chance, and the two sisters are happy to have found each other.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, it’s absolutely brilliant, I read it in a day and five stars from me.

The Tulip Tree

The Tulip Tree by Suzanne McCourt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Henryk and Adam Radecki’s are Polish brothers, eldest Henryk is rather serious and younger Adi is much more sensitive. The story follows the brother’s lives and experiences from the early 1920’s and ends in 1954. This time frame covers: The Polish Soviet war with the Russians, the Germans invading the country during WW II and finishes in the Australian Snowy Mountains.

The brothers are extremely jealous of each other and it’s a constant issue between them. Henryk is married, a rich and a successful industrialist and sadly his wife Lucia suffers multiple miscarriages. Adi is a vet, he marries twice and his second wife Elzbieta is younger than him. Henryk thinks his brother rushed into his second marriage, Ela looks very similar to his first wife Kasia, this causes tension and it gets worse when the couple have their second child Stefan.

Over the years, the brothers are caught up in difficult situations, have to live with the choices they made, the consequences and kept secrets. The conflict and war in Poland is horrific, both brothers suffer terribly, and so do their families.
The Tulip Tree is a story about love, loss, sacrifice, family, loyalty, suffering, secrets and war. I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and four stars from me.

Sisters At War

Sisters at War by Clare Flynn
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Hannah and Will Kidd are newlyweds, he’s in the English merchant navy and his ship is sailing dangerous convoy missions across the Atlantic Ocean. Hannah and her younger sister Judith haven’t had an easy time, they share a house called The Laurels with Nance and the owner Sam.
Will in his travels meets Italian sailor Paolo Tornabene, after Will’s last trip, he returns to London with him and he takes a shine to Judith. Hannah is worried about Judith being too young to have a boyfriend, but the couple fall head over heels in love and she can see how happy Paolo makes her sister. When Mussolini declares war on Britain, the unthinkable happens and all Italian men are imprisoned as enemy aliens.

Hannah worries about Will and so many merchant ships have been sunk by the German navy. Judith is very concerned about Paolo, she has no idea how long they will detain him for and then she discovers he’s going to be sent to Australia. Life for the sisters gets worse as the war continues, Liverpool is bombed heavily and they spend many nights sleeping under the stairs or in the Anderson shelter in the backyard. London during WW II is very bleak place for Hannah and Judith, with rationing, every day facing being homeless and worrying about the men they love.

Sisters At War is a story about London during the Blitz, Hannah and Judith’s relationship, their fears for what could happen to Will and Paolo, and Judith possibly moving to Australia. The story was only OK, some of the Australian language used wasn’t fitting for the time, I loved the Clancy's and three stars from me.

Waiting to Begin

Waiting to Begin by Amanda Prowse
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In 1984, Bessie is sixteen and she has her whole future planned and dreams of being an air hostess. She and her best friend Michelle are close, they love to hang out together, coordinating their out fits and make up. They love Duran Duran, they have just finished their high school exams and are nervously waiting for the results. Bessie’s extremely upset when she doesn’t do as well as she expected, she fails and things only get worse. She’s having a secret relationship with a boy from school, her world comes crashing down when she thinks he’s told everyone, she’s embarrassed, humiliated and crushed.

Bess is now fifty three and married to Mario, she has two adult children Jake and Natalie. Her mum and dad are still the most lovable parents in the world, her son has just gotten married and Mario is a hard worker. But her marriage is flat, she and Mario have lost their spark and Bess could be to blame. She has a secret, she’s being carrying the burden of it for thirty seven years and to save her marriage she will have to face her painful teenage past.

Like everyone Bess needs to feel valued, appreciated, needed, loved and she doesn’t. It’s not Mario’s fault she feels like she does or her families, it’s the heavy burden of shame, guilt, regret, it makes her feel unworthy and not good enough. I was a teenager in the 1980’s, my heart broke for teenage Bessie and I could relate to some of the issues she struggled with. What a thought provoking and well written story, I loved Waiting To Begin, it made me laugh, it made me cry, and you will need a box of tissues.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and five big stars from me.

A Woman of Intelligence

A Woman of Intelligence by Karin Tanabe
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Katharina looks to have the perfect life, she’s married to Tom Edgeworth a successful pediatric surgeon, and she lives in a beautiful apartment in Manhattan and has two healthy little boys. The woman who can speak four languages, worked as a translator for the United Nation’s, had a busy social life and is now struggling under the pressure of motherhood. Katharina's the daughter of immigrants, her family moved back to Switzerland, she’s on her own and has no support.

When Tom wanted to have children, Rina assumed he would be home sometimes to see her and the children, he’s too busy working and raising money for the hospital. In 1954, Tom’s role was to provide for his family, its Rina’s to look after the children and not complain about it. She loves her boys, being a mother isn’t easy and her eldest son Gerrit is a real handful.

After an extremely bad day Katharina loses the plot, Tom isn’t happy with her behavior, sends her off for a short holiday and it’s a disaster. When she’s approached by the FBI and asked to join them as informant and she grabs the opportunity. Of course she can’t tell anyone what she’s doing, how will Rina juggle full time motherhood, snoopy neighbors and hide what she’s doing from Tom?

Katharina is the perfect for the role, as a past boyfriend Jacob Gornev is now a communist and a Soviet spy. Rina becomes Hanna Graf, she attends communist meetings, carries stolen government documents and film from Washington D.C. to Manhattan. Soon Rina’s life is extremely complicated, things begin to unravel, and Tom thinks she’s either hitting the bottle or having an affair?

Most mothers would understand how Rina felt, she lost herself and her husband Tom is a complete tosser. The story at times was a bit over the top, thanks to NetGalley for my copy of A Woman of Intelligence and three and a half stars from me.

The Secrets We Left Behind

The Secrets We Left Behind by Soraya M. Lane
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

France, 1940. Planes are flying overhead, they can hear gun fire and the sound of running men and they know Germans are getting closer. The British army are retreating, the French army are trying to hold the Germans off as long as possible and they desperately need to get to Dunkirk. The British medial staff at the field hospital in a French chateau draw straws to decide who stays behind with the patients and who goes with the walking wounded to the beach. Nurse Cate Alexander draws a short straw, she stays behind, and when the Germans arrive Cate climbs out of a window with recovering surgical patient Jack.

Le Paradis is fifty miles away from the chateau, a hundred soldiers of the Royal Norfolk Regiment are cut off and stranded in a barn. They decide they have no option but to surrender and following the orders of Commander Wolfgang Schmidt and the British soldiers are gunned down. Lying beneath the pile of their fallen comrades are Peter and Harry, wounded they crawl to a nearby farmhouse, sisters Elsie and Adelaide DuPont rescue them. Jack decided he and Cate should try to walk to Le Paradis and by chance they also end up staying at the farm with the sisters. With three injured British soldiers and a nurse staying with them the DuPont sisters are in danger and it gets worse when Commander Schmidt becomes interested in Adelaide and what will they do?

Three incredibly brave and strong women all took huge risks, they had to trust in each other, and they became friends and one of them made the ultimate sacrifice. The Secrets We Left Behind is based on true facts about the Royal Norfolk Regiment, the British armies retreat from the beaches of Dunkirk and it’s a cracking story.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, Soraya M. Lane never disappoints, brilliant book and five stars from me.

The One

The One by Kaneana May
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I don’t watch reality TV or the Bachelor, I decided to read The One and see why everyone in Australia is talking about this book?

Darcy Reed’s the producer of The One, she works long hours, she’s under a lot of pressure and her boss is always giving her a hard time. Due to her being so busy, her relationship with her long term boyfriend Drew is on the rocks and she doesn’t have time to sort her own love life. Darcy wants a promotion, the current season of TV show needs to be a hit, have excellent ratings, and you can see why she has no time for poor Drew!

Bonnie Yates has a successful photography business, she assumes she has done badly in her interview for The One and she’s shocked when she discovers she been picked to be one of the twenty two contestants. Her first love Oliver James is back in town, it’s the perfect opportunity to get away from him and he’s a temptation she doesn’t need.

Penelope Barker arrives in the quiet seaside town, she’s a loner and has a secret. She keeps bumping into frazzled mum Lara, she has two young children and is keen to be friends with Penny. Ty Peterson is this season’s eligible bachelor, his fiancée broke of their engagement, he hopes to mend his broken heart, and he’s ready to settle down.

The One is a story full of drama, romance is complicated, and so is what happens off camera and behind the scenes. The three main characters are connected, it's about life and all the associated pressure. At work, in relationships, maintaining friendships, having children, not having children, society’s expectations, finding love, and sadly illness.
I really enjoyed reading The One by Kaneana May, I can see what all the hype is about and five stars from me.

The Ice Swan

The Ice Swan by J'nell Ciesielski
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Petrograd, 1917. Princess Svetlana Dalsky has a small bag packed, she’s worried about the dangerous Bolsheviks attacking and she’s prepared to leave quickly. One night she hears the sound of an angry mop approaching, she wakes her sister Marina and her mother Ana. They leave just in time, eventually they arrive in Paris, it’s during WW I, the city is full of refugees, soldiers, wounded and accommodation is scarce.

Ana, Svetlana and Marina are forced to take refuge in the basement of a church, Ana isn’t coping with her change in life style and their only funds are jewels sewn into their corsets. The Bolsheviks want to get rid of every Russian aristocrat, even ones hiding in Paris and Svetlana doesn’t feel safe. She witnesses a shooting, Leonid Sheremetev survives and his father owns the notorious White Bear Club. A meeting place for Russians, Ana Dalsky is easily drawn into the drinking and gambling at the club.

Wynn MacCallan is a gifted surgeon, he’s in Paris due to the war, and he treats Svetlana for a minor injury, and he’s concerned about the Dalsky women’s situation. Svetlana is beautiful, not very friendly and Wynn finds her intriguing. Wynn treated Leonid when he was wounded, he also visits the White Bear Club, where Svetlana’s dancing and it’s not a safe place for her to be. When he discovers how dire Svetlana’s predicament is, he marries her and pays off her mother’s debts. He sends his new bride, Ana and Marina to stay his Scottish estate and surely they will be safe from the Bolsheviks there? The one person who Svetlana thought she could always trust, a friend, finds them in Scotland and has he changed sides?

I had no idea Russian aristocrats fled to Paris during the uprising, or about the cities nasty Russian underground and how ruthless the Bolsheviks were. I really enjoyed reading about Wynn’s experiences as a surgeon during WW I, his medical career, his relationship with frosty Svetlana and how she adapted to living in Scotland.
I received a copy of The Ice Swan in exchange for an honest review, a fascinating story and five stars from me.

When Grace Went Away

When Grace Went Away by Meredith Appleyard
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It’s been over a decade since Grace Fairley’s youngest brother tragically passed away in a car accident and within her family relationships are very strained. Her parents Sarah and Doug’s marriage ended, her sister Faith and brother Tim don’t speak to their mother and it’s broken her heart. Her family own a farm at Miners Ridge in South Australia, her brother and sister still live in the small country town and they could easily visit Sarah in Adelaide.

Grace, helped her mother out by buying her a unit to live in, supported her through her cancer battle and she’s been offered a new job. Grace works as a financial analyst, she accepts the opportunity to work in London and her mum assures her she will be fine. Sarah left Miners Ridge eight years ago, she’d had enough of her husband behavior and she couldn’t take it anymore. The farm has been in his family for generations, like most farmers Doug loves his land and it’s always been his main propriety.

Sarah is lonely in Adelaide after her mother passes away, she decides to visit Miners Ridge and a place where she spent thirty five year of her life. Sarah has ties to the town, after her first trip, she rents a house for six months, makes friends with Carol the cleaner and volunteers at the local art gallery. She wants the repair the relationship with her son Tim, her rather stubborn daughter Faith, see her grandchildren and she’s the one to make the first move.

Grace is busy in London, she misses her mum and is feeling down and tired. On her last visit to Miners Ridge she met landscape gardener Aaron Halliday, he’s a friend of her brother Tim’s and they keep in contact. Grace and Aaron live in very different worlds, he makes Grace feel like she has never done before, now she’s stuck across the other side of the world from him and her mum.

When Grace Went Away is a brilliant story set in my home state of South Australia and I really enjoyed reading about familiar places. Strong women, Grace and Sarah had to decide what they really wanted out of life and achieved it.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, brilliant and five stars from me.

The Librarian of Saint-Malo

The Librarian of Saint-Malo by Mario Escobar
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Jocelyn and Antoine Ferrec have just been married, they plan to go to Paris for their honeymoon and stay at an expensive hotel. Caught up in the excitement of their wedding day, they hadn’t heard the terrible news and the German army invaded Poland. The couple are worried, they have their future all planned, and hope Antoine will be exempt from being called up. Unfortunately this isn’t the case, all able bodied French men are deployed to defend France from the mighty German army and they didn’t stand a chance.

Jocelyn's a librarian, she loves her job and she continues to work and nervously waits for news about her husband. Jocelyn writes letters to a famous author, Marcel Zola, to protect the people and books she loves and her beloved town. The streets of Saint-Malo are full of German soldiers, Jocelyn’s allocated a German officer to live in her house, Adolf Bauman and he’s a member of the SS. The German’s have a long list of banned books, all libraries will be inspected by the Nazi's, and unsuitable books burnt, rare and expensive copies are to be given to the Germans. This makes Jocelyn furious, no way is she handing over the libraries precious legacy of books, to be sent to Germany and she hides some. At home Adolf Bauman is making her life miserable, she spends most of her time at work and eventually she receives a letter and Antoine's a prisoner of war in Germany.

Jocelyn continues to write her letters, she risks being arrested, and she’s determined to help free France and becomes involved in the resistance. What I liked about Jocelyn is she has a big heart, she loves Antoine, her friends, books and the library. The Librarian of Saint-Malo describes life in the coastal town during WW II, the uncertainty, food shortages, deportation of Jewish people, arrests, reprisals, the weeks of allied bombing and the damage it caused.

I received a copy of this book from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review, I found the story being based around Jocelyn’s writing letters to a famous author a little confusing and four stars from me.

Chasing Shadows

Chasing Shadows by Lynn Austin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Pieter and Lena de Vries live in the Netherlands, they own a farm and happily work together. The couple have been blessed with three children, Ans, Wim and Maaike, the children have been raised to believe in the lord and follow their parent’s faith. Holland's a neutral country, when the German’s invade Poland and the de Vries family are very worried.

Ans finds life on the farm boring, she’s tired of going to church and she wants to move to Leiden. Herman Huizenga needs a companion for his wife Eloise, she suffers from a nervous condition, the threat of war has increased her anxiety and Ans keeps her company during the day. Ans meets Erik Brouwer, he’s a police officer in Leiden, he’s dedicated to his job and they fall in love. Her feelings towards the German's are very different to Erik’s, can she trust him and is he really a collaborator?

Miriam Jacobs lives in Cologne Germany, she’s a talented Jewish violinist, when it becomes unsafe to stay in their homeland she and her father escape to Holland. Here she meets Avraham Leopold, they fall in love, marry and start a family. The Nazi’s start targeting Jewish people, just like they did in Germany, they can't escape because Hollands surrounded and the Leopold family need to go into hiding.

The Netherlands endured five long years of German occupation, Holland was cut off from the rest of the world and what happened during this time was truly horrific. Chasing Shadows story recounts Lena, Ans and Miriam’s wartime experiences, strong, brave and extremely courageous women. Selfless, they protected the people they loved, helped others and their faith kept them going during the darkest of times.
I received a copy of this book from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review, Lynn Austin has done it again, outstanding writing and five stars from me.

The War Nurse

The War Nurse by Tracey Enerson Wood
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Julia Stimson is the Superintendent of Nurses, she’s in charge of procedures and instruction at Washington University Hospital. The American Red Cross Base Hospital is going to take over from the British Expeditionary Force Hospital in France and Julia is in charge of recruiting and training sixty five nurses needed to staff the new American hospital.

When the boat leaves New York six weeks later, Julia and her group of eager nurses have no idea what will be waiting for them in France and it’s a big shock. The hospital at Rouen has been set up in the grounds of an old racecourse, they can hear the sound of gunfire in the distance and the Great War becomes very real. The hospital was built to accommodate 500 patients, Matron Lipton informs Julia at times it can have up to 1,300 patients and she has no idea how they will cope? The English hospital isn’t up to Julia’s high standards, dirty wounded soldiers are put into clean beds, it’s unorganized and she’s horrified. Once the British medical staff leave, Julia starts making changes, she introduces two work shifts for her nurses, a day shift and a night shift and with an experienced nurse in charge of each group. Patients arrive at the hospital in a terrible state, many haven’t been properly assessed, with horrific wounds and die before being operated on. Due to it being so busy, huge numbers of wounded men arriving all at once, Julia isn’t sure what procedures her nurses can do without a doctor’s approval and all she has to go by is a very outdated nurse’s hand book. She concerned about her nurses being over worked, burning out and catching diseases from the patients. Julia’s interested in new treatments and procedures and when a new respiratory illness starts, it spreads quickly and she wants to introduce changes.

Julia has always had to deal with discrimination from male doctors, they find her a threat, it’s the same in France, during the Spanish flu outbreak in 1918 and will they listen to her ideas? Julia asked dozens of young women to lay their lives on the line during the Great War, she takes the responsibility very seriously and she’s a wonderful leader. The War Nurse is based on a true story, it’s well written, and I enjoyed reading about Julia’s bond with her nurses, hospital staff and patients. Her relationship/friendship with Doctor Fred Murphy added an interesting element to the plot of the story and at a time when nurses had to be single.
I received a copy of this book from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review and five stars from me.

The Last Green Valley

The Last Green Valley by Mark T. Sullivan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Emil and Adeline Martel are of German heritage, forced to make the difficult decision to either stay in the Ukraine and it’s about to be invaded by the Russian army or leave and flee West with the Germany army? The Martel’s have lived under Russian rule before, they decide to leave, they have two young sons Walt and Will, and they pack their wagon with, food, water, clothing, bedding and tools. They begin the journey into the unknown, with horses Thor & Oden pulling the wagon, the roads are busy, full of other refugees and retreating German soldiers. Adeline’s mother Lydia and her sister Malia, have a wagon and leave with the Martel’s. On the road, they catch up with Emil’s parents Johann, Karoline and his sister Rese.

The trip is a nightmare, they can hear gun shots, bombs exploding, and both Russian and German planes are flying overhead, and they go through endless German check points and hold ups. They keep traveling for days, the strength and courage that Emil and Adeline show is remarkable, and their determination is truly inspiring. Things get worse, eventually the couple are separated, and both still continue to fight to survive, hope they will be together again and one day live in peace.

The Last Green Valley is based on a true story, Mark Sullivan has written an epic novel, it's a testimony to the love Adeline and Emil had for each other and their children. At such a horrific time, they showed incredible fortitude, persistence, faith, bravery, courage and it’s inspiring.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, it was amazing and five stars from me.

The Warsaw Orphan

The Warsaw Orphan by Kelly Rimmer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Elzbieta Rabinek is a teenager, she lives in Warsaw with her adopted parents Truda and Mateusz, they want to protect her from the war, the German army and the unrest in the city. They keep Elzbieta close to home, she’s a curious teenager and she starts secretly visiting her neighbors Sara's apartment. Sara’s a nurse and social worker and she works for the Department of Health and Sanitation. Sara visits the Warsaw ghetto, smuggling in much needed medical supplies and tries to help the plight of the starving Jewish children living behind the wall.

Roman Gorka is a Jewish teenager, he lives in the Warsaw ghetto with his mother Maya, stepfather Samuel, little brother Dawidek and his baby sister Eleonora. The Gorka family made the choice to stay in their apartment, the family didn’t want to be separated, and are now stuck behind the high wall. It’s extremely crowded in the ghetto, the conditions are deplorable, to survive you need to be useful and work. His mother had a baby six weeks ago, both his mother and baby sister Eleonora are not doing well and he’s worried about their health. When his mother contacts Sara, she desperately wants to get her baby out of the ghetto, Roman is angry and then he understands why. Roman and Elzbieta meet, develop feelings towards each other and it's dangerous for both of them. Slowly the ghetto starts to be emptied, as the time goes on the situation in the ghetto becomes dire, Roman constantly worries about his family being deported and he dreads returning home to find the apartment empty and the injustice of his situation makes him an extremely volatile young man.

The Warsaw Orphan is a story about two teenagers, growing up, living and trying to survive in a city consumed by war, hardship, suffering and injustice. Kelly Rimmer has written another epic historical novel about the power of human spirit, it makes you feel all kinds of emotions, it’s moving and it takes on a journey.
I received a copy of this book from Hachette Australia and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, I couldn’t stop reading it and five big stars from me.

Seven Perfect Things

Seven Perfect Things by Catherine Ryan Hyde
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Abby Hubble, lives with her mum Mary and father Stan in the foothills of Sierra Nevada mountains. Her father is a grumpy man and both Mary and Abby are extremely unhappy. The only thing Abby enjoys is being on the school swim team, she's a strong swimmer, one day she notices a man throw a sack off a bridge, she dives into the water and saves the seven puppies inside. The local dog pound is full, she cant take them home and she leaves the puppies in a shed near an abandoned cabin. Abby promises them she will be back the next day, she doesn’t have a lot of money and she’s determined to look after the puppies.

Elliot Colvin is a widower, his wife Pat has recently passed away and he’s not sure what to do. He’s on leave from his job, he has no children and he decides to go stay at his cabin. When he arrives, the cabin has been broken into and he finds the seven puppies in the shed. Abby arrives the next morning, he knows a thirteen year old girl didn’t break into his cabin, steal his property and he can understand why she wanted to save the puppies. Abby and Elliot are both lonely, they become friends and together care for the puppies. Abby seems to be the only person who understand how Elliot feels and she also wishes he was her father instead of Stan.

Stan Hubble is controlling, he suddenly takes Abby and her mother Mary on a road trip, Abby's devastated that she might never see the puppies and Elliot again. Mary needs to find all the courage she can muster to get her and Abby away from Stan and try to find Elliot and the puppies.

Seven Perfect Things is a story about hope, friendship, kindness, cute puppies, being brave and taking a chance. Catherine Ryan Hyde’s books always tug at your heart strings, this one certainly does and it's a lovely story.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and five stars from me.

Under The Light Of The Italian Moon

Under the Light of the Italian Moon by Jennifer Anton
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Nina Argenta lives in Fonzaso a small remote mountain village in Italy, a group of young men are emigrating to American, her brother Antonio is one of them and Nina promises her mother Adelasia she will never leave.
Pietro Pante returns from America to visit his family in Fonzaso, after a quick courtship, he and Nina marry, Pietro buys a small house for his new bride and returns to America to work in the coal mines. Pietro works really hard in American, saving and sending money home to Nina and his parents. Mussolini gains power, all Italian men must register for military service, and when Pietro visits his family in Italy, it’s risky and he returns to America.

Life in Italy changes, the fascist rule the country, during WW II the German’s invade Italy and the Italian people are cut off from the rest of the world. A desperate Pietro continues to write to Nina, he has no idea if she receives his letters and she doesn’t write back to him. For Nina life’s a daily struggle, food and necessities are scarce, she’s extremely worried about her daughter’s safety and the Germans start severely punishing people who help the local partisans. As the war years drag on, with still no word from her husband and Nina doesn’t think she will ever see him again.

Under The Light Of The Italian Moon is an historical saga, it’s based on a true story about Nina and Pietro Pante’s long distance relationship and it spans over twenty years. It’s a remarkable story about love, family, war, sacrifice, determination and incredible strength. Both Nina and Pietro were amazing people, an inspiring book to read and five stars from me.

An Invincible Summer

An Invincible Summer by Mariah Stewart
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Maggie Flynn’s returning to Wyndham Beach in Massachusetts for her fortieth high school reunion and catching up with her best friends Liddy and Emma. Maggies a widow, she has two grown up daughters and a granddaughter. Back in high school she dated Brett Crawford, their relationship ended very badly and seeing him again has made her very emotional about the past. She has a secret, it’s the reason they broke up and not even her two best friends know what happened.

Maggie discovers her childhood home is up for sale, suddenly she’s considering moving back to Wyndham Beach and when her daughter Grace’s world spirals out of control and it’s the perfect time for them both to make a fresh start. Brett’s the police chief in Wyndham Beach and living in a small town she’s not going to be able to avoid him. Natalie by chance discovers her mother’s secret, Maggie needs to make peace with her past and forgive herself. It opens up a whole new world of possibilities for Maggie and Brett, and their families.

I really enjoyed the themes of friendship, forgiveness, family ties, and starting again in the story. An Invincible Summer is the first book I have read by Mariah Stewart, I’m very keen to read the next book in the series, and five stars from me.

Yours Cheerfully

Yours Cheerfully by A.J. Pearce
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

London, November 1941.
Woman’s Friend, Henrietta Bird has left the magazine and Emmeline Lake is excited to be once again involved with the advice column. Her dear friend Bunty is slowly getting over her injuries, she’s mourning the loss of her beloved William and she’s still Emmy’s number one supporter. Emmy’s boyfriend Charles Mayhew is stationed back in the UK, they don’t get to spend a lot of time together and are madly in love.

The Ministry of Information needs help to recruit women workers for the war effort and they want magazines to run government funded articles. Emmy comes up with the idea to interview women who have just started working at a munitions factory and she receives permission to visit Chandlers. Emmy's new friend Anne works at the facility, she’s a war widow and has two young children. She discovers the challenges women workers face, they work extremely long hours, and juggling shift work and motherhood during a war isn’t easy. Most married women needed to work, many struggled financially and they had no access to funded childcare. The managers at Chandlers considered child minding not their problem, workers families should help out and many women didn’t have relatives living close by.

British women had a personal interest in the war, they all had family members fighting and wanted to do their bit! In, Yours Cheerfully Emmy’s doing what she does best, writing heart felt stories for Woman’s Friend magazine and supporting the women of England. I absolutely loved Dear Mrs. Bird and A.J. Pearce has done it again and Yours Cheerfully will have you cheering for Emmy, Bunty, Charles and her friends.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, an absolute delightful story to read and five big stars from me.

The Secrets Of The Lake

The Secrets of the Lake by Liz Trenow
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Widower Reverend John Goddard accepts a job at the Wormley parish in Colchester, it's a change of scene for his teenage daughter Molly and a ten year son Jimmy. Molly’s very unhappy, she lost her mother Sarah a year ago, her father is struggling from the loss of his wife and his experiences during WW II.

Molly dreams of being a journalist, she spends a lot of time minding her brother Jimmy and he has downs syndrome. Jimmy's a sweet boy, he loves the country and he has a tendency to wander off. Christopher Waddington attends school in London, he returns home to the manor during school holidays and in the summer. Kit’s clever, funny and very kind to Jimmy. Kit takes them both out in his new row boat the Robin on the lake and Jimmy loves it.

Money has gone missing from one of the church accounts, being new Reverend Goddard is the main suspect and for his family everything starts to spiral out of control. One stormy night Molly decides to visit Kit late, her father and brother are asleep. The next morning Jimmy doesn’t come down for breakfast, he’s not in his bed and has he wandered off? The Police are called in, they search the area, they find no sign of Jimmy and of course they question Molly and Kit.

Years later Molly is an old lady, a successful children’s writer and still haunted by her little brother’s disappearance. Two police officers arrive to tell her they have found some bones in the bottom of the lake in Wormley, they request a DNA sample and Molly's sure they have finally found her little brother.

The story looks back at life in the village all those years ago, the legend of the medieval dragon, how fascinated Jimmy was by the ancient mystical tale and the events leading up to him going missing. The village had some interesting characters, dynamics and secrets, I really liked Eli Chadwick the local gravedigger and he was lovely man.
I received a copy of The Secrets Of The Lake from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and four stars from me.

Still

Still by Matt Nable
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Darwin, 1963.
Senior Constable Ned Potter finds a man’s body in creepy shallow marshland and he has no idea it’s the first of three bodies he will find over the summer. Ned is married to Bonnie, they have a baby daughter and are still deciding what to name her. Like most blokes Ned likes to have a knock off drink at the Victoria Hotel, a cold beer goes down well at the end of a hot day and Ned’s problem is he has more than one.

Charlotte Clark is married to Bobby, he was once a rodeo cowboy and he now works for the fire department. She’s unhappy, being a housewife is boring and she spends most night waiting for her husband to come home from the pub and keeping his tea warm. Charlotte is restless, she goes for walks along the beach, fishing and borrows Bobby’s car to visit her dad who’s in a nursing home.
One night she stops the car, she needs some fresh air and she gets out of the vehicle and a hand goes over her mouth. It’s a man, he badly hurt, he’s absolutely terrified, she needs to get them both out of the area quickly ,where to take him and how to treat his injuries?

Charlotte and Ned discover that Darwin is full of corruption, it’s a rather sinister place, and you can’t trust anyone and including some of the police. Ned’s sure the three murders are linked, his boss doesn’t want him looking into the similarities between the cases, and it really gets to him.
Still is a little rough around the edges, like Darwin would have been in the sixties, lots of drinking, violence, crudeness, racism, the story isn’t predictable and it kept me guessing until the end. I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and four stars from me.

All We Have Is Now

All We Have Is Now by Kaneana May
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Friends Elsie, Olive and Bree run a health and well being business together and it’s time to expand Healing Hands. They find the perfect place, a beautiful old federation house, with lots of treatment space and endless possibilities.

Olive Atkins is Healing Hands dietitian, she sensible, practical and has everything under control. But she has a secret, she hasn’t told anyone and including her two business partners.
Bree Vandenberg is Healing Hands Pilate’s instructor, she’s single and flits from one man to another. Her younger sister Winnie has a habit of disappearing, her parents worry constantly about her, she turns up on Bree’s doorstep, and will her parents have their hearts broken again?
Elsie Parker is Healing Hands counsellor, she’s kind, compassionate and a caring step-mother to Johan and married to painter Frank.

The Three owners of Healing Hands are all very different, when tragedy strikes, what will happen to their friendship and will their business survive financially? All We Have Is Now is well written story and I cared about Olive, Bree and Elsie, it’s an emotional book to read and it made me cry. It’s about life, relationships, family, secrets, loss and finding a way and courage to carry on through really tough times.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, I'm very keen to read other books by Kaneana May and five stars from me.

Savannah's Secret

Savannah's Secret by Mandy Magro
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Savannah Garret is determined to see her best friend’s killer go to jail, Jimmy Biloti is a dangerous man and despite him being locked up and she may never feel safe. The detectives working on the case assure her with her new look, identity, and moving to a country town and she will be perfectly fine. After a long bus trip she arrives in Blackwater QLD and makes her way to the pub. Here she meets her new boss Jacko, his daughter Jessie and Savannah's the pubs new barmaid.

Ash Sullivan has worked hard, he owns his own property Silverton Station and runs a chopper mustering business. He’s been very unlucky in love, years ago he had his heart shattered and he has no one to share his beautiful property with. All the single ladies in Blackwater have been trying to get his attention since he arrived and have had absolutely no luck. The accommodation at the pub is pretty basic and Ash has an empty renovated cottage on his property; he offers Savannah a place to live, here can she truly relax and feel safe? Ash and Savannah are very attracted to each other, she can’t tell anyone about her true identity and not even the man she falls head over heels in love with.

Savannah’s Secret is a story set in a small Australian country town, the local characters are likeable and extremely funny, and it has elements of romance, suspense and danger. I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and four stars from me.

The Post Office Girls

The Post Office Girls by Poppy Cooper
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Beth Healey works in her parent’s village shop in Woodhampstead, getting orders ready and serving customers. Beth and her twin brother Ned have just turned eighteen, like all young men Ned signs up to fight for his king and country. Beth also wants to contribute to the war, others are doing their bit and her parents have very old fashioned ideas about what young ladies can do.

Beth secretly applies to join the Army Post Office’s new Home Depot on the Regent’s Park, and she can’t believe it when she’s offered a job. The postal service was of great significance during WW I and it handled over twelve million letters a week. Beth works in the damaged parcel department, she repacks and readdresses damaged parcels being sent to soldiers, it’s an important job and a very busy one.

Despite traveling and long work days, Beth enjoys her new job, she makes friends with two girls employed in the same department, Milly Woods and Nora Benhams. By working and staying at her new friends houses overnight; Beth discovers life is very different in London, Nora comes from a well to do family and Milly is involved with the suffragette movement. At the Home Depot she also meets the attractive James Blackford, he’s of age and yet he’s not fighting in the war?

The Post Office Girls takes you back to 1915 and when women’s roles changed during WW I and it gives you an insight into life in England at the time. I enjoyed reading about the friendship formed between the three young women, they faced many challenges together and the important work they did. The mail service was extremely vital during WW I, receiving a letter boosted morale in the trenches and at home.

The Cake Maker's Wish

The Cake Maker’s Wish by Josephine Moon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Single mum Olivia Kent leaves Richmond Tasmania and moves to Stoneden in the Cotswolds in England with her young son Darcy and its part of a village migration scheme.
The Renaissance Project plan is to bring families from all over the world to boost the villages declining population, live in empty cottages, send their children to the local school and open new businesses. Of course not everyone in Stoneden is happy about the project, Clarence James the president of the committee he's confident it will work and be very successful.

Olivia is a qualified pastry chef and she opens a cake shop called Rambling Rose, she loves all things 50’s and it’s the theme for her shop, including what she wears while serving her sweet treats and the music she plays for her customers.

Her sons father Helge lives in Norway, by moving to England it means father and son will finally meet. Olivia has been single for seven years, she’s not sure if she’s ready for romance and she has a new business to run. Grayson Levins is a dairy farmer, he’s a really nice man, gets on well with Darcy and is he a possible love interest for her?

I really enjoyed reading The Cake Maker’s Wish, it’s a story about Olivia taking a chance and moving to another country, her coming to terms with her past, embracing her new life, making friends and they help her navigate the setbacks and challenges of creating a new life and business for herself and her son in England.
Five stars and I look forward to reading other books by Josephine Moon.

The Woman With The Blue Star

The Woman with the Blue Star by Pam Jenoff
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Kraków, 1942.
Sadie Gault is eighteen, she’s living with her parents in the Kraków ghetto, her parent’s think she’s safe hiding in the apartment during the day, and it’s not the case. One day when the adults are at work; the Germans start emptying the ghetto, all the children are taken and it’s just the start. Sadie manages to hide and the next day she starts working at the shoe factory with her mother. She has no idea her father has been making escape plans with a friend, Pawel is a sewer worker and under the city is a long network of tunnels and chambers. One night Sadie is woken by her father, the Germans have blocked the street and are arresting everyone. She’s horrified when her dad wants her and her mother to climb down into the cities underground sewerage network and hide.

Sadie and her pregnant mother Danuta begin living in a filthy sewer chamber and along with the devout Rosenberg family. They rely on Pawel to bring them food, every crumb has to be divided up fairly, what are they going to do when the baby arrives, babies are noisy and it doesn’t take long for things to get tense underground. Saul Rosenberg and Sadie explore the tunnels, being the youngest they collect water and dispose of the rubbish. One day Sadie takes a big risk and looks up through a grate in the market square, trying to get some fresh air and some sunlight on her face.

Ella Stepanek’s father marched off with the Polish army, never to be seen again and she lives with her stepmother Ana Lucia. She’s a collaborator, she entertains German officers, she receives food and they have German stamps on their identification papers. Ella hates the Germans and Ana Lucia, her friends will no longer speak to her due to her stepmother’s behavior and she’s still waiting to hear any news about her fiancé Krys. Desperate to get out of the house she offers to go to the market, she has no trouble getting around Kraków or through checkpoints with her German endorsed papers and she’s shocked to notice a girl looking up at her from a grate and she can’t believe people are living cities sewerage system.

Ella begins helping Sadie and they become friends, Sadie hanging around the market grate during the day is extremely dangerous for both of them, it only takes one person to notice something and alert the Germans. The Woman With The Blue Star is based around true stories of Jewish people living in sewers during WW II, desperate for somewhere to hide from the Germans and not be sent to Auschwitz. It’s a story about survival in a horrendous place, sacrifice, the good and the bad of human behavior, friendship, hope, and love.
Thanks to Edelweiss for my copy in exchange for an honest review and five stars from me.

Last One Home

Last One Home by Shari J. Ryan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Elizabeth Salzberg is twenty, she lives in Oahu Hawaii with her father and twin brothers. Her dad’s the naval commander of the entire U.S. Pacific fleet, her older brothers Lewis and James are also in the navy. Elizabeth has almost finished her nursing studies, she wants to join the Army Nurse Corps and he father disapproves.

Elizabeth’s mother passed away five years ago, she cares for her father and brothers. Cleaning, cooking and she yearns for more and wants to travel the world. It’s not easy being the commander’s daughter, her father's very strict, and no dating and she hangs out with her best friend Audrey. Elizabeth meets Everett Anderson, a former Hollywood actor and he’s in the army. Elizabeth and Everett start seeing each other in secret, not easy on an island where everyone knows her and it’s just a matter of time before her father finds out.

On the 7th of December 1941, Elizabeth and Everett are having picnic breakfast and Everett senses something isn’t right. Soon sirens are blaring, informing people it's not a drill and the Japanese are bombing Pearl Harbor. The Arizona has been hit, men are in the water, covered in oil, burnt and in terrible pain. In the chaos that follows they become separated, Elizabeth helps at the hospital and it’s horrible. She has no idea what has happened to her father, brothers and Everett. Elizabeth discovers her family and Everett are safe. Martial law is declared, everyone on the Island is terrified and have no idea if the Japanese will return. Elizabeth’s experiences during Pearl Harbor have a profound influence on her, makes her more determined and she enlists with the Army Nurse Corps. She’s knows her father will be furious, as he’s very concerned about her safety overseas because her family are Jewish, it’s not easy leaving home and especially Everett.

Elizabeth sets off basic training near Fort Devens and she has no idea she will be away from home for years. Her tour of duty takes her to England, Scotland, Normandy, Belgium and Europe. Elizabeth cares for thousands of wounded and sick soldiers, prisoners of war and civilians. Last One Home is a story about Elizabeth’s wartime experiences, the many challenges she faced, she’s a dedicated and compassionate nurse, when needed shows incredible strength and courage and makes her father extremely proud. Enjoyable read and four stars from me

Edie's Home for Orphans

Edie's Home for Orphans by Gracie Taylor
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

London, 1941.
Edie Cartwright had consumption as a child, it’s scarred her lungs and she’s very disappointed when Dr Grant declares her unfit for active service. Edie lost her job as a teacher at Brick Street School, it was closed due to the war and like everyone in her age group she wants to serve her country. Dr Grant suggests again about Edie moving to the countryside, her lungs would benefit from the clean air, they desperately need Land Girls, she completes the training course and she finds herself on the way to Cumberland.

The owner of Applefield Manor Mrs. Prudence Hewitt is waiting for her, she’s rather stern and not very welcoming. Edie will be helping the gardener Jack Graham around the estate and she will also be working for Sam Nicholson, caring for his sheep at nearby Larkstone farm. Matilda Liddell is the cook at the manor, she’s friendly and the others take one look at Edie’s slight build and they don’t think she will last two weeks. Edie proves them all wrong, yes she’s sore and tired to start off with and soon she’s feeling the best she’s ever felt and the horrible tight feeling in her chest has gone away.

Prudence isn’t happy when she informed two evacuees are going to being billeted with her and the children are from Bethnal Green. Agnes and James Cawthra arrive, the children are extremely underweight, small for their ages and James is mute. Edie and Matilda make the children feel welcome, it’s not long before Prue and Jack both find a new lease of life and really enjoy having the children around. When the children save a tiny puppy, they keep Coco hidden in the barn, he’s the first of many animals that join Pepper the black crow at Applefield Manor and the atmosphere around the place changes.

Edie’s Home for Orphans is a delightful story about Edie and her discovering how much she enjoys living in the country, looking after animals and being land girl. Her joy is infectious, her kindness thaws the coolest of hearts, including Mrs. Hewitt's and the slightly reserved sheep farmer Sam Nicholson's. I really enjoyed reading about the relationships and friendships in the story, the menagerie of animals and the kindness shown to the Italian POW’s.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, a lovely wartime story and five stars from me.

The Kew Gardens Girls

The Kew Gardens Girls by Posy Lovell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

London, 1916. England is at war with Germany and head gardener Mac and his assistant Jim are doing their best to keep the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew maintained. Not only do they grow decorative plants for display, they cultivate much needed fruit and vegetables. Ivy Adam’s and Louisa Taylor apply to work at the gardens and Mac’s hesitant to employ women and he has no choice. They work long twelve hour days, weeding, building rock gardens and the women have a green thumb. Working with them is Bernard Yorke, he’s rather clumsy and an ex private school teacher.

English people are extremely patriotic, most support the war and wonder why a fit Bernie haven’t joined up? He has his reasons, he’s a pacifist and Quaker. This causes tension at work, people take sides and it doesn’t end well. A new recruit starts Lady Winifred Ramsay, she’s a volunteer, she’s the nicest person and not a snob. Louisa, Ivy and Win become best friends, they face many challenges together, fighting for women gardeners to be paid the same as men, keeping Louisa safe and the loss of a spouse.

The Kew Gardens Girls is inspired by true events, it’s a story about friendship, comradery, women’s rights and life in England during WW I. Women’s roles changed, with their husbands and sons off fighting in the war and many became the main bread winners in the family. I especially loved reading about the friendships in the story, how much the women enjoyed working at the Botanic Gardens, how the men’s attitudes changed towards them, and it’s an inspiring, heart-warming and at times heart wrenching account of life at the time.
Thanks to Edelweiss for my copy in exchange for an honest review, great book Posy Lovell and five stars from me.

Churchill's Secret Messenger

Churchill's Secret Messenger by Alan Hlad
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

London 1941.
Rose Teasdale is a typist in room 60, its part of Winston Churchill’s War Cabinet and it’s situated underneath Westminster’s Treasury building. Sworn to secrecy, civilian women work around the clock, manning the switchboards and typing up official documents. Rose’s mother was French, as a child she visited France on holidays and she speaks the language fluently. Her brother Charlie died flying a RAF mission over the English Channel and when her parents are tragically killed in a bombing raid and Rose is very determined to help defeat the Germans. Winston Churchill discovers Rose can speak French, she begins training in Scotland and becomes a Special Operation Executive or SOE.

At this stage of the war women are needed to work as special agents in France, healthy men are far too obvious, they wouldn’t last a week and women easily blend into the population. It’s extremely dangerous, she’s dropped by parachute into France and Rose now goes by the name Aline Bonnet a cosmetics saleswoman and her code name is Dragonfly. She’s a messenger, a dead drop is when she passes on a note only, no one else is involved and a live drop is when she works with another agent or someone from the French resistance.
Rose is assigned to help Lazare Aron, a Jewish French Resistance fighter and he lives underground in Paris’s maze of catacombs. His parents are arrested in the Vel'd'Hiv round up or operation Vent Printanier and have been sent to a work camp in Germany? Lazare and Rose have had similar experiences, both have lost their entire families during the war, are determined to defeat the German's and liberate France. Rose and Lazare take part in daring missions, the chances of being caught and the entire network being exposed are high. When Rose attempts to save Lazare from an Amiens prison she puts herself in danger, she’s captured and is sent to Ravensbruck. This isn’t the end of Rose and Lazare’s stories and plot has so many twist and turns and keeps you guessing until the end.

Churchill’s Secret Messenger is a story about Rose and her incredible dedication. To England, France, Lazare, her friends, and her fellow secret service officers. An inspiring and well written story about WW II, love, loss, sacrifice, spirit, determination and justice. I received a copy of this book from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review, I highly recommend it and five stars from me.

The Girls in the Stilt House

The Girls in the Stilt House: A Novel by Kelly Mustian
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Ada Morgan regretfully returns to her father Virgil’s cabin in the Trace, he lives in the creepy swamp in Mississippi, where he traps animals for a living and she ran away a year ago. She arrives home to a mess, the cabin is filthy and she cleans it up while nervously waiting for her father to return home. Living in Baton Rouge with Jesse was fun, she’s come home to face the music and her father is a very nasty man.

Matilda Patterson, is a colored sharecropper’s daughter, they live on the other side of the Trace and she dreams of having a better life. Her father Dalton works hard, he does what he’s told by his boss and he has no choice. Some nasty business goes on in the area with bootleggers, various people are involved, willingly or not, it’s illegal and they will do anything not to get caught. One night the two girl meet, Ada and Matilda are bound together by witnessing a death, they keep it a secret and was it murder?

Matilda is wary of white folks, she doesn’t want to get involved with Ada and she has no one else to help her. The two girls make an unlikely duo, just when Ada thinks she can drag herself out of poverty, Matilda vanishes, the whole situation becomes complicated again and it’s extremely dangerous.

The Girls in the Stilt House has a plot full of twists and turns and it involves secrets, murder, racial tension and it kept me engrossed from the start. It also had some really lovely characters, I liked Gertie the midwife, Flora the shop keeper, Pastor Brown and the undertaker Mr. Lewis. It would be a great book club read, thanks to Edelweiss for my copy and five stars from me.

The Four Winds

The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

1921.
Elsa Wolcott survives a childhood illness, her parents shut her away in her room, and she spends her time reading and daydreaming. She feels like an outsider in her own family, unloved and unwanted. When a younger man shows her some attention, she’s delighted, doesn’t think about any consequences and how her parents will react?
1934.
Elsa Martinelli lives with her two children Loreda and Anthony on her parents-in-laws farm in Texas. Her no good husband Rafe left her, the children and his parents Tony and Rose are devastated. The once flourishing wheat farm is dying, due to no rain, all the crops fail and slowly the life is being sucked out of everything on the farm. The Martinelli family are in big trouble, the animals start dying, with no summer produce to put up, the root cellar is almost empty and what will they do?

Millions of people are out of work, America is on its knees and it’s called the Great Depression. The drought is so bad and it hasn’t rained in years and this causes another problem, with no vegetation to hold the top soil down, it’s blown away, huge storms of dust roll over the plains and they called it the American Dust Bowl. With frequent dust storms, children start suffering from dust pneumonia, its damaging their young lungs and it can be fatal. When Ant comes down with the disease Elsa has to make the difficult choice, stay on the farm or leave for California?

Elsa begins the long road trip to California, it’s a nightmare, dangerous on and off the road. When she finally arrives it’s not at all what’s she’s expecting, she has to work incredibly hard and long hours to feed her children and Elsa's extremely angry about the way she and other people are being forced to live.

The Four Winds is an epic American story, about a terrible time in the nation’s history and one woman’s brave fight to look after her children and her selflessness, her determination and her amazing spirit. Kristin Hannah has written a new American classic novel, it takes you on an emotional journey and five stars from me.

Beneath Cornish Skies

Beneath Cornish Skies by Kate Ryder
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Cassandra Shaw lives with David Ashcroft and from the outside her life looks perfect, a beautiful house in the country and a handsome and very successful partner. David’s rich, he showers Sandie with expensive gifts, she spends her days riding her horse Caspian, waiting for David to come home and she doesn’t need to work. But, Cassie senses something isn’t right with her relationship with David, he’s preoccupied, distant and rather rude. Cassandra’s parents died when she was a teenager, she feels alone, insecure and doubts her own capabilities.

Cassie reads an advert in a magazine, it's for job working as a live in nanny in Cornwall, she’s had enough of David and she applies. Cassie shocked when she’s offered the job working for Ginny and Gyles Kinsman and she takes it. They have three children Rhea, Tegan and Zac, she’s to look after the children and their horses, cook and sort out Gyles paperwork. Suddenly Cassie’s days are busy, she’s tired and feels a sense accomplishment. Centuries old Foxcombe Manor is full of family history, ghosts and she often feels a presence in the Tudor home. The Kinsman’s are lovely, they treat her like a member of the family and make her feel wanted. Cassie feels at home, she loves Cornwall, it’s a beautiful place and she meets Luke Metcalfe. Luke has a degree in Geography and Environmental Science, he shows Cassie old sacred sites in the area, she feels a real connection to Cornwall, Luke and the spirits.

Beneath Cornish Skies is a wonderful story about Cassie starting again, taking a risk and rediscovering herself. A relationship should be about two people living together, both being happy and being a partnership in life. I read it in a day, I highly recommend the book and five stars from me.

Letters Across The Sea

Letters Across the Sea by Genevieve Graham
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In 1933, Molly Ryan is eighteen, she left high school early due to the depression in Canada, she works at the local grocery store and her dreams of becoming a journalist have been put on hold. Her best friend Hannah Dreyfus lives across the street, the girls love watching their brothers play baseball and Molly has a crush on her friend’s older brother Max. Summer is almost over, stomachs are empty, and so many people are unemployed and homeless. People are angry, they want someone to blame and Jewish residents are targeted. Signs start appearing in shop windows saying they won’t serve Jewish people and young men join the new Swastika Club. Tension builds between the Irish Protestants and the Jewish communities and on the 16th of August it explodes. Molly and Max are caught up in the violence, Molly’s father is injured and the two families no longer speak.

Molly studied at night school to get her high school diploma and has just started working as a reporter for the local newspaper the Star. On the 10th of September 1939 Prime Minister Mackenzie King announces Canada is at war and by 1941 all four Ryan brothers have enlisted. Molly still lives at home with her mum and dad, her brothers Richie, Jimmy, Mark and Liam are serving in the air force, navy and army.

Two thousand Canadian troops are sent to Hong Kong, Richie is one of them, and they had very little army training. The Japanese forces bomb Pearl Harbor on the 7th of December 1941, quickly they take Malaysia and Hong Kong is next. The Canadian troops didn’t stand a chance against the experienced and combat hardened Japanese soldiers. The first Canadian forces to engage in combat during WW II and they fought bravely despite the terrible odds. The survivors are captured by Japanese, made prisoners of war, kept and treated terribly for over three years.
Molly’s family waits for news about Richie, when it arrives it’s bad and she assumes Max’s fate is the same? Molly is determined to make a difference, she’s sympathetic towards the returned service men, she begins writing about their wartime experiences and shares their stories with the public.

Prior to reading Letters Across the Sea, I had never heard of the anti-Jewish movement in Canada, the Christie Pit Riots and about the Canadian troops fighting the Japanese in Hong Kong during WW II and becoming prisoners of war. Genevieve Graham skillfully includes all of these facts in her book, it’s an absolutely amazing story and one of the best WW II Historical Fiction books I have read.
I received a copy of this book from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review and five big stars from me.

The Note Through The Wire

The Note Through the Wire by Doug Gold
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Bruce Murray is a bit of a larrakin, when his mates Blackie and Logie decide to join up and fight in WW II and he thinks why not? A free boat trip, see a bit of the world, like most blokes and he's feeling pretty brave after a few beers. He had no idea what war was like, for him and his mates it was just a bit of an adventure and a lark!
Basic training is soon over, Bruce is in Greece fighting the Germans with his fellow Kiwi's and he's in the New Zealand 25th Battalion. Suddenly WW II is very real, the army is retreating and before he knows it Bruce finds himself stuck in a Stalag prison camp.

Every Sunday, the prisoners go for a walk around the compound, he's handed a slip of paper by a old lady through the fence wire, she takes a big risk, the guards start shooting at her, it's actually a pretty girl and she's dressed up as an old lady. Josefine Lobnik is an under ground resistance fighter, she's trying to find out what happened to her brother Polde and if he's in the prison camp? Josefine has no idea by giving Bruce the slip of paper it will change both their lives and their families forever.

Bruce is a typical bloke, he likes a drink, he swears, he's loyal, he's funny, he tries so many times to escape prison, he always gets caught, he spends a lot of time in the cooler, and has more lives than a cat. The Note Through the Wire is a story about WW II, how it affected prisoners of war and the local people living on the border between Austria, Hungary, Croatia and Italy.
It's also a story about finding love during WW II, sacrifice, bravery, betrayal and surviving in the total destruction caused by both the German and Russian armies. Bruce and Josefine never gave up, nothing could stop them from being together and in the end love wins.

I gave the book 4 stars, I have shared my review on Goodreads, Twitter, Amazon Australia, Kobo, Barnes & Noble and my blog.

The Last Night In London

The Last Night In London by Karen White
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

London, 1939. Eva Harlow and Precious Dubose are best friends, roommates and model gorgeous gowns for the House of Lushtak. Both are very beautiful, blond, and slender and share clothes. By chance, Eva meets handsome Graham St. John, he’s recently returned from Burma and he comes from an upper class family. Eva becomes friends with Graham’s sister Sophia, her fiancé David and they all go out together. When WW II starts Graham joins the Royal Air Force, the Blitz begins and London is a very dangerous place to live. Especially for Eva who wants to keep her true identity a secret, this makes her extremely vulnerable and she reluctantly becomes involved in web of intrigue and spies.

London, 2019. Madison Warner is an American journalist and she travels to London to interview ninety nine year old former model Precious Dubose. She has a large collection of clothes and accessories from the WW II era and Maddie is going to write an article about her wartime experiences. Maddie’s life hasn’t been easy, she moves around a lot and she finds all personal relationships hard. Much to her horror she discovers Colin Eliot is also staying with Precious, years ago they were friends and he’s like family to Precious. As Maddie delves into Precious past, she’s sure the elderly lady is hiding something and does her large vintage clothes collection contain any clues to what really happened during WW II?

The dual timeline seamlessly combines the past and the present and it binds the three women together. The Last Night In London's story is based around themes of friendship, family, love, intrigue, secrets, war, trust and betrayal. It also highlighted to me how important honesty is, being authentic to yourself and family ties.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, I’m keen to read the first two books is the series now: Falling Home and After The Rain and four stars from me.

The Elephant of Belfast

The Elephant of Belfast by S. Kirk Walsh
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Hettie Quin is twenty, she works at Bellevue Zoo in Belfast, where she feeds the animals and cleans out their cages. Six months ago her family suffered a terrible tragedy, her sister Anna passed way, her father Thomas left and her mother Rose is now terribly depressed. Working at the zoo gives Hettie a much needed break from her family’s problems and she loves her job.

October 1940. The Christie siblings own Bellevue Zoo, they bought a three year old Asian elephant called Violet and she's arrived at Belfast docks. Getting an elephant off a ship isn’t easy, a crane is needed and then they walk Violet through the streets of Belfast to the zoo. This creates a lot of interest, makes the local papers and it’s a real feel good story. Unlike England, Ireland hadn’t been bombed by Germans and they might escape the Blitz? Some members of the IRA believe Ireland might be better off being invaded by the Germans and a way of finally getting rid of the British?

April 1941. Belfast residents are woken up in the middle of the night, it’s not a false alarm and the city is being bombed. The Germans drop almost 700 bombs in five hours, fires are burning all over the city, the water supply’s been damaged, and hundreds of people have been injured and thousands killed. Hettie’s worried about Violet, leaving her mum at home, she rushes to the zoo to make sure she’s alright and the next day she’s horrified by some of the decisions made by Belfast's authorities.

Inspired by the life of Denise Austin, The Elephant of Belfast looks at the inspiriting relationship between zookeeper Hettie and Violet the Asian elephant during WW II. At such a dangerous and uncertain time Hettie overcame so many difficulties and obstacles to save Violet, to keep her safe and it’s an incredibly moving and uplifting story.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, its absolutely brilliant and five stars from me.

You Belong Here Now

You Belong Here Now: A Novel by Dianna Rostad
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Charles, Patrick and Opal are aboard the orphan train leaving New York City in 1925, each time the train stops the children are hopeful, they might be picked and only to be disappointed. Charles is the oldest, he can be aggressive, he grew up in Hell’s Kitchen and he lied about his age to stay on the train. Teenage Patrick is Irish, his father died during the Great War and his mother and sister died of the Spanish flu. Opal’s 8, she’s small for her age, timid and has scars on her wrists. Bull Mountain in remote Montana is the trains last stop, Charles is worried he will be overlooked again, it’s humiliating and no way is he going back to New York.

He jumps of the train and he didn’t think Patrick and Opal would follow him and they did. Nara Stewart can’t believe it when she finds Charles in her father’s barn, her mother feeds him and she doesn’t know what to make of his story about his brother and sister waiting nearby? Her suspected horse thief wasn’t lying, her mother is delighted to have three children to fuss over and her dad needs extra help on the ranch.

The children are allowed to stay, Nara isn’t happy about it and she works the boys hard. Her parents would love to adopt the children, part of the possible adoption agreement is they must attend school and of course Charles gets into trouble. Ivar Magnusson needs help rounding up wild mustangs, Patrick has a gift when it comes to handling horses and the two boys are horrified when they find out what’s going too happened to them. When someone cuts the herd loose, Charles is the obvious suspect due to his past and is thrown in jail. Of course it wasn’t him, it’s pretty obvious who’s the real suspect and things only get worse when Opal gets a visitor!

You Belong Here Now is a story about orphaned children being sent west, considered a source of cheap help and children were examined like animals and it was a humiliating experience. Charles, Patrick and Opal thrive in Montana, the Stewart's are a kind, hardworking family, and they open their arms and hearts to the children. Three very lucky children, I received a copy of this book in exchange for and honest review and four stars from me.

Second First Impressions

Second First Impressions by Sally Thorne
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Ruthie Midona is in her mid-twenties, she’s worked as an office assistant at the Providence Luxury Retirement Villas for six years and she lives in a cottage on the property. Dedicated to her job, Ruthie is efficient and extremely hard working. But, she’s living a life of a much older person, she dresses like an old lady and a very frugal one. Melanie Sasaki starts working with Ruthie as a temp, she’s determined to change Ruthie’s single status and the way she dresses.

Theodore is the son of Jerry Prescott the owner of Providence and he’s very different to his successful businessman father. Teddy’s a bit of a rebel, he rides a motorbike, he has no fixed address, has long hair and lot of tattoos. He’s a tattoo artist, he needs to earn some cash and starts working as a personal assistant for a couple of rich quirky ladies living at the retirement village. Ruthie doesn’t think Teddy stands a chance and Renata and Aggie have had as many personal assistants as Teddy has had addresses in the last year.

Much to her horror, Teddy moves in next door to Ruthie and sets about proving her wrong. He picks up dry cleaning, cuts up burgers into bite size pieces, wears silly costumes and does it all with a dazzling smile. Teddy’s rather good looking, he’s charming and he starts to get under Ruthie’s perfect skin. When she discovers that Jerry is considering selling Providence, Ruthie is horrified and is Teddy as nice as she thought?

Second First Impressions is a wonderful entertaining story, I was hooked from the start and I loved all the characters. Ruthie is so sweet, she became more confident, less uptight and she blossomed. Teddy’s totally an inked spunk, he’s funny, kind and the perfect person to ruffle Miss Ruthie’s feathers. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, it’s the first book I have read by Sally Thorne, I’m very keen to read more and five stars from me.

Before The Crown

Before the Crown by Flora Harding
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Before the Crown is a fictional story about the budding romantic relationship between Princess Elizabeth and the dashing Navy officer Lieutenant Philip Prince of Greece. Princess Elizabeth first met Philip when she was thirteen, he made quite an impression on her and he was her first teenage crush. Elizabeth was seventeen when she met Philip again, he was serving in the Navy during WW II and they kept in contact by writing letters to each other. Her parents King George and her mother Queen Elizabeth didn’t think it was a good match, they thought Philip was an irresponsible play boy who only had eyes on their young impressionable daughter to improve his financial position and social status. They hoped the war, time, distance and Elizabeth maturing might change her mind?

Elizabeth may have been young but she was very determined to marry Philip and after being made to wait until she turned twenty one and her father gave them permission to get engaged and they married on the 20th of November 1947. Can you imagine being in your early twenty's, having such a huge weight on your shoulders already as the future Queen, her responsibility to your country and it's subjects, I have always admired Queen Elizabeth II and her fortitude. I enjoyed reading Before the Crown it was an interesting story about the beginning of the romantic relationship between two famous and fascinating people and who are still happily married today. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, all thoughts are my own and four stars from me.

The Secret Stealers

The Secret Stealers by Jane Healey
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Anna Cavanaugh is twenty five, she’s extremely intelligent and teaches high school French. Five months ago her husband Connor was tragically killed, she’s a young widow and not looking forward to spending the summer with her parents at the Cape. A long-time family friend Major General William Donovan is in charge of the Office of Strategic Services, he’s had Anna flagged for a while and she’s asked to attend an interview.

Anna’s honored to be considered as a candidate for such an important job, Donovan has direct contact with the White House and regularly speaks to President Roosevelt. They work long hours and Anna becomes one of the gang, she makes friends with Maggie, Irene and Julia. Anna discovers more about the secret organization, she desperately wants to go overseas, train to be a spy and will Donovan give her a chance?

Paris during WW II, where a healthy man sticks out like a sore thumb, they have been sent to Germany to work, women are being recruited as spies, they fit in undetected with the population and are versatile. Anna lived in France for a year as a student, she’s fluent in French and German and a perfect candidate. Anna’s travels to Hampshire in England to begin her training as a wireless operator, the course is physically and mentally taxing. In France her job will be extremely important, she will receive and send vital intelligence and it’s also very dangerous. When Anna sees her first German soldier in France her hands shake, once she notices how much Paris has changed under German occupation and she’s very determined to everything she can to help defeat the Germans.

The Secret Stealers is a story about Anna’s adventures as a resourceful and assertive secret agent in France during WW II. Anna the young widow, who was once lost, consumed by grief, guilt, regret, sadness and she discovers what she’s capable of. Full of intrigue, tension, anticipation, danger, strong female characters and the book had me hooked from the start. The book had me hooked from the start, full of intrigue, tension, anticipation, danger and strong female characters and five stars from me.

Sunflower Sisters.

Sunflower Sisters by Martha Hall Kelly
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Woosley sisters Abby, Jane, Georgeanna, Mary, Eliza, Harriet and Caroline grew up in privileged and well to do household. Their mother Jane lead by example, she helped the less fortunate, an abolitionist and her daughters followed in her footsteps. Georgeanna trained to be a nurse, despite male disapproval and became one of the first Union army nurses serving in the Civil War. She tended wounded in hospitals, on the battle field and aboard hospital ships. She and her sister Eliza went to Gettysburg where for three weeks they witness firsthand violent battle, the terrible injuries and the horrors of slavery.

Peeler Plantation in Maryland, Jemma is a slave, her father and mother live in the slave quarters and her twin sister Patience works at a nearby Indigo plantation called Ambrosia. The two people she fears the most are her difficult and mean mistress Anne-May and the extremely nasty overseer LeBaron. Anne-May is the owner of Peeler Plantation, her husband Fergus Watson joins the Union army and her beloved brother Harry Wilson joins the Confederate army. Left in charge Anne-May sees it as the perfect opportunity to do as she pleases, she spends too much money, treats her slaves badly and flirts with shop keeper Jubal Smalls. Anne-May is rather naïve, her behavior gets her into serious trouble and she’s drawn into a network of Southern spies.

Sunflower Sisters is inspired by the real Woosley sisters, the letters they wrote and other memorabilia kept in a collection. Sunflowers were also used by the underground railway as a symbol of danger and sisters Jemma and Patience were both drawn to them.

While reading the story you’re given a comprehensive look at life in American during the time of the Civil War, from the streets of New York to tobacco fields of the South. The plot includes information about the battles of the Civil War and the destruction it caused, the shocking injuries and the massive loss of life. It also looks at the evils of slavery, its terrible cruelty and nothing is left out. It’s a story filled with strong female characters to admire, it has elements of suspense, tension, drama, sadness and a little romance.
Martha Hall Kelly has written an amazing book to conclude her Lilac Girl Series, its absolutely brilliant and five stars from me.

Sisters of Freedom

Sisters of Freedom by Mary-Anne O'Connor
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Sydney, 1901. The six colonies of Australia have united to form the Commonwealth of Australia, a process known as Federation and the whole nation celebrates. While Australian women are happy about Federation, they’re still unable to vote, they have no say in how the country is governed and they want this to change.

The Merriweather family are about to celebrate Christmas, it’s been an exciting year and their youngest daughter Ivy is about to turn eighteen. The sisters are very close and each has a very different temperament and hair colour. Agatha or Aggie's married to Robert Stepleton, she volunteers at the local catholic orphanage, and she cares for the babies and longs for children of her own. Aggie notices underprivileged teenage girls are badly treated, the orphanage isn’t willing to help them and this makes her mad. Ivy loves art, drawing and wears very colourful outfits. She longs to get married, have children and she’s infatuated with law student Patrick Earle. Frances or Frankie is rather exuberant, high spirited and a great bowler. She’s dedicated to the suffrage movement, she’s not interested in getting married and having babies.

On Ivy’s birthday tragedy strikes, she’s injured and lying on the banks of the Hawkesbury River. It’s an extremely dangerous place for a woman alone to be, smuggler Riley Logan comes across Ivy and he knows local thug Donovan and his unscrupulous friends are lurking nearby. He needs to act quickly, his sister Fiona will help and she lives with her husband George in a modest shack on the banks of the river. Fiona might be poor, but she’s extremely kind and a loving mother to her twin daughters Tricia and Annie. She and Ivy become close and the entire Merriweather family are very grateful for Riley's and Fiona's help.

When the unthinkable happens the three Merriweather sisters are determined to help the plight of Australian women, to end the cycle of poverty, stop domestic violence, for men to be legally accountable for their actions and for women to be able to vote. Sisters of Freedom is a story about Australian woman in the early 1900’s and their resolution to make changes, they marched, chanted, sung, the battle was won and were granted the right to vote. A truly remarkable book, I highly recommend reading it and five big stars from me.

Mrs. Wiggins

Mrs. Wiggins by Mary Monroe
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Seventeen year old Maggie Franklin grew up in Alabama with an alcoholic father and her poor mother was once a prostitute. Hubert Wiggins is a respectable young man, her childhood friend, he works hard and goes to church. His parents are lovely, Leroy his father is a minister and his mother Clarice would make the ideal grandmother. Hubert has prospects, he’s quite the catch and they marry.

Hubert has a secret, one he needs to keep hidden and marrying Maggie is the perfect cover.
In fact Hubert and Maggie seem to be the ideal married couple and when baby Claude comes along they become a happy family. Maggie loves her son, her only child and she adores on him. When Claude falls in love with Daisy Compton, she totally unsuitable and Maggie isn’t happy. She’s never looked forward to having to share her son with another woman and let alone a floozy like Daisy.
Maggie has the perfect job working for the kind and generous Mrs. Dowler, when her employer’s brother moves in with her, Maggie knows he’s going to be a problem and make her life difficult.

Maggie’s a woman who needs to be in control, so when everything starts changing in her relationships with her son, Mrs. Dowler and Hubert and things begin to get out of hand with Maggie's behavior. This is when my interest in the story started to decline along with the books plot and I’m sorry to say I found it all a bit far fetched for me. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review and I can only give it three stars.

The Diamond Courier

The Diamond Courier by Hannah Byron
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

England 1939, Liliane Hamilton is only 19 and her parents want her to marry Iain Brodie. Iain works for her father Gerald at his Betteshanger colliery, she considers him a friend and Lili doesn’t feel ready to get married. She has her own plans, she’s interested in communism, its ideology and becoming a journalist. Not something a girl from her background could possibly be involved in and her parents plan to send her off to finishing school in Switzerland. Here she’s expected to learn all the things a proper young lady needs to know before she becomes a wife and mother.

On her way to finishing school Lili meets Leopold Oppenheim in Paris; he’s the leader of the British communist party and he’s turned his back on his own privileged upbringing. His father Chaim Oppenheim is London’s richest and most influential diamond merchant and is very well known in the diamond trade. When the Second World War starts Lili moves to London, to be with Leo and has she made a mistake? He's a troubled person and he needs money for himself and the communist party. Lili’s going to France to work as a war correspondent; Leo wants her to go to Antwerp and visit a friend of his father’s Isaac Goldmunz. Antwerp is Europe’s largest diamond center and Isaac and Elizabeth Goldmunz remained here to safe guard what's left of the Jewish diamond industry.

The German commander Ulrich Lemberg often dines at the Goldmunz home, the Goldmunz’s need his protection and Lili also meets the friendly couple. The Goldmunz’s come up with a plan for Lili to smuggle diamonds from Antwerp, through France, to safety in England and give them to Chaim Oppenheim? It’s extremely dangerous; will Lili attempt to return to England, carrying priceless diamonds and make it home?

As you read The Diamond Courier you notice Lili changes from being a rather selfish young girl, she learns from her mistakes, becomes more considerate and grows up. I enjoyed reading all the details included in the story and discovering the religious link Jewish people had to diamonds. I received a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review, I can't wait to read The Parisian Spy and five stars from me.

The Codebreakers

The Codebreakers by Alli Sinclair
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

1943, Brisbane: Ellie O’Sullivan works as an engineer at Qantas Empire Airways, keeping allied planes in the sky and they transport supplies to the troops in New Guinea. Ellie lives in a boarding house run by Mrs. Hanley, she shares a room with Kat Arnold and her childhood friend Louis Dutton visits her when he’s in Brisbane. Ellie’s really smart and is offered a job working for the Central Bureau and in the top secret cipher section. This is all very hush hush, she has to sign the official secrets act, she can never tell anyone about her work and it’s a lifelong contract.

Ellie starts working at Nyrambla house in a converted garage, where she and her fellow garage girls receive intercepted Japanese messages, they decipher the codes and pass them on to the top brass. They work under intense pressure and one small mistake could put hundreds of allied soldiers and Australian civilian lives in danger. It’s extremely difficult for Ellie to constantly lie about her job, she tells everyone she works in an office and it affects her personal relationships.

It’s very interesting reading about what it was like for young woman living and working in Australia during WW II, many left home for the first time and women’s roles changed. They also had to deal with the loss of loved ones, the possibly of the Japanese invading, it was an extremely alarming and stressful time for Australian women and children. Alli Sinclair has written a story that highlights the value of friendship, loyalty, duty and she’s made me aware of an unknown group of courageous and inspiring young Australian women. I received a copy of The Codebreakers in exchange for an honest review, it’s brilliant and five stars from me.

Band Of Sisters

Band of Sisters by Lauren Willig
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Katherine Moran lived in poverty as a child in Brooklyn, she won a scholarship to study at the prestigious Smith College for women and she never felt like she fitted in because all the other girls came from wealthy families.
In 1917 a fellow Smith girl Betsy Rutherford is looking for volunteers to help displaced women and children living in appalling conditions in France. Kate’s former friend Emmie Van Alden convinces her to go, she’s one of eighteen women who join a group called the Smith College Relief Unit and her experiences in France will finally make Kate feel she did belong at the college and she deserved her scholarship.

The women set sail for France, once they arrived in Paris they discover it’s a very crowded city and country is consumed by the war. When they finally arrive at the Chateau it’s in ruins and what hasn’t been damaged by the war had been vandalized by the German army and it’s inhabitable. Women, children and the elderly are living in terrible conditions and many are living underground in cellars, hungry and filthy.

Band Of Sisters is based on true story about an extraordinary group of women, they endured dreadful conditions, worked long hours and while being under fire from the nasty Boche and witness firsthand how much the French women and children suffered during The Great War. They provided shelter from the harsh elements, food, emotional support, medical care and milk and education for the children.

The suffering of the French people during WW I was unimaginable, the women from the Smith College Relief Unit really made a remarkable difference and it’s an exceptional wartime story that needed to be shared. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, an outstanding and well written book by Lauren Willig and five stars from me.

Summer by the River

Summer by the River by Debbie Burns
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Josie Waterhill is a single mother of six year old Zoe, she fled from her violent past five years ago and she’s made a new life in Galena in Illinois. Her eighty year old friend Myra Moore lives in her family’s civil war era home and with Josie’s help she runs a successful tea house.

Carter O’Brien is a journalist, he’s looking into a missing person case and suspected murder. His grandfather Myron O’Brien left his wife during the great depression, disappeared and was never seen again. His research has led him to Galena, Myra might have some information to help solve the mystery of what happened to his grandfather and he decides to stay at the tea house. Josie can’t help but notice how handsome Carter is, he’s single, and Zoe and animals are drawn to him. Josie’s worried about Carter using his skills as a journalist and will discover the truth about her troubled past.

Josie had a very difficult childhood, with the arrival of Carter, is it time for Josie to face her past to be able to move on with her life and for Carter be part of her and Zoe’s future?

Summer by the River is a story set in a small town, with some added mystery and romance to make it an interesting read. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, I didn't like the amount of violence included in book and three stars from me.

The Sculptress

The Sculptress by V.S. Alexander
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Emma Lewis is given the opportunity to study sculpture with Daniel Chester French, a form of art that many men think isn’t suitable for women and the feminine mind can’t create works of merit and how sexists is that! Later on Emma meets Dr. Thomas Swan, he takes her mind off her broken heart, they marry and it’s not the passionate union she hoped for. Surgeons are needed in France during WW I and Tom quickly volunteers to help the Red Cross. Emma’s left behind in Boston, she’s busy with her sculpting and gets distracted by another male artist Linton Bower.

Tom keeps asking Emma to join him in France and she’s not keen until one day she notices a returned soldier begging on a footpath. He’s badly disfigured, people ignore him and turn away disgusted. Emma is horrified by his injuries and appalled at the way people treat him and maybe she’s needed in France after all. Emma decides to go Paris, use her skills as a sculptress and create facial masks for mutilated soldiers. Arriving in Paris Emma opens her studio and her patient’s wounds are horrific, taking casts with plaster and bandages she then creates a mask made out of copper and hand painted to match the patient’s skin tone.

Emma’s relationship with her husband Tom has always been strained, it only gets worse with both Emma and Tom continually making more poor choices. For me the story focuses too much on Emma’s romantic relationships, her controversial decisions and her disastrous marriage to Tom. I thought the story would be about WW I, Emma being a sculptress, helping the wounded, maybe working alongside her husband, changing damaged men’s lives and I was really disappointed with The Sculptress’s plot. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review and sadly I can only give it three and a half stars.

Hadley and Grace

Hadley & Grace by Suzanne Redfearn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Hadley needs to leave her abusive marriage to the very controlling Frank Torelli, her family isn't safe and she’s planned her escape. Her teenager daughter Mattie has just started testing her boundaries, this worries Hadley and she also looks after her nephew Skipper and he has special needs.
Grace Herrick works for Frank as his assistant, her husband Jimmy’s a soldier, he’s away serving in Afghanistan and they have a four month old baby Miles. Grace is a stressed new mother, Miles has colic and she’s literally running on empty. She’s worked really hard on a deal for months and Frank cheats her out of her commission. This makes her mad, what is she going to do, she's broke, hungry and Miles doesn't stop crying?

Both women find themselves at Frank’s business one Friday night, they bump into each other and they desperately need money and Frank must have some stashed somewhere? Due to a series of unexpected events things quickly escalate, in the tradition of Thelma and Louise we now have Hadley and Grace two women on the run and with three children. They begin a mad dash across America with Frank’s money, they had no idea it was obtained by him illegally and trying to stay one step ahead of the FBI, police and the media.

Hadley, Grace, Mattie, Skipper and little Miles become really close, when it looks like they will be caught, Hadley and Grace do everything they can to protect their new family unit and outsmart everyone. Hadley and Grace is a feel good story, I adored the characters, except Frank of course and I didn’t want them to get caught and I really didn’t want Grace to get into trouble. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, a story full of adventure and four stars from me.

Home Sweet Home

Home Sweet Home by Mandy Magro
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sienna Lewis is a struggling young widow and single mum to Zara. She dreams of giving her daughter a better life in the country, where she has room to run round and not be stuck in a tiny flat in Brisbane. She works at the same hospital as her cousin Kirra who’s a doctor and Sienna's a cleaner. One day while cleaning a patient’s room she meets the handsome Mason King and his elderly terminally ill friend Max Boswell.

The men’s properties are next door to each other and in the far north of Queensland near Bluewater Bay. Max is a grumpy old bugger, he and Sienna get on well and chat while he sadly fades away in hospital. He unexpectedly leaves Sienna half of his property called Whispering Willows and she can’t believe it.

Mason King has been left the other half of Whispering Willows, Max had noticed the chemistry between Mason and Sienna, he’s done his bit and hopefully cupid will strike. Sienna is really attracted to Mason, he defiantly likes her as well and yet Mason seems reluctant to start a relationship?

Mason and Sienna are given the opportunity to fall in love again, are they ready to be together and put their hearts on the line? Sienna is, she would love to be with Mason and she has no idea he has a secret and that’s what’s stopping him from going any further. I really enjoyed reading Home Sweet Home, I love an Aussie romance set in Queensland, it's about making the most of second chances and four stars from me.

An Ordinary Life

An Ordinary Life by Amanda Prowse
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Molly Collway is ninety four and she's delayed starting a very important task for years, she needs to write a letter and she’s running out of time. Unfortunately Molly takes a tumble on the night she begins penning her letter, she has a stroke, and she’s unable to speak and ends up in hospital on Christmas Eve. Lying in her hospital Molly’s body is frail and broken and her mind is still sharp. A life time of reflection, some of her memories are wonderful others are incredibly sad and you have no idea how her story will end.

Molly’s life hasn’t been ordinary at all, she crammed a lot into ninety four years and she enriched many people’s lives. As a young woman she worked as an interpreter during WW II, fell in love with her best friends brother Johan, joined the resistance in France, worked as a POW liaison officer during and after WW II and her last job was working in the records department of a large English hospital.

As you read Molly’s story the years go by, she grows old and her secret is always on her mind. The story revolves around Molly finding peace with her past, accepting that she made the right decision as a young woman and at a very difficult time for her. Thanks to NetGalley for my copy of An Ordinary Life, I enjoyed the story, maybe it could have been a little shorter and three stars from me.

You Let Me Go

You Let Me Go by Eliza Graham
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Morane is really close to her grandmother Rozenn Caradec, as a child she loved visiting her house Vue Claire on the south coast of Cornwall and she thought she knew her grandmother well? At ninety six Rozenn passes away and she leaves her entire estate to Morane’s sister Gwen and Morie inherits only a silver compass that no one in the family ever has seen before. Morie has recently had a terrible time, now add this and did she do something to upset her grandmother?

When the sisters go through their grandmothers things, Morie finds some old photographs and a couple of pages of a letter. Morie assumes her grandmother must have left some clues behind, she knows Rozenn grew up in Paris, her father was a doctor, whenever they tried asking her about her life during WW II and she would change the subject. Morie decides to visit St Martin in Brittany France, nothing can prepare her for what she uncovers about her grandmother's past, the Guillou family and what happened to them during the Second World War.

You Let Me Go has a dual timeline it goes between present time and 1941. It’s a story about WW II, family, secrets, regret, suffering, lies, disloyalty and betrayal. It’s also about Morane discovering the truth about her beloved grandmother, coming to terms with what has happened in her own life, finally moving on and new beginnings. I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and four stars from me.

The Surplus Girls

The Surplus Girls by Polly Heron
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Manchester, 1922.

Belinda Layton lost her fiancé Ben Sloan during WW I and she lives with his mother and grandmother. Grandma Beattie and Auntie Enid treat her like a member of the family, but they put pressure on her to live in the past, she’s still young and she wants to move on. Nothing drastic, Belinda wants to stop wearing black, start night school and look for a better job. Belinda’s classed as a surplus girl, her prospects of marriage probably ended when Ben died and her chances of marrying again are extremely slim due to so many young men passing away in the war.

Belinda’s family’s poor, she had to leave school at 13 and start work at the mill. A real shame as she rather smart, she could have gone to high school and found work in an office. Her family still depend on Belinda for money, her father doesn’t want her to study and he’s a horrible man.
The secretarial school run by the two spinster ladies opens up a whole new world for Belinda and she’s given a chance to do work experience in a bookshop owned by Mr. Tyrell. Poor Belinda, nothing ever goes as planned, she’s soon faced with further challenges and will she have a chance of falling in love again?

The Surplus Girls, is a very slow old fashioned story, life would have been like that in 1922, all very prim, proper, with lots of starch and three stars from me.

Those Who Are Saved

Those Who Are Saved by Alexis Landau
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Vera and Max Volosenkova are Russian Jewish migrants living in France and they don’t have French citizenship. During the summer of 1940 the Nazis suddenly inform all foreign nationals they will be placed immediately into internment camps and Vera doesn’t want to take little Lucie. She’s heard terrible stories about camps, she doesn’t want her four year old daughter living in one of those horrible places and she sends her away with her governess Agnes to a remote property. Agnes will look after Lucie; she loves her as much as Vera and they will return for her when the war is over. She has no idea she and her husband Max will be able to escape the camp and eventually travel to America.

Living in California, Vera misses Lucie, she feels like a terrible mother and she waits eagerly for letters from Agnes. News about WW II consumes Vera; Americans don’t want to talk about the war and the political situation in Europe. As the war year drag on, the letters from Agnes are very sporadic and Vera is getting really worried. Vera’s and Max’s marriage suffers, due to him being the most unfeeling man and husband!

Vera is determined to return to France when the war ends, she has complete faith in Agnes and her ability to keep Lucie safe. During her time in California she meets Sasha an ex soldier at a party, he works in the movie industry and they start a romantic relationship. The war is finally over and when the couple arrive in Paris they're shocked, thousands of people are missing, homeless and so many families have been separated and are desperately trying to find each other in the chaotic aftermath of WW II.

Those Who Are Saved looks at WW II from a mother’s point of view, what a mother would do during the war to keep her child safe, the difficult choice she had to make and did she make the right decision? The terrible guilt she felt afterwards, her grief, her absolute despair of being separated from her child for years and her desperate attempt to find her after the war ended. A very emotional story to read and I received a copy of this book from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review and four stars from me.

The Watchmaker Of Dachau

The Watchmaker of Dachau by Carly Schabowski
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Isaac Schüller a Jewish watchmaker ventures out on a cold January night in 1945 to visit his vacant shop and he’s caught on his way home. Suddenly he’s on a packed train, on his way to Dachau, after a nightmare of a trip and he arrives at infamous camp. On arrival everyone has to hand over their belongings, Isaac has none because he was picked up off the street and the guard doesn’t believe him, he searches him and finds his pouch containing his watch repair tools.

Isaac assumes he’s going to be in trouble and the next day he’s taken to the nearby house of the commander of the camp Herr Becher, who lives with his pampered selfish wife Liesl and young son Friedrich. Becher actually needs Isaac to fix a grandfather clock, plus watches and jewelry stolen from Jewish people and a train set of Friedrich’s that no one else could fix. He’s deposited with his precious tools into an old freezing abandoned garden shed and his first test is to fix the grandfather clock. While he’s useful Isaac has a chance of surviving Dachau, but he’s still at risk from freezing to death, starving and getting sick.

Anna Reznick works as a maid and laundress for the Becher's, she knows her survival also rests in their hands and they make her extremely nervous. Two very selfish, self-indulgent, greedy horrible people, who eat, drink and live in luxury not far from the infamous camp. She and Isaac meet at the commander’s house; they become friends, and each night they're marched back to camp by Herr Schmidt. Both Isaac and Anna received flack from other camp inmates because they had better jobs and as if they had any choice. They become really close; when Isaac discovers papers and letters hidden in the shed? He shares them with Anna, putting them both in danger and reading the letters gives them hope during the darkest times.

The Watchmaker Of Dachau is a story about finding kindness, loyalty, friendship and love in one of the most awful and cruel places. Some of characters in the story are wonderful, especially Isaac, Anna, and Nina, Greta and young Friedrich and I enjoyed reading about the relationships formed between them. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, thanks to NetGalley for my copy and four stars from me.

The Last Reunion

The Last Reunion by Kayte Nunn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

New Year's Eve's 1999, after not seeing each other for over fifty years, five friends meet in Ireland and reflect on their time serving in the Women’s Auxiliary Service in Burma during WW II.

Burma, 1945. Not willing to spend the war years rolling bandages, Bea, Plum, Bubbles, Joy and Lucy join the Women’s Auxiliary Service in Burma and are assigned to the British Fourteenth army, who are constantly on the move and fighting the Japanese. The Wasbies operate mobile canteens, selling necessities to all ranks, boosting morale and working in very primitive and dangerous conditions.

Oxford, 1976. A middle aged woman visits the Ashmolean museum and steals five rare Japanese artifacts called netsuke and including the precious fox-girl. Made of ivory, the ancient toggles used to attach items to men’s obi’s or the wide sash that wrapped around their kimonos. Despite the offer of a large reward, the small and distinct treasures have never been found.

London and Galway, 1999. Aussie Olivia Goddard is working as an intern for art dealer Elaine, to gain experience and she’s hopeful it may lead to a permanent position. Given very little notice Olivia is sent to Wiltshire to meet with Beatrix Pelham, a long term client who wants to sell her deceased husband's Japanese art collection and use the money to fix her crumbling house. Olivia unexpectedly stays with Mrs. Pelham over Christmas holidays; she’s been invited to a New Year’s Eve party in Ireland and she asks Olivia to take her. Olivia has no idea she will be caught up in the drama of fifty year old war time secrets and complicated friendships.

The Last Reunion has a dual timeline it flows seamlessly between the jungles of Burma during WW II and England/Ireland in the late 1990’s. Inspired by the true stories of the brave members of the Women’s Auxiliary Service in Burma and the only women involved in the front-line action during the war. The Wasbies endured the same hardships as the soldiers, tough terrain, tropical weather, leeches, mud and Japanese armies harassment.

I absolutely loved The Last Reunion, I was completely engrossed in the book after reading a couple of pages and I didn’t want it to end. It’s a really unique WW II story; it’s emotional, fascinating and brimming with so many interesting details and facts about a little known military campaign. With a plot full of secrets and mystery and it’s one of the best dual timeline WW II historical fiction books I have read. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, thanks so much to Hachette Australia and Kayte Nunn for mine and five big stars from me.

The Girl From The Corner Shop

The Girl From the Corner Shop by Alrene Hughes
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Helen is married to love of her life Jim Harrison and he’s a fireman. Helen works for her mum Elsie Slater at her corner shop and for a pittance. The newlyweds have plans, they have looked at a little cottage to rent and no longer want to live with bossy Elsie.

Being a firefighter Jim’s job is extremely dangerous, especially during WW II and the Blitz. One night Helen’s waiting ages for her husband to return home, she assumes he’s working late and unfortunately he’s been killed. Helen is in complete shock, they had so many plans for the future and now what is she going to do? Helen’s totally devastated, you would think Elsie would be more understanding and she’s not. Helen has a huge row with her mum; she’s had an enough, quits her job and leaves home.

During this time Helen realizes Manchester is a very dangerous place to live, it has terrible poverty and crime. Of course the war has made the situation worse, Helen joins the Women’s Auxiliary Police Corps, working with mothers who have lost their homes, struggling to feed hungry children, orphaned and abandoned children and women who have no choice but to turn to prostitution. Helen is a natural at her new job, she has a good memory, and she’s kind, understanding and really wants to help people. She still misses Jim, being a young widow isn’t easy and she meets handsome Dr Lawrence Fitzpatrick.

The Girl From The Corner Shop is story about Helen Harrison surviving the worst day of her life, making a fresh start, getting away from her domineering mother, discovering she’s very good at helping others and has a knack for solving crimes. A quick, easy read and three stars from me.

Beauty Among Ruins

Beauty Among Ruins by J'nell Ciesielski
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Flighty American heiress Lily Durham is banished to England to stay with her cousin Bertie at her family’s estate, world war one begins and she’s stranded. Bertie decides to do her bit and becomes a nurse; Lily trains as a nurse’s aide and off to Scotland they go for their first posting. Kinclavoch castle is the home of Alec MacGregor, it’s a crumbling ancient Scottish Highland estate that he’s been desperately trying to keep financially afloat since his father passed away and it’s being used as a convalescent home for wounded British soldiers.

Lily rushes headlong into situations, so when she arrives at Kinclavoch things don’t get off to a great start with the Laird or with Matron Strom who’s in charge of the hospital. Alec's a bit of a grump, he hurt his leg years ago in a riding accident, he can’t fight in the war and he assumes people think he’s a coward! A series of unfortunate incidents happen near the estate, Captain Alan Gibbons is abducted, and the local police look into it and they haven’t got a clue why? Is the castle cursed or is it just a case of really bad luck or the work of a possible saboteur?

Lily Durham is a real character, she did get into quite a few scrapes in America and it was all harmless fun. But working as a nurse’s aide she finds her true calling, she’s kind; caring, fun and just what the grumpy Laird needs to shake up his world. Beauty Among Ruins is a wonderful historical Scottish romance, it’s a story about Lily’s antics, her seeing beneath the grumpy exterior of Alec, understanding the heavy burden he carried being the Laird and their path to finding love in beautiful Scotland. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, five stars from me and thanks to Edelweiss for my copy.

The Titanic Sisters

The Titanic Sisters by Patricia Falvey
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Donegal, Ireland 1911.
When a letter unexpectedly arrives from America, sisters Delia and Nora Sweeney are curious and of course their ma wouldn’t open it and they had to wait for their da to come home! It’s from Aidan O’Hanlon a distant relative in New York his wife Mary has passed away and his young daughter Lily needs a governess.

Both girls would love to be able to leave the small Irish farm, move to America and it’s all rather exciting. Nora's older by two years, she’s twenty and her mother’s favorite. Of course ma picks Nora to be Lily’s governess, Delia is over looked and despite being the smarter out of the two sisters.
Luckily for Delia her father comes up with an idea and it means that both girls can travel to New York on the new ship called the Titanic. He’s found work for Delia as a maid, not the perfect job and it’s an opportunity. Soon the girls say goodbye to their parents, are aboard the new ship and on their way across the Atlantic ocean to New York.

I was really looking forward to reading about the girl’s experiences aboard the famous ship, the girls cabin is mentioned, and the newness of the vessel, quality of the food, the Irish’s dancing below deck at night and the ship sinking. I wanted so much more information included in the story about the Titanic's ill fated voyage, about the passengers aboard the ship, the ship sinking and the rescue mission. I must say I was disappointed with the stories plot and the title of the book is rather misleading.

I continued to read the book and I did find some positive aspects in the story and I did like how the real Nora was changed by her terrible experience aboard the Titanic and for the better! I also enjoyed reading about the wonderful relationship formed between Delia and young Lily. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, a quick read and three stars from me.

The Girl From The Mountains

The Girl from the Mountains by Chrystyna Lucyk-Berger
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

1938, Czechoslovakia.
Magda Novak lives peacefully on her family’s farm in Czechoslovakia, until the German army arrives, the Novak’s are ordered to leave and the farm is given to a German family. Her family’s fractured, scattered in all different directions and what will happen to them all now? Magda’s offered a place to stay with Dr Tauber, his wife Ruth and their daughter Eliska at their beautiful alpine villa.

The Tauber’s are Jewish, they have been given protection and it’s only a matter of time until it ends. Magda enjoys living with the Tauber’s they treat her well, like one of the family, unfortunately the Germans arrest the Tauber’s and she manages to help save their newborn son Samuel. Magda is badly beaten by the Germans; she’s forced to work for the hated German officer Koenig and his nasty wife who now reside in the Tauber’s villa. She determined to help the resistance, she passes on messages, medical supplies and when she’s caught she flees into the mountains.

Magda becomes more involved in the fight to free Czechoslovakia; wearing a disguise, she works as an army nurse and eventually trains to be a freedom fighter with the partisans. Magda was born with a birthmark on one side of her face; add a badly broken nose, she stands out and she ends up with a bounty on her head. Magda loved her country, her family, the Tauber’s, baby Samuel, her boyfriend Karol and she never gave up trying to find them! The Girl From The Mountains is a story about Magda’s incredible bravery, courage, dedication and her personal fight against the Germans during WW II. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, the story at times was too over the top for me and I gave the book three stars.

The Paris Dressmaker

The Paris Dressmaker by Kristy Cambron
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Paris, 1939.
Lila de Laurent and her friend Amelie work for Coco Chanel as dressmakers and one day they arrive at work to find the salon closed. Lila begins working for another fashion designer Nina Ricci and she dresses the Nazi officer’s mistresses living at the Ritz hotel. Life in France during WW II is hard, the city has been completely over run by German soldiers and they take everything. Lila joins the La Resistance, her job at the Ritz provides perfect cover, the Nazi’s girlfriends like to chat while being measured for their new gowns and it gives Lila access to high ranking German officer’s rooms. When pastry chef René Touliard saves her from being captured, she’s drawn deeper into the resistance and she’s really worried the Germans will see through her disguise.

Paris, 1943.
Sandrine Paquet’s husband Christian is missing in action, she’s hopeful he’s still alive and she has a six year old son Henri. Captain Von Hiller notices her; she’s requisitioned by him to catalog priceless art stolen by the Nazi’s and it’s being shipped to Germany. Sandrine's considered a collaborator, of course she can’t tell anyone the truth and she actually passes on information to the resistance. When she’s asked by Captain Von Hiller to unbox a beautiful blush colored Chanel gown, she’s shocked to find a piece of stock card sewn into a seam and it has a message written on it.

The Nazi’s in Paris know the end of the war is near, for Lila and Sandrine it makes life harder. Lila and René are fighting with the La Resistance in the streets of Paris and Sandrine is desperately trying to dodge Captain Von Hiller’s advances. The Paris Dressmaker is a story about two strong French women risking their lives to free France, to end the Nazi’s reign of terror in the city of lights and both have a link to that beautiful blush gown. I received a copy of the book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and four stars from me.

Wartime With The Cornish Girls

Wartime With The Cornish Girls by Betty Walker
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

London 1941.
The Germans are bombing London ruthlessly, Violet Hopkins sister has already been killed during the Blitz, her brother in-law Ernst is missing in action and she’s really worried about keeping her two teenage nieces Lily and Alice safe. Her mum Sheila is determined to stay and run her East End Café and Violet makes the decision to move to Cornwall, take the girls with her and they should be fine living at her great-aunt Margaret’s farm?

Eva Ryder was staying with her uncle Teddy; she ran off and wanted to be a dancer. Her dancing career lasted six weeks; she’s caught up in a bombing raid and injured. Once she’s discharged from hospital Eva goes to stay with her dad, he’s in charge of a top secret military base in Cornwall called the Eastern House and it’s near Porthcurno.

Hazel Baxter lives in Cornwall near Porthcurno, she’s married to Bertie and they have a teenage son Charlie. Bertie is a drunk, a shocking husband and abusive. Hazel is relieved when he returns to his regiment after his last leave; she’s having trouble making ends meet and really needs a job. George Cotterill is a childhood friend; he mentions they need more domestic staff at Eastern House and Hazel applies for a job.

Violet, Hazel and Eva all meet at Eastern House; they become friends and decide to organize a dance at the local church hall. But, the trio unfortunately discover nowhere in England is safe during WW II, not even Cornwall during a country dance and the Germans start dropping bombs.

Wartime With The Cornish Girls is a story about life in Cornwall during WW II, the friendship formed between three young women and how they helped each other when times got tough. The book also highlights the work women did during WW II and they played an important role in helping England win the war and the discrimination they faced. I received a copy of Wartime With The Cornish Girls in exchange for an honest review, five stars from me and I look forward to reading the next book in The Cornish Girls series.

The Longest Echo

The Longest Echo by Eoin Dempsey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Italy 1944. Living in the remote mountain regions of south Bologna, the Nicoletti farm is inspected by the German army every couple of weeks and help themselves to whatever they want. So far the family hasn’t been hurt, they hear rumors about civilians being massacred in Tuscany, because they aided the local resistance and they need to be careful.

James Foley is an American POW traveling on a train when it's bombed by the allies, creating a hole in the carriage and he escapes. He stumbles upon the Nicoletti farm and they offer him food, shelter for one night and will take him to the local partisans the next day. The Stella Rosa camp is hidden high in the mountains, James is looking down on the town and he notices the Germans acting in an odd way and he’s very worried. The Germans lead by Werner Beck launch a vicious attack on the innocent citizens, almost everyone living in Monte Sole are killed and because Beck assumes they have helping the resistance. Liliana is extremely lucky to survive, James rescues her; they begin a difficult journey to find the allied lines and dodge German patrols the whole way. They make it but Liliana is injured, she will be fine and James has to rejoin his unit.

Twelve years later Liliana is a widow, she married the doctor who treated her during the war and moved to America. James is divorced, his marriage was a disaster and he’s working as a journalist for a New York magazine. Both Liliana and James still suffer from what happened to them during WW II in Italy and both have terrible nightmares. Liliana wants revenge for her family and she’s sure that Werner Beck is still alive, living in Argentina and she’s determined to find him. The couple join forces, once in Argentina Liliana is certain she’s found Beck and she wants to kill him!

This is when the story gets a bit over the top for me, I really enjoyed reading the first part of the book set in Italy and I found what happened in Argentina too dramatic. I received a copy of The Longest Echo from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and four stars from me.

The Lawson Sisters

The Lawson Sisters by Janet Gover
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Elizabeth Lawson has been running the family horse stud Willowbrook on her own since her parents Sam and Kath passed away fifteen years ago and the bank pays her a visit. Liz needs to do something to save the family property and she’s run out of options. Kayla Lawson is Elizabeth’s younger sister she works in Sydney as a wedding planner and she’s a successful one. She never thought she would go back to Willowbrook, but when Liz unexpectedly calls her and she pays her difficult sister a visit.

Kayla and Liz are very different, Liz is too busy looking after the horses to worry about what she’s wearing and Kayla looks like she could grace the cover of a fashion magazine. Kayla business partner Pascale comes up with an idea to save the property, people want to have weddings in the country, Willowbrook is perfect and it’s in the beautiful Hunter Valley. All they need to do is convince Liz; she doesn’t want a whole lot of strange people stomping all over her farm, in her house and scaring her horses. Her other issue is living across the creek and it’s the handsome stock man Mitch; he’s Liz’s first love and a old family friend. Liz is angry at Mitch, Kayla has no idea why and when she discovers the truth and will the sister’s truce be over?

The Lawson Sisters plot is based around relationships, very complicated ones and all set in the Hunter Valley, with an old rundown house and horse stud as the location. With a cast of characters perfect for the story, a wonderful Australian tale, I loved it and five stars from me.

A Week To Remember

A Week to Remember by Esther Campion
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Lizzie O’s guesthouse in West Cork is ready for its first group of visitor’s, they have four bookings for the week and Ellen O’Shea and her partner Gerry are very excited to welcome the new arrivals. The old farmhouse is simply amazing it has a traditional renovated facade, a beautiful modern cozy interior and stylish guest rooms.

Aisling and Mick Fitzgerald are from Tasmania, they have been gifted a week’s stay at Lizzie O’s by his mum Lilian and she’s looking after the couple’s two children. Like most couples Aisling and Mick are busy working, tired and their marriage has suffered. A week away celebrating their fifteenth wedding anniversary might reunite the spark; unfortunately Aisling’s consumed by guilt and trying to avoid being alone with her husband.
Declan Byrne, is a dentist, he works long hours, he can’t be bothered cooking and likes red wine. In the spur of the moment he decides to take a week off, visit West Cork and get some much needed exercise. A place where he spent his childhood summers with his grandparents, he’s always wanted return and he why has he waited so long?
Katie Daly reluctantly returns to West Cork after 35 years of living in Brooklyn, to look after her elderly mother Phyllis for a week and no way will Katie stay at her mam’s house, too many bad memories and she books into the new guesthouse. Her past still haunts her, also Conor Fox her first love still lives in the area, she can’t avoid him and he runs the local shop.
Mia Montgomery is married to Harry who’s consumed by his work, he’s gone away for a week to study a new breed of fish and how exciting! Mia’s going to use her week alone at the guesthouse to reflect on what she wants out of life, she’s not happy and she’s considering ending her marriage.

A Week To Remember's story explores how people in today's world are wrapped up in their own lives, are no longer sociable, they don't want to be and for this group of guests staying at Lizzie O's it changes during one week in winter. The whole story is wonderful, set in a beautiful West Cork, the perfect venue, delightful hosts and all the characters are brilliant. Declan the dentist was my favorite; Esther Campion was spot on with her representation of his profession, as an ex dental assistant it was like a trip down memory lane and I couldn't stop laughing. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, I read it in a day and five big stars from me.

The Winemaker's Wife

The Winemaker's Wife by Kristin Harmel
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Winemaker’s Wife is set in the beautiful Champagne region of France and it’s around 100 miles from Paris. The soil is chalky, rocky and the vines have to send their roots deep into the earth to survive and it gives the champagne a unique mineral flavor.

1940: Ines is married to Michel the heir of Maison Chauveau and he runs the famous champagne house with his head winemaker Theo Laurent and his wife Celine. Everyone in France is very worried after the Germans invade Poland; Michel starts making plans and begins hiding his priceless wine in the network of secret caves under the chateau. When the Germans arrive; they immediately start taking bottles of champagne, food, furniture and whatever else they want! Celine is part Jewish, she’s very anxious about her family’s safety and her husband Theo isn’t all that concerned! Michel decides to join the resistance, he's had enough of the German's and want's fight to free France. Soon both couple's marriages are struggling, tension escalates and will Ines crack under pressure and put everyone at the chateau at risk?

2019: Liv Kent’s 12 year marriage has ended her husband Eric has decided to move on and Olivia is devastated. She really didn’t see it coming, with her struggles to have a baby, Eric’s idea for her to stop working and he was planning to divorce her. Now she’s single, unemployed, living in a tiny flat, and childless. Her unconventional grandmother Edith arrives from America and whisks her off to Paris and takes her to Champagne. Her grandmother is 99, she’s always been rather erratic, her behavior becomes rather odd as soon as the plane lands in Paris and Liv is concerned.

The Winemaker’s Wife has a dual timeline account that alternates seamlessly between 1940 to 2019. It includes interesting information about the Champagne region during WW II; it’s full of suspense, mystery, danger and intrigue. The present day story is about Olivia's journey to discover the truth about her grandmother, family and what really happened during World War Two.
I’m a huge fan of Kristin Harmel’s books, this book doesn’t disappoint and five stars from me.

An American in Paris

An American in Paris by Siobhan Curham
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

1937: Florence Thornton has always wanted to live in Paris, when her friend Bessie offers her a job dancing at her club and of course Florence accepts. She arrives in Paris, tired, hot and sweaty and trying to find her way around the city and she doesn’t speak French. While climbing the steep streets of Montmartre, her suitcase comes undone and artist Otto Weiss comes to her rescue. The following day Otto takes her to the museum and has to return home and he promises to meet her at the steps where they met on the same day the next year?

Florence loves Paris, dancing at the club and she’s starts writing a column for an American newspaper. Soon the threat of war has everyone talking, the French people are optimistic the Germans wouldn’t attack France and they have the Maginot Line to protect them. Eventually Otto flees to Paris, he’s Jewish and he had to leave his parents behind in Austria. Once the Germans invade, it’s not safe for Otto to go out and he’s stuck in the apartment. Otto becomes very disillusioned, he’s depressed and he takes risks. Florence has still been writing her newspaper articles, to help the allies she includes small facts about life in the occupied city and every little bit of information helps win a war.

An American in Paris has a dual timeline it goes between war times in Paris in the 1930’s and London and America in the present time of 2018.

2018: Sage Segal opens her eyes, after a night of over indulging and she’s very worried about what she’s done? She's an influence, she uses social media; she has an agent and earns a lot of money. Sage has to keep up the perfect image she’s created, getting drunk and posting what she honestly thinks about her job has disastrous consequences. Just as she’s coping it from her boss, irate fans and mothers of girls that she could have possibly led astray by her drunken night on the town. She receives an email from a man in Arkansas Sam Clancy; he’s her long lost uncle and a half brother her deceased mum Elizabeth didn’t know existed. Sam invites her to visit his ranch, Sage needs a break and she makes the right decision to go to the America. While at the ranch Sage reads a manuscript written by her grandmother Florence, she realizes how brave she was and solves the mystery surrounding her mother’s birth.

I enjoyed reading An American in Paris it’s a story about WW II, two brave people, taking risks, enduring danger, falling in love, heartbreak, loss and Florence being an incredibly strong woman. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, I highly recommend reading it if you like stories with a dual timeline and five stars from me.

Yellow Wife

Yellow Wife by Sadeqa Johnson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Pheby Delores Brown lives with her mama in the slave quarters at Bell Plantation she’s an herb woman and spins cotton. Master Jacob promised Pheby her freedom on her eighteenth birthday, when he’s killed and his spiteful wife Missus Delphina sends her away with slave traders. Her mama also died from the wounds she sustained in the carriage accident that killed Master Jacob and she’s in a state of shock! The journey from the plantation to the slave jail at Devil’s Half-Acre is horrendous, when it’s her turn to be auctioned and she’s kept by the owner Rubin Lapier.

Rubin Lapier owns Devil’s Half-Acre he decides to keep Pheby as his mulatto mistress; no white woman will marry him due to his terrible reputation and he wants children. He’s violent, he sells slaves of all ages, including young mulatto girls and he calls them fancy girls. Over the years Pheby has four daughters to her master, he treats her slightly better than his other slaves and he makes sure she knows it could change at any time.

Yellow Wife at times is a hard book to read, what Rubin Lapier did to his slaves was beyond horrific; it was like he had two personalities, one the caring father and the other a very cruel slave trader. Pheby made many sacrifices; she was a wonderful mother and secretly helped ease the suffering of slaves while waiting to be sold at Devil’s Half-Acre. It’s a well written story about a very difficult subject, slavery was heinous, incredibly cruel and Rubin Lapier was a monster. I received a copy of Yellow Wife from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review and I gave the book five stars.

The Boatman's Wife

The Boatman's Wife by Noëlle Harrison
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

2017: Lily married her Irish love Connor Fitzgerald three years ago and she didn’t know a lot about his family or his past? They live in Maine, Lily comes from a seafaring family and her dad is a lobster fisherman, he owns a boat called the Lily May and she and her cousin Ryan are both members of his crew. Her beloved Connor is lost at sea during a violent storm, somewhere floating in the Atlantic Ocean is his unclaimed body and Lily's absolutely devastated. While planning his memorial she finds a message on his laptop that said “Does your wife know who you really are Connor Fitzgerald and don’t think you can come home. Because if you do, I swear I’ll kill you.”

Lily can’t stand being alone in her little house she shared with Connor, she’s angry at her father for not turning his boat around, not returning to shore when the weather was so bad and she was the one who should have been on the boat instead of her husband. She decides to fly to Ireland and makes her way to Mullaghmore, a beautiful place on the Irish coast and she’s determined to find Connor’s Grandmother Rosemary. Somewhere nearby she lives alone in her cottage and she doesn’t know her Grandson Connor has passed away.

None of the locals will talk about Connor; Lily senses they knew him and yet they won’t tell her anything about his family? The Boatman’s Wife has a complicated plot; it’s interesting and full of twists and turns. The dual timeline story is based around Connor’s mother Niamh’s involvement during the 1990’s conflict with Northern Ireland, Rosemary’s Fitzgerald’s terrible struggle with depression, Connor’s troubled teenage years, Connor being lost at sea and Lily becoming a young widow.

I received a copy of The Boatman’s Wife in exchange for an honest review and three stars from me.

When the Apricots Bloom

When the Apricots Bloom by Gina Wilkinson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Baghdad 2002: Huda, Rania and Ally all live in the Iraqi city and during the sadistic rule of Saddam Hussein. Huda works as a secretary for the Australian embassy, at night she returns home to her teenage son Khalid and her unemployed husband Abdul. Her house is a fortress, the front gates are chained, the entire home is surrounded by a high fence, she’s not game to talk freely in her own house in case it’s been bugged and speaks to her husband at night in the backyard. The mukhabarat or the secret police are aware of where she works; they visit her at home and want her to spy on her boss and his wife.

Ally Wilson accompanied her husband Tom to Baghdad and he’s the Australian deputy ambassador. Ally’s very naïve, she didn’t understand how restricted her life would be in Iraq, and it’s not safe for her to walk around the streets and she needs a driver. The secret police want Huda to befriend Ally, gather any information she can about the Australian couple and she has no choice. Huda doesn’t want to be an informant but they threaten her son and they could make him join the militia or as it’s officially called the fedayeen and she does what she’s told.

Rania is Huda’s childhood friend; she grew up in a rich household and is a daughter of a sheikh. Her family is now broke; she’s a struggling artist and is selling her dads book collection to get by. The two friends meet again at a party and discover they both know Ally. Rania has a very pretty teenage daughter Hanan she’s very concerned about her safety and both mothers are desperate to get their children out of Iraq.
Ally didn’t tell the truth on her visa application, she failed to mention her mother was American and she has dual citizenship, she worked as a journalist in Australia and she told them she’s a housewife. All three women have secrets and they need to come up with a plan to save the two teenagers and Ally?

A brilliant first book by Gina Wilkinson, it’s interesting and very confronting reading about life in Iraq during the time. I found it absolutely shocking how people couldn’t trust anyone; friends, family, work colleagues and everyone lived constantly under a dark cloud of fear. They faced the secret police arriving at their front door at any time, breaking it down, they could be arrested, tortured, people disappeared and to be never seen again.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for and honest review and I gave When the Apricots Bloom five stars.

The Sapphire Child

The Sapphire Child by Janet MacLeod Trotter
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

India 1933: Stella Dubois and Andrew Lomax grew up together playing at the Raj Hotel in Rawalpindi. Stella’s father Charlie Dubois is the manager of the hotel and Andrew’s father Tom Lomax is the owner. When Andrew gets into trouble at school, his mother Lydia insists he visits her in Scotland and Stella is given the opportunity to go with him. They will need a chaperone to accompany them aboard the ship, Miss Moria Jessop is employed by the Tom Lomax to keep an eye on the teenagers and she’s not your typical paid companion.

Lydia Lomax is Andrews’s mother, she’s nasty to Stella from the moment she arrives in Scotland, and she considers her nothing more than a servant. Stella’s holiday in Scotland comes to an end and she returns to India without Andrew, he decides to stay with his mother and go to a new school. Andrew has a very complicated relationship with his parents and his stepmother. His parents separated when he was only a baby; with one living in India and the other living in Scotland it was always going to be difficult. Due to rumors, hear say and Andrew not being told the entire truth it makes the situation worse, it’s a heavy burden for the young man to carry and he's very confused.

The Second World War begins, Andrew is sent to India and of course he wants to see his dad, Esmie and his best friend. Stella has joined the Women’s Auxiliary Corps as a secretary and Andrew is stationed near the Burma border to stop the fast moving Japanese army invading. Stella and Andrew meet again, despite the age difference, they still get on well and both feel confused about their changing feelings for each other?
The Sapphire Child is the second book in The Raj Hotel series and the first book is called The Emerald Affair. I really enjoyed reading about beautiful Colonial India; it’s a magical place, the countryside, people and customs. The Sapphire Child is a story about family, relationships, marriage, friendship and secrets. The connection between Andrew and Stella is an interesting one; they went from being childhood friends, during the war it changed and did they both feel the same? I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review; I really enjoyed reading The Sapphire Child and five stars from me.

Our Darkest Night

Our Darkest Night by Jennifer Robson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Venice 1943, Dr Gabriele Mazin is extremely concerned for his daughters Antonina’s safety and he makes plans for her to leave Venice. He’s friends with father Bernardi a priest and he knows a young man living in his remote parish in Mezzo Ciels who will help Nina and he trusts him. Nico Gerardi had been studying to be a priest and he left the seminary to help on his family’s busy farm. He’s a very honest and caring man who’s willing to pretend he’s married to Antonina to keep her safe, she leaves Venice behind and moves to the country with her new husband.

When Nina leaves her father and mother behind in Venice it's one of the hardest things she has ever had to do. The newlyweds arrive at the farm, Nico’s twin sister Rosa isn’t happy that he’s left seminary, his wife hasn’t got a clue about helping on the farm and housework. Nina is miserable, she misses her parents, her sister in-law thinks she’s useless and she has to pretend to be Catholic and attend church.

Things get worse when Karl Zwerger arrives he’s a nasty Nazi official he doesn’t like Nico and he’s determined to make his life as miserable as possible. When he finds out about his new bride, he questions Nina about her past, the couples courtship and of course how she met her husband? Nina and Nico get to know each other; they develop feelings for each other and Nina becomes close to the whole Gerardi family. Nina’s very concerned about the possibility of Italian Jews being sent to camps, when this begins and Nina is really worried about her parents.

Our Darkest Night is a story about life in Italy during WW II, how hard it was for Jewish people and they were treated terribly by the Nazi’s. Thousands died from being persecuted during the Holocaust and also from disease, starvation and being sent to work in Germany. Inspired by true events it’s a story about sacrifice, family, loss, despair, friendship, love, hope and Jennifer Robson’s books never disappoint. I received a copy of this book from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review; I highly recommend reading Our Darkest Night and five stars from me.

The Emerald Affair

The Emerald Affair by Janet MacLeod Trotter
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Scotland 1919, after her terrible experience as a nurse during WW I Esmie McBride visits her childhood friend Lydia at Templeton Hall and for a well deserved holiday. Home from India, visiting Scotland at the same time are best friends Captain Tom Lomax and Dr Harold Guthrie. Tom is a handsome widower, both women find him very attractive and Lydia has her sights set on becoming the next Mrs. Lomax. He has plans to buy a hotel in India; Lydia is bored with her life in Scotland and finds the idea of moving to the subcontinent exciting.

Harold offers Esmie the chance to work in India as his nurse and the only catch is they need to be married. Esmie accepts Harold’s proposal, they have so much in common and many marriages are built on less. Soon both couples are in living in India, Lydia is very disappointed in Tom’s hotel, it’s not at all what she was expecting, she misses her parents and she does nothing but complain. Esmie is enthralled by India; she travels with Harold to the mission clinic in Taha, she finds the work fulfilling and she hopes to have a proper marriage with Harold?

The Emerald Affair is a story about life in Ralwalpindi in the 1920’s, the beautiful countryside, customs, food, people and civil unrest. Both couples have issues with their marriages, I’m sure this was a very common problem in colonial India; many women would have been prepared for the isolation, heat, food and it would have caused tension. I enjoyed reading The Emerald Affair, four stars from me and I looking forward to reading the second book in the series: The Sapphire Child.

The Truths I Never Told You

Truths I Never Told You by Kelly Rimmer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Beth Walsh is the youngest in her family, she has two brothers Tim and Jeremy and an older sister Ruth. Despite the loss of their mother Grace in a car accident when they were all toddlers, the siblings had a happy childhood, the family's very close and they all love their dad Patrick.

Patrick’s health has started to decline, he has heart problems and is now suffering from dementia. The siblings have to make the difficult choice of putting their father into an aged care home and decide what to do with his house? Beth offers to clean out her dad’s home, she’s on maternity leave, and she has a five month old baby boy Noah and has the time. Beth’s husband Hunter and her siblings have been worried about her, they ask her all the time if she is OK, and she tells them she’s fine, but she’s not herself and they’re not sure if her tackling the house is a good idea? Beth's a psychologist, seeking medical advice about her not coping with motherhood, she’s very worried how it might effect her career and she's sure she can deal with it by herself.

While cleaning out her dad’s house, Beth notices the attic door has a lock on it, it’s rather odd and she can’t understand why her dad suddenly had a lock installed? When she finally gains access to the room she's shocked to find it’s a total mess, her dad's turned into a hoarder and he's taken up painting? While wading through the mess in her father’s attic, she finds an old photo album, it contains her parents wedding photos, some old papers and she assumes they were written by her mother?

When she starts reading about her dad as a young husband she’s rather shocked, her mother complained about him staying out late after work, not helping her at all with her four children, he wasted money and he drank a lot? The dad Beth grew up with worked hard, he ran a successful building company, he was responsible, everyone liked him and he was a wonderful father.
Beth knows nothing about her mother’s side of the family, as she delves deeper into the past she discovers she has an Aunt Maryanne, her mother’s sister and she’s still alive. With so many unanswered questions, she contacts her Aunt, she hopes she can shed some light on her parent’s marriage and her mother’s death?

Soon it’s very obvious that both Beth and her mother Grace struggled as new mothers, it’s not just sleep deprivation, being tired or not having any time to themselves, they both felt like they carried this huge weight of expectation on their shoulders and it’s a very heavy burden. Mother and daughter suffered from post-partum depression, but during the 1950’s when Patrick took Grace to the doctor, Grace received no help at all and she just had to accept that when women married, they had babies and sometimes more than you wanted to have or could cope with looking after.

I highly recommend reading The Truths I Never Told You it’s an emotional book to read, it’s heartbreaking, full of family secrets and a times it’s very confronting. It tackles very relevant subjects such as post-partum depression, motherhood, contraception, society’s expectation, infertility and family life. I enjoyed the book, all thoughts expressed in this review are my own and I gave the book fours stars.

Night Bird Calling

Night Bird Calling by Cathy Gohlke
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When Lilliana Swope’s mother passes away, she over hears her father talking to her husband Gerald and she’s had enough. Not only did her father abuse her mother, her husband is abusive, he now wants to lock her up in an insane asylum and she flees to No Creek, North Carolina.

Hyacinth Belvidere lives in No Creek, she last saw her great niece Lilliana when she was five; her aunt opens up her home and heart to her. Her aunt Hyacinth's lives alone, she has many friends in the mountain community and including the Percy family. They decide to open up Hyacinth’s house as a public library, over the years her family has collected a large selection of books and they will be available to everyone to borrow.

Lilliana's concerned about Gerald, Hyacinth assures her she’s safe in her home and she has nothing to worry about? Despite the constant threat of Gerald arriving, Lilliana makes friends with Reverend Jesse Willard, Celia Percy and Ruby lynne Wishon. She’s concerned about Ruby’s safety, she notices signs of abuse and she's very worried it will escalate. Unfortunately the area has ties to the Ku Klux Klan, with the library being available to colored folks, it creates tension in the town of No Creek and it gets nasty.

Night Bird Calling is a story about Lilliana trying to escape domestic violence, her wanting to help other women and girls caught in the same terrible situation and changing the stigma around abuse. It’s also about Lilliana's relationship with her great aunt Hyacinth, making new friends, feeling part of a community, her standing up against racism and discovering not all men are as nasty as her father and husband. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, thanks to Edelweiss for my copy and four stars from me.

Glamour Girls

Glamour Girls by Marty Wingate
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Rosalie Wright grew up at Lime Farm in Cambridgeshire a county in the East of England with her older brothers Will and Leslie. Rosalie’s ten when the flying circus visits town, her dad let her go for a joy ride, she loved it and she was determined to learn to fly. Her mum thought her daughters dream was a lot of nonsense and Rosalie didn't change her mind and earned her own money to pay for her flying lessons.

Just as Rosalie’s about to turn 18, WW II begins and her dad suddenly passes away. Will and Leslie are exempt from fighting in the war, the country needs farmers to grow food and why can’t Rosalie be content helping on the farm like her brothers? Her mother isn’t happy about her plans to join the new Women’s Air Transport Auxiliary, Gladys is old fashioned and rather stubborn.
They need women pilots to ferry planes around England’s and Scotland’s many RAF bases. Rosalie applies; she passes her training and is assigned to Hamble. Billeted with Mrs. May, Rosalie becomes best friends with her fellow housemates and ATA pilots Caroline Andrews and Zofia Pasek. I loved reading about the time the Rosalie, Caroline, Zofia and Mrs. May spend together in her little house.

Rosalie and her fellow members of Women’s Air Transport Auxiliary face terrible discrimination from male pilots and ground crew. Rosalie meets two male pilots grumpy Snug Durrant and Alan Chersey he’s handsome and charming. Snug and Alan are very different and it becomes very obvious while reading the story who’s the nicer person. The war years continue the danger and stress increase. The women in the ATA fly all types of damaged and broken planes around the country; they never know what will happen during a flight and where they will end up staying the night. For the men and women the pressure and danger becomes extreme, all the pilots are so tired, nerves are frazzled and it takes its toll.
I really enjoyed reading Glamour Girls; it’s a story about WW II, planes, flying, friendship, camaraderie, loss and unexpected love. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review; it’s brilliant and five stars from me.

The Arctic Fury

The Arctic Fury by Greer Macallister
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In 1853, Virginia Reeve is summoned to Boston by Lady Jane Franklin and she wants her to lead a group of 12 women to the Arctic. Virginia has experience as a guide leading travelers to Oregon and this is a totally different kind of journey into one of the world’s harshest environments. Lady Franklin expects the women to find her lost husband Sir John Franklin, his expedition party and two missing ships.

Each of the women is picked for their individual skills; it’s a real mixture of ages, personalities and backgrounds. How would such a diverse group of women get along and would they be able to be formed into a tight and united group needed to undertake such a hazardous trip? The story has an alternating timeline it goes between the journey to the Arctic and eighteen months later in Boston where Virginia is on trial accused of kidnapping and murdering socialite Caprice Collins.

The trip north requires meticulous planning; the women will travel some of the way by ship and walk the rest of the way overland. In such an arduous place the women will be pushed to the absolute physical limit, they face huge mental obstacles, past events will haunt them and what really happened miles from civilization and in the frozen barren place? The Arctic Fury has the perfect combination of drama, suspense, mystery and some sinister hints or implications to create an interesting historical fiction story; I highly recommend reading it and five stars from me.

My Name is Anton

My Name is Anton by Catherine Ryan Hyde
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In 1965, two weeks before Christmas Anton Addison-Rice’s parent's Abel and Vera decide to go on a holiday to South America and leave him home alone. You really question his parent’s decision making, his brother Greg and grandfather Anton had both passed away that year and Anton had suffered a life changing injury. Fortunately his grandmother Marion and great-uncle Gregor both check on him and make sure he’s alright.

Anton notices an incident happening across the road from his parent’s apartment a lady Edith is being assaulted by her husband and Anton is determined to help. One night a battered Edith flees her husband, out of desperation she knocks on Anton’s door and he offers her a place to stay for a couple of weeks. Anton and Edith are both lonely, they quickly become friends, Edith and Anton’s grandmother Marion are worried that he’s developing feelings for Edith; she’s fifteen years older than him and married.

Anton's only 18; he’s the most caring, kind, sensitive young man and Edith understands she needs to leave and not tell Anton where she’s going. I must admit at one stage I did wonder where Catherine Ryan Hyde was going with this books plot, but it worked and it's a thought provoking story looking at life's challenges and from two very different perspectives. I received a copy of My Name is Anton in exchange for an honest review and four stars from me.

The Secret Agent

The Secret Agent by Elisabeth Hobbes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Sylvie Crichton trains to be a Special Operations Executive and she’s the perfect choice, she was born in France, her first language is French and she’s keen to fight to free her homeland. After she passes the grueling training in Scotland, Sylvie's dropped into France in 1944; reality of her situation hits when she sees her first German soldier and has to go through the first check point. Sylvie’s orders are to meet her contact; her code name is Monique and begins working as a dancer in a nightclub called Mirabelle in Nantes. Sylvie’s thrust into a world where she can’t trust anyone and it’s really hard when she’s working with a group of friendly girls and the attractive club piano player Felix is always lurking around.

The plan's for Sylvie to use her job as a way of meeting German soldiers, to encourage them to drink, let their guard down and hopefully tell her vital facts she can pass onto the resistance. She’s also required to be a courier, transport equipment, liaise with safe houses and the local resistance and help with acts of sabotage against the Germans. When she gains the unwanted attention of a Nazi soldier, how far is Sylvie willing to go to get the information she needs, he becomes a constant nuisance and not only does it put her life in danger and the entire network could be at risk?

The Secret Agent is a story about Sylvie’s time working as a SOE in France, it’s interesting to read about the training the agents went through, all the skills required to be one, the work they did for the resistance and how it was difficult for them to keep it business only. People have feelings; they make friends, form relationships, fall in love and being involved in WW II didn’t change this. I received a copy of The Secret Agent in exchange for an honest review; I highly recommend reading the book and five stars from me.

The Last Truehart

The Last Truehart by Darry Fraser
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

1898, Geelong, Victoria.
When Stella Truehart’s husband Lowry Hayward disappeared she reported him missing; his beaten body was discovered and she’s now a widow. Stella’s relieved her husband is dead; he was so nice to her when they were courting and he changed once they tied the knot. He turned into a mean, nasty and brutal bully, she’s now living on her own and she still feels very vulnerable.

Detective Bendigo Barrett has been employed to find Stella, she’s very cautious about speaking to him, after her experience with her husband and she’s extremely nervous and she feels like someone is watching her? When a series of unfortunate and disturbing events happen involving Stella and Bendigo they decide to travel to Sydney, ask Bendigo’s mysterious employer some questions and try to devise what’s going on?

I enjoyed reading The Last Truehart, the plot had so many twists and turns, it kept me interested and especially while trying to put together the complicated family connections and family dynamics and discover the hidden secrets. I received a copy of The Last Truehart in exchange for an honest review, a brilliant Australian historical fiction story full of suspense, intrigue and five stars from me.

The Forgotten Orphan

The Forgotten Orphan by Glynis Peters
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Maisie Reynolds was abandoned at Holly Bush Orphanage in Southampton when she was about four years old and with her twin brother Jack. Left in the care of Matron Gloria Mason, Maisie had a miserable childhood, while other children were adopted including her own brother she was always over looked and it hurt. She stayed at the orphanage, Maisie loved to look after the children, she wanted them to feel that someone cared about them and she made a difference in many children’s lives.

England’s at war, it’s no longer safe for the children to stay in London and the orphanage will be closed. It’s going to be used as a rehabilitation and recovery centre for injured soldiers. Maisie doesn’t have a lot of confidence, she has no qualifications or skills and she has no idea what she will do when it closes? Maisie’s kind, helpful, efficient, and she’s offered work at the center and becomes the housekeeper. Maisie’s always plagued by self doubt; she wants to know who she is, why was she left at the orphanage and what happened to her brother Jack? She meets Canadian paratrooper Harry Cameron or Cam, he’s from British Columbia, they fall in love, the war drags on and she continues to look for clues about her past.

The Forgotten Orphan is a story about Maisie’s quest to find answers about her identity; she will uncover hidden secrets, discover things she wasn’t expecting and it’s shocking. But Maisie is tenacious, determined, she has an incredible big heart, so does Cam, he stands by her and together they overcome many obstacles. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review; I enjoyed the story and four stars from me.

The Violinist of Auschwitz

The Violinist of Auschwitz by Ellie Midwood
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Instead of going to safety in England with her father, Alma Rosé a famous Viennese violinist stayed in Europe, she defied the German’s and continued to perform and she’s eventually arrested in Holland. She arrived at Auschwitz in 1943, and here she’s inspected, luckily she passed the first test, fumigated and tattooed. Thousands of people are kept in the worst conditions imaginable in the infamous camp; it’s a daily fight to survive and any sign of weakness; a person’s moldy bread ration could be stolen by someone stronger or they would be sent to the gas chambers and exterminated.

Alma’s fame was noticed by the head of the women’s camp, she’s to be the conductor of the camp orchestra, perform for visiting Nazi officials and she had until Christmas to make sure they are ready. Alma at first is very reluctant to do it, why should she share her precious music with the German’s and they don’t deserve it. Then she realized she could use it to her advantage, the members of the orchestra didn’t have to do the back breaking work other inmates are expected to do and they might survive the camp. Alma was incredibly fearless, she asked for extra rations for orchestra members, better living quarters; they could shower, wash and wear civilian clothes. Alma and her group of musicians brought joy and hope to the entire camp; they looked after each other and become friends. Alma meets pianist Miklos Steinberg, they fall in love, surely the war had to end soon and the camp would be liberated?

The Violinist of Auschwitz isn't an easy story to read and you are made aware of all the horrible things that happened in Auschwitz and nothing is left out. Alma Rosé was a real person, her story is one of determination, dedication and she was bold and an incredibly brave woman. I highly recommend reading The Violinist of Auschwitz, well done Ellie Midwood on writing an amazing book and five big stars from me.

Florence Adler Swims Forever

Florence Adler Swims Forever by Rachel Beanland
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Every summer, Esther and Joseph Adler rent out their house to holiday makers and move into the small apartment above their successful Atlantic City bakery. They had no idea that the summer of 1934 would go from one of excited anticipation and to one of incredible sadness.

Esther and Joseph have two daughters Fannie and Florence. Fannie is married to Isaac Feldman; they have a seven year old daughter Gussie, Fannie’s pregnant and in hospital on strict bed rest for the duration of her pregnancy. Florence has returned from college, she’s going to spend the summer in training and she has plans to swim the English Channel in a couple of month’s time. Staying with the Adler’s is a German student Anna Epstein, Joseph has sponsored her stay in America, so many Jewish Germans are desperately wanting to leave Germany, Esther isn’t happy about the arrangement and she thinks her husband is hiding something?
Florence is training when tragedy strikes, she drowns and Esther makes the decision not to tell Fannie about her sister passing away until she's had her baby. This is the start of an elaborate lie, it’s extremely hard to keep Florence’s death a secret and it causes tension in the family and at a time when they should be grieving and could it tear the entire family apart?

Three generations of the Adler’s family struggle with heartbreaking loss, Florence’s and her little nephew who died the year before Fannie’s high risk pregnancy. The most thought provoking aspect of the book was how Esther a sensible, loving, caring mother made the choice she did, was it the right one not to tell Fannie about Florence dying and did it make her seem cold, unfeeling and distant to other members of her family? Based on real facts, Florence Adler Swims Forever is a book that will make you feel a variety of emotions and it will make you think about life, love, family, choices and loss. I received a copy of this book in exchange for and honest review and five stars from me.

The Charleston Scandal

The Charleston Scandal by Pamela Hart
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Kit Scott left her stuffy family behind in Sydney Australia to follow her dream and become a star of the stage in London’s West End. The war has just ended, the lucky young men to survive want to have fun, and this includes going out to the theatre, attending parties, drinking, listening to jazz music and dancing.
Zeke Gardiner is a Canadian actor from British Columbia, he’s good looking and he can sing and dance. The couple's cast together in a play, they spend a lot of time close together on stage and their relationship is only a professional one.
Kat and Zeke meet members of England’s high society, including Royalty, Fred Astaire and his sister Adele. When a photographer takes a picture of Kit dancing the Charleston with the Prince of Wales, it receives a lot of unwanted attention and the palace isn't happy. They introduce Kit to Lord Henry Carleton; of course she was dancing with him and not the future King.
The Charleston Scandal portrays what life was like in the roaring twenties in London, it was a time of daring change, fashion, society, music and dance played at huge part. I really liked reading about Kit and Zeke, and they had to decide if they wanted to be professional actors or give into temptation and be led astray by the frivolity, fun and excessive partying going on around them in 1920’s England! I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review; I loved The Charleston Scandal and five stars from me.

The German Nurse

The German Nurse by M.J. Hollows
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The whole island of Guernsey is panicking, the British army are evacuating and women and children are trying to board one of the ships returning to England. Watching the chaos at St Peter Port is Jack Godwin, he’s a member of the local police force, and he lives on the Island with his mum and frail grandparents. An invasion is imminent, it happens on the 30th of June 1940 the Germans arrive and they bomb the island first. The remaining citizens are left totally defenseless, German army didn’t face any resistance and easily take over.

Jack is one of around 50 policemen working on the island; he’s in a very difficult position as his job is to keep law and order. He’s not a soldier, he hadn’t been trained to be one, what could he do to stop the Germans invading the island and some of the locals think he should have tried. Jack's very concerned about his grandparents, his mum and his girlfriend Johanna and she’s a Jewish nurse from Germany.

The German Nurse is a story about living in Guernsey during WW II; as the war years drag on life becomes extremely difficult, due to shortages of everything and the frustrated locals attempt small acts of rebellion. Jack always seems to be torn; he really struggles between upholding the law, looking after his family, friends, work colleagues, and keeping Johanna safe. Relationships are the main basis of the story, always complicated and especially for policeman Jack in German occupied Guernsey. I received a copy of book in exchange for an honest review and four stars from me.

The Tabacconist's Wife

The Tobacconist's Wife by AnneMarie Brear
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

England Yorkshire 1855. When Thea's father dies her only option is to get married and when her father’s friend Ernie Goodson proposes she gracefully accepts. He owns a shop selling tobacco, she has a place to live and her life should be comfortable. Unfortunately Ernie is not at all what he seemed, he’s a nasty bully and extremely violent as well. Like many women Thea is too ashamed to tell anyone what her brute of a husband does to her, she keeps quiet and tries to hide the bruises. She has no other choice, it’s horrible and what could she do?

Adam Fitzwilliam rents the shop next to the tobacco shop, he’s a gentleman, and he makes and sells fine furniture. Thea notices how attractive her new neighbor is, he's caring as well and she’s unfortunately married. When Ernie gets himself into trouble, Thea hopes she might escape her abusive marriage and she has no idea what her husband has been up to?

The Tobacconist’s Wife is a story about life in Victorian England, it highlights how single women had very few choices, if life didn’t go as planned, and a family member passed away and they had no option but to marry. Marriages were often for convenience, not for love, and will Thea get a second chance at happiness?
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, a quick and easy read and three stars from me.

The Girl Without A Name

The Girl Without a Name: Beautiful and heartbreaking World War 2 historical fiction by Suzanne Goldring
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

August 2004. Dick Stevens is found slumped in his lounge chair by his daughter Billie, he can’t speak, he’s desperately trying to tell her something and Billie can’t understand him. He’s had a stroke and taken by ambulance to hospital, once her dad’s stable Billie gathers his things and she notices he has an old crumpled photo in his wallet. Billie is Dick’s eldest daughter, she knows the young lady in the photo isn’t her mum and who is the mystery woman?

September 1939. The children from Christchurch school are being evacuated to the country, Ruby Morrison is on the train with Joan and Stevie Sevens, the children are at first rather excited going on a trip and then they start to feel very anxious and nervous. They haven’t been to Devon before, Joan and Ruby stay together with a lovely older lady and poor Stevie isn’t as lucky.

The Girl Without A Name has a dual timeline it flows well between 2004, 1939 and into the early 1950’s in England. Billie is determined to discover father’s connection to the young woman in the photo, is she his friend Ruby and did they have a relationship before he married her mum? Stevie had a terrible experience as an evacuee, he returned home to London, here he worked as a teenage messenger during the bombing raids and when he turned 21 he was sent to Palestine to do his national service.

I haven’t read a lot about how people coped with what happened to them as children during WW II, it must have had a huge impact on the rest of their lives; by reading the book it makes you very aware of how a series of traumatic experiences can change a child, especially their behavior and morals! The Girl Without A Name, is a story with a very different perspective or insight into children evacuees experiences during WW II, what damage it did to a child’s soul and it’s so sad it happened to a whole generation of English children. The plot had so many twist and turns and the ending took me totally by surprise and five stars from me.

Lana's War

Lana's War by Anita Abriel
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Paris 1943: Lana Hartmann is on her way to see her husband Fredric to tell him some very good news, when she arrives at the convent where he teaches music, she's horrified to see Gestapo officer Alois Brunner shoot him dead for giving a Jewish girl piano lessons and she flees the scene.
Lana’s devastated she doesn’t know what to do, she’s in complete shock for a couple of months and once she finally drags herself out of bed she passes her time by helping at the convent. Lana’s approached to join the resistance they want her to move to the French Riviera to be a spy, her mother Tatiana is a Russian countess and Lana has the perfect background to mix with the other Russian aristocrats already living there. They want her to mingle with the white Russians, attend glitzy parties, and go to the casino; hopefully drunken German soldiers might mention things in front of a pretty woman and let their guard down.

Lana's worried what people will think of her living with Guy Pascal a Swiss industrialist so soon after her husbands death; despite it only being a cover story, they assure her during such times these things are over looked by high society and she’s far too young to be single for long. The plan is for her gather information under the Nazi’s noses about upcoming raids, Jewish people are being sent to a camp at Drancy and the couple also help Jewish people escape. Lana is kind, thoughtful and despite numerous warnings from Guy that she needs to be extremely careful, she can’t save everyone and she still takes risks. Lana can’t turn away and ignore someone who needs help and especially a recently orphaned young Jewish girl.

Set in the beautiful French Rivera Lana’s War is a story about revenge, Lana has a very strong conscience, and she wants France to be free from Nazi rule and her husband death has made her very determined to achieve this. She wants to help save as many Jewish people as she can, she also wants justice for her husbands Fredric’s death and hopefully Alois Brunner will get what he deserves. I really enjoyed Lana's War, I highly recommend reading this book if you like WW II historical fiction and five stars from me.

The Dress Shop on King Street

The Dress Shop on King Street by Ashley Clark
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Harper Albright wants to be a fashion designer and when her dream seems impossible to achieve she returns home to Alabama. She arrives at Millie’s boarding house a place where she’s always made to feel welcome and she and Millie are kindred spirits. Both Millie and Harper have a shared interest in fashion, sewing and both dream of having their own dress shop. Despite the age difference, they decided to give it a go and plan opening their own shop together.

The Dress Shop on King Street has a dual timeline; it goes between present time and back to 1946 when Millie was a young woman.

In 1946, Millie Middleton made the choice to leave Charleston, her mother and her heritage behind. Her mother encouraged her to leave, racial tension was dangerously high, Millie could pass as white and it was a very difficult decision for her to make. On her way to her new life, she's extremely nervous and she meets a charming man called Franklin Pinckney on the train; she has no idea she has just met her future husband and do you believe in fate?

Set in America’s south the book is full of descriptions of the old buildings, beautiful vintage dresses, fabrics, buttons and sewing notions both women use. All rather fascinating and it’s also about family secrets, heirlooms, friendship, love, loss, choices, guilt and regret. The Dress Shop on King Street is the first book in the Heirloom Secrets Series; I’m so looking forward to reading the second book and five stars from me.

Flying the Nest

Flying the Nest by Rachael Johns
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I had never heard of nest parenting until I read Flying the Nest, it’s when a couple separate, one parent stays in the family home for a set time usually a week, looks after the kids and the other parent lives elsewhere for the allocated time. The children get to stay in the family home and the parents take it in turns looking after them.

Ashling Wood is happily married to Podiatrist Adrian or so she though until one morning out of the blue he suggests they try nest parenting and her whole world suddenly falls apart. You can imagine how she felt, shocked, confused, hurt, upset, and she had no idea her husband was unhappy in their marriage. The arrangement is for her to spend one week with her children Saxon and Payton, when it’s Adrian’s turn to look after the kids she stays with her sister in law and best friend Hayley. Ash is a mess, her whole life has revolved around looking after her children, being married to Adrian, she can’t imagine not seeing her children for a whole week and is her husband capable looking after them? She’s given the opportunity to stay in a cottage by the sea at Ragged Point for a week, the place has been empty for years, it’s a real mess and Ash cleans it up.

Ash begins to look at her life from another perspective, she starts to enjoy her week alone, her peaceful sea change and she’s offered a chance to renovate the cottage. Like many small towns, anyone new sticks out like a sore thumb, people notice you very quickly and that’s what happens with Ash. She finds the locals are very friendly, keen to offer her help, especially Jedda from the local café and Dan Emerson her handsome neighbor.

Flying the Nest is a story about Ashling Wood having her life suddenly turned upside down, her going through all the emotions and stages most people would feel when a long term relationship ends unexpectedly. She’s worried about how it will affect her children, she’s hurt, sad, mad, lost, bitter, embarrassed, self conscious and extremely angry. But it also gives her time to reflect on what she wants to do in the future, what skills she has, she makes new friends, maybe she can be happy without her selfish husband, still be a good mother and she rediscovers herself. Rachel John’s books never disappoint, a very interesting subject, written from a woman’s point of view, at times it’s sad, others it’s downright funny and five stars from me.

The Last Correspondent

The Last Correspondent by Soraya M. Lane
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Illinois 1943, Ella Franks has been writing articles using a pseudonym, she’s caught out and sacked. She really wants to be a war correspondent and can’t believe her luck when she’s offered a new job in England. She travels to London, only to discover women journalists are not allowed to be anywhere near combat and the front line.

Sicily 1943, American photojournalist Danni Bradford is taking photos of the war with her best friend and work partner Andy and Major Robert Cameron is furious that a woman is in the middle of a war. The sparks fly between Major Cameron and Danni. The war continues, both end up in England and waiting for the allies to liberate France.

London 1943, Chloe is Andy’s sister and she’s a model for Vogue. The last time she was in France she met handsome Gabriel and she’s desperate to see him again. Despite having no idea how bad things are in France or what's happening with Gabriel and she makes the silly decision to return.

1944 June, D-Day ships are busy unloading soldiers and amphibious craft are taking them to Omaha beach. It’s so loud, planes constantly flying over, mines and bombs exploding and the German machine guns are firing nonstop. Soldiers are being shot, wounded, blown up and killed and its absolute hell. War is brutal and no place for a woman and all female journalists had been ordered to remain in England. Of course Danni and Ella ignored this order and both made it to Normandy. Eventually Danni, Ella and Chloe team up together; they rely on each other to survive when the war gets dangerously close and desperately try to get back to safety.

The Last Correspondent is an action packed story about three strong ladies breaking down the stereotypical barriers for women in the 1940's and their friendship, loyalty, courage and determination. If I had argue with someone all the time, be shot at and needed be saved from the German’s! My idea of a perfect hero would defiantly be Major Robert Cameron, he can save me anytime, and I give him and the book five stars.

Before The Storm

Before the Storm by Di Morrissey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ellie Conlan lives in Melbourne, she’s a career woman and very good at her job. Suddenly out of the blue her boss decides to give Sophia a fellow work college her job as project manager, Ellie gathers her things from her desk and quits. After she leaves work she releases how stressed she is, to the point of having panic attacks and she decides to visit her grandfather in Storm Harbour a quiet little beach town and have a much needed break from living in the city. Ellie’s grandfather Patrick is thrilled to see her and he’s 80 and still works as the editor of the local newspaper called The Storm Harbour Chronicle. Ellie decides to take an extended holiday, she has no reason to return to Melbourne, do some volunteer work at the newspaper office and they certainly need some up to date IT help.

Storm Harbour is a beautiful little coastal town, everyone loves the amazing botanic gardens and the caravan park is situated close by. Ellie meets some interesting people, a real mixture of personalities and they all have one common wish and that’s for Storm Harbour to stay the same. Ellie is drawn into a new story and someone is trying to develop a large area of land in Storm Harbour and it’s all very secretive. The area in question is owned by the rich O’Neill family, their matriarch Kathryn is in her 90’s, she’s very attached to the gardens, she created them, why would she want them destroyed and it makes no sense?

Before the Storm looks at life in a small town, the people who live in it, they have all moved there for a reason and some have secret pasts. The atmosphere in town soon gets very tense; this makes Ellie feel very uncomfortable, she had a bad experience as a teenager in Storm Harbour, she never told anyone, and years later it still affects her. Ellie finally understands dealing with what happened to her will set her free, she needs to tackle her past front on, it wasn’t her fault; the same applies to finding out who’s behind the development, initiating the very low and nasty behavior and it needs to be stopped!
I enjoyed reading Before the Storm, I received a copy in exchange for an honest review and I gave the book four stars.

Mrs. Everything

Mrs. Everything by Jennifer Weiner
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Growing up in 1950’s Detroit Jo and Bethie Kaufman had a happy childhood. Jo is a real tomboy; she’s tall, slender and likes sports. Beth’s is pretty; she worries about her weight and dreams of getting the lead role in the high school play. Unexpectedly their father passes away, home life changes, their mum needs to work, she’s constantly worried about money and not home.

Jo finishes college; she marries Dave Braverman, becomes a mother and loses herself. Beth is a free spirit she lives a nomadic life style, wearing bell bottoms jeans, taking drugs and wonders what happened to Harold Jefferson from high school?

The 1960’s and 1970’s women’s roles started to change, women’s liberation, society expectations, American was involved in the Vietnam War and had racial division. Mrs. Everything covers a variety of topics and both of the main characters of Jo and Bethie are involved and have their own personal struggles. Jo has problems with her marriage, expectations of motherhood and accepting she's a lesbian. Bethie feels she’s not good enough; she tries to forget what happened to her as a teenager and takes drugs. I received a copy of Mrs. Everything in exchange for an honest review, I gave it four stars and it has the perfect title.

The Sea Gate

The Sea Gate: a sweeping, atmospheric historical novel by Jane Johnson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Rebecca's mother Jenny has recently passed away, while clearing out her flat she finds a pile of unopened mail and she discovers a letter. It was sent to her mum by a distant older cousin living in Cornwall some months ago, her name is Olivia Kitto and she asked for Jenny to help her. Becky decides to drive to Cornwall, to see if Olivia is alright and have some much needed time away from her unfeeling partner Eddie.

She arrives safely and discovers Olivia’s in hospital and she can’t return home due to the condition of her house. The beautiful old house she lives in is called Chynalls, it’s very rundown, it will take weeks to fix, and cost a small fortune and Rebecca decides to organize the repairs. The Sea Gate has a dual timeline and it works well; it alternates between present time and during WW II when a teenage Olivia is living in Cornwall at Chynalls. Olivia is an only child, her father Antony is serving in Africa and her mother Estelle leaves her with Mrs. Ogden the stern house keeper and disappears.

Rebecca discovers two incredible paintings hidden in the attic; the house also has a tunnel leading from the cellar to the sea and it’s all rather mysterious? At the time Chynalls it’s a dangerous place to be living, with the possibility of the Germans invading Cornwall and prisoners of war escaping from a nearby farm.
The Sea Gate is a story about courage, secrets, war, danger, forbidden love and fate. Five stars from me and I highly recommend reading the book.

The Berlin Girl

The Berlin Girl by Mandy Robotham
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Berlin, 1938: Georgie Young arrives in Berlin with fellow British journalist Max Spender and she’s not sure what to make of him? She’s been to Germany before, two years ago for the Olympic Games, she notices how much Berlin has changed, the oppressive atmosphere and tension in the beautiful city. The Third Reich’s propaganda was everywhere; Nazi flags are flying, pictures of Hitler and the intimidating sound of Jackboots marching around the city.

Rubin, Sara, Leon and Ester Amsel are German citizens; they live in Berlin and are Jewish. Georgie employees Rubin as her driver, he's very grateful for the job and he’s hopeful that she might also be able to help his family? Suddenly the situation in Berlin escalates and Georgie witnesses firsthand the night of the broken glass, the destruction of Jewish businesses, property, synagogues and people being badly hurt.

She and her fellow press pack are working from hotel Adlon, when one of their own a fellow journalist Paul Adamson goes missing; he’s been following a story and was he onto something sinister? Georgie begins to uncover the unspeakable truth about Hitler’s Germany; anyone classed as undesirable was taken away and placed in a facility or they disappeared. It’s also pretty obvious Germany was involved in heavy industry, needed to make and stockpile weapons, tanks and it’s a clear breach of the worldwide conventions that were put in place after Germany was defeated in the First World War.

The Berlin Girl is a story about life in Germany leading up to WW II, how evil Hitler and the Nazi party were, the horrible plans and ideals they began to enforce. Georgie Young the main character and heroine of the story hated the terrible injustice towards Jewish people, she had a strong conscious and she wanted to make a difference despite Germany being on the brink of starting another war.
I have read The German Midwife and The Secret Messenger by Mandy Robotham and I enjoyed them both. But oh my goodness Mandy has really gone to another level with The Berlin Girl; I absolutely devoured it, one of the best books I have read this year and five stars from me.

Once We Were Here

Once We Were Here: A Novel by Christopher Cosmos
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In 2014, Andrew arrives for his summer holiday at Lake Michigan with his wife Stephanie, children David and William. Every year they stay with his grandfather Papou and his grandmother Yia Yia at their cottage. Andrew asks his Papou about an old photo he found, he recognizes his grandmother, she’s with a strange man and who is he? Papou decides to finally tell him about the past and his family’s life in Greece; it’s a story about two young men and how war changed their lives.

In a small Greek fishing village Agria two baby boys are born on the same night their parents name them Costa and Alexei. Now 18, the young men are best friends and are as close as brothers. When war is declared in 1940 they enlist, leaving Agria for the first time, despite the terrible conditions and no military training they win and defeat the Italian army. Before they depart, Alexei asks his first love Philia to marry him and she accepts. When a victorious Alexei returns from the war he and Philia marry, they make plans for the future and start building a house. Unfortunately their honeymoon was barely over when the young groom and his best friend Costa are needed to fight in another war. The Greek army only had the Metaxas Line between them and the much stronger German army; they had planes, tanks and superior weapons. The Greek army digs in, they reinforced the line and nervously wait for the Germans to arrive.

Once We Were Here is a historical fiction saga, it’s about nation’s history, its traditions, a special friendship between two young men and their legacy. Despite the terrible odds against them the Greek army made the German’s advancement through Greece as difficult as possible, of course Costa and Alexei were involved in this. What the Greek soldiers managed to achieve is amazing, it helped the allies eventually win WW II and defect the Germans. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review and I gave the book four stars.

The Great Escape from Woodlands Nursing Home

The Great Escape from Woodlands Nursing Home by Joanna Nell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Hattie Bloom is 89 she lives alone in her run down cottage; she’s a nature lover and has an interest in birds. When she takes a tumble and ends up in Woodlands Nursing Home she absolutely hates it and there’s no such thing as privacy in aged care. Hattie’s not used to being around people, being told what to do; she can’t wait until her hip heals and she can go home. Aged care facilities can be boring and extremely monotonous places to live; they have a regimented schedule, tight budgets, endless cups of cold tea, and don’t mention the food.

Walter Clements is a real character, he’s funny, he likes to tell jokes and he thinks all the ladies find him charming. He wants to leave Woodlands, he hates taking the water pills they give him and they also limit his alcohol consumption. His path to freedom involves passing a test to use a mobility scooter safely and he assumes it will be a piece of cake for a man with his capabilities? Hattie and Walter are complete opposites and when they meet Hattie isn’t at all sure of what to make of Walter! Sister Bronwyn works the night shift at Woodland’s and she runs a secret club called The Night Owl’s. Many residents have a problem sleeping, are almost nocturnal and she brings her dog Queenie to work with her and they enjoy the harmless night time activities she organizes.

When Sister Bronwyn is dismissed from her duties, the oldies are devastated; they miss her, the camaraderie, fun activities and Queenie. Walter, Hattie and their friend Murray who’s unfortunately very ill and confined to his room are determined to get Sister Bronwyn reinstated. The ideas they come up with, plans they make and what they try is totally hilarious. I loved The Great Escape from Woodlands Nursing Home; it’s a wonderful story about a group of older people and their determination to have the night nurse reinstated. It’s an absolutely delightful book to read, so funny, with lovable and enduring characters and it’s an uplifting story. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, five stars from me and I’m keen to read Joanna Nell’s other books.

Under a Sky on Fire

Under a Sky on Fire: A gripping and utterly heartbreaking WW2 historical novel by Suzanne Kelman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Lizzie Mackenzie departs Scotland to join the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force in England, she’s sad to leave her uncle’s Hamish’s croft but she's excited to start her training and she has no idea she’s about to meet two other brave women and the three women will become best friends.
London 1940, after Lizzie finished her WAAF’s training she becomes a plotter at a sector station operation rooms, they kept track of the type, number and direction of incoming German planes. Her friend Diana Downes is part of an all women’s team operating a barrage balloon called Bertha and they used balloons to defend the London sky from German bombers. Julia Sullivan works for the government at The War Office building at Whitehall as a typist, it’s a top secret job and she can’t tell anyone what she does.

During WW II English people had to keep going, life was lived one day at a time, they still went to work despite not getting a lot of sleep, many were shift workers, they put up with food shortages and were constantly worried about their loved ones. I really enjoyed how the story followed the three friends from when they first met, their wartime jobs and romantic relationships they had during the war.
Julia was married to John, he’s fighting in Africa and she sent her two young children Tom and Maggie to stay with an Aunt in the country. During a bombing raid Lizzie is trapped in the basement of a theatre, Jack Henson trips over her in the dark, they spend the night talking and start dating. Diana meets the corporal Len Shelley; and she’s not sure if they ever be more than good friends?

By reading Under a Sky on Fire, you understand what life was like in England during WW II and the sacrifices everyone made including adults and children. The incredible determination, faith and enduring spirit of English people during the nightly bombing raids of London.
Thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and Suzanne Kelman for my copy of Under a Sky on Fire, I highly recommend the book and five stars from me.

The Paris Children

The Paris Children by Gloria Goldreich
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Paris Children by Gloria Goldreich is a true story based on the life of a very brave Jewish social worker called Madeleine Levy, her perseverance and determination in France during WW II was truly remarkable.

One day Madeleine noticed a little girl watching her eat, she bought her something to eat, she decided to take Anna home and what she discovered was totally shocking. The Jewish family left Germany in a hurry, they had to leave everything they owned behind, the entire family was hungry and they had no identification papers. France also had became a country divided, refugees were being badly treated and now anyone Jewish was a target. Street vendors had their carts over turned; produce damaged and rude words written on shop windows. Madeleine and her family became involved in the resistance, her sister’s Simone’s calligraphy skills became very useful and she could produce all kinds of forged documents. A whole network of brave people helped Jewish children, adults and allied pilots escape German occupied France. It was an amazing set up and it included safe houses, forged identification documents and travel permits and ideas they came up with to move people around France was incredible.

Madeleine lost most of her hearing after a childhood illness, she could lip read and it was a very handy skill to have during a war. Madeleine ended up with so many different aliases; she dressed up, changed her appearance and she didn’t say in one place for long. During this time she met Claude Lehmann he was involved in the resistance, he helped train and walk children out of France using varies escape routes and in winter. Everyday Claude and Madeleine put themselves in danger, to save others and their selfless bravery and fearless boldness was amazing. I really enjoyed reading The Paris Children, I received a copy in exchange for an honest review and I gave it five stars.

In Picardy's Fields

In Picardy's Fields by Hannah Byron
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Baroness Agnès de Saint-Aubin has been studying medicine in Paris, she’s now a qualified surgeon and her mentor is Dr Alan Bell. When Dr Bell informs her he’s going to Château de Dragoncourt in Picardy to work at the front line hospital, Agnès wants to go with him and eventually they leave together. On the way Agnès notices fields are full of white crosses, so many soldiers have already died, the total destruction of the French towns and countryside is horrific and suddenly WW I became very real.

Agnès has been to the Château before; she knows the family who owns it and is friends with Jacques, Elle and Madeleine de Dragoncourt. Madeline the youngest sibling has been staying at a very boring Swiss finishing school and wants to return home. Her brother Jacques has been helping at the Château hospital and so has her sister Elle by driving an ambulance. Once the two doctors arrive at the Château they begin performing surgery straight away, the numbers of wounded soldiers is totally overwhelming, men everywhere crying out in pain and with terrible injuries. The German army is very close, due to the start of the spring offensive, they start evacuating the hospital and before they finish the Germans arrive. Agnès and Alan are now prisoners, Agnès has a secret and she doesn’t want the officer in charge to find out.

In Picardy’s Fields is a story about two strong women and who broke down the stereotypical barriers for women at the time. Agnès with her determination to be a surgeon, working long hours in the WW I field hospital and under extreme pressure. Madeleine escaping the boring finishing school, she’s a real character, her antics made me laugh and how she helped free Agnès and Alan from the Germans. I gave In Picardy’s Fields four stars and I’m looking forward to reading The Diamond Courier in December.

A Painter in Penang

A Painter in Penang: A gripping story of the Malayan Emergency by Clare Flynn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Jasmine Barrington is sixteen; she’s living with her step-mother Evie, her step-father Arthur and brother Hugh in Nairobi in Kenya. Evie is horrified when she realizes Jasmine is absolutely miserable, she hates school, she's been expelled and misses her homeland of Penang in Malay. Evie loves Jasmine and she makes the difficult choice to take her home to Penang. Mary and Reggie Hyde-Underwood offer her a place to stay at their rubber plantation, they have a baby Frances, Mary teaches school at the estate, and Jasmine can help her with the baby and sit her final school exams.
Jasmine is delighted to be home, she missed Penang so much and as soon as she gets off the boat she feels like a huge weight has been lifted off her shoulders. Jasmine is on the brink of becoming a woman, she’s very pretty and men start to notice her. She finds this really uncomfortable, she's not ready and all she wants to do is sketch and paint. It’s a difficult time for her, luckily Mary is very understanding and she helps Jasmine navigate the complexities of growing up.
Jasmine sets up a studio at the estate, she’s a very talented artist and she might like to go to art school in Paris? But communists start causing civil unrest in Malay, this makes everyone very nervous after what they went through during WW II and it’s the beginning of the Malayan Emergency. Plantations begin to be targeted, Jasmine discovers a shocking secret from her dead fathers past, it puts her in danger, and should she return to Nairobi and put her dreams of being an artist on hold?
I loved A Painter in Penang; it includes characters from the two previous books in the series The Pearl of Penang ( Evie ) and Prisoner from Penang ( Mary ).. Set once again in the tropical paradise, it’s about a young girl’s journey home, her growing up and her being able to cope and deal with the challenges life throws at her. Clare Flynn has done it again, her books never disappoint and five stars from me.

The Family Inheritance

The Family Inheritance by Tricia Stringer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Felicity Lewis is turning fifty, it’s the night of her birthday party and she’s hosting it at her home at West Beach in Adelaide. She lives with her husband Ian; she just spent six months renovating their house and its picture perfect. To say her birthday party was a downright disaster isn’t exaggerating, her mum Hazel and her dad Franklyn are running late. Hazel finally calls and Felicity has no idea her world is never going to be the same and her life is going to be turned upside down. Franklyn has died, he lay down to have a nap and passed away in his sleep. We discover Felicity’s husband Ian is a selfish man, he has been planning on leaving Felicity for months but he hadn’t got around to telling her yet, he leaves her despite Felicity’s father just passing away and she's an emotional wreck and a crying mess.

Hazel Gifford has kept her feelings hidden for years and she’s not at all upset her husband has died. Being married to him hasn’t been easy and she had to accept early in their relationship when a woman marries her husband he's the head of the household and he controls everything. We now have a name for what Franklyn did to Hazel and it’s called mental and physical abuse, he wanted her all for himself, he removed anyone who got in his way, her friends and especially close family. Even from the grave, Franklyn still made sure he was still in control and the reading of his will was full of startling revelations for the entire family.

As you read the story you discover lies and deceit has been a part of the family’s past and for generations. Greta Lewis is Hazel’s granddaughter she begins to question her own relationships, she’s shocked her parents are separating, she had no idea how unhappy her Nana was, how her Pop treated her and is her own boyfriend Joe controlling? A woman called Alice attended her grandfather’s funeral, her Nana’s reaction to seeing her was extreme anger and it makes the whole family’s situation even more dramatic.

Tricia Stringer has written a story full of surprises; it really makes you think about all aspects of life including relationships, love, family, death, greed, and on what grounds can you contest a will? I had a real giggle about middle aged men wearing Lycra, you really don’t know where to look and it’s so funny. Five stars from me and thanks to Harlequin Australia for my copy.

An Angel's Work

An Angel's Work: Heartbreaking and unputdownable World War 2 historical fiction by Kate Eastham
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

An Angel’s Work by Kate Eastham follows two nurses careers from working in a civilian hospital in 1941 to being nurses on the front line in France; they arrived in Europe a month after D-Day and are there until the war ends in 1945.
Staff nurse Josephine Brooks and staff nurse Moira MacDonald are roommates and they work at the Mill Road Hospital in Liverpool. On the 3rd of May 1941, the hospital had endured three nights of contestant bombing, Jo is working in theatre in the basement and Mac is working in the maternity ward. When the hospital takes a direct hit, Mac is injured and after both women go to Jo’s parent’s farm after to recuperate.

Jo and Mac decide they want to continue working; nurses are desperately needed in France especially after D-Day and both they sign up. Jo becomes an air ambulance nurse or a flying nightingale; she’s flown across the English Channel in a small plane, returns with her injured patients to England and takes care of them during the flight. Mac works as an army nurse in a field hospital; it’s extremely dangerous, they risk coming under attack and she’s not in one place for long. Patients arrive at the field hospital straight from the front; they are dirty, have horrific wounds, terrible burns, broken bones, in pain and in shock.

It’s an interesting story to read, front line nurses had to be highly skilled, cool under pressure, make decisions quickly and they worked in very dangerous locations. The care they provide made a huge difference to the injured and mortally wounded service men they treated. A dying soldier calling out for his mother or wife, the nurses are the last person to give them comfort and care before they pass away. I really enjoyed reading An Angel’s Work, if you’re a fan of historical fiction, WW II, nurses; I highly recommend reading this book, you feel like you are actually in France, the story is very real and you care about what happens to Jo, Mac and their patients. I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review and I gave the book five stars.

Letters From Berlin

Letters from Berlin by Tania Blanchard
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Sydney 2019, Ingrid opens a letter from Germany knowing she will now need to explain to her daughter Natalie it’s from Ingrid’s biological mother and she’s adopted. This is the beginning of a dual timeline story, about a terrible world war, what happened to a couple who were desperately in love and at the worst possible time.

Germany 1943, Susanna Gottmann, lives with her godparents Georg and Elya Hecker at their beautiful estate in the German countryside. Her Aunt Elya is from Russian, she’s part Jewish and this means her son Leo is also considered a Jew by the Nazis. Georg has managed to keep his wife and son safe because the farm produces valuable food needed by the army, but slowly the people in the village attitudes are changing towards them, despite all Elya has done for them over the years and now they will no longer speak to her.

Julius Siebenborn is a trusted family friend, he’s promised to help the Hecker’s and keep Elya’s and Leo’s names of the lists for hard labor and being deported to a concentration camp. He has power, money and influence, Leo doesn’t trust him at all and despite knowing him since he was a little boy. Desperate to protect her family, Susie accepts help from Julius, he’s older than her, a longtime friend of Uncle Georg’s, being with him is perfectly safe, it’s all for show and he promises to continue to help the Hecker’s? Not all German’s supported the war, Hitler and what could they do? Susanna decides to use information she’s over hears at the events she attends with Julius, to help the resistance and it’s very dangerous.

The allied army is getting closer and the dreaded Russian army; the people of Berlin are being bombed day and night. Germany is an absolute mess, the railway system has been damaged, people are living in bombed out houses or underground, they have no electricity, water and very little food. Hitler still wants them all to believe that they will win the war, Germany will not be defeated and he’s insane.

Tania Blanchard uses facts from her own family’s history to write a book about WW II it looks at the brutality of war from the German perspective; she portrays the desperation and hardship the German people had to endure for years and it continued after the war ended. I have read Tania’s previous books The Girl from Munich and Suitcase of Dreams and I liked them both. Letters from Berlin is absolutely brilliant, Tania Blanchard has gone to another level with this book and I highly recommend reading it. It’s a historical fiction saga about war, tragedy, personal sacrifice, survival, secrets, romance, love and five stars from me.

The Skylark's Secret

The Skylark's Secret by Fiona Valpy
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley, Amazon Publishing UK and Fiona Valpy for my copy of The Skylark’s Secret.

Loch Ewe Scotland 1940, Flora Gordon and her father Ian live in Keeper’s Cottage in the remote North-West highland village of Aultbea and her father is the local gamekeeper. The residents of the little fishing community have a peaceful life nestled on the banks of Loch Ewe until during WW II it finds itself the main base for the Royal Navy’s Arctic convoys, suddenly the harbor is busy with naval ships and it's possibly a German target? Flora's dad’s boss The Laird is a horrible man, a bully and his son Alec is not at all like his father. Growing up Alec, Flora and her brother Ruaridh are best friends and they had a great time playing together.

Loch Ewe Scotland 1978, single mother Lexie Gordon, returns to the village of Aultbea with her daughter Daisy and live in the tiny cottage where she grew up. Once she was a professional singer performing in the London West End, until she strained her voice and has possibly damaged her vocal chords. By returning home to Aultbea, single Lexie assumes the locals will think she’s failed, she’s embarrassed and it’s not the case at all. Lexie has always known her father died during WW II, the details about her dad are rather sketchy and now that her mum Flora has passed away has she left it too late to find out more about her parents relationship and his family?
Lexie begins to ask her mum’s best friend Bridie questions about her mother’s past; she discovers her mother was an incredibly strong and courageous woman who made big sacrifices for the people she loved and especially to protect her daughter Lexie. While delving into the past, Lexie also starts to heal herself; she remembers her mum singing the local Scottish folk songs and she begins to rediscover her love of singing by sharing them with Daisy, her little friends at playgroup and with the handsome Davy at the local pub.

I loved The Skylark’s Secret; it’s about traditions, love, sacrifice, secrets, self discovery and the story is set in beautiful Scotland. I particularly enjoyed reading about the residents of Loch Ewe, the Scottish countryside, the local food and yummy mince and tatties. I had no idea during WW II Scottish children from the cities were evacuated to the countryside and about the Naval Base at Loch Ewe. I have read all of Fiona Valpy’s books and The Skylark’s Secret is my absolute favorite, I highly recommend reading it and five big stars from me. I have shared my review on Goodreads, NetGalley, Amazon Australia, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, Twitter and my blog.

The Girls of Victory Street

The Girls of Victory Street by Pam Howes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

England 1939, Bella Rogers, Edie Potts and Fran Jackson are best friends and about to finish school. They all need to find employment and working at the nearby match factory is an obvious choice. All three girls love to sing and it’s something they enjoy doing together.
Everyone is talking about the threat of another war, this makes Bella extremely anxious, her parents start talking about Anderson shelters or setting up the basement in the house with camping beds and using it to take cover if the Germans start dropping bombs.

Bella has a crush on Bobby Harrison since school but WW II starts Bobby is called up, he promises to write and suddenly his letters stop. The Girls have been singing on the weekends in a club and are shocked when they are offered a job singing for the ENSA or The Entertainments National Service Association. Soon they are touring the country as The Bryant Sisters and entertaining the troops who are in training and preparing to fight for their country. Bella has lost her little sister Betty this combined with Bobby not keeping in contact with her has made her very upset. Singing is her way of coping, she’s still feeling rather down and then she meets the handsome American Earl Franklin. He takes her mind off her troubles but can she trust him, as we know many English girls had their heads turned by smooth talking Americans during the war and is Bella going to be another victim?

The Girls of Victory Street is the first book in The Bryant Sisters series, this book is about Bella Rogers, her personal challenges, her feelings for both Bobby and Earl, and how she copes with loss of her little sister, being away from her family while touring and the Second World War. Pam Howes has done an excellent job of describing the beginning of WW II in England, the uncertainty, fear and changes it caused. I enjoyed the book, I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series and I assume it follows one of Bella’s friends Edie or Fran?

A View Across the Rooftops

A View Across the Rooftops by Suzanne Kelman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and Suzanne Kelman for my digital copy of: A View Across The Rooftops.

Professor Josef Held had never recovered from the loss of his beloved wife Sarah who tragically died 20 years ago giving birth to their first child and he had no intention of ever letting anyone else into his life. He's a man stuck in a rut, after he finished teaching math at the university, he walked home every day taking the same route, he fed his cat, ate a simple meal, opened his kitchen window and listened to his neighbor Mrs Florence Epstein play her piano.

In 1941 the Nazi's arrive, Amsterdam was invaded, German soldiers are everywhere and it's a very dangerous place to live. When his niece Ingrid started dating Major Von Strauss, her uncle Josef was horrified and it only got worse when she started working for the Germans. Jewish people are arrested, first it's men and then the Germans started to target all Jewish people.

Michael Blum attended the university where professor Held worked, he had very little interest in mathematics, he's a dreamer, he's a real character, a poet and he fell in love with a fellow student Elke. Eventually Michael was banned from attending university as he's Jewish and he had no idea how dangerous his situation was?
Desperate to give Michael and Elke’s love a chance to flourish, Josef gave Michael refuge in his attic, a act of bravery and resistance that changed both of their lives. As the dark days of war continued, they faced danger and betrayal, who can be trusted and their both on edge.

The Dutch people suffered terribly during the war, all radio's were confiscated, they have no contact with the outside world, medicine was in short supply, food, fire wood, clothes and shoes wore out. So you can imagine what people thought about women like Ingrid who were working and sleeping with the enemy.
Soon keeping Michael safe became extremely difficult when his niece announced her engagement to Major Von Strauss and they visit him at home with no prior notice. Hannah Pender lived with her mother Clara, she's a attractive young widow and she worked at the universities office. Professor Held was totally unaware that the pretty widow was interested in him and during such a troubled times was it wise to start a new relationship?

A View Across The Rooftops, is a story about, love, hope, friendship, courage, risk, secrets and danger. I especially enjoyed reading about the strong unbreakable bond formed between unlikely friends Joseph and Michael during world war two. I gave the book 4 stars, I shared my review on Goodreads, NetGalley, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Twitter and my blog.

Colors of Truth

Colors of Truth by Tamera Alexander
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In 1866, Catriona O’Toole from County Antrim Ireland arrives in Franklin Tennessee with her little sister Nora and desperately hoping to find her twin brother Ryan. When he and his friends arrived in America they were conscripted into the confederate army and they had no choice. On his way to fight in Franklin he sent her a note and money. As it was the last place her brother was known to have been in 1864, it’s the obvious place for her to try and find out what happened to him.

Wade Cunningham is an operative for the United States Secret Service; he’s following the trail of a group of skilled and very dangerous counterfeiters. He’s received a tip off, his new job is a perfect cover for him being in Franklin and he’s working as an overseer at John McGavock’s plantation. Wade fought for the union army, he has been to the area during the war, it holds terrible memories for him and it’s the last place he wants to be. As he looks into the case, he can’t believe Catriona fresh from Ireland is a possible suspect as she has been spending counterfeit money in the town and how did she get involved?

On the way to John McGavock’s plantation an entire field has been left with partially buried confederate soldiers bodies, they died in the violent battle two years ago, he’s applied to have the body’s exhumed and offered a plot of land for them to be buried in. It’s an extremely difficult and slow job and they need someone to list any information they find out about each corpse and Catriona is in charge of writing deceased persons detail in a book. She’s praying that Ryan and his Irish friends are not found in this horrible field.

Based on a true story about the battle at Franklin in Tennessee during the Civil War: Colors of Truth has characters and a plot that are very relevant to the time period. It’s an enduring story about immigration, loss, kindness, friendship and faith. It includes awful but real facts about the American Civil War and slavery in the southern states at the time.

The Italian Girls

The Italian Girls by Debbie Rix
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Livia Moretti, despite the war has just started studying English Literature and History of art at an Italian university and she’s excited to make a new friend in Elena Lombardi a fellow student. Livia’s father Giacomo has a legal practice in Florence, they have an apartment in the city and Livia moves in with him and when she begins her studies. Her mother Luisa spends a lot of time at the family villa in Tuscan countryside, the family is very lucky having two homes and more food than other Italian's. Life in Italy during WWII was really hard; Mussolini supported the Germans and he believed together they would defeat the allies. He also decided to send thousands of Italian soldiers to fight in Russia it was a total disaster, they lacked basic supplies and Livia’s boyfriend Cosimo was one of them.

Isabella Bellucci, is a famous Italian movie star, she’s beautiful, a bit of a diva and she has to be seen at all the right places. She’s tried everything to get the attention of film director Vicenzo Lucchese, he’s not interested in her romantically, this infuriates her and she’s extremely jealous. Isabella makes a big mistake; she now needs to protect herself and what will be the repercussions for what she’s done?

The Italian people not only lost their beloved sons in Russia, they had to put up with terrible food shortages and having no wood to heat their fires. Many became very disillusioned with Mussolini and they joined the resistance. Livia becomes involved she listens to radio London broad casts; she passes on vital information to the Partisans and is now wanted by the Germans. Life in Italy becomes worse, the allies are constantly bombing the cities, the German’s are looking for anyone who’s Jewish, hiding them or involved with the resistance, everyone is paranoid about being reported to the authorities and it’s very intense.

The Italian Girls is inspired by a true story about two very brave women and how both were linked together by war. It was easy for me to become totally immersed in the book, I wanted to find out what happened to Livia and Isabella, to learn more about the terrible war in Italy, it was a real page turner and five stars from me.

The Model Wife

The Model Wife by Tricia Stringer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley, Harlequin Australia and Tricia Stringer for my copy of The Model Wife.
Natalie King has three grown up daughters Kate, Bree and Laura and she and her husband Milt run the family farm. Like all families they have had their ups and downs but a past mistake made by Milt has been kept a secret from his daughters. Nat has a health scare; this makes her look back at the past, her relationship with her husband and her life in general.

Natalie King's life is busy; she’s a wife, mother, a teacher, she does the farms book work and calls in to see her mother in law Olive on the way home from work. She’s juggling so many things, from the outside she seems cool, calm, collected and has everything under control. Milt is like most Aussie blokes, he’s wrapped up in his farm and it’s never entered his thick head that his wife might want to go on a holiday or have a conversation that doesn’t involve what needs to be done around the farm and she's sick of it.

The Kings family has an old fashioned book called The Model Wife it’s been passed down to all new brides in the family for generations; when Natalie received it from Olive, it made her feel inadequate and thirty five years later it still makes her feel the same.
Natalie is fed up, she asked her boss Paul for some time off, catches a plane to Broome and her family has no idea why she’s left? While Nat is enjoying the sun, Milt and the girls start to reflect on how they have treated her, the family discovers they have all been rather selfish and is it too late for them to make it up to Natalie?

I loved The Model Wife, it’s a perfect book to read if you live in Australia or have an interest in what's it's like to live in rural Australia and especially in Adelaide! Many of the topics and situations included in the story made me laugh out loud and it’s very relevant to me! Four stars from me and I have shared my review on Goodreads, NetGalley, Kobo, Twitter, Australian Amazon, Barnes & Noble and my blog.

Eli's Promise

Eli's Promise: A Novel by Ronald H. Balson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Ronald H. Balson for my copy of Eli’s Promise.

Eli’s Promise by Ronald H. Balson is his latest historical fiction masterpiece it spans three eras and included are: Poland during WW II, post war Germany and living in American displaced persons camp, and corrupt Chicago during the Vietnam War. Three timelines that are all linked to each other by family ties, circumstances, deceit, greed and war.

1939: Eli Rosen lives with his wife Esther and their young son Izaak and the Rosen family is happy, until the Nazi’s easily invade Poland and this changes everything. Eli runs the family’s construction business started by his father, and together they have built many impressive buildings in Lublin and including the local Yeshiva. This is a traditional Jewish building used for educational purposes and a place where sacred books and papers are kept.
Esther has been worried about the German army invading and she tries to share her concerns with Eli and he believes the family has nothing to worry about until they find themselves stuck in Poland, and surrounded by Nazi occupied territory and with no safe way out. The Germans of course changed the rules and lives of Jewish people in Poland and it limited, where they could work, shop, study, they seized businesses, assets and houses. Many Jewish people made the difficult decision to sign over their businesses to non Jewish friends or paid huge amounts of money to try to keep their property from being taken by the Germans.

1946: Eli is living in a displaced persons camp in Germany with Izaak and he’s desperately trying to find out what happened to his wife Esther, she went missing during the war and thousands of people are in a similar position. Everyone is searching for missing love ones, most have lost everything they owned and they want to immigrate to America. But the amount of visas available isn’t anywhere near enough to cater for the demand and people are forced to wait in crowded camps for years, full of disease and people are getting extremely desperate. Only one man knows what happened to Eli’s wife, its Maximilian Poleski and could he be the mysterious person called Max who’s selling illegal visas to people wanting to jump the immigration queue?

1965: Eli Rosen rents a room in Albany Park, Chicago; he meets his neighbor Mimi and she thinks he’s working for the FBI? He’s a man on a mission after 25 years of waiting for justice, Eli needs information about Chicago's dangerous political underworld, and it involves corruption, draft dodging, and murder and will he finally catch Max who has more lives than a cat? Eli’s Promise is about one man’s promise he made to his wife, it’s about family, duty, survival and never ever giving up despite the passing of time and the odds.
Five big stars from me and I shared my review on Goodreads, Amazon Australia, NetGalley, Edelweiss, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, Twitter and my blog.

The Last Bathing Beauty

The Last Bathing Beauty by Amy Sue Nathan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In 1951, Betty Stern was a beautiful 18 year old young lady with her whole life ahead of her and she wanted to study at Barnard College in New York. She loved fashion, makeup, looking as pretty as the girls did in the glossy magazines and her plan was to be a fashion editor. Betty lived and worked at her grandparents Sterns Summer Resort. Her grandparents had high expectations of her and they wanted her to represent the resort in the local beauty pageant and be crowned Miss South Haven. She wanted to enjoy her final summer before College, she met Abe Barsky, she fell madly in love and she couldn’t resist a man with a dimple in the middle of his chin.

Over six decades later, Betty’s a grandmother herself and everyone uses her nickname and they call her Boop. She still likes to dress nicely, loves to have her nails done and makes sure her lippy compliments her outfit. When her granddaughter Hannah arrives for a visit, Boop is delighted to see her, but she can sense Hannah is troubled and she’s worried about her. This makes Betty reflect and look back on her own life, her teenage dreams, and her first love, what happened to Abe and why did their summer romance end all those years ago?

Betty supported by her childhood friends Doris and Georgia; faces her past and tries to help her granddaughter Hannah as well. The Last Bathing Beauty is a story about how a young Betty was pressured into doing what was expected of her at the time, it wasn’t fair and that you should own all pieces of your life, good or bad. I loved the book, not at all what I expected and five stars from me.

The Women's Pages

The Women's Pages by Victoria Purman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Sydney Australia, Tilly Galloway shares a flat with her friend Mary Smith; their husbands are prisoners of war and have been captured by the Japanese. Tilly has only ever received one post card from Archie when he was first taken prisoner and Mary prays every Sunday at church for her husband Bert’s safe return.

Tilly grew up in Millers Point Sydney a working class suburb; she and her sister Martha have two loving parents. Their father Stan is a wharfie, he works hard unloading ships, lumping heavy bags of wheat and he’s a member of a trade union. Elsie her mum loves her big strong hubby Stan and very proud of her two beautiful daughters.

Australian women bravely send their sons and husbands off to fight in WW II and they remembered what happened in the previous war. They spent the war years constantly worrying about the telegram boy arriving at their front door, looking after children, knitting socks, sending care packages overseas, they had no idea what post war Australia would be like and how the war would affect husbands and sons.

Younger women or women with no children worked outside the home, making blankets, uniforms, they joined the Australian Women’s Land Army picking fruit and harvesting vegetable crops. Others worked in offices; they replaced men who were off fighting for their country and their fellow allies. Tilly was a secretary and during the war she became a reporter for the Daily Herald and she loved the challenge of her new job.

Once the war in the Pacific ended, the men slowly started returning to Australia and Tilly was expected to give up her job as a reporter. She was given another role at the news paper writing for the Women’s Pages, giving fashion advice and make up tips. Tilly had a taste of independence, earned her own money and supported herself. Tilly struggled with this, she found it very unfair she was good at her job and yet she had to give it up. To keep her boss Mr. Sinclair happy and accept men needed to earn money, they were the main bread winners of the family and that’s how it had always been.

Mean while Tilly is still waiting desperately for news about Archie, Mary’s praying worked as Bert was one of the lucky ones to survive Changi, he struggled to fit back into everyday life, no one could understand what he had been through and not even his wife. The Japanese ignored the Geneva Convention; they worked and starved prisoners of war to death. Tilly had written endless letters to Archie, waited patiently for him to come home so they could start a family and begin the life they had planned. As time went on Tilly had no news in regards to what happened to Archie, she was really worried and what could she do?

The Women’s Pages acknowledges and describes the challenges Australian women faced during WW II and you read about every day life in Australia at the time and after the war ended. How men returning home from war struggled, they were expected to carry on like they had never left, they received no help, and it was very hard for them and their families. Victoria Purman’s books are always well researched; they never disappoint or leave you wanting more and are a pleasure to read.
I gave The Women’s Pages five stars; thanks Harlequin Australia for my copy and I will share my review on NetGalley, Goodreads, Australian Amazon, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, Twitter and my blog.

Prisoner From Penang

Prisoner from Penang by Clare Flynn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

After the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor it’s the start of the war in the pacific, they easily take Malay and they have their sights set on Singapore. Mary Helston flees Penang with her mother Janet, they arrive in Singapore praying they would be safe and surely the Japanese army would be stopped. The British army assumed if the Japanese attacked Singapore it would be via the sea and of course it wasn’t the case. Two months later Mary and her mother have to flee on the last boat to leave Singapore, but the Japanese are relentless and the boat is quickly over taken.

This is the beginning of Mary’s time as a prisoner of the Japanese, for over three years she and her fellow captives mainly women and children are moved countless times. They are forced to march from camp to camp, starved, they receive no medical supplies, and many become sick with tropical diseases and all are suffering from malnutrition. They find strength to carry on despite the cruel treatment by the Japanese and the women are completely shut off from the outside world.

Prisoner from Penang is a sequel to The Pearl of Penang, both Mary Helston and Veronica Leighton are familiar characters from the first book, we read about their awful experiences as captives of the Japanese, it’s worse than anyone could imagine and how Veronica redeems herself to Mary and the other women in the camp. I can’t wait to read third book in the series The Painter in Penang. I highly recommend both books and I gave Prisoner from Penang five stars and I read it in a day.

Into the Burning Dawn

Into the Burning Dawn: Heartbreaking and gripping World War 2 historical fiction set in Italy by Natalie Meg Evans
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Imogen Fitzgerald is twenty one she was raised in an English orphanage run by very strict Catholic nuns, her childhood wasn’t easy and she’s employed as a governess for Marco and Eloisa in Italy and she feels like she has a home. She loves the children, her job and when WW II starts she has no reason to return to England. Technically she’s an enemy alien, she looks Italian, and she hides her English identity and continues to look after the children while their father Count di Trosini is away fighting in Egypt.

Her employer has a half brother Fabrizo, they don’t get along and her boss isn’t keen for her or his children to associate with his brother. Fabrizo is a real ladies man, he’s also involved with the Italian resistance and sometimes he wants Imogen to help him. She’s torn between doing what her employer wants, staying away from his handsome brother and trying to resist Fabrizo’s charm and his requests.

When injured Giancarlo returns, Imogen notices her employer is very different and he’s not the cold person she’s dealt with in the past. He has always loved his country, his children and is he now in love with Imogen? By reading Into the Burning Dawn I gained a real understanding of what life was like for Italian people living in Naples during WW II, it was extremely difficult, severe food shortages, loved ones killed, fear of reprisals, bombing raids, damaged buildings and infrastructure destroyed. Natalie Meg Evans has written a compelling story, it’s hard to put down and five stars from me.

The Wartime Nanny

The Wartime Nanny: A totally unputdownable World War 2 historical novel by Lizzie Page
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and Lizzie Page for my copy of: The Wartime Nanny.

Natalie Leeman is only sixteen when she arrives in London in 1936, her mother Dora made the difficult choice to send her to England and stay behind with her two other daughters in Vienna. Natalie isn’t completely alone her cousin Leah is working in England, they have organized for Natalie to work as a nanny and her employers the Caplin’s need someone to look after six year old Hugo. Nat really enjoys looking after Hugo, they have fun together, her relationship with Hugo keeps her going when she’s home sick and she’s not as lonely.

In 1938, the German army march into Austria, people naively believed life in Vienna wouldn’t change and some thought it might actually be better of course we know it was the start of the Nazi’s invading countries and wanting to take control. While reading The Wartime Nanny you really understand how difficult it was for Jewish people living in England when WW II began in 1939, how concerned they were for their families living in Europe, they had no idea what was going on and they heard horrible rumors.

Natalie begins to visit the labor relief agency, she and other Jewish people line up for hours to try and find a way to get their family members to England. They fill out never ending forms, speak to any official who will listen and finally Natalie hears about the kinder-transport it might be her only way of getting her little sister Libby to England and she’s tries desperately to get her sister on the list.

You also read about an older Natalie wanting to find Hugo, she asks her daughter to help and she needs to find closure and see him for one last time. I really enjoyed reading The Wartime Nanny, Lizzie Page has done a brilliant job of writing a unique historical fiction story, and it’s emotional, heartbreaking and poignant. I have shared my review on Goodreads, Australian Amazon, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, NetGalley, Twitter and my blog.

Remember Me

Remember Me: A Spanish Civil War Novel by Mario Escobar
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In 1937, the Mexican government offered 500 Spanish children a chance to leave their homeland and live in Mexico and they were called the children of Morelia. Can you imagine having to make the decision to send your children to another country, desperately hoping they will be safe and you can’t go with them! The Alcalde family did this because it was far too dangerous for Marco, Isabel and Ana to live in Madrid due to their parents not supporting the fascist regime and their father being noticed by the authorities. The Spanish Civil War lasted from 1936 to 1939 it was one of the most violent wars of the twentieth century and it ended only a few months before WW II started.

Marco Alcalde was thirteen when he left Madrid with his younger sisters Isabel and Ana, after a difficult journey by ship the three children arrive in Mexico and they receive a warm welcome. The children send their parents a letter to say they had arrived safely and they had to wait months for a reply. The Alcalde family plan on eventually being reunited and as time goes on the chances of them being together seems rather unlikely.
Marco promised his parents he would look after his sisters; this was a large burden for a teenage boy to carry and especially as his pretty sister’s start to grow up. As time goes on the children’s links to Spain lessen, the girls struggle to remember their parents, the news from Spain is grim and will the children ever see their mother and father again? What the Alcalde children missed the most from their parents was affection, a kiss goodnight, a hug, and the love and security only they could give.

Based on true facts about the children of Morelia, Mario Escobar writes a story that’s very emotional to read and it pays a lasting tribute to the children and their families. Thanks to NetGalley and Edelweiss for my copy of Remember Me, I gave it four stars and I’m a huge fan of Mario’s book Auschwitz Lullaby and I encourage everyone to read it.

The Child Of Auschwitz

The Child of Auschwitz by Lily Graham
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley, Bookoture and Lily Graham for my copy of her new book: The Child Of Auschwitz.

In 1942 Prague. Eva Adami has endured two long days, standing up in a train she's tired, hungry, thirsty, dirty and in shock. For Eva and thousands of other Jewish people, nothing could ever prepare them for the horror of the concentration camp known as Auschwitz and it's nightmare. When the train finally arrives, the guards are yelling at them to get out, dogs are barking, the women are sorted into groups and led into a large hall. Here the frightened women are told to remove their clothes, they stand naked in front of SS guards, their heads are shaved, they are told to get dressed and it's a mad scramble to find anything to cover themselves from the pile of dirty clothes.

Eva and Sofie are on the train. Both have been separated from the people they love and they plan is to find them. Eva has been separated from her husband Michal, they had been married for 6 months when he received a letter telling him he was being sent to a work camp and Eva sure he's in Auschwitz? Sofie has been betrayed by her cousin Lotte, she informed the Germans that she was trying to flee the country and was separated from her baby son. Lotte might have taken Tomas to a orphanage in Austria, she was also sent to a concentration camp and is Lotte in Auschwitz?

Eva, Sofie and Helga share the same bunk in the awful accommodation block. Their days are spent standing in a line, being counted twice a day, standing in the freezing cold rain and sometimes it can take the guards hours to complete the count. They spend their days sorting clothes and belongings taken from the new people who arrive at the camp everyday. Sofie is soon targeted by one of the guards called Meier and he uses any excuse to touch her. When Eva discovers Michal is in the camp hospital, Sofie makes the choice to give in to the guards demands so her friend Eva can spend half an hour with her husband.

Sofie is soon a target of a nasty guard, he hates her and she's forced to change jobs and is doing hard labor. Eva is being worked to death and she discovers that she's pregnant. Both women know that they can't last much longer living in the camp, the Germans are being defeated and both women need to hang on until the Russians arrive. Eva and Sofie make a promise to look after each other children, they will find Tomas and keep Eva's baby safe.

The Child Of Auschwitz is a story about two mothers love for their children and their devotion to each other. Sofie is on a mission to find her lost son Tomas and Eva needs to hide her pregnancy for as long as she can and give her baby a chance to be born. It's a story about love, hope, motherhood, human spirit and friendship.
I enjoyed reading: The Child Of Auschwitz, the opinions expressed in this review are my own and I gave the book four stars.
I have shared my review on Goodreads, Twitter, NetGalley, Barnes & Noble, Australian Amazon, Kobo and my blog.

The Girl I Left Behind

The Girl I Left Behind by Andie Newton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Germany 1941, Ella Strauss lives with her Aunt Bridget in Nuremberg, it's a city consumed by love for the Fuhrer and everyone must support the Nazi Party. Ella attends the National Socialist meetings with her best friend Claudia and ALL teenage German girls are required to be members until they turn 18.

Claudia becomes involved in the German Resistance and the White Rose Movement. When Claudia is arrested by the Gestapo, with the help from her Aunt Bridget Ella's flees Nuremberg and she moves to Munich. Here she gets a office job working for the Reich, she's still trying to discover what happened to Claudia and she decides to use her work contacts to find her friend? Ella becomes a spy, she infiltrates the network, uses her position to gather information and she shares it to help end the war.

The Girl I Left Behind is a story about WW II, friendship, danger and espionage.
Not all German's agreed with what the Nazi's did during WW II, they took a huge risk by going against the norm and many paid the ultimate price. I enjoyed the book and I gave it 4 stars.

Where The Lost Wander

Where the Lost Wander by Amy Harmon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In 1853, twenty year old widow Naomi May Caldwell joins her family when they decide to travel West on The Overland Trail and begin the long trip go to Oregon. Her parents are William and Winifred May, her older brother Warren and his wife Abigail and her brothers Wyatt, Webb, and Will are all traveling together.

Grant Abbott is the wagon master, he's in charge of guiding the 40 families along the trail, it will take five months and it's a 2000 mile journey. It's not going to be easy, most of the women and children will need to walk to ease the burden on the oxen, they will constantly have to deal with dirt, dust, snakes, insects and diseases. They will need to ford rivers and cross mountains and barren deserts, worry about Indians attacking the wagon train and stealing their livestock.

Naomi was only married to her husband Daniel Caldwell for three months when he passed away, yes she mourned her husbands death, she cried, she was consumed by grief, traveling West is a way of her starting again and leaving the sad memories behind her. She's pretty, smart, has spunk, loves her family and she's a very talented artist. She has a very close relationship with her family, especially her mother, even though her in laws are traveling west on the same wagon train she has decided to travel with her family and help her pregnant mother.

Following the tracks of the previous wagons, heavily pregnant Winifred May notices the first of many graves on the side of the road on the fifth day of traveling, she continues walking and she knows it's going to be a long and very dangerous trip.

Traveling part of the way with them is the handsome John Lowry, he's delivering mules to an army fort, Naomi notices John is different, he sets off riding his horse, leading his two donkeys and twelve mules and he shows very little emotion when he leaves his father John and step mother Jennie behind? John is actually part Indian his mother was Pawnee and he's always struggled with finding his place in the world and he's a loner. His strong features, tanned skin and dark hair are things about himself that he can't change, Naomi likes him, finds him very attractive and has no issues with him being part Indian.
It becomes very obvious that Naomi and John are very interested in each other?
John is very cautious as he knows being part Indian and being seen with a white lady can only cause grief and trouble for him.

Unfortunately the group of pioneers do experience tragedy, heart breaking loss and danger as they travel West. But they also experience joy, the birth of new baby and the sweetness of new love. Amy Harmon has a way with words, while reading the book it's very easy to be swept away by the story and you feel like you are traveling every step with the wagon train. You can almost hear the sounds of the animals plodding along, harnesses creaking, wheels screeching, the foot steps of the women and children as they walk, how weary they feel and how they long for a decent meal.

I absolutely loved Where The Lost Wander, I enjoy reading historical fiction about pioneering families traveling to Oregon, this is one of the best books I have read, I highly recommend it and I gave it five stars. I will share my review on Goodreads, NetGalley, Twitter, Kobo and my blog.

The Engineer's Wife

The Engineer's Wife by Tracey Enerson Wood
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thank to NetGalley, Tracey Enerson Wood and Lume Books for my copy of The Engineer's Wife.

In 1865, Emily Warren married Captain Washington Roebling, they met during the American Civil War and Wash was her older brother’s Gouverneur Kemble Warren’s aide. The couple was instantly attracted to each other, their courtship was conducted by mail and they didn’t spend a lot of time together due to the war. Wash and his father John were both engineers, they needed to finish the Covington Cincinnati Bridge construction and it had been delayed due to the Civil War and they had plans to build a much bigger bridge.

John Roebling had a dream to build a bridge called the New York and Brooklyn Bridge or as it’s called today the Brooklyn Bridge. The plan was to build a suspension bridge for Brooklyn residents to use to get to work in Manhattan and not have to catch water ferries. Once funding was sorted out, Wash was to be the chief engineer, guided by his father and they would build a suspension cable stay bridge supported by two huge towers that are built on two caissons. Caissons are watertight retaining structures used to build the foundations of bridges; they are large upside wooden boxes and had false bottoms. The false bottoms were removed so men working inside them could dig away at the mud and bedrock at the bottom of the river and compressed air was pumped into the chambers to keep the river water from running in and drowning the men. It was very dangerous work, Wash didn’t mind getting his hands dirty and he worked alongside his workers while building the bridge. He developed a bad case of Caisson sickness; we now refer to it as the bends and he became too sick to oversee the building of the bridge

Emily became her husband’s messenger, despite having no formal education in math, science or engineering. Emily was very smart, soon she was more involved in the building of the bridge and she walked around a construction site wearing a big dress and with her toddler son John pulling at her long skirts. Emily hired a nanny, wore bloomers, people talked about her and some women snubbed her completely. Emily had to deal with grumpy foremen, dodgy suppliers, criticism, questions about if the bridge was strong enough for both pedestrians and traffic to use. Emily Roebling was a remarkable woman, she was a wife, a mother and she managed the project of building the world’s longest suspension bridge at the time.

The Engineer’s Wife uses interesting facts about building the Brooklyn Bridge, to create a story about a strong, determined woman and who didn’t follow the traditional roles expected of her. I enjoyed reading The Engineer's Wife, if you like Historical Fiction, want to read something different, I highly recommend reading it and I gave the book five stars.

Franci's War

Franci's War: A Woman's Story of Survival by Franci Rabinek Epstein
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Franci's War is a story about a young woman caught up in the horror of WW II, her family was once wealthy, owned their own fashion house and they lived and worked in Prague. After the Nazi's arrive, things slowly started to change, the family had to give away or sell what they could and made to move.
In 1942, Franci arrived alone at Terezin concentration camp, nothing could have prepared her for the horror, terror and the awful living conditions she endured at the camp. She carried the mark of being Jewish for the rest of her life, she had her identification number tattooed on her arm and it was roughly engraved into her skin.
She survived three years of terrible living conditions, starvation and suffering. The first camp she stays at was Terezin, then she's was sent to Auschwitz, then Hamburg, and the last camp is Bergen Belsen.
In 1945, the British finally liberated the camp, Franci eventually returned to Prague and nothing was the same. The family business is gone, their lavish apartment, her parents and her husband have all died.
Franci’s War is a powerful story about how one brave young woman, endured three years living in four concentration camps, she never gave up and somehow she manged to survive.

I enjoyed Franci's War and I gave it three stars. I shared my review on Goodreads, Edelweiss, Australian Amazon, Kobo, Twitter and my blog.

When We Were Young & Brave

When We Were Young & Brave by Hazel Gaynor
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thanks to Edelweiss, HarperCollins and Hazel Gaynor for my copy of: When We Were Young & Brave.

China 1941, the children of Chefoo missionary school are eagerly looking forward to Christmas and it’s only a few weeks away. Elspeth Kent is one of the teachers at the school and she’s been seriously considering returning home to England. She has no idea that she will not be leaving China and she will be one of the main leaders to help guide her fellow teachers and students through years of Japanese oppression.

The Japanese forces arrive and take over the school, the comfortable life of the students, teachers and Chinese staff are used to changes very quickly. This is due to Japan attacking Pearl Harbor and both Britain and America declare war on Japan.
Nancy Plummer (Plum) and her friends Dorothy (Sprout) and Joan (Mouse) are students at the school, they have always felt safe, secure and have been well looked after. Suddenly the children and staff are cut off from their loved ones, the outside world by WW II and the Japanese army. Miss Kent and her student Girl Guide patrol use many of the Guides mottoes, their new experiences and challenges as a way of earning their badges and dealing with difficult tasks. During their time as enemy nationals, they are moved around China from one place to another and their last destination is a Civilian Assembly Center in Weihsien. Living conditions here are very primitive; the Japanese soldiers in charge are difficult, the food is terrible and not enough for growing children, medical supplies are running low and they all start to look very shabby and thin. Here the everyday struggles of teachers and students in such a horrible environment require them all to show incredible courage, strength, and determination to survive, guiding them is the formidable Miss Kent and they all pray to be liberated soon by the American army.

Inspired by true facts, When We Were Young and Brave is an amazing story of human spirit, the strong bond and trust formed between teachers and students, friendship made and never giving up despite the harshness of WW II and the nastiness of the Japanese army and guards. Hazel Gaynor’s books never disappoint her attention to detail and her thorough research is obvious when you read her new book. I thoroughly enjoyed When We Were Young & Brave and five stars from me.

The Pearl of Penang

The Pearl of Penang by Clare Flynn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Evie Fraser is a paid companion for Mrs. Shipley-Thomas and after 9 years it’s so boring. When a unexpected marriage proposal arrives by post from Douglas Barrington she throws caution to the wind, this could be her only chance of getting married and she accepts. She met the handsome Douglas just once; years ago at his first wedding and she’s never forgotten him. Douglas is now a widower, he has a young daughter Jasmine and she’s keen to leave England, live in a new country and marry him.

Evie is excited to be sailing to Malaya and when her ship docks her husband to be isn’t waiting for her, it's not a good sign and she wonders if she’s been stood up? Eventually Douglas arrives at his townhouse, they marry, after the wedding he’s very grumpy, he doesn’t want to talk and Evie wonders if she's made a big mistake?

For Jasmine’s sake she decided to stay, she’s a sweet girl; Evie hopes to get to know her husband better and work on their relationship. Evie meets Jasmine’s teacher Mary Helston, they become good friends and she’s one of the few English ladies who’s friendly and nice to her. But will her peaceful life in Penang change with the talk of another world war, Douglas thinks it’s a lot of fuss over nothing, he believes it’s too hard for the Japanese army to enter Malay by having to hack through the jungle and also Singapore is well defended by the British?

I enjoyed reading The Pearl of Penang, I gave it four stars and I can’t wait to start reading the next book in the series. I have shared my review on Goodreads, Australian Amazon, Kobo, Twitter and my blog.

Under the Tulip Tree

Under the Tulip Tree by Michelle Shocklee
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thanks to Edelweiss, Tyndale House Publishers and Michelle Shocklee for my copy of: Under the Tulip Tree.

Lorena Leland’s world was turned upside down on the night of her 16th Birthday party, the American stock market crashed, her family lost its fortune and her father’s bank went broke. For Lorena’s mother Margaret and her sister Mary it a big shock, it’s highly embarrassing, they worry about their social status and her father starts drinking a lot. The Leland’s manage to keep the family home, with some help from a relative and everything is sold to pay debts.

Seven years after the stock market crash Rena is an out of work newspaper reporter and she hears about a new program. President Franklin Roosevelt came up with many brilliant ideas during the great depression all funded under The Emergency Relief Appropriation Act we have all heard of the pack-horse librarian scheme and another program of his was the Federal Writer’s Project. They needed writers to interview former slaves; to create a permanent record of what happened to them and to do this they visited the person at home. Rena gets a job interviewing the former slaves; she’s to write down their stories, experiences and has a list of questions to ask them. On her first day at work she’s picked up by Alden Norwood, a fellow writer and they drive to Hells Half Acre in Nashville. The first person on her interview list is Frankie Washington; she’s a 101 and was born a slave. Lorena is rather shocked by the poverty and living conditions in Hells Half Acre and her own life is very comfortable compared to theirs.

As Frankie recounts her life as a slave, Rena is horrified to hear what happened to her as a six year old child, she returns every day to write down Frances story and what she hears makes her very upset. Frankie is a real character, she endured many hardships, heartbreaking loss, terrible abuse and this increases Lorena’s awareness of how evil slavery was. Rena and Frankie become friends, Rena looks forward to visiting her house, and they cook and share meals together. If Rena’s mother knew about their close relationship she would be horrified, as time goes on Rena starts to look into her own relatives past and they owned slaves.

Under the Tulip Tree is a wonderful book, I loved the relationship formed between Frankie and Lorena, despite what happened to her Frankie faith was strong and her forgiveness towards others was truly remarkable and its a beautiful book to read. Five stars from me, I have shared my review on Goodreads, Australian Amazon, Kobo, Twitter, Edelweiss and my blog.

The Brothers of Auschwitz

The Brothers of Auschwitz by Malka Adler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to Edelweiss, Harper Collins Publishing and Malka Adler for my copy of: The Brothers of Auschwitz.

Dov and Yitzhak live in a tiny village in the mountains of Hungary during WW II, due to the town being so isolated they believed their Jewish family was safe from the Nazis and they would leave them alone.

In 1944, their lives are change forever when the Nazis arrive in the village; they inform all Jewish civilians they need to be ready to leave their homes in an hour, they are allowed to take what they can carry and they had no idea they would be stuck on a train for three days and taken Auschwitz. Here the men and women are separated from each other, older people and the young are the first to be sent to the gas chambers.

Sixty years later, Dov and Yitzhak are both in their 70’s and living in Israel, they decide to finally share their stories of what happened to them, I have read many holocaust survivors stories and nothing can prepare you for the absolute horror and inhumane treatment of these two teenage brothers and their families.

At one stage I didn’t know if I could keep reading; or write a review for this book and I felt I owed it to Dov, Yitzhak and their sister Sarah to do so. What was done to them was horrendous, cruel and inhumane and it made me feel sick. It’s a credit and testimony to them, their loves ones and all the brave survivors of Auschwitz for them to share their heartbreaking story. Most people who survived did what Dov and Yitzhak did, they were so traumatized and they could not tell anyone what happened to them.

Malka Adler’s book is based on her interviews with the two brothers, she was the only person they trusted to share their experiences with, by writing The Brothers of Auschwitz she's made sure no one will ever forget the teenage boy’s story and I gave the book four stars. I have shared my review on Goodreads, Amazon Australia, Edelweiss, Kobo, Twitter and my blog.

The Orphan Collector

The Orphan Collector by Ellen Marie Wiseman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to Edelweiss, Ellen Marie Wiseman and Kensington Publishing for my copy of: The Orphan Collector.

Philadelphia 1918, Pia Lange attended the Liberty Loan Parade with her mother Amelia and she didn’t want to go as she hated big crowds and being too close to people. The family had no idea the Spanish influenza was about unleash its fury in Philadelphia, they called it the purple plague, and you could be perfectly fine in the morning and dead by nightfall. The flu was highly contagious with so many people living in packed squalid buildings, combined with poor sanitation and it spread very quickly. Within days the city was totally overwhelmed, thousands of people had died or were dying, hospitals were full, children orphaned and the city established a visiting Nurse Society. Women from the Red Cross or registered nurses checked apartment blocks, knocking on doors, assessing the sick and organizing to have dead corpses collected.

Pia’s father Karl had recently joined the U.S. army, he’s a German immigrant and he wanted to fight in WW I for his new country. He left behind his wife, daughter, and twin baby son’s Oliver and Maxwell. When Amelia suddenly dies, Pia does her best to look after her baby brothers; she runs out of supplies and she ventures out in search of food. Pia has no idea living nearby is Bernice Groves a bitter horrible and nasty woman who has just lost her baby son Wallis, she also hates immigrants and when she sees Pia leaving she goes to the Lange’s apartment and takes the twin boys.

Pia collapses in the street, she wakes up days later in some kind of medical facility, she tries to explain about her baby brothers being home alone and no one will listen. This is the beginning of Pia’s quest to find her brothers and no matter what hurdles are put in her way. Pia is horrified by the choices she made by leaving her baby brothers alone; she’s ashamed of what she did, scared, being a child herself she had no rights and before she knows it she’s living in an orphanage.

Pia never gives up, she is determined to find her brothers, eventually she’s given the chance to leave the orphanage she not sure if she’s going to be mistreated again and she’s very nervous. She works as a nanny for Dr and Mrs. Hudson, two of the kindest people, eventually they and her friend Finn help her to try and find her brothers. They also uncover and illegal adoption ring, children being send on the orphan train west and they desperately try to find Oliver and Maxwell.
I enjoyed The Orphan Collector, at times it seemed a little predictable but overall it was a timely book to read, considering the current situation with Covid 19 and I gave it four stars. I have shared my review on Goodreads, Amazon Australia, Edelweiss, Kobo, Twitter and my blog.

Her Patriotic Duty

Her Patriotic Duty by Rosie Meddon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley, Canelo and Rosie Meddon for my copy of: Her Patriotic Duty.

England May 1940, Esme Colborne is engaged to Richard Trevannion he’s from one of the oldest and well to do families in England. Esme’s mother Naomi wants to have a chat, she’s expecting the dreaded what to expect on your wedding night talk and its much worse. Esme is devastated to learn that she’s adopted, she’s twenty five, her parents have waited until just before her wedding to share this information with her and how can she possibly tell Richard? Esme feels betrayed, she’s in shock, she’s not good enough to marry her fiancée and she runs away.

Esme finds a place to live, by chance a stranger over hears her talking French and she’s given an unexpected opportunity. Esme has no idea how she could be of use to her country during WW II but they have a plan to test men who have trained to be Special Operations Executives and before dropping them into France. The idea is to use 'decoy women', Esme is sent to the Hotel Aurelian, here she’s given assignments to meet, chat to the agents and try to get them to slip up and blow their cover stories. Esme proves that’s there’s more than one way to win a war, she’s very good at her job and some agents don’t pass the final test.

Unfortunately for Esme she discovers the war is very dangerous, the air raid sirens, bomb shelters and barbed wire on the beaches are not props. During a bombing raid she experiences the terror and afterwards the sadness and tragedy of two lives lost. This makes Esme think about her choices she’s made, did she judge her parents harshly and would Richard ever want to see her again? Her Patriotic Duty is a brilliant story, it made me aware of women volunteering to be decoys during WW II, it was part of Winston Churchill’s plan to win WW II and he was a very clever man. Well done to Rosie Meddon to write a book that honors and makes us aware of these brave and smart women and I gave it five stars. I have shared my review on Goodreads, NetGalley, Amazon Australia, Kobo, Twitter and my blog.

The Postmistress

The Postmistress by Alison Stuart
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley, Harlequin Australia and Alison Stuart for my copy of: The Postmistress.

1871 Australia, Adelaide Greaves is an English widow she and her young son Danny live in the small mining town of Maiden's Creek in Victoria and she works as a postmistress. It’s not easy for a single woman with a young son to live in a rough mining town in the gold fields and Adelaide has her best friend Netty for support.

Battle weary ex confederate soldier Caleb Hunt, arrives in town in search of gold and he’s trying to escape his past. There’s a terrible accident, a man is injured at the local mine and they desperately need a sober doctor. Caleb is a qualified doctor, he doesn’t want to work as one as he’s seen enough death and dying during the American Civil War to last him a life time and he does the right thing and takes care of the wounded miner.

Adelaide and Caleb both have pasts, secrets and Australia is the perfect place to live or hide and start again. Caleb and Adelaide are very attracted to each other, just when the both feel like they can move forward, start a romantic relationship and Richard Barnwell arrives in town.
Adelaide has to tell Caleb the truth about Richard, it affects her son Danny and Richard Barnwell is a very nasty man. When Danny goes missing, Adelaide and Caleb need to find him and it’s during a dangerous bush fire. Alison Stuart explains exactly what it’s like to be caught up in an Australian bush fire; they spread very quickly, strong winds make them very unpredictable, with out any warning they can change direction and the smoke from the fire extremely dangerous.

I enjoyed reading The Postmistress, my only regret is I didn’t read it first and then read The Goldminer’s Sister after; but I still really enjoyed the book and gave it four stars. I have shared my review on Goodreads, Australian Amazon, Kobo, NetGalley, Twitter and my blog.

The Goldminer's Sister

The Goldminer's Sister by Alison Stuart
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley, Harlequin Australia and Alison Stuart for my copy of: The Goldminer’s Sister.

1873, after a very long journey from England Eliza Penrose arrives in the gold mining town of Maiden's Creek in Australia it’s been five years since she last saw her brother William and she’s excited to see him. When she arrives at her uncle’s Charles Cowper house she’s receives some very bad news about Will and she’s in total shock.

Alec McLeod left Scotland to escape the memories of losing his wife and baby in childbirth. The eligible ladies of Maiden's Creek have been fluttering their eyelashes at him for years; he finds some solace in the bottom of a whiskey bottle, he lives with his single brother Ian and he never wants to get married again.

He and Eliza meet on the day she arrives in town, not the best of starts, but the Scotsman finds Eliza rather bonny and tries his best to ignore how attractive she is. Alec works at the Maiden’s Creek mine as an engineer, he’s concerned at the way it’s being run by Eliza’s uncle and he thinks Charles is up to no good. Eliza and Alec can’t ignore obvious errors in the gold mines account books, they have concerns over the mines safety and they put themselves in danger to find out what really happened to Eliza’s brother.

Eliza has a kind heart and a strong spirit and she and Alec make the perfect couple. I enjoyed reading about her being the teacher at the local school and her kindness to one of her students called Charlotte. The story had aspects of mystery, suspense, danger we have all heard of gold fever, it makes people greedy and break the law. I enjoyed reading The Goldminer’s Sister, I have shared my review on Goodreads, NetGalley, Australian Amazon, Kobo, Twitter, my blog and I gave the book four stars.

The Second Marriage/Jackie and Maria

The Second Marriage by Gill Paul

Thanks to NetGalley, Edelweiss and Gill Paul for my copy of: The Second Marriage/Jackie and Maria.

On the 12th of September in 1953, Jacqueline Lee Bouvier married John F. Kennedy, she was beautiful, poised and a perfect choice to be a politician’s wife and eventually became the first lady of America’s 35th president. Being married to Jack wasn’t easy, Jackie had to at the start married life living with her in laws, she lost two babies, put up with his infidelity and Jack was a very busy man. On the 22nd of November 1963 in Dallas Texas the couple where traveling in a convertible when Jack was assassinated, Jackie is suddenly a widow with two young children and been through a very traumatic experience.

Maria Callas was a famous Greek Opera singer, considered one of the best Soprano’s ever, she was married to Battista Meneghini and she had issues with people she loved using her talent to make money. The one thing in the world she wanted was to have a baby and her husband’s was reluctant to start a family. She met and fell in love with one of the world’s richest shipping entrepreneurs Aristotle Onassis; they had a turbulent relationship for years and never married. Jackie Kennedy was invited to go sailing on Ari’s yacht, she was lonely, he made her feel safe, he was rich, powerful and unlike other women she wouldn’t sleep with him unless she had a ring on her finger, they married and it broke Maria’s heart.

While reading The Second Marriage you notice Maria and Jackie had a lot in common they were both very venerable, suffered the loss of babies and were treated badly by men they loved. I think Ari, Jackie and Maria’s stories prove money can’t buy you happiness; three people whose lives were linked together due to mistakes made in relationships, love and they all experienced loss and tragedy in their lives.
Gill Paul’s books never disappoint The Second Marriage/Jackie and Maria is well written, you can tell Gill did very through research, I didn’t know who Maria Callas was prior to reading this book, it’s an interesting story and five stars from me. I have shared my review on Goodreads, Edelweiss, NetGalley, Amazon Australia, Kobo, Twitter and my blog.

The Lions of Fifth Avenue

The Lions of Fifth Avenue by Fiona Davis
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thanks to Edelweiss, Penguin Publishing Group and Fiona Davis for my copy of: The Lions of Fifth Avenue.
In 1913, Jack Lyons is the superintendent of the New York Public Library; he lives in an apartment on the top floor of the building with his wife Laura and his children Pearl and Harry. Jack has been writing his first book for ten years and despite living at the library the family struggle to make ends meet. Jacks plan is for him to receive a lucrative deal for his book when it’s finished and solve the family’s money problems.

His wife Laura is smart, she wants more for herself, she applies to study at the Columbia Journalism School and wants to work as a newspaper reporter. She discovers how hard it is to study and spend time with her husband, keep up with the house work and look after her children. She experiences terrible discrimination while studying because she’s a woman, by chance she meets Dr Amelia Potter and she introduces her to the woman’s suffrage movement. Women are fighting for equal rights, to earn their own money and to be able to legally use birth control. Constantly having children stops many women from being able to work, they are stuck living in a cycle of poverty and have to rely on their husband’s wage to feed large families. Laura is torn between two worlds; she loves her husband and children but is it wrong for her to want more out of life? When valuable books start going missing from the library, her husband is the obvious suspect, things start spiraling out of control and the once happy family is torn apart.

In 1993, Sadie Donovan works at the New York Public Library as a curator when a college leaves Sadie is promoted and she’s beyond excited. But her job is under threat when history repeats it's self, precious items start disappearing from the library and she’s considered a prime suspect. Sadie has no choice but to admit her grandfather is Jack Lyons and her grandmother is the famous essayist Laura Lyons and her family’s torrid history with the library. Sadie sets about clearing her name, but it’s not easy as she knows very little about her grandparents and her mother Pearl has just passed away.

I absolutely loved The Lions of Fifth Avenue; it’s a brilliant story that spans eighty years of hidden family history and secrets. In the perfect setting of a beautiful old distinguished building that’s a library full of history, memories, unsolved mysteries, classic books and collections. If only a building could talk, the combination of two strong female main characters plus all the intrigue and drama of precious and priceless treasures and books going missing! The Lions of Fifth Avenue is a book I couldn't stop reading, a big five stars from me, I have shared my review on Goodreads, Amazon Australia, Kobo, Edelweiss, Twitter and my blog.

The London Restoration

The London Restoration by Rachel McMillan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley, Thomas Nelson-Fiction and Rachel McMillan for my copy of The London Restoration.

London 1945, Diana Somerville's has been working during WW II at Bletchley Park as a code breaker, she hasn’t seen her husband Brent four years and he thinks she’s been working as a translator. Brent Somerville left his new bride to be a stretcher bearer during the war it’s a very dangerous job, in fact it’s actually safer to be in the army and he’s wounded towards the end of the war. When he’s sent home from hospital he assumed Diana will be at their flat waiting for him and it’s not the case at all. She arrived home five weeks later; she’s been working in Vienna with agent Simon Barre and Brent has no idea why? Diana can’t tell her husband anything about her work during or after the war as she’s signed the Official Secrets Act and after the war ended the biggest threat to England was believed to be communism, the secret service think there is a Russian cell infiltrating the country and they need Diana's help to find the leader.
Brent Somerville is a professor of theology at King's College, he’s battling to live and work as a civilian again after the things he experienced during the war, and he lost a finger and has terrible scars. He assumed he and Diana would start doing the things they had planned to do after the war ended, live in domestic bliss and start a family. Instead like many couples separated by WW II they found it hard to live together, no intimacy and their war time experiences have changed them. Brent starts following his wife when she visits churches at night as he’s worried about her safety and he’s trying to find out what she’s up to!
I really enjoyed reading The London Restoration; its plot is full of mystery, secrets, spies, double agents and members of British Secret Intelligence Service. What I loved about the book was the main characters; Diana is an intelligent woman, who’s torn between helping her country and being with her wounded husband while he recuperates in hospital. Brent is a Professor; he loves his wife Diana, but he’s scared to sleep in the same bed as her as he has terrible nightmares and he’s also very self conscious about his injuries. Of course, after WW II ended it created a lot of issues with relationships; it was very hard for couples to live together after being apart for so many years and the insecurities and vulnerabilities of people in these situations were highlighted and included in the plot of this book. Also included in the story is information about London’s beautiful old churches, many were severely damaged during the war and they play an important role in the story.
Well done Rachel McMillan I gave The London Restoration five stars and I highly recommend this book. I have shared my review on Goodreads, NetGalley, Edelweiss, Amazon Australia, Kobo, Twitter and my blog.

Beyond the Shadow of Night.

Beyond the Shadow of Night by Ray Kingfisher
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to Ray Kingfisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read his book Beyond the Shadow of Night, I was looking forward to reading his new book as I really enjoyed his previous book called Rosa's Gold.

The story starts in the Ukraine in 1923, when two baby boys are born called Mikhail and Asher.
They live on a farm, they grew up together with their families and became best friends.
The story is about what happens to them during WW II, it describes the horror of the war, how they both had to make difficult choices to survive, and how what they did during the war effected both of them as older adults.

One fought in the Russian Army and one being Jewish had all his rights taken away from him and they both ended up being sent to the horrible concentration camp called Treblinka.

The story alternates between 1939 and the early 2000's in the United States.
Years after the war had ended, the men are reunited in the USA due to a article in a newspaper and become friends again.

One has changed his name to cover up what he did to survive the war, he is a harsh man who decided to never see his parents again, he wasn't a great husband and he was a controlling father.
The other lives alone, he never marries, he can't get over losing his first love and turns to alcohol to cope with his horrible experiences that still haunt him from the second world war and his loneliness as an adult.

I really enjoyed The Shadow Of Night, it's about how hard life was during WW II, choices people had to make to survive and how decisions they made at the time still effected them years later, secrets they kept, how they started over in a new country and tried to cover up the past. I gave the book four stars and look forward to reading more books by Ray Kingfisher. I have shared my review on Goodreads, Amazon Australia, NetGalley, Twitter and my blog.

The Forgotten Girls

The Forgotten Girls by Lizzie Page
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and Lizzie Page for my copy of The Forgotten Girls.

London 1943, Elaine Parker works as a clerk, her job is to type up letters written by prisoners interned in Japanese POW camps looking for secret coded messages and any information might help the allies win the war. One evening, Elaine meets famous war photographer Robert Capa, he’s so handsome and for Elaine it’s love at first sight. Elaine already has a boyfriend Justin, a pilot and two younger brothers. Elaine didn’t have an easy childhood; she was poor and she raised her younger orphaned brothers. Her brother Alan has problems with his nerves and he ends up being an inmate in a mental asylum and Clive has a club foot and is a petty thief.
Present day, Jen is taking a much disserved holiday with her extended family in Spain, her 23 year marriage has ended, she’s has very low self esteem and worries constantly about her weight. Her brother discovers an old family photograph of two pretty little girls gazing over a beautiful bay of water and in an unknown location in England. This starts the family’s interest in the past; they don’t know a lot about their grandmother Elaine, when they discover who took the photo and how could she have known Robert Capa?
The book has a dual time line it goes between England during WW II and present day Spain and I must admit I preferred the war time story and found it much more interesting.
The war years describe life in England at the time, endless nights of very little sleep, shortages of basic necessities, years of food being rationed and the contestant threat of danger. Rumors are rife about the pig push, when it begins mothers, sisters, wives wait anxiously for any news of their loved ones and Elaine is very worried about Bobby because he goes with the first troops that land in Normandy and you can feel the nervous tension that all of England is feeling.
The story is based around Elaine and her romantic relationship with Robert Capa during the war, the sacrifices and choices she made and how ultimately she always put her family first. Obviously Elaine and Jen’s stories are connected and the girls in the 1950’s photo are possibly Elaine’s daughters Barbara and Shirley?
I enjoyed The Forgotten Girls by Lizzie Page it’s about Elaine Parker and how she knew Robert Capa, I would have really liked to read more about the famous and fascinating war photographer or Bobby as she called him and less about Jennifer and the extended family’s trip to Spain. All thoughts in this review are my own and I gave the book three and a half stars. I have shared my review on Goodreads, NetGalley, Amazon Australia, Twitter, Instagram, Kobo and my blog.

Across The Winding River

Across the Winding River by Aimie K. Runyan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Beth Cohen’s dad Max is 90 and living in an aged care home and one day he asked his daughter to find a box containing his mementos from his time serving as a medic during WW II. Of course she has a look at the contents of the box and she discovers a photo of her dad with a pretty pregnant woman and the lady isn’t her mother?

1944 Max finished his dental training; he decided to serve his country and joined the army as a medic. While stationed in Germany he met a young married woman called Margarethe, they had a very short romantic relationship, after the war ended he tried to find her, he couldn’t, he had no idea what happened to Metta and her baby. Older Max had one wish; he would like Beth to find out what happened to Metta and her baby. After 60 years Beth doesn’t like her chances of finding them and her dad doesn’t even know her last name.

Johanna Patterson is Metta’s older sister, during WW II engineer in Germany she designed and flew planes. Post war Germany was a total mess, people lost contact with each other during the chaos and it was difficult to find someone missing. Both Max and Johanna separately spent over two years trying to find Margarethe and they had no luck eventually they had no choice and moved on with their lives. All three main characters stories are connected, you have Max who knows his time is running out and he wants closure. Beth who has recently divorced and wants to make the most of her time that she has left with her dad and let him rest in peace knowing what happened to his first love Metta. Johanna has married again; she no longer lives in Germany and after 60 years still wants to find her beloved sister.

Across The Winding River's plot is based around Max, Metta’s and Johanna’s experiences during WW II; it’s a gripping dual timeline story about war, love, loss, sacrifice, destiny, persistence and years later still desperately needing to find closure. I enjoyed really enjoyed the book, Aimie K. Ruyan's books never disappoint and fours stars from me. I have shared my review on Goodreads, NetGalley, Twitter, Australian Amazon, Kobo and my blog.

The Woman Before Wallis

The Woman Before Wallis: A Novel of Windsors, Vanderbilts, and Royal Scandal by Bryn Turnbull
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In 1926, American socialite Thelma Morgan marries widower Duke Furness and Thelma becomes a step mother to his two older children Dickie and Averill. For Thelma marrying into money is her best option, she’s been married before and she’s broke!
The marriage starts off well, being financially comfortable makes a huge difference to Thelma’s life and then things start to change after a few months due to her insecurities and her husbands behavior. Most English upper class marriages were for convenience only, not for love and affairs were very common. When Thelma meets Edward the Prince of Wales or David as she calls him, she starts a romantic relationship with him, everyone knows about their love affair and including her husband.

Thelma is a twin, her sister Gloria is married to the very rich Reggie Vanderbilt and they have a daughter called Gloria. The book has a dual timeline it goes between the 1920’s and the 1930’s. The story is based around Thelma and Gloria’s scandalous behavior and the eventual consequences.
In 1934, Gloria is now a widow, fighting to keep custody of her daughter little Gloria and she needs her sisters support. The lawyers are ruthless, they use any negative information they can find and it gets rather nasty. The tabloids are also involved; Gloria is accused of being an unfit mother, a negligent parent and one who has been having a relationship with a woman?
Thelma travels to New York to help her sister; she leaves England and Edward who’s just met a mutual trusted friend Wallis Simpson. I don’t think Thelma understood how much her relationship with Edward could damage her sister’s custody case against Gertrude Vanderbilt and she makes the ultimate sacrifice to try and help her sisters reputation.

The Woman Before Wallis is based on some facts and it also looks at societies expectations regarding women’s roles at the time, what was acceptable behavior and what was not. Women were expected to marry, have babies, not complain and put up with the decisions their husbands made. In the case of Royalty they even higher expectations and standards; Edward could have a few flings and sew his wild oats. But, he could never marry a divorced woman and be the King of England; both Thelma and Wallis had been married before and his relationships with both women could be used to create an interesting story prior to his famous abdication. Bryn Turnbull did this well, thanks to Mira publishing and I gave the book five stars. I have shared my review on Goodreads, Edelweiss, Amazon Australia, Kobo, Twitter and my blog.

The Healer

The Healer by Allison Butler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley, Mira and Allison Butler for my copy of The Healer.
1402, Lord John Fenwick doesn’t hide the fact that he’s not fond of his only daughter Lynelle; he blames her for her mothers death and she’s nothing but an unwanted burden. When her half brother Thomas is taken by Laird William Kirkpatrick the leader of the Closeburn Clan her plan is to rescue him and her father might change his opinion of her?
She has some knowledge of the art of using herbs to heal the sick and injured. She pretends to be an experienced healer and attends the injuries of Laird William’s younger brother Edan. William doesn’t completely trust her and she has to sip the pain killing potions before she can give them to her patient. No Englishwoman should feel safe and content living in Scotland, Lynelle does, for the first time ever she feels wanted, she makes friends and she finds the fierce leader of the Clan rather attractive. When Lord John arrives to collect her brothers horse will he make Lynelle leave Scotland and return to her lonely life in England?
I don’t read many historical romance books these days and I did enjoy the story of the sweet Lynelle and the hot Scot William falling in love and I gave The Healer four stars. I have shared my review on Goodreads, Australian Amazon, NetGalley, Twitter and my blog.

Home at Last

Home at Last by Meredith Appleyard
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I felt like a change from Historical Fiction and I decided the read Home at Last by Meredith Appleyard.
Single mum Anna Kelly has worked really hard to get her pilots license, she returns to Broken Hill to work for the Royal Flying Doctor Service and it’s her dream job.
She’s pretty sure no one will remember her from sixteen years ago when her dad was the high school principal and she has no idea she went to school with the hunky flight nurse Nick Harrison. All those years ago Nick had a huge secret crush on beautiful Anna and she didn’t remember him at all! Anna has been hurt once, she doesn’t want to get her heart broken again and she’s happy being single. Sharing a house with midwife Beth is never boring, before she knows it Anna is enjoying life in Broken Hill, she meets some interesting local characters, is she ready to fall in love again and introduce her teenage daughter Izzy to Nick?
Home at Last is a brilliant book, the characters are interesting and quirky and I love reading books about the Flying Doctors Service, providing medical care to remote Australian properties, it's the perfect setting for a romantic story and four stars from me. I have shared my review on Goodreads, Amazon Australia, Kobo, Twitter, Facebook and my blog.

Answer Creek

Answer Creek: A Novel by Ashley E. Sweeney
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In 1846, nineteen year old Ada Weeks sets off on a 2,200 mile trek to California with her adopted parents Augustus and Inger Vik. No amount of planning could prepare Ada for the hardships she will face traveling along the overland trail, she will be tested to the absolute limit of her endurance and mental toughness. She will have to walk the entire way, her boots will wear out, she will be hot, sweaty, sun burnt, bruised, bitten by insects, sick, hungry and face death and danger every single day.
Due to one fateful decision by the Donner and the Reed families to take the Hasting Cut off, Ada and her fellow travelers find themselves stranded at Truckee Lake on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, stuck there for the entirety of the freezing and harsh winter. To survive Ada will to eat shoe leather and blankets and others might cross the line of human decency and we all have heard the rumors about the Donner party.
Answer Creek is well researched adventure story that includes true historical facts and some hearsay! As you read about Ada traveling on this long dangerous journey by wagon train, you will understand how she had to push herself beyond the limits of her physical endurance and on the brink of insanity to make it out of the frozen mountains. Ada shows incredible strength and fortitude and towards the end of her trip from hell she meets the tough mountain man Julian James Rogers and will she find love? Wow what a book, well done Ashley E. Sweeney, I enjoyed every page of Answer Creek and five stars from me. I have shared my review on Goodreads, Amazon Australia, Kobo, Twitter and my blog.

The Butterfly Room

The Butterfly Room by Lucinda Riley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley, Blue Box Press and Lucinda Riley for my copy of The Butterfly Room.
Posy Montague is a widow, about to turn 70 and a mother of two grown up sons. She lives in her families crumbling house in Suffolk, she grew up there and it was home to her and two sons. Widowed at a young age, she raised her boys at Admiral House, when they went away to boarding school she kept her self busy gardening and she spent 25 years creating a beautiful garden. It’s a magnificent garden, but a lot of work and her old house needs major repairs and it’s a money pit.

Just at the time when she’s trying to work out what to do with her old house, her son Nick moves back to England after living in Australia for 10 years and her other son Sam’s marriage is on the rocks. Her eldest son Sam is married to the lovely Amy and they have two young children. Sam is hopeless, he’s terrible with money, his various businesses ventures have failed, and he’s not the best husband or father.

When Posy bumps into her first love Freddie after 50 years, she starts to look back at her life and reflect on everything that has happened to her. Posy’s dad died during WW II; her French mother left her with her grandmother went overseas and never returned. Posy married Jonny and her husband tragically passed away when she was pregnant with her second child. As she explores and looks back at her past, she’s oblivious to a huge family secret and she has absolutely no idea what happened.

As you read The Butterfly Room you are taken on a journey, one that goes back to WW II England, current time with Posy’s extremely complicated family and friends. I enjoyed The Butterfly Room it’s about family, secrets, lost love; it’s emotional, heartbreaking and at times very heartwarming. I had to grab the box of tissues a couple of times, I cried and four stars from me. I have shared my review on Goodreads, Amazon Australia, Kobo, NetGalley and my blog.

Burning Island

Burning Island by Suzanne Goldring
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and Suzanne Goldring for my advanced copy of her new book: Burning Island.
Corfu 1943, Perla and Isaac Nikorkiris, had to make a difficult choice, they didn't register the births of their two youngest daughters, they kept them hidden and the Germans records only show they have one older daughter called Rebekka. Matilde and Anna Nikorkiris are two very lucky little girls, when Nazis start notifying Jewish residents they will be leaving the island soon, Nikorkiris family are very concerned and they have a plan ready for the younger girls. They organize for the girls to be taken to a safe place by Doctor Batas, to be kept hidden, a childless couple Agata and Georgiou put themselves in danger and will look after the girls until the war is over.

Matilde and Anna wake up in the morning confused, they have no idea where they are, of course they want their parents, sister and are very upset. Agata explains how their parents have sent them to live with them, they know all about the bad German soldiers and they have been hiding inside their family home. Agata comforts the girls, even though they are only three and five the girls understand and they are shown a safe place in the house to hide. The girls are happy, they can now play outside, in the fresh air, they look so much healthier and put on weight. So far, no soldiers have found their secret haven, but Agata knows they are constantly scouring the island for missing Jews and it's only a matter of time before their house is discovered. One day when Agata’s husband is away, a German soldier appears on the beach, he's been swimming and the couple decide to move the girls to a more remote area.

2016, Amber and her husband James arrive in Corfu from England, hoping for a change of pace and both are tired of living and working in London. They have friends who live on the island, Ben and Eleni, they need some help with their business and are expecting their second child. The plan is to eventually open their own restaurant, bed and breakfast, they find the prefect place, start building and are soon open for business. But, they didn't plan on Amber falling pregnant after only being open for a year, she's due in the middle of summer and during the busiest time of the year. Their relationship has been struggling, they seem to have very different ideas about everything and the couple have grown apart. Amber finds herself intrigued by the local story about the two little Jewish girls, left by their parents during WW II and hidden on the island for their own protection.

I had no idea Jewish people lived on Corfu during WW II, they were sent to Auschwitz and most never returned. Some people on the island would rather Amber didn't look into Corfu’s history, keep the past in the past, two of the local's are not as nice as they seem, who can she trust and can Amber uncover what happened two little Jewish girls?

Burning Island has a dual timeline, it works well and it's easy to follow. I have read a lot of WW II historical fiction, I highly recommend reading this book, I had no idea Jewish people lived in Greece at the time and how badly they were treated. The story is about war, love, loss, sacrifice, secrets, greed and murder.

Stitching a Life

Stitching a Life: An Immigration Story by Mary Helen Fein
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley, She Writes Press, Mary Helen Fein for my copy of Stitching a Life.

Lithuania 1900, Hinde Breakstone is 16; she looks after her three little brothers and cooks the family’s dinner while her parents work at the compound dairy. Her oldest brother Max is about to turn 12, any day he could be pressed into the Russian Army and they have created a place for him to hide. The army conscripts young Jewish boys at 12, Hinde has to hide Max once, her family knows it’s only a matter of time before the Russian soldiers return and if Max is taken and they may never see him again.
Hinde has no idea her parents already have a plan, her father has a cousin Rose who lives in America, the family are going to immigrate to America and cousin Rose will help. But it’s expensive; her father will leave first, save money and send for Hinde. Once Hinde is in America they will both work and save up to pay for Max’s fare and once they have enough money her mother and her three younger brothers will join them.
After her father leaves for America, Hinde nervously waits months for her father’s letter to arrive and finally it does. He’s paid for her ticket to leave Lithuania; she boards a ship on her own and sets sail across the other side of the world. She’s traveling in steerage and luckily she meets another girl Rebecca they become friends and they help each other during the journey.
Both girls are worried about the medical check at Ellis Island, anyone sick isn’t allowed to enter the country and they have nothing to worry about. Father and daughter are reunited, Hinde stays with Rose, changes her name to Helen and she starts work at a factory sewing boy’s knickerbockers. By working hard eventually the entire Breakstone family is reunited, it changes their lives for the better and future generations of their family prosper in America.
Stitching a Life is based on the true story of Helen Breakstone Fein and the author Mary Helen Fein is her granddaughter. I enjoyed reading the book; it’s an uplifting story about a family immigrating to America and especially how strong and brave Helen was at only 16. The book is classed as Young Adult Fiction, it’s suitable for all ages to read and I gave it four stars. I have shared my review on Goodreads, NetGalley, Amazon Australia, Kobo, Twitter and my blog.

The House on Boundary Street

The House on Boundary Street by Tea Cooper
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley, Escape Publishing and Tea Cooper for my copy of The House on Boundary Street.

Sydney Australia, the Great War is over, the city is bustling in a post war boom and unfortunately it also has a seedy side. Grog shops, gambling dens, brothels are busy and snow or cocaine is available to buy on the streets. Dolly Bowman is a country girl from Wollombi she arrives in Sydney and has interview with Mrs Millie Mack for a cleaning job at her boarding house on 54 Boundary Street. She’s young and innocent, the next day she’s sent to gather the sheets, change all the beds, boil the copper, she starts washing the piles of dirty sheets and she finally understands she’s working in a high class brothel.
Cynthia Burton works at Boundary Street as a prostitute, she seems to be very hard, tough and at the start she and Dolly don’t get along. Cynthia made a promise to her family, she needs the money she earns and she's not going to let anyone get in her way!
Dolly and Cynthia find themselves involved in a world that no young girl should have to tolerate; women alone had very few options and were easily taken advantage of. The high end bordello looks like a safe place to work, yes the girls are prostitutes but they don’t have to take their chances on the rough streets and it’s a much safer alternative. Mrs Mack discovers Dolly can sing, suddenly cleaning isn’t her only employment option and she wants her to perform every night? All is not what it seems, especially with the owner and it’s a story about secrets, lies, double dealing and 54 Boundary Street is a very dangerous place to work. I gave the book three stars and I have shared my review on Goodreads, Amazon Australia, NetGalley, Twitter and my blog.

Red Sky over Hawaii

Red Sky over Hawaii by Sara Ackerman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Lana Hitchcock receives a message from her estranged father Jack Spalding that he’s unwell and she leaves immediately to go and see him on the Big Island in Hawaii. But she’s too late he passes before she arrives, while trying to deal with the death of her father and the end of her marriage the next day the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, her safety and the other civilians in Hawaii is unknown. Rumors are rife, no one really knows what’s happening is it a one off attack or are the Japanese going to land, take over the whole island and it be cut off from America? Lana decides to help two girls Marie and Coco whose German parents are taken in for questioning by the FBI and a Japanese friend of her father’s Mochi and his son Benji. Red Sky over Hawaii is about Lana’s actions and the decisions she makes after the Japanese attack the beautiful island paradise, due to the possible threat of invasion and helping four people. She decides to take them to a secret property her father owns and it's tucked away in the remote rain forest of Kilauea volcano. It's an emotional story about forgiveness, suspicion, self discovery, survival and love. I enjoyed the book, four stars from me, I have shared my review on Goodreads, Amazon Australia, Twitter and my blog.

The Brideship Wife

The Brideship Wife by Leslie Howard
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to Edelweiss, Simon & Schuster and Leslie Howard for my digital copy of The Brideship Wife.
England, 1862. Charlotte Harding is a sweet young lady she’s shy, she dreams of being a veterinarian but it will never happen due to societies expectations of women at the time and her only option is to get married. She lives with her sister Harriet and her wealthy brother-in-law, Charles, who has high expectations and he wants her to marry someone who will be of benefit to his political career.
When Harriet hosts a party, Charles wants Charlotte to charm one of his colleagues George, but before the night is over, her reputation is ruined and it’s not her fault. But the rumor mill is rife, Charlotte is shunned and much to her horror her poor sister Harriet is punished for not producing any children and they both find themselves on a ship on its way to Victoria in British Columbia the western most province of Canada.
The Brideship Wife is about the long voyage to the other side of the world, where single women like Charlotte take a big risk by traveling to a new country and where hundreds single men are eagerly waiting for the chance to marry. For Charlotte it’s a journey filled with sadness but also one of hope and self discovery when she makes friends with a fellow bride to be Sarah, she helps the ship’s doctor treat the sick and injured and meets Reverend John Crossman whose mission in life is to eradicate smallpox.
I enjoyed The Brideship Wife it’s based on a true story about single women leaving England and moving to the other side of the world. They had no idea what life would be like in the New World and for many it opened up opportunities that they would never experienced if they didn’t make the decision to go and take such a big risk. I enjoyed the book, I gave it four stars and I have shared my review on Goodreads, Edelweiss, Amazon Australia, Kobo, Twitter and my blog.

The Tuscan Contessa

The Tuscan Contessa by Dinah Jefferies
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley, Penguin Books UK and Dinah Jefferies for my copy of The Tuscan Contessa.

In 1940s Tuscany, Contessa Sofia de' Corsi's lives in a beautiful medieval villa with her husband Lorenzo near the village of Castello and she’s dreading the arrival of the retreating German army. For years Italy has been in turmoil, currently the fascists support the German’s and the Italian resistance or partisans support the approaching Allies. Lorenzo leaves home to work secretly for the Allies in Rome, Sofia is left to run the estate with the help of her loyal cook Carla and she’s fights back as best as she can against the German oppression.
After Lorenzo leaves for Rome, Sofia meets Maxine and she’s a spy for the Allies. Maxine grew up in New York, her parents came from a little village called Caprioni in Italy and she can speak fluent Italian and unlike a man she can move more freely around the country and not look as suspicions. Her job is to gather as much information as she can; she passes it on to the resistance and the British army. The Allies are getting close to liberating all of Italy but due to the weather its slow going, Sofia is praying they arrive very soon because the Germans are ruthless, they kill anyone who helps the resistance and everyone is starving.
I enjoyed reading The Tuscan Contessa; it’s a book about sacrifice, espionage, intrigue, duty, loyalty and love. Both Sofia and Maxine are very strong determined women, they proved to be too much for the Germans to handle and I gave the book four stars. I have shared my review on Goodreads, NetGalley, Amazon Australia, Kobo, Twitter and my blog.

An Appalachian Summer

An Appalachian Summer by Ann H. Gabhart
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley, Revell Publishing and Ann H. Gabhart for my copy of An Appalachian Summer.

Louisville 1933, Piper Danson’s parents organize a debutante party for her, she’s twenty and her parents want the best for her and are keen for her to marry well.
Piper has her doubts, she doesn’t want to rush into marriage, she has only just finished her studies, she isn’t ready to settle down and start a family. Piper hears Mary Breckinridge talk about her work in the Appalachian Mountains in Kentucky; she needs girls who can ride horses to volunteer over summer as couriers to support her frontier nursing service. Girls are expected to look after the horses, feed and water them and muck out the stalls. They travel through the rugged mountains, ford streams, delivering supplies and help the midwives safely deliver babies, Piper wants to have one summer of freedom, find her place in the world and her Aunt Truda encourages her to do it.
Piper loves the mountains, yes it’s remote and she sees the natural beauty in her surroundings, even the stars in the night sky seem bigger and brighter. The mountain people have their superstitions, different ways and are wary of strangers and people from the government. She makes friends with her fellow couriers, midwives, patients and their families. She does miss her best friend Jamie Russell whose family lost all their money in the financial crash, he also finds his way to the mountains and he’s writing stories for a newspaper and people want to read something up lifting during the depression.
An Appalachian Summer is a book about hope, a young woman finding her path in life, rediscovering her faith and finding love. I enjoyed the story, four stars from me and Ann H. Gabhart never disappoints and I highly recommend her new book. I have shared my review on Goodreads, NetGalley, Amazon Australia, Twitter, Kobo and my my blog.

The English Wife

The English Wife by Adrienne Chinn
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley, Harper Collins UK and Adrienne Chinn for my copy of The English Wife.

England 1946.
Ellie Parsons is nervous, she’s leaving England with her baby son Emmett to finally live with her husband Thomas in Newfoundland Canada and due to WW II she hasn’t seen him in two years. Saying goodbye to her father Henry and sister Dottie is really hard and she’s traveling across the Atlantic Ocean to the other side of the world and when will she ever see them again? Thomas is living at home, he’s staying with his parents, he’s recovering from his war wounds and she has no idea how severe his injuries are? She leaves England, sets sail on a ship full of very excited war brides and young children. Ellie gets a big shock when she arrives, her husbands injuries are worse than she thought and Newfoundland is nothing like home. The living conditions are very primitive in Tippy’s Tickle, the newlyweds are living with her husband’s parents her mother in law finds fault with everything she does and doesn’t like her.

September 2001.
Sophie Parry is on a plane when it’s diverted to Newfoundland and she was on her way to an important business meeting in New York. She has no idea what happened, she’s shocked to discover America had been attacked by terrorists, she decides to call her aunt Ellie who lives in Newfoundland, to see if she can stay with her for a few days and finally meet her. For some reason Sophie’s mum Dottie didn’t have a very good relationship with her sister, they didn’t keep in contact with each other and she’s always wondered why?

Newfoundland 2011.
Sophie returns to Newfoundland to visit her aunt, she’s now 89 and her only living relative. Sophie is really there on business, the land in Tippy’s Tickle might be suitable for a golf course and a possibly a resort?
This is when the story starts to get confusing; having three time lines, multiple characters, crazy plots and farfetched secrets was too much for me. I would have preferred the story to have been about war brides and only have two timelines. It would have been a far more enjoyable, easier to follow and I gave the book three stars. I have shared my review on Goodreads, NetGalley, Amazon Australia, Kobo, Twitter and my blog.

The Girl from Vichy

The Girl from Vichy by Andie Newton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley, Aria and Andie Newton for my copy of The Girl from Vichy.
1942 France. Adèle Ambeh's father has arranged a marriage for her to Gerard Baudoin a member of the hated Vichy police, as her wedding day approaches to the collaborator she’s filled with dread and her mother organizes for her to escape to Lyon. Here she seeks refuge at the Sisters of Notre Dame del la Compassion convent and the sisters are involved in the French resistance, they hide weapons and people.

Here she meets Marguerite a member of the resistance; as part of her new role she is sent back to Vichy and has to tell her fiancé she had a bad case of pre wedding nerves. Her father Albert, sister Charlotte side with the new regime and Adèle and her mother Pauline are against it. This tears their family apart, many of the locals take different sides and it’s hard to know who is a collaborator and who isn't.

Vichy France is a spa town ruled by a puppet government and in charge of it is an elderly WW I French hero Philippe Petain. The area is referred to as the free zone; it’s far from free and many of the French people opposed the regime and continue to fight against the German occupation.
Adèle is caught up in the desperate fight to free her country from the Nazi regime; the resistance fighters are involved in small forms of sabotage it’s risky and very dangerous and at any time they could be dobbed in by a local collaborator and captured by the Germans.

The Girl from Vichy is a story about one brave woman standing up for what she believes in, and her loyalty to her country, Adèle knows the end of the war is very close; she and Luc need to stay one step ahead of the Germans until the allies arrive and avoid being captured.
I really liked the book; it has a strong female protagonist, interesting story with lots of twist and turns and it's filled with suspense, intrigue, tragedy, danger, and four stars from me.
I have shared my review on Goodreads, NetGalley, Amazon Australia, Kobo, Twitter and my blog.

The Black Swan of Paris

The Black Swan of Paris by Karen Robards
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley, Hachette Australia and Karen Robards for my copy of The Black Swan of Paris.

Paris 1944, Genevieve Dumont is a beautiful cabaret singer and most of her audience is made up of German soldiers and one of her admirers is the nasty general Claus Von Wagner, she puts on quite a performance on and off the stage. Like most Parisians she hates the Germans, due to her fame, her chauffeur can drive her home at night without being stopped and her car being searched. While the civilian population starves, the German soldiers eat, drink and are having a great time in Paris. The handsome Max Bonet is her manager; despite the obvious attraction between them they keep their relationship strictly professional. Both she and Max have secrets, they keep their true identities hidden from each other as it’s hard to know who you can trust at such a dangerous time and in a city controlled by the enemy.

Genevieve is French, she had a fall out with her family years before, she has changed her name and she has no idea what her parents or sister Emmanuelle is doing? Her parents are both involved in the resistance, her mother Lillian the Baroness de Rocheford has been captured by the Germans, she is being kept alive until she can talk and once the Germans have no use for her she faces being executed. Everyone had code names, they limited how much information each operative knew, because if caught the less they knew the less they could tell the Germans while being subjected to awful forms of torture they used. This is very hard to read about, but it did happen and it helps you understand how dangerous it was to be a member of a resistance cell or to be a secret agent during WW II in France.
Towards the end of the war, the Germans wanted to take down as many members of the resistance as they could and they also shot innocent civilians. They knew the Allies planned to launch an invasion somewhere along the French coast and any information they could obtain about the date, time or place the Germans were desperate to discover. Claus Von Wagner is sure Lillian de Rocheford knows where the Allies will land and will Genevieve share her past and real name with Max so he and others in his resistance network can help her save her mother?

The Black Swan of Paris is a story about secrets, espionage, danger, loyalty, family, love and war. Perfect for readers who enjoy a long book and are interested in life in Paris during WW II and the planning that went into organizing code name Utah Beach one of the five sectors used in the invasion of Normandy.
I loved the book, five stars from me I have shared my review on Goodreads, NetGalley, Edelweiss, Twitter, Australian Amazon, Kobo and my blog. https://karrenreadsbooks.blogspot.

Her Last Flight

Her Last Flight by Beatriz Williams
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In 1947, Janey Everett is a girl who doesn’t like to be in one place for too long, she’s a busy war correspondent and talented photographer. Janey arrives in Hawaii determined to find out what happened to aviation pioneer and dare devil Sam Mallory. He was flying a plane for the loyalist forces during the Spanish Civil War, he disappeared 10 years ago and no one has seen or heard from him since.
She believes the one person who might know what really happened to Sam is his ex student and co pilot Irene Foster? They were much more than good friends and Irene also disappeared in 1937 during an around the world flight organized by her rich husband George Morrow and why did she marry him when she really loved Sam?
Using her detective skills Janey discovers Irene Foster might be alive and now goes by the name Irene Lindquist? A female pilot who’s running a tourist business flying people around the Hawaiian Islands, she’s married and has two children. Janey is smart, she has done her research, she’s checked something’s out for herself and she has one ace up her sleeve. Despite denying she doesn’t know Sam Mallory Irene goes rather quiet when Janey mentions a plane has recently been discovered in the Spanish desert, they think its Sam’s and a skeleton was found at the scene.
What are the chances of two pilots who know each other; both disappearing around the same time in unusual circumstances and maybe flying really is a dangerous occupation! Irene Lindquist has some scars on one side of her face, Janey is pretty sure that Irene Foster didn’t and it adds to the mystery.
Janey and Irene are very similar they are strong minded women who worked in male dominant occupations, despite life's knock backs, difficult childhoods, both succeeded and are very determined women. As you continue to read the story it has so many twists and turns, and you really have no idea how it will end or if Irene Foster and Sam Mallory are alive?
I really enjoyed reading Her Last Flight; it has everything in one incredible and interesting story, love, romance, suspense, intrigue, deception and a mystery. It’s the best book I have read this year, five big stars from me and I highly recommend reading it. I have shared my review on Edelweiss, Goodreads, Twitter, Australian Amazon, Kobo, Facebook and my blog.

Stars Over the Southern Ocean

Stars Over the Southern Ocean by J.H. Fletcher
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley, Harlequin Australia, J. H. Fletcher for my copy of Stars Over the Southern Ocean.

In 1937, Marina Fairbrother lives with her ramshackle family in a little logging town in Tasmania called Mole Creek and one night at a CWA dance she meets handsome Jory Trevelyan. He’s visiting his uncle the local butcher, he lives on the remote rugged west coast of the island where the winds are fierce, seas are rough and you need to be strong to survive. Marina is intrigued by Jory Trevelyan and the stories he shares about where he lives and she decides on impulse to leave her family and go with him. Jory’s family property is called Noamunga, his dad Marrek and mum Ellen also live in the old weather beaten house and Jory works on a fishing boat.

The book has a dual timeline, it works well and I had no trouble following the story.

In 1993, Marina receives the news she has terminal cancer and checks herself out of hospital; and she wants to spend what time she has left at Noamunga. Her home of fifty years, she loves the old place, she has many happy memories of her life with Jory and her three children were all born there. Her children ages are spaced out due to their dad Jory joining the Australian Navy during WW II, Charlotte was born before the war and Tamsyn and Gregory after the war ended.

Her daughters are very concerned about her leaving hospital, both visit her and Charlotte has more on her mind than her mother’s health. Marina lives in a beautiful area, the property has been owned by the Trevelyan family for over hundred years and she doesn’t want to sell it. An oil company is very interested in her land, Marina doesn’t want the rugged coastline ruined, or jeopardize the marine creatures and wild life.

Stars Over the Southern Ocean looks at the complex relationships Marina has had during her life, both in the past and in the present. Marina is no push over; she loves her children, of course worries about them and her children are all very different. Marina has lived a good life; she’s determined to leave behind a lasting legacy and she follows her heart. I enjoyed reading Stars Over the Southern Ocean, the first book I have read by J. H. Fletcher, I gave it four stars and it won’t be my last. I have shared my review on Goodreads, Australian Amazon, Kobo, Twitter, NetGalley, Facebook and my blog.

What Momma Left Behind

What Momma Left Behind by Cindy K. Sproles
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley, Revell Publishing and Cindy K. Sproles for my copy of What Momma Left Behind.
In 1898, Worie Dressar is only seventeen when she discovers her mother Louise has passed away and she has no idea why? To make matters worse an influenza and dysentery outbreak occurs in the small Tennessee mountain community and more lives are lost in and leaving so many children orphaned and hungry. Worie has no time to grieve for her mother; she’s busy taking care of hungry, homeless children and just like her Momma did. She also has her two brothers to deal with Calvin who’s mean and nasty and Justice a hopeless alcoholic.

Calvin tosses Worie and her menagerie of children out of the cabin; he’s greedy and wants the contents of a jar Momma has hidden in the cabin? Worie has no idea why her brother’s wants with a few notes written by her Momma, she’s keeping her last link to her mother and no way will she willingly give the jar to Calvin.
When she discovers two of the orphaned children have gone missing and her brother Calvin is involved she sets out to find them with Pastor Jess. For the first time Worie leaves the mountain's, she travels to Chattanooga by train and she’s like a fish out of water and a feisty one!
What Momma Left Behind is a story about a young woman trusting in her faith when at times she questions what god has planned for her and why life has to be so hard? It’s a story about injustice, greed, sacrifice, forgiveness, hope and love. Like her Momma, Worie discovers the love she can have for children not born from her own body, they find a special place in her heart and bring her so much joy.
I gave the book four stars, a quick easy read and with mild christian dialog.
I have shared my review on Goodreads, NetGalley, Kobo, Australian Amazon, Twitter and my blog.

The Takeway Men

The Takeaway Men: A Novel by Meryl Ain
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Lubinski family decides to have a fresh start and escape the dark cloud the Holocaust still has over them, they leave the displaced person camp in Germany and immigrate to America.

Waiting for their ship to dock in New York are Aron’s cousin Izzy and his wife Faye; and they take Aron, Judy, Johanna and Bronka to their home in Bellerose where they have set up two rooms for the family to live. America is a lot for the Lubinski’s to take in, it’s big, and it’s noisy and very modern.
The girls adapt quickly, they make friends with Mindy who lives on the same street, and they learn to speak English and Aron starts work at one of Izzy’s bakeries. Aron still has the terrible nightmares and not even in his sleep can he escape the horror he experienced while living in the Jewish Ghetto in Kielce Poland.
His daughters have no idea what happened to their dad during the Holocaust, they think he’s moody, grumpy, takes no pride in his appearance and they find him embarrassing. They go to a Hebrew school in the afternoons; here they learn some facts about the holocaust and want to know the truth about what happened to their parents during the war?

When Aron explains what happened to his family after the Nazis invaded Poland, the girls discover the truth is horrific; and their mother’s involvement is also a big shock.
The Takeaway Men explores the impact of the Holocaust had on the survivors, how much they struggled after the war ended and no such thing as therapy back then. They lost everything; family, friends, homes, jobs, faith and it changed them. Many experienced survivor’s guilt, they changed their names, moved to other countries, didn’t tell their children, and even spouses had no idea what they endured because what happened to them was often too painful to talk about and they didn’t want anyone to know. All thoughts shared in this review are my own and I gave The Takeaway Men four stars. I have shared my review on Goodreads, Amazon Australia, NetGalley, Edelweiss, Twitter, Kobo and my blog.

The Paris Library

The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thanks to Hachette Australia, NetGalley and Janet Skeslien Charles for my copy of The Paris Library.

Paris, 1939: Odile Souchet is a girl obsessed with both the Dewey Decimal System and her boyfriend Paul and has just been employed as a librarian at the American Library in Paris. With the shadow of another war looming, she and her parents are worried about her twin brother Remy and of course he joins the French army. The German army easily overcome the Maginot Line, they march into Paris and the Parisians are now living in a city with new rules and regulations. Guided by the directress Miss Reader, the library has already started to hide many of the thousands of precious books and the librarians deliver books to Jewish people who can no longer use the library and soldiers convalescing in hospital. When the war finally ends instead of celebrating Odile is devastated she has been betrayed by the person she thought she could trust and loved.

Montana, 1983: Lily Froid is a lonely teenager; she is doing a school project and decides to ask her elderly neighbor Odile some questions. Odile is a widow; they refer to her in town as the war bride, she arrived in 1945 married to Buck Gustafson and no one knows anything about her life before moving to Montana? When Lily’s mother Brenda becomes ill, Odile supports her and after her mum passes away she’s someone who she can talk to and confined in. One day Lily crosses the line by snooping into Mrs. Gustafson past and she does uncover things about her neighbor’s life in Paris during WW II and has her invading her friend’s privacy ended their friendship?

The story focuses on the complex relationships between the main characters in the book, too many to mention, it has a dual timeline and I had no trouble following it. The Paris Library is an unforgettable story about choices, friendship, loyalty, family, deceit, loss, betrayal and books. Heroism can sometimes be found in the quietest of places and that’s the library.
I gave The Paris Library five stars, I have shared my review on Goodreads, NetGalley, Twitter, Australian Amazon and my blog.

The Viennese Girl

The Viennese Girl by Jenny Lecoat
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Based on the true story of a young Jewish woman Hedy Bercu, she escaped persecution Vienna; she fled to Jersey in the Channel Islands and where she lived and worked in peace for two years.

But in 1940, Hedy and many of the other residents of the island discovered they couldn’t leave and were trapped. They didn’t have enough boats or time to evacuate the whole population of Jersey, many people were left behind and others decided to stay. The Germans took over the island with no resistance, Jersey was shut off from England for five years and can you imagine what it would be like?
Life on Jersey was difficult for all the residents; the Germans had so many rules, regulations and punishments. They controlled everything, which made it very hard for the remaining locals to survive, food, clothes, shoes, petrol, cars, fire wood and medical supplies all became scarce. By the time the island was finally liberated in May 1945 the people were starving, malnourished, sick and physically exhausted.

Hedy hid her true identity as best she could; she found work as a translator working for the Germans she also took a huge risk by stealing from them and she knew what would happen to her if she was caught. Hedy made two new friends one was Dorothea LeBrocq she married Anton Weber the islands baker, he was eventually conscripted into the German army and the other was Lieutenant Kurt Neumann a German officer.
Both played major roles in helping Hedy evade being captured by the Germans for eighteen months once it was discovered she was Jewish; she hid in Dorothea’s attic, Kurt had to try and smuggle as much extra food as he could to help both women survive and not be caught.
I particularly enjoyed reading about the strong friendship formed between Hedy and Dorothea in the story. At times Dory seemed like she was rather dippy, I think it was her way of coping and escaping reality. Kurt Neumann also portrayed how not all German soldiers wanted to fight in WW II, they were not evil and had no choice.

A wonderful book, I highly recommend The Viennese Girl by Jenny Lecoat, thanks to Allen & Unwin for my ARC, it’s a story filled with tension, suspense, revenge, friendship, love, kindness, set in Jersey during WW II and five stars from me. I have shared my review on Goodreads, Amazon Australia, Twitter, Facebook and my blog.

The Woman in the Green Dress

The Woman in the Green Dress by Tea Cooper
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley, Thomas-Nelson Fiction and Tea Cooper for my copy of The Woman in the Green Dress.

1918, London waitress Fleur Richards can't wait for her husband, Hugh, to return from the Great War and move to Australia with him. As the crowds are cheering for the King, celebrating the end of WW I she is swept up in the excitement and can’t wait to hear from Hugh. But, instead receives word of his death, not by telegram, a solicitor contacts her from Archer Waterston and informs her of her husband’s demise. Hugh has left her an inheritance; she doesn’t believe he's dead and she decides to travel to Australia to find out what’s really going on?

1919, Fleur arrives in Sydney, she discovers she is the rightful owner of farmland in Mogo Creek and a boarded up derelict taxidermy shop called the curio shop of wonders. All left to her by her deceased husband Hugh, she’s shocked and why didn’t Hugh tell her he was wealthy? I must admit I find the whole subject of taxidermy rather creepy; I had doubts about if I would I like this story and I’m happy that I continued reading the dual timeline book and it’s an interesting historical fiction tale.

1853, Della Atterton lives on a farm in Mogo Creek near the Hawkesbury river, she works as a taxidermist and her father taught her this very unique trade. Her parent’s tragically passed away, her Aunt Cordelia runs her father’s shop in Sydney and she assumes everything is fine? But when Captain Stefan von Richter arrives to inform her of what’s going on and she discovers her Aunt is up to no good. Not only is her Aunt selling special tonics to the ladies of Sydney, odd feathered creations, she’s selling traditional aboriginal items and where did she get them from?

Both Fleur and Della’s stories are connected, as you read The Woman in the Green Dress, the story keeps you guessing, as it unfolds and it all makes perfect sense at the end. It’s a story about greed, deceit, intrigue, murder, secrets, a very complicated family tree, stuffed animals, stolen aboriginal treasure and a cursed Australian gem stone. I enjoyed the book, four stars from me and Tea Coopers books are never boring. I have shared my review on Goodreads, NetGalley, Edelweiss, Australian Amazon, Twitter and my blog.

Her Darkest Hour

Her Darkest Hour by Sharon Maas
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Thanks to Bookouture, NetGalley, and Sharon Maas for my copy of Her Darkest Hour.

When the German army arrives in Colmar a small town in rural France; they quickly take control of everything, property, food, wine, houses and farms. Swastikas hang from lampposts, tanks are lined up outside the town hall, intimidating German soldiers are everywhere and the locals are scared.
At Chateau Gauthier, Margaux lives with her two daughters Marie-Claire and Victoire. Her absent husband lives in Paris, basically they live separate lives and their two sons Leon and Lucien are involved with the resistance. Margaux is a real character, she’s strong, determined, loves her children, her home and her country.
Marie-Claire has a huge crush on her neighbor Jacques, he only thinks of her as a sister and he is horrified when she makes her intentions known. He, his sister Juliette, Marie-Claire, Leon, Lucien and Victoire all grew up together with Margaux being a mother to them all and he had no idea she felt that way about him. Marie-Claire leaves home in a big huff, moves in with her Aunt Sophie, begins working as a secretary for Dietrich Kurtz.
Her little sister Victoire is horrified that her sister is working for the Germans, her family and friends consider her to be a traitor. When Marie-Claire becomes engaged to her boss, her mother Margaux wants nothing to do with her; her daughter is fickle, selfish and how could she marry a Nazi?
I assumed the story would be about WW II, the French resistance and Margaux helping Jewish people escape. But most of the story is about the sister’s relationship, Marie-Claire’s toxic marriage and her evil monster of a husband.

At times the story was confusing and it did however make me think about how many young French women married German soldiers, what their families thought about them and the repercussions. All opinions expressed in this review are my own,I gave the book three stars, I shared my review on Goodreads, NetGalley, Australian Amazon, Kobo, Twitter and my blog.

The Book of Lost Names

The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

May 2005, Eva Traube is in her 80’s and she enjoys working part time at her local library and she spends most of her time shelving books. One day she is shocked to see an article in a magazine, it’s about how the Nazis stole or destroyed priceless books from Berlin libraries during WW II, in the article was a photo of a book that was precious to Eva 65 years ago and she never thought she would ever see it again.

Paris 1942, Eva lives happily with her mother Faiga and father Tatus, once the German’s arrive every day life is made more difficult for Jewish citizens and living in Paris is very hard. Despite being warned about a roundup of Jewish people Eva’s parents believe they are safe and one night during a raid only Tatus is taken into custody. Tatus has told Eva what to do if something happens to him, she’s to contact a man her father has organized to help her, he’s nervous, and he gives her some papers and makes her leave.

Eva and her mother escape to a little town called Aurignon in the free zone, using their new identity papers she altered and they find a place to stay at a small boarding house. Eva discovers from her desperation to save her mother and leave Paris, she’s has a talent for forgery and she can help others and the French resistance. Her years of watching her father repair type writers, she has learnt to type and she has a unique skill. Give her the correct paper, ink and pens, Eva can easily create fake identity papers, birth certificates, ration cards, travel documents and copy signatures.

Eva's sweet mother has changed by the loss of her husband and she is now an angry, bitter, difficult women and she thinks Eva should be concentrating on trying to save her father. If she helps the resistance group, her mother has a place to stay and she feels like she is doing her part to get back at the Germans and she can’t do anything to help her father.
Eva spends her time at the local church with Pere Clement a priest, Remy a fellow forger and together they create new identities for hundreds of Jewish people escaping to Switzerland. Eva notices that many of the new identities are for young Jewish children who are not escaping with their parents, they are too young to remember their real names and how will anyone, find them when the war ends? Eva comes up with the idea to use a secret code called Fibonacci Sequence that only she and Remy understand, they use an eighteenth century religious book to keep a record of the children’s names and they refer to it as The book Of Lost Names.

Sixty five years later, Eva must face her past to be reunited with her precious book that was taken from a church library during the end of the Second World War and she thought she would never see it again.
The Book of Lost Names, has a dual time line that’s very easy to follow, the story is a about sacrifice, duty, friendship, honor, betrayal and lost love. This is the first book I have read by Kristin Harmel and I look forward to reading The Winemaker’s Wife as it will soon be available in Australia as an eBook and I have pre-ordered it.
What a brilliant book, five stars from me and if you like to read historical WW II fiction I highly recommend The Book of Lost Names. I have shared my review on Goodreads, Twitter, Edelweiss, Kobo and my blog.

The Dry

The Dry by Jane Harper
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley, Jane Harper and Pan Macmillan Australia for my copy of The Dry.
Aaron Falk returns to Kierwarra to attend his best friend Luke Hadler’s funeral, it’s assumed he committed suicide after murdering his wife Karen, son Billy and yet baby Charlotte survived and was found crying in her cot? Twenty years ago Ellie Deacon drowned in Kierwarra, was it really an accident, now four people to die in suspicious circumstances and what are the chances of that happening?
After two years of drought tempers are short in Kierwarra and the atmosphere is tense. Aaron only planned to stay a few days but he begins looking into the death of his childhood mate Luke Hadler and his family and it doesn’t make any sense. Luke got into a bit of trouble as a teen; he grew up, got married and had two kids.
The dry looks at life in a small country town; it’s hot, dusty, boring and has its secrets. Like many towns its surrounded by bush and scrub, you go for a walk and it’s creepy, you jump at any noise, dry grass moving, a twig snaps and you want to run. In Kierwarra things have been covered up, the local police want to close the case, it’s a murder and suicide, and they don’t want some detective from Melbourne snooping around. I really enjoyed The Dry, it has the right amount of that creepy feeling, it keeps you guessing and five stars from me. I have shared my review on Goodreads, Twitter, NetGalley, Australian Amazon and my blog.

Custodian of the Spirits

Custodian of the Spirits by Bronwyn Long Borne
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Fiona Lenihan is newly widowed she has two children Maggie and Caleb to support. Her abusive husband has just passed away, his family is not happy with his choice of wife, a poor Irish immigrant and they make it very clear she’s no longer welcome and will receive no help from them.

Fiona left Ireland due to the potato famine, she didn’t travel all this way to give up easily and she has no family to help her. She’s keen to make a new start, she wants to get away from her in-laws, and she decides the perfect place for this is California. She joins a wagon train, a single woman with two young children set off on a 700 mile journey and it’s an adventure.

We all know hard it was to travel by wagon train across the America; they had to deal with dirt, insects, snakes, illness, changes in the weather, accidents, cross mountains, cross deserts, ration water and are attacked by Indians.

Due to all these hazards and spending a lot of time with her fellow travelers, Fiona makes friends with other women on the wagon train, they all help each other as they have the same goal and that’s to head west. She also notices the handsome wagon master and guide Kier Morgan, he’s taking his parents to Santa Clara Valley and he doesn’t stay in one place for too long.

Custodian of the Spirits is your typical wagon train story, you read about the hardships the pioneers faced, the long trek, lonely graves, discarded belongings, relationship issues between travelers, it has births, deaths and marriages. I enjoyed reading about the blossoming romance between Fiona and Kier and I’m sure it’s not the last we here of them and my guess is there will be a sequel? Quick, easy read and three stars from me. I have shared my review on Goodreads, Twitter, Australian Amazon, NetGalley, Kobo and my my blog.

The Forgotten Heart

The Forgotten Heart by Kate Hewitt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thanks to Bookouture, NetGalley, Kate Hewitt for my copy of The Forgotten Heart.

London 1944, Lily Mather lives with her parents Richard and Carol and her very flirty sister Sophie. The American G.I.’s have arrived; they turn many girls’ heads with their smart uniforms, good looks and nice teeth. Carol invites two soldiers to come for Sunday lunch, Lieutenant Tom Rees and Sergeant Matthew Lawson and both are paratroopers. Lily likes quiet Matthew and flirty Sophie falls for handsome Tom.
Everyone in London is weary, they desperately want the war to be over and the arrival of the Yanks means the allies are getting ready for the big push. The effects of the war have taken its toll, London is drab, so many buildings have been damaged, everyone is tired, thin due to food restrictions, wearing worn out clothes and nights are spend sleeping the Anderson shelter in the backyard.

Present day America, Abby lives with her dad at Willow Tree farm in Ashford Wisconsin, they grow apples, make apple cider and have a little road side shop. Abby is 33, she likes the solitude of the farm, it's a quiet life and she's happy being single. One day she is contacted by Englishman Simon Elliot, he has a medal from WW II a purple heart given to him by his grandmother Sophie and he thinks it belongs to Abby’s Grandfather?

Together they try to solve the mystery behind the two medals and discover relationship between their relatives during WW II. Abby hasn’t dated anyone in years and she’s very attracted to Simon. But he’s only staying in America over the summer break, he wants to write a book about English war brides and she’s concerned he might be using her and her family to gather information for his book?

The book really picked up the pace when the paratroopers were dropped into France and five practice jumps isn’t the same as the real thing. The plane fight to France on D Day was a long, with jittery and nervous men and jumping out of a plane carrying a heavy pack with flak and under fire was scary. The battle of the Bulge heightened the tension between Matthew and Tom; it also changed soldiers’ relationships with the Mather girls.

The Forgotten Heart is a heartbreaking story with a dual time line and it works well. Its a story about WW II, courage, duty, friendship, hope and the heavy weight people carry for years due to guilt and secrets.
I loved it, its a unique WW II historical fiction book, a must read and five stars from me.
I have shared my review on Goodreads, NetGalley, Twitter and my blog.

What Only We Know

What Only We Know by Catherine Hokin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Magarethe and Paul Elfmann owned one of Berlins most successful fashion houses; they ignored the unpleasantness of Hitler rising to popularity and the Nazi parties anti Jewish ideas. They dressed the highest ranking officer’s wives in their beautiful gowns; they held fashion parades and toasted their success with champagne. Their daughter Liese, was always in the background and her parents were too caught up fashion and designing beautiful dresses to be bothered raising a child and she’s now a teenager. They ignored what was going on around them and of course they lost their house, their money was seized and business closed. Liese had to take care of her parents who had no idea how to survive living in a grungy ghetto apartment and they finally discovered how much they needed her.

Forty years later, Karen Cartwright is called home to nurse her ailing father Andrew, she and her father have never been close. Karen’s mother Elizabeth passed away years ago, after the loss of her mother Karen found her father to be distant and cold. Once it’s decided that Andrew can’t live alone at home anymore and he must sell his house to pay for the nursing home. Karen has the task of emptying her father’s house, while going through his things she remembers her mother’s jewelry box and starts looking for it. Once she finds it she discovers an old photograph and a stranger’s tattered love letter to her mother and it was posted from Germany after WW II finished. As a young girl Karen struggled to understand why her mother spent a lot of time in bed, she had no friends, no relatives and she always seemed scared. Karen assumed the person her mother was scared of was her father Andrew and when her mother committed suicide Karen blamed her father for her mother’s death.

Karen had no idea when you dig up the past, do it gently with a care for the living and that’s exactly what happened. What Only We Know has a dual timeline that goes between Berlin during WW II, England and Berlin in the 1990’s. As Karen delves into her mother’s past, she discovers many secrets, including her mothers real name and her father Andrew was not at all the villain that she has always thought he was and was in fact her mother’s savior.
Thanks to NetGalley, Catherine Hokin for my digital copy of her new book, all opinions expressed in this review are my own and I gave the book four stars. I have shared my review on Goodreads, NetGalley, Twitter, Australian Amazon and my blog.

Exile Music

Exile Music by Jennifer Steil
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

1930’s Vienna, Orlita lives with her parents Jakob, her mother Julia and her older brother Willi they have a beautiful family home, her father plays the viola in the Philharmonic orchestra and her mother is a talented opera singer. Orly has never known anything other than love from her parents, extended family and her best friend Anneliese. Her parents have tried to keep her childhood free from the looming shadow of Hitler and his anti Jewish ideas. Orly spends her days at school and in her free time she and Anneliese make up stories about bunny rabbits and fairy tales.

In 1938, Orly's family’s life is changed when the Germans arrive, as we know Jewish people lost their homes, their jobs, children couldn’t go to school, they couldn’t catch public transport or even go for a walk in a park. Willi leaves Vienna first; Jakob knows he must get Julia and Orly out of Vienna while he can. Getting passports and visas is a long expensive process and they manage to find a way out of Vienna, but they have to travel to Bolivia in South America. The Jewish refugees in the small community all help each other, but the family is worried about Willi, the other family members left behind and for years they receive no news. While Orly and her Jakob adapt to living in the mountains, they get over altitude sickness, Julia is depressed and refuses to sing.
It’s amazing how quickly children adjust Orly makes friends, with a boy called Miguel, and she learns Spanish. Eventually the war ends, the news about family members they left behind in Vienna is grim and this makes Julia a bitter and very angry woman. Orly is shocked to discover what her mother does and she keeps it a secret from her father.
Exile Music, is a historical saga, it’s based around Orly growing up in Bolivia, during the war years and after the war finished. Orly studies at university, she falls in love, she marries and starts a family. It’s a story about, friendship, family, hope, loss and love. I gave the book four stars, I was going to give it five stars until I read the ending, I didn't like it at all and that's my opinion. I will share my review on Goodreads, Edelweiss, Twitter, Amazon Australia and my blog.

Blog for Bucks

Thanks to Jacqueline Bodnar and Edelweiss for my digital copy of Blog for Bucks. I have a blog, but I desperately need some clear, easy to understand advice and I don’t really know what I’m doing. I need to learn the basics, how to keep my blog active, ways to promote it, how often should I post and of course how not to get sued and I had never considered the legal side to blogging and things like copy rights. If I continue to use the blog I have I now, I’m basically wasting my time and I need to makes some major changes. I’m not sure if I will ever make an income from my blog, but I would like to share my knowledge, skills that I have with my fellow readers. Thanks to Jacqueline’s advice, reading about her own experiences, tips and methods I feel more confident in changing what I’m currently doing and moving forward. I enjoyed reading her book, I gave it 4 stars, I have shared my review on Goodreads, Edelweiss, Amazon Australia, Twitter any my current soon to be changed blog.

The German Heiress

The German Heiress by Anika Scott
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Clara Falkenberg, was once Germany’s most eligible and richest heiress and during World War II she took over operating her family’s iron works empire. It’s been nearly two years since the war ended; Clara has been in hiding using a false name and she now calls herself Margarete Muller. Post war Germany was a mess, it was easy for Clara to get false documents and change her name. Like everyone living in Germany she had lost weight, her clothes were worn, she stopped coloring her hair blond and she no longer resembled the rich young women she once was. She decides to return home to Essen, to find her best friend Elisa, she’s also curious to know if the family mansion is still standing and what happened to her mother Anne?

She has no idea she’s been under investigation herself for committing possible war crimes by Captain Thomas Fenshaw, he knows about her fake identity, her father has been arrested awaiting trial and the determined English officer wants to apprehend her as well. Clara manages to escape from Thomas Fenshaw, she continues on her journey to Essen and on the way she encounters Jakob Relling. He’s a handsome ex German soldier who lost a leg fighting the Russians, and he’s now working on the black market and is also searching for Elisa. Clara and Jakob decide to join forces and try to find Elisa and also what happened to Elisa young son Willy?

Clara was rather naïve, when she took over running her father’s factory she tried to help the starving people being forced to work and when she fled she had no idea what happened to them after she left. Was she a war criminal or a gullible young woman operating her family’s business due to deception, lies, betrayal, and infidelity that she knew nothing about and had been hidden from her?

I enjoyed reading The German Heiress it’s an interesting story, it looks at WW II from the German point of view, and it’s full of twist, turns and many surprises. Thanks to Edelweiss for my digital copy, I gave the book five stars, I have shared my review on Edelweiss, Goodreads, Twitter, Australian Amazon and my blog.

The Yellow Bird Sings

The Yellow Bird Sings by Jennifer Rosner
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Poland 1941, Roza and her daughter Shira hide in a hayloft in a neighbor’s barn, they’re desperate, they don’t know what else to do or where else to go? Shira is five, she’s confused, and her dad Natan has disappeared, her grandparents as well and she now she can’t go home?

They stay hiding in the cold dirty barn for over a year, they are given food by the farmer’s wife Krystyna and the owner of the farm Henryk wants much more from Roza so they can stay. How far would you go to save your child, keep them safe and quiet? Roza invents a made up story based around a little yellow bird to keep Shira occupied, it’s has a musical element and Shira's family come from a musical background and she loves the tale.
It gets too dangerous for the mother and daughter to stay in the barn. It’s arranged for Shira to be hidden in a convent, her name is changed to Zosia and her hair is bleached blond to make her look less Jewish.

Roza decides her only option is to hide in the woods, Henryk has explained what mushrooms, roots and berries are safe for her to eat. He also shows her how to hide her foot prints; soon she’s cold, filthy, hungry, gaunt and lonely and misses Shira.
The one thing that keeps Roza going is her plan to be reunited with Shira as soon as she can and the knowledge her daughter is safe and she knows where she is.

Zosia is safe at the convent the nuns are nice to her, she misses her mother desperately, she starts having violin lessons and she’s extremely talented. Of course it’s dangerous times during a war and nothing lasts forever. Between the German soldiers constantly searching the convent for hidden Jewish children and the Russian army arriving in town, the convent is forced to evacuate when the town is bombed.
Roza and Shira are separated by war, but nothing can break the bond between a mother and her daughter. Based around true stories of Jewish children being hidden during WW II, The Yellow Bird Sings by Jennifer Rosner is an inspiring, heart breaking and beautifully written book.

I read it in a day, thanks to Pan Macmillan Australia for my copy and five stars from me. I have shared my review on Goodreads, Amazon Australia, NetGalley, Twitter and my blog.

In A Field of Blue

In a Field of Blue by Gemma Liviero
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

England 1922, Rudy receives word from his mother she wants him to return immediately from London to the family estate Lakeland Manor, he’s very worried as his mother hasn’t been coping well with the loss of her husband and her older son Edgar during WW I. A strange French woman Mariette, has just turned up on his mothers doorstep, clamming to his late brothers Edgar’s wife and with her she has her four year old son Samuel and Edgar is his father? Edgar has always been his mother’s favorite son, he was listed as missing in action in 1918, four years after the war ended they still have no idea what happened to him and now this? Peggy the family’s maid puts his shaken mother to bed and Mariette and Samuel stay and Rudy tries to work out what’s going on.

Of course the family has their doubts, the war has been over for four years, why did Mariette wait so long to contact them and she informs them she had to save money for the trip? She has a marriage certificate, a photo of Edgar and no one can confirm her story, it’s all rather vague and parts of it don’t add up.

If it’s true, if Mariette did marry Edgar, it will change things for the entire family, as Samuel would inherit Lakeland and not Laurence. Laurence is the middle son, he’s inherited an estate with a lot of problems as his father had been living beyond his means, they’re still sorting out his debts and the family had no idea about this until his death. Samuel's existence threatening his claim to the family inheritance doesn’t sit well with Lawrence, he’s not happy and he’s also not a nice person. Mariette disappears along with most of his mother’s jewelry, Edgar is concerned for her safety and he’s worried that Laurence may have done something to get rid of her and why did she leave Samuel behind?

Rudy decides to retrace Mariette’s trip, he decides to travel to France and find her, he’s determined to also find out what happened to his brother and solve both mysteries. He’s shocked when he arrives in France, the damage and destruction to property and its people is more than he could ever have imagined.
I must admit this wasn’t my favorite book by Gemma Liviero however the story does pick up when Rudy arrives in France, you learn more about each character in more detail, it has many interesting layers as you discover more about, Edgar, Mariette and Rudy.

Rudy has always looked up to his older brother Edgar, now he thinks his brother may still be alive, a deserter and why hasn’t he come home? In A Field of Blue it highlights the lasting effects and horror of what soldiers endured during WW I. The story is also about hidden secrets, family’s expectations, duty and forbidden love. I gave the book four stars; I have shared my review on Goodreads, Australian Amazon, Twitter and my blog.

The Book of Lost Friends

The Book of Lost Friends by Lisa Wingate
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Hannie Gossett is a young eight year old girl caught up in a terrible situation, she’s waiting to be sold in a slave pen, and she has slowly witnessed her entire family been torn apart by greed and slavery. Her mother Mittie, her Aunt Jenny, her brothers, sisters and cousins had all been sold and scattered all over the country as they reluctantly traveled west. Her mama told her to never to forget her family, she gave each of them a little sack with three blue glass beads to link them together forever and to remember how much she loved them all.

Louisiana 1875, Hannie is still plagued by terrible nightmares of her entire family being sold; she desperately wants to find them, she has been working hard as a sharecropper and she should own the land in a years time. She finds herself saving two two young women from awful fate and Missy and Juneau Jane are both connected to a southern plantation called Goswood Grove House in Augustine. The girls are half sisters; both share the same father William Gossett and have different mothers. The three girls embark on a dangerous journey traveling to Texas; the two sisters want to find their father, to determine which one of them will inherit his plantation and Hannie wants to know if she owns the land she has been working hard to earn for almost 10 years.

After the end of the American Civil War, so many former slaves wanted to desperately find their families and relatives that had being sold and scattered all over the south. Most had very little information about where their parents, husbands, wives, children, brothers and sisters could be. The Lost Friends advertisements appeared in newspapers, black preachers would read out the columns in churches in the South, it was one way of trying to find members of families torn apart by slavery and finally reunite them.

Louisiana 1987, Benedetta Silva is a young teacher, she needs to pay her student loan and she’s employed to teach at a poor school in Augustine. Her students are stuck in the cycle of poverty, they often miss school and much to Benny's horror they’re sent to school hungry. They find Benny’s lessons boring she needs a way to get through to these kids; the school has little resources and especially books. She contacts Nathan Gossett her reluctant landlord, about using the books she discovers left abandoned in a library in an old plantation house he inherited. Once she, Nathan and her students start to delve into the past, they discover long lost links between the old plantation, residents of Augustine and their teenage children.

The Book of Lost Friends has a dual timeline its goes between 1875 and 1987 at first I found it very confusing, I wasn’t sure if I would like the book at all and I decided to keep reading. I’m glad I did, as once it’s was all linked together at the end of the story it all makes sense and you understand why Lisa Wingate used two timelines. Its a story about slavery, loss, separation, family, love and a new generation discovering hope. I gave the book four stars, I have shared my review on Goodreads, NetGalley, Edelweiss, Twitter, Australian Amazon and my blog.

The Prisoner's Wife

The Prisoner's Wife by Maggie Brookes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In 1944, Izabela is living on the family farm in Vrazne in Czechoslovakia, with her mother and little brother Marek. Her father has left the farm with her older brother Jan and are both fighting with the Czechoslovakia resistance. One day there’s a knock on the door, it’s a Nazi Officer they nickname Captain Oily and he’s organized prisoners of war to help harvest the families hay. The following morning five POW’s along with a guard arrive at the farm, its hard work swinging a scythe and it’s hot. Izzy and her mum notice how thin all the POW’s are, they give them food, water and the guard doesn’t care if they eat or not!

Bill an English soldier and Izzy quickly fall in love, it’s basically love at first sight and Izzy’s mum is very concerned about her daughters welfare. Ezabela’s mum needs to leave the farm to help a relative who is having a baby, Bill and Izzy have made secret plans to marry, once married they plan to escape and leave. They make the choice to hit the road, the plan is for Izzy to dress as a boy, change her name to Cousins and pretend she is mute. It doesn’t take long for the couple to realize that life on the road is going to be hard; Izzy misses her family, they need to hide, walk when they can and are sleeping rough. Izzy and Bill are soon captured, the guards use tracking dogs to find them, there taken to a POW work camp, if anyone discovers Izzy true gender she could be shot as a spy, she’s very vulnerable and nervous.

Fellow prisoners help to keep her identity a secret, as it’s exhausting for Bill to do this alone and they make friends among their fellow inmates. The story is based on how the captured group of POW’s survive being prisoners of war deep in German territory, together they face many hardship, forced to do back breaking hard labor, being constantly hungry, freezing cold, they become filthy, sick, infested with lice, moved from one camp to another and being sent on dangerous long death marches. Despite all the challenges, Bill and Izzy’s love for one other never changes and it grows stronger. The friendships they make with their fellow POW’s, and the unbreakable bond formed between them all, how they all look after each other is truly inspiring and a tribute to humanity.
Based on a true story, The Prisoner’s Wife by Maggie Brookes is a brilliant historical fiction book, I highly recommend reading it and I gave it five stars. I have shared my review on Edelweiss, Goodreads, Twitter and my blog.

The Queen's Secret

The Queen's Secret: A Novel of England's World War II Queen by Karen Harper
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In 1923, Elizabeth Angela Margurite Bowes-Lyon married the Albert Fredrick Arthur George the Duke of York, the second son of King George V and Queen Mary. His older brother Edward was destined to be the king of England until he fell in love and married the divorcee Wallis Simpson, he had to abdicate the throne and his younger brother George became the king.

In 1936, when George became the king of England, he had no idea that three years later he and Winston Churchill would be united in defending England from the Germans and Hitler. On the 11th of September 1939 the British Empire declared war on Nazi Germany and both countries were at war yet again. Queen Elizabeth supported her husband during the war years; she visited troops, hospitals, factories all while being a loving mother to her daughters Elizabeth and Margaret. The royal family shared the same hardships as the common people, rationing, water restrictions, Buckingham Palace was damaged during a bombing raid and the royal couple spent most nights at Windsor Castle. Elizabeth was famously quoted as one of the “Most Dangerous Women in Europe” by Hitler himself and we all think of her as the sweet elderly queen mother with a gentle smile.

The details of Queens Elizabeth’s place of birth are rather vague; she was born on the 4th of August 1900 and was her family keeping a secret of exactly where she born and why? Or is it because at the time many children were born at home and paperwork wasn’t as through as it is today and nothing was covered up at all?

The whole story of Edward abdicating the throne and being removed from his Royal duties creates a lot of interest. Were all fascinated by the Royal family and it has to be one of the most famous families in the world. Queen Elizabeth was the matriarch of her family, she supported her husband during WW II, when he died she supported her daughter Elizabeth when she became the Queen of England. Karen Harper uses theories regarding the queen mother’s parentage and her relationship with her husband Bertie in her latest book and some of story seemed a little farfetched to me?

However I did enjoy reading The Queen's Secret, especially about the Queen’s achievements, how she supported her husband, her country during WW II and her relationship with her two daughters Elizabeth and Margaret Rose. I gave the book four stars and thanks to Edelweiss for my ARC. I have shared my review on Goodreads, Edelweiss, Twitter and my blog.

The Paris Secret

The Paris Secret by Natasha Lester
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley, Hachette Australia and Natasha Lester for my copy of: The Paris Secret.

Cornwall, 1928 Vanessa Penrose is a bohemian free spirit, she enjoys holding parties, she’s a fortune teller and she can fly a gypsy moth plane. She is also a mother of two young daughters Skye and Liberty. The girls are very different Skye is kind, caring and very active girl. Liberty is the type of sister who would pour water on your mattress just to get back at you for doing something she didn’t like and she’s nasty. The Girls have to deal with being illegitimate; you can imagine what school was like for both of them and being born on the wrong side of the blanket in 1928.

Skye loved exploring the beach, it’s has little rock pools full of little crustaceans and she collects sea shells. One day she meets Nicolas Crawford, he’s an American boy, he’s staying with his Aunt Sophie because his mother isn’t coping, once he’s old enough he will be sent back to America, attend a private school and go to Harvard. He loves the freedom of being with Skye in Cornwall they have fun together, exploring the beach, going swimming in their underwear and they soon become best friends. When Nicolas has to return to America they’re both very upset they promise to keep in touch and write to each other.

England, 1939 Skye Penrose is a talented stunt pilot and she wants to help the British war effort and she joins the Air Transport Auxiliary. She’s rather annoyed with the regulations and rules for female pilots and prejudice. Despite her log book being better than most male pilots, she’s stuck flying open cockpit planes to Scotland, not allowed to use any navigation equipment, no radio, she has to use maps and she's basically flying blind. Skye and her fellow pilots, Pauline, Rose and Joan move over two thousand planes around England, providing a vital service as all male pilots are needed to defend the British skies and bombing raids.

England, 1942 Skye is transferred to Lavesden where she bumps into her sister Liberty she hasn’t changed a bit and is still her usual difficult self. Her long lost friend Nicholas Crawford is there he’s engaged to a mysterious Frenchwoman called Margaux Jourdan and this makes Skye feel upset. Nicholas’s and his best friend O’Farrell are pilots for the American Eagle Squadron. It’s all very secretive what they do, they fly to France, dropping off weapons, radio parts and operatives to help the French resistance. They’re actually involved in the Special Operations Squadron, eventually Skye becomes a Secret Operation Executive, women were used towards the end of the war as they were less obvious than healthy men and they played a vital role.

Paris, 1947 Designer Christian Dior unveils his first collection of hauteur conjure gowns, no more world war II restrictions about how much fabric he can use in a skirt of a gown and he decides to introduce his new look to the world. He also creates a fragrance, called Miss Dior, a tribute to his sister, Catherine or Caro, who worked for the French resistance and spent time in the horrible camp concentration Ravensbruck.

Present day, Australian fashion conservator Kat Jourdan discovers a wardrobe filled with priceless Dior gowns in her grandmother's empty cottage in Cornwall and she's puzzled. It’s a treasure trove of beautiful dresses, why does her grandmother have these rare, expensive gowns locked away in a remote cottage and she’s determined to find out why? Kat’s mother Nicolette passed away years ago, she has always had a close relationship with her grandmother Margaux Jourdan and she's determined to solve the mystery, Kat begins to doubt everything she knew about her beloved grandmother past. Single mum Kat meets the handsome Elliott Beaufort in London, he’s writes biographies, he’s trying to solve a mystery himself, together they discover what happened in the past, the terrible betrayal that occurred during WW II that binds them together and one that Kat didn’t see coming.

The Paris Secret has a dual timeline, I had no trouble following it, I read the book very slowly as I didn't want the story to end or miss a vital clue. An incredible heartbreaking detailed masterpiece about, love, fashion, secrets, sacrifice, how far people will go to hide their painful past and can love last the test of time?
Five big stars from me, I have shared my review on Goodreads, NetGalley, Australian Amazon, Twitter and my blog.

Paris Never Leaves You

Paris Never Leaves You by Ellen Feldman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thank so much to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster Australia and Ellen Feldman for my copy of: Paris Never Leaves You.
In occupied France, Charlotte Foret, is a young widow and she has an eighteen month old daughter called Vivienne. Charlotte and her best friend Simone run a bookshop together, they both have young children, they take it in turns watching the shop and waiting in the endless lines for food.
Life in Paris during WW II is difficult, food is scarce, everyone is hungry and scared of the German soldiers.
A German doctor Julian Bauer starts visiting the bookstore, Charlotte is a nervous wreck when he's in the shop, the Germans have a list of banned books, it's called the Otto list and with so many books in the shop it's possible for one of the banned books to be still on the shelves or someone wanting revenge could plant one?

The book has a dual timeline, it goes between wartime in occupied France and New York in the 1950's. It works really well and I had no trouble with following the story.

New York 1950's, Charlotte is now living in the America, she has been sponsored by Horace and Hannah Field. Horace owns a publishing company, he's a returned soldier and Charlotte works for his company reading book manuscripts.
Vivi is now 14, she's doing well at school, she has friends, she's healthy and looks like your typical American teenager. But, Charlotte is struggling, her daughter has started asking questions about her dad Laurent, do they have any relatives living in France, why don't they celebrate traditional Jewish customs and holidays?
Charlotte is a nervous wreck, she did things during the war to survive and years later she still doesn't feel safe.

All four major characters in the story have secrets, Charlotte, Julian, Horace and Hannah.
Paris Never Leaves You is a story about choices a mother made for her and her daughter to survive WW II.
I loved the book, the story sets a great pace and it keeps you guessing right until the very end.
If you enjoy WW II Historical Fiction, read Paris Never Leaves You, I really liked the book and I gave it five stars. I have shared my review on Goodreads, NetGalley, Twitter, Australian Amazon and my blog.

Daughter of The Reich

Daughter of the Reich by Louise Fein
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Daughter of the Reich takes place in Germany during the 1930’s, life is good for the Heinrich family and they have just moved into a beautiful house in Leipzig. Hetty's father is a busy man, Hetty, her mother and her brother Karl don’t question what the head of the household is up to, he works hard for their family and very long days.
Hetty attends school at the local gymnasium, here she’s taught what every teenage German girl needs to know, the curriculum has been changed and it’s all about making Germany great again and they're being brainwashed.

Hetty starts to have doubts, she maybe a spoiled teenage girl, but she can’t understand why Jewish people are being treated so badly and she knows some nice Jewish families. Hetty almost drowned when she was eight her brother’s best friend Walter saved her and he is Jewish. But Karl, cuts all ties with Walter, his childhood friend is shunned and he’s no longer welcome at their house. Hetty also learns the shocking truth about her father’s job he’s working for the SS and how he obtained the house the family is living in.

The brown shirts start targeting innocent Jewish people, including children and older people. Their property is taken from them, they are bashed in the street, publicly humiliated, charged a fortune to try to get a passport and to leave the country.
It’s very interesting to read about the German perspective as they head towards fighting in another world war, its scary what they think is necessary and right.
Hitler had a plan for human progression, it’s not just Jewish people he wanted to eliminate, he wanted to create a super race, of pure Aryan blood, he believed this will stop crime, hereditary diseases, insanity and create scientific advancement. Hetty is horrified to discover her father also believes this, he thinks Hetty should marry a German man and produce perfect blond haired blue eyed pure Aryan babies.
Hetty has major issues with what her father wants her to do, she hopes to finish school and dreams of being a doctor, she doesn’t want to be used as a German brood mare and she has fallen in love with Walter, he is of course Jewish and every time they meet they risk being arrested.

I couldn’t stop reading Daughter of The Reich, the book is very different to other WW II historical fiction I have read and I really liked it. The story is about two young people trying to go against the Nazi tide, finding the courage to keep going as they fight to survive and try desperately to be together. I gave the book five starts, I have shared my review on Goodreads, Edelweiss, Twitter and my blog.

In The Shadow Of The Storm

In the Shadow of the Storm by Ella Zeiss
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley, Amazon Publishing UK, Ella Zeiss for my copy of her book: In The Shadow Of The Storm.

German settlement in the Crimean village in the 1930’s, the sound of a car engine is enough to make Anna Scholz start to worry, when she notices three armed men sitting in the car are from the PCFIA she knows it’s going to end badly and she hears shouting coming from her neighbours house. Pastor Friedrich Hamann is dragged out and he doesn’t resist and he hopes his daughter Rita remains hidden. Of course they find her, they can’t be bothered taking the little girl to an orphanage, they leave her behind and Anna takes her in.
Sure enough the Scholz are all arrested next, Anna, Wilhelm, Erich, Yvo and Rita Hamann. They spend days on a crowed train headed to a labour camp, when they arrive their dirty, tired and starving. The family is separated, they don’t have the right clothes or shoes to survive the freezing winter and it takes its toll on the children’s health.

Their friends the Pfeiffer’s, do a moonlight flit to safety, they soon discover they can run but their past will follow them and of course it’s does. For years both families are sent from one place to another, all they own is what they could carry in a suitcases and life is very difficult for them. They moved so many times, I actually lost track of where the two families stayed, how often they moved, I found the story confusing, maybe due to it being translated into English and I didn’t like how the book ended. I gave the book two stars and all thoughts expressed in my review are my own. I have shared my review on Goodreads, NetGalley, Twitter and my blog.

The Vineyards of Champagne

The Vineyards of Champagne by Juliet Blackwell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

France 1916, the German’s fought hard to take the town of Reims, when the French army push them back, the German army start shelling the town nonstop and they totally destroyed it. The town’s residents have no choice but to take shelter and live in the chalky caves that are used to store the areas famous bubbly champagne. Lucie Marechal, her mother and father are all living in the caves, their beautiful home has been destroyed and they have nowhere else to live and its safer underground. The women and children venture out at night to harvest the grapes and they need to stay very close to the ground or they risk being shot at by the German snipers.

In present day, Rosalyn Acosta travels to Champagne to speak to grape growers for her Napa based employer and friend Hugh. Hugh is not just her boss, he was her late husband’s best friend and he has been her rock since her husband Dash passed away. Rosalyn doesn't drink champagne, she’s a red wine girl, she’s not very keen to visit France again and she reluctantly boards the plane. Much to her horror, she’s seated next to a very chatting Australian woman called Emma Kinsley, who’s traveling to France to try and solve the hundred year old mystery of why her great aunt wrote letters to a young French soldier during the Great War?

Emma quickly offers Rosalyn a job translating the letters after she discovers she hates her job, but she refuses, she can't let Hugh down and while Emma is sleeping on the long flight she can’t help but start reading and translating them. She and Emma both end up staying in the same village called Cochet in the Champagne region, they set out to solve the mystery of why Doris a widow living in Australia would be writing to a much younger man Emile fighting in WW I in France?

While walking one morning Rosalyn meets a very grumpy local man called Jerome Comtois, he could be the one to help put the clues enclosed in the faded letters together, Emma thinks so, she needs to gain his trust and then access to his library? As the story develops, Rosalyn’s walls she has created around herself begin to crumble, you start to see glimpses of the happy young woman she once was, a newly married artist and a talented painter.

The Vineyards of Champagne, has a dual timeline, it works well and it’s easy to follow. It’s a story about war, grief, loss, love, making new friends and solving a hundred year old mystery. I’m a chatty Australian woman, I loved clumsy Emma and she made me laugh. I enjoyed reading about the French countryside, the yummy food, the never ending varieties of bread, wineries, how champagne is made, stored, age old traditions and celebrations. I gave the book five stars and I highly recommend reading it. I have shared my review on Goodreads, Barnes & Noble, Australian Amazon, Twitter and my blog.

When We Were Brave

When We Were Brave by Suzanne Kelman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and Suzanne Kelman for my copy of: When We Were Brave.

When Sophie Hamilton attends an exhibition of WW II memorabilia in London, she notices a photo of a woman who holds a striking resemblance to both her and her late mother Alice. Her family estate is in Cornwall, her great uncle Tom still lives there with his daughter Jean, she decides to pay them a visit and solve the mystery. Her uncle has dementia, so it’s left to her cousin Jean to explain to Sophie that the family had a very black sheep, her name was Vivienne Hamilton, and her name had never been mention for over 75 years?

During WW II in England many large country houses were used as hospitals and places where wounded soldiers could receive medical treatment and convalesce. The Hamilton family home in Cornwall was one of them, Vivienne worked in the hospital, she helped a wounded Nazi officer Marcus Vonstein escape, they both fled by boat to France and her family never saw her again. Her family in Cornwall copped a lot of abuse from locals about Vivi being a traitor to her country, once the gossip eventually stopped, it was easier for her family to never mention her name and they didn’t.

After Sophie visited her cousin Jean, she realizes the old photograph doesn’t fit with her family’s story, as it shows Vivi leaving an address associated with a spy network in London, a place she had no reason to be, and it is dated right before she disappeared with the German Soldier. The family had no idea that Vivi had trained and worked as a special operation executive in France for a month. After her first mission was a disaster, when she returned to England she was told she didn’t have what it took to be a spy, so she went home to Cornwall and offered to help at the hospital.

Sophie Hamilton life is falling apart, her relationship with her partner Matt is strained, and he’s become very distant and can barely call her back! The reason there having issues is because their baby daughter Emily and her mother Alice were tragically killed in a car accident the year before. Both Sophie and Matt are struggling to cope and being together reminds them of what they have both lost. When Sophie finds out what Matt’s really up to she decides to have a holiday, go to France and try to solve the mystery about her why her Great Aunt Vivienne left England all those years ago and why did she help a Nazi soldier escape?

Sophie travels to France and Germany, nothing can prepare her for what she’s about to uncover. Her great Aunts story and Marcus Vonstein’s, is very complicated, it’s about WW II, love, betrayal, heartache, bravery, sacrifice and both being spies. Sophie is determined to clear her Aunts Vivienne’s name, she also comes to terms with what has happened in her own life and she can begin to take small steps to find love again.

I loved When We Were Brave, I gave it five stars, I have read the authors previous book called A View Across The Rooftops and both are very powerful heartbreaking stories.
I have shared my review on Goodreads, NetGalley, Australian Amazon, Twitter and my blog.

The Light After The War

The Light After the War by Anita Abriel
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster Australia and Anita Abriel for my copy of her book: The Light After The War.
Vera Frankel and Edith Ban are best friends they grew up happily together in Hungary, WW II started and the girls lives are forever changed. Before they know it, the two girls and their mothers Alice and Lily are traveling on a train on it's way to Auschwitz. The girls mothers have a plan, they decide to trick the guard by getting him drunk, steal his keys and get the girls off the train. They push the girls off the moving train, the girls make their way to Dunkel's farm in Hallstatt and spend a year hiding in the barn. After the war ends they try to find their families with no leads, they assume their mothers didn't survive Auschwitz and Vera's father died at the work camp he was sent to? Vera gets a reference from the nice Captain Allan Bingham, the girls move to Naples to find work and stay with Signora Rosa and she's like a second mother to the young women.

Edith is flighty she seems more interested in having fun, flirting and getting out of bed in the morning is an effort. Edith is really trying to numb the pain of not hearing from her fiance Stefan and in her heart she knows she is never going to see him again. Vera gets a job working at the American Embassy, her boss is the handsome Captain Anton Wright, they fall in love and get engaged.

Both girls have lost so much, their parents, friends, relatives and only have each other. When Anton suddenly leaves her Vera experiences yet another loss and how much can she take? The girls get a chance to travel to America, of course nothing goes as planned, they end up stranded on Ellis Island and the only place they can go is Venezuela.

Here Vera meets Ricardo Albee, he's a car sales man, he's smitten with Vera, they get married and he's rather creepy. Edith starts her own fashion design business, she has issues with money and almost goes bankrupt.

I'm sorry but this is when the story gets a bit far fetched for me, I thought the story would be about how the mothers and daughters found themselves traveling on a cattle train bound for Auschwitz and how Vera and Edith survived the war? Yes they stayed on a farm for a year, but that's it, no real details, the rest of the story is about the young ladies going from country to country and their romantic interests. Not what I expected at all, I did enjoy reading about the girls friendship, yes they were very close and looked out for each other. I gave the book three stars and all opinions expressed in the review are my own. I have shared my review on Goodreads, NetGalley, Twitter and my blog.

The Outcast Girls

The Outcast Girls by Shirley Dickson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and Shirley Dickson for my copy of: The Outcast Girls.
England, in 1939: After the death of their parents Sandra and Alf Hudson grow up in an orphanage called Blakely Hall, all children have to leave and find a job when they turn fifteen. When it's Sandra's turn to find a employment, she's given a job working for the Kirton's as a housemaid and she soon discovers that she was much safer at the orphanage. Luckily the cook Olive Goodwin, has been kind to Sandra, she offers her a place to stay, until she finds another job and Sandra joins The Women's Land Army.

Germany, in 1939: Eleven year old Frieda Sternberg and her brother Kurt are about to board a ship to take them from Holland to England. After the night of broken glass, their father decides to get his Jewish children out of Germany and to safety in England. At the last minute Kurt jumps ship, poor Frieda has to travel to England on her own and she doesn't speak a word of English. She's given a home by a widow called Mrs Doris Leadbeater, she's kind and Frieda calls her Aunty Doris. She the postmistress in a little town called Leadburn, here Frieda attends the local primary school and she's bullied terribly by the other children for being a German.

England, in 1943: Both girls meet, when Sandra joins The Land Army and is sent to Leadburn. The girls grow very close, due to both having difficult childhoods and they are true kindred spirits. Frieda is worried about Kurt, her parents and her grandmother in Germany and she has no contact with them since she left Germany in 1939. It takes it's toll on her mentally, she has a terrible time and she stops eating. Sandra worries about her brother Alf, he joined the air force and he's listed as missing in action. Sandra has issues due to growing up in the orphanage, she feels all alone in the world, she struggles socially and she's also illiterate.

I enjoyed The Outcast Girls, it's a story about how two lost and lonely young women form a strong friendship, how being good friends helps both of them get through the difficult war years. The girls are very lucky to find each other and have two caring women who step up and guide them through their teenage years. I loved the characters of Aunty Doris, Olive Goodwin and Matthew Carlton, I really enjoyed reading The Outcast Girls and I gave it four stars.
I have shared my review on Goodreads, NetGalley, Barnes & Noble, Twitter and my blog.

Salt The Snow

Salt the Snow by Carrie Callaghan
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and Edelweiss for my copy of: Salt The Snow.
Milly Bennett was an American journalist in the 1930's, she covered stories about murders in San Francisco, fires in Hawaii and the civil war in China. During the American depression she moved to Russia to work for the Moscow Daily News, here she spends most of her trying to keep warm, drinking lots of vodka, trying not to get herself in trouble with the NKVD and marries her second husband Evgeni Ivanovich or he's know as Zhenya.

Most of Salt The Snow takes part in Russia, life is hard, it's freezing cold, living conditions are packed, shared bathrooms and horrible food. When Milly's husband Zhenya is arrested and convicted of engaging in immoral behavior and homosexuality. Milly continues to work at the paper, the rest of her time is spent waiting in endless lines, trying to find out where her husband is being kept, hoping he gets the food she delivers and keeping his mum Olga informed of how her son is faring in such a terrible circumstances. He's finally sentenced to three years of hard labour in a camp called Novosibirsk, at first Milly is hopeful, three years isn't that long, then his mail gets less and less? When her most recent letter arrives back it's marked return to sender and no such person? Milly is very upset, she knows for sure she will never see Zhenya again, she's fired from her job and she's decides to leave Russia.

Milly nervously caught a train, she leaves Moscow, makes her way to Leningrad, once she gets past the Finnish border she's safe and she arrives in France. After spending three weeks in France she decides to go to Spain and continue working as a war correspondent. In Madrid she witnesses heavy fighting, soldiers dying, their terrible wounds and suffering of the local people. While at the hospital she meets Dr Hermann Muller again, he's a doctor of genetics but during a war it's all hands on deck. Milly used two things to make herself feel better, one was booze and the other was sex! Of course she has an intimate relationship with Dr Muller, it ends badly and he thinks it's just another fling?

Milly was a woman before her time in more ways than one, she drank way too much, she slept with a lot of men, some were married and I lost track of how many times she was legally married.
Salt The Snow is a very different book to what I normally read, I found Milly rather annoying, reading about her living in Russia dragged and I was glad when she left. I found the second half of the book about the Spanish Civil War for more interesting, I wish the story focused more on this and less of what she did in Russia!
That's only my opinion about Russia and Salt The Snow, sorry I didn't like the book and I gave it two stars. I have shared my review on Goodreads, Twitter, NetGalley, Edelweiss and my blog.

Madame Fiocca

Madame Fiocca by Suzy Henderson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Suzy Henderson for giving me the change to read her new book: Madame Fiocca and I enjoyed reading her previous book: The Beauty Shop.

February 1933, when Nancy Wake is sent a cheque by her Aunt Hinemona, she decided to grab the opportunity, leave Australia and move to New York. Nancy was born in New Zealand, her family moved to Australia when she was a toddler, she was the youngest child, she had two older brothers and three older sisters. One day Nancy's dad left for work, he never returned and this made her mother a very bitter and angry woman. Being the youngest, Nancy was the main target of her mothers anger, frustration and she's was mean. Nancy left home at 16, she decided to make her own way in life and her mum told her she would never amount to anything.

Nancy decided to see more of the world, she moves to London and studies journalism. Nancy is friendly, social, enjoys a drink and people like to talk to her. The perfect qualities for a journalist, she starts traveling to Europe on assignments and she meets an older man called Henri Fiocca. He's an industrialist, rich, charming and always seems to have a different beautiful woman hanging off his arm every time Nancy sees him!

Nancy isn't keen to be another of Henri's conquests, but Henri is persistent and soon the sparks are flying between them. Their relationship eventually becomes serious, just as Hitler starts to come to power and Nancy witnesses what the Nazi's do and she's horrified. Nancy and Henri marry, she, Henri and her dog Picon move into their beautiful apartment in Marseille. Nancy soon becomes bored, she starts helping the cause, dropping off notes, catching trains and visiting people. She sees it all as pretty harmless, Henri warns her to be careful, then war starts and Henri is sent his call up papers.

Nancy is determined to help the war effort, she joins the Red Cross as an ambulance driver and she is horrified by what she witnesses. This war is ruthless, women, children and old people are traveling on the French roads trying to get to a safe place are all easy targets. The German planes fly over spraying them with bullets, this makes Nancy sick to the stomach, she hates Hitler and the Nazi's with a burning passion.

A chance encounter with a British officer draws Nancy into the heart of the Garrow escape network and Henri’s is very worried about his wife's safety. Nancy armed with her beauty, style, charm, handbag and red lippie, convinces Henri that the Germans will never suspect her? But, soon she finds herself caught up in a ruthless game of espionage, it's dangerous, she can be betrayed at anytime, she's forced to flee France when she starts to be followed and leaving Henri behind.

Nancy spends five months doing intense training to become a secret agent, soon she's on a plane called the Liberator and being dropped by a silk parachute into France. Nancy becomes a freedom fighter, she joins the French resistance, here they form units, train in using all kinds of weapons, the plan is to drive the Germans army crazy, create a diversion, take out as many soldiers as they can and cause mayhem. Nancy Wake ends up being one of the most wanted women in history, the German army had a million Franc's as a reward for her capture during WW II and her story is real one.

Nancy Wake is a true heroine, she had many titles, her husband Henri called her Nannie, she had various code names and one being Madame Andree. The German's called her the White Mouse, she outwitted them, they underestimated her, she was ruthless, cunning, strong, brave, she wanted France to be free from the German armies control and be reunited with her beloved Henri?

I really enjoyed reading Madame Fiocca, if you like reading historical WW II fiction I highly recommend this book, all opinions expressed in this review are my own and I gave it five big stars.
I have shared my review on Goodreads, NetGalley, Australian Amazon, Twitter and my blog.

The Paris Model

The Paris Model by Alexandra Joel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley, Harpercollins Publishers Australia and Alexandra Joel for my copy of: The Paris Model.

Brookfield homestead New South Wales, Australia, in 1934,
Grace lives on a sheep station with her parents, Alfred and Olive Woods. Grace had a happy childhood, she enjoys living in the Australian bush, riding her pet pony Illyria and spending time with her dad. Grace is a real country girl, she loves the fresh smell of eucalyptus emitted by the gum leaves and she doesn't mind the sound of the screeching cockatoos. Alfred adores his family, his property and he knows his wife Olive is a little more refined than he is. Olive is busy being a mother, running her household and attending her local CWA meetings. She likes to dress nicely, she loves fashion and clothes. Grace and Olive both love to look at fashion magazines together, they dream about wearing the beautiful dresses and visiting Paris.

Graces parents have always planned for her to marry Jack Osbourne, he lives next door on a sheep station called Merindah and his parents are also keen for them to eventually marry. When WW II starts Jack does the right thing, he signs up to train as a pilot and he plans to marry Grace when the war is over. Jack returns home after the war ends, the couple marry, Jack has changed and not for the good! Grace knows marrying Jack was a big mistake, she doesn't think her mother Olive will understand and what can she do? After making a shocking discovery, Grace decides to leave her husband, travel to France, she wants to be a fashion model and to find out what happened to her Uncle Siddy? Her parents had a close friend called Reuben Wood, he was a horse trader, piano player and Grace loved her Uncle Siddy. For some reason Siddy stopped all contact with Grace's family, last she heard Uncle Reuben had joined the army and was in France!

Grace is tall, slim, very pretty and finds work as a model. She works as a mannequin for Christian Dior, the world's new leader of fashion, clients like to see the beautiful gowns being worn by models on the catwalk and Grace loves her new job. She models clothes that are bought by rich famous people and they include, princesses, actresses and by wives of diplomats and politicians.

Grace meets and falls for handsome Philippe Boyer. He has no idea that Grace is married and the longer she waits the harder it is to tell him the truth. Grace has no idea, he has his own secrets and he is leading a double life or that his past might effect her? Grace is drawn into Philippe's dangerous world of politics and international espionage. When Grace discovers that her life is in danger, she doesn't consider going home to Australia, she's stays hidden in the french country side and it gives her time to work out what's she's going to do?

The Paris Model, is based on a true story, it takes you from the paddocks of a sheep station in Australia to the elegant fashion houses of France. It's about a journey Grace takes to discover the truth, she uncovers hidden family secrets, her heritage, falls in love and makes peace with her mum.
I gave the book four stars and it's due to be released on the 20th Of January.
I have shared my review on Goodreads, Twitter, NetGalley and my blog.

All We Left Behind

All We Left Behind by Danielle R. Graham
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley, Danielle R. Graham for my digital copy of her new book: All We Left Behind.

Hayden Pierce and Chidori Setoguchi are childhood friends they grow up together in Mayne Island in Canada. As children they played together, they got into all kinds of mischief as six year olds, a group of them all hung out together as teenagers and now both are young adults. Girls mature faster than boys, so Chidori knew she was falling in love with her best friend and eventually Hayden discovers he feels the same way about her. The rumblings of WW II are hard to ignore, Hayden isn't that concerned but his family are and so are Chidori's due to the Setoguchi family being Japanese Canadians. Both families are worried when Hayden asks Chidori to start going steady, they want to get engaged and eventually marry. They both notice people are starting to become hostile towards the Japanese Canadians and when the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor on the 7th of December 1941 things change. First they introduce a curfew for the Japanese Canadians, then they are considered enemy aliens, they are forced to leave town and sent to a interment camp.

Hayden is upset, once Chidori's family is sent away he's furious and he thinks the only way to get her back is to join up, fight and help end the war. He and Chidori made a pledge to wait for each other, one day they will be together again and they plan to get married. Hayden trains to be a pilot, his plane is shot down in enemy territory, he suffers from terrible burns and spends months in a German military hospital, once he recovers he's transported to POW Stalag camp in Germany. Life in the camp is horrible, the food is shocking, the prisoners spend most of the time in their huts and get to walk around outside for an hour each day. Months go by, he finally receives mail from his family and nothing from Chisori. He's reunited with his friend Gordie, but by this time Hayden is in bad shape, he's lost a lot of weight, he suffers from nightmares and develops tremors in his hands.

The camp is finally liberated by the Russian army in May 1945 Hayden is excited, then he discovers he can't eat a lot, he needs to get stronger before he's shipped home and it's a slow process. His parents are delighted when he returns home, everything has changed and none of the Japanese residents have returned to Mayne. Hayden is shocked to discover why, he also sets out to find Chidori and her family?

All We Left Behind is a story about friendship, young love, war, tragedy and how badly one group of people are treated by the Canadian government and how they had all their rights, property and freedom taken away from them all because of their Japanese heritage.
I really enjoyed the book, it's classed as young adult historical fiction and I gave it four stars.
I have shared my review on Goodreads, Twitter, NetGalley and my blog.

A Town Like Alice

A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In 1941, Jean Paget is a young Englishwoman working and living in Panong Malaya, she's one of 32 women and children who are captured by Japanese army when they invaded Malaya and they have no idea what to do with them?
They are told to start walking to a camp, they have a few Japanese soldiers as an escort and no idea where they are going! They set off the next morning, but the women are not dressed or wearing appropriate shoes to walk long distances and are also very unfit. At the beginning of the march things are not too bad, they have some money and jewellery they can trade for fruit, extra food a long the way and the Japanese soldiers sometimes carry the children. During the march, many of the women and children start to fall ill, mostly they suffer from tropical diseases malaria and dysentery. Jean becomes the leader of the group, she speaks the local language, she soon discards her shoes and starts dressing like a native in a sarong. For seven months the women and children walk, the army doesn't have a camp for them at all, when they arrive at a town the officer in charge tells them to keep walking and they do.

One day while walking, Jean meets a cheeky Australian soldier called Joe Harman, he's a prisoner of war and has a job of driving trucks delivering supplies to the railroad the Japanese are building using prisoners of war and local men as slave labour. He's tells Jean he's a Ringer on a huge cattle station in the Gulf Country in Queensland, he borrows things from the Japanese, one day he gets caught, he's severely punished and Jean has no idea what happened to him after that? The remaining women and children finally stop walking, they receive permission to stay in a small village, to help plant and harvest rice.

A few years after the war ends, Jean is back in England, all alone and working. However she receives an unexpected inheritance and it inspires her to return to Malaya to give something back to the villagers who saved her life. She decides to build a well to help the women in the village and also a wash house.

Jean's decides to continue her journey, she travels to Australia to a remote town called Willstown and to try to find out what happened to Joe Harman? The author Nevil Shute doesn't hold back, the language and terms he uses in this part of the book are typical for the time in Australia, some people might be offended by it and I wasn't.

This is a very remote area of Australia, it's full of flies, red dirt, pubs close at 6pm, no women are allowed in the front bar, most of the locals are men and very few women live here. Jean discovers life in Australia for women living in such a remote area is really hard, it's hot, has no shops, no doctors, no fresh fruit & vegetables, no milk and no jobs.

I really enjoyed reading A Town Like Alice, it made me cry, laugh, it also has a little romance, it's really is a classic Australian book and I gave it five big stars. I have shared my review on Goodreads, Twitter, Australian Amazon, Barnes & Noble and my blog.

The Occupation

The Occupation: Loyalties are pushed to the limits in this powerful wartime saga by Deborah Swift
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley, Deborah Swift and Sepere Books Ltd for my copy of: The Occupation.

Jersey 1940, as part of English Channel Islands, it's obvious the Germans will invade any day, panic has set in and people are leaving the island on any boat they can find. Celine Huber and her friend Rachel Cohen try to leave but all the boats are full and they are left stranded on the island.
Both women have very good reasons why they need to leave, Celine is married, her husband Fred, owns the local bakery, his real name is Siegfried he's German, he has just been forced to join the German army and left her alone on Jersey.
Rachel is Jewish, she hasn't heard from her parents in 6 weeks, she works at the local bank as a teller, when she finally receives a letter from her parents neighbor in France it's bad news and her own life is in danger.

The Germans take over the island easily, the people left on Jersey are now cut off from the mainland and they will be for five long years.
Celine struggles to keep the bakery open, a farmers wife Mrs Flanders helps her, together they milk cows and make bread in the bakery. Of course all the best food is being eaten by the Germans and the locals are getting whats left. Rachel is busy working in the bank, the Germans start ordering people register, soon people are given notices that they will be sent to work in Germany and Rachel being Jewish is one of them.
Rachel knows if she leaves the Island her fate will be the same as her parents, she's desperate and has no idea what to do?

Fred has been conscripted into the German army in occupied France, when he arrives and he's shocked by how he's treated. As a baker he has some extra padding, he's unfit and he becomes a target for bullies. He's offered a way out, they also threaten the safety of his wife, he has no choice, he becomes a secret agent and he changes his name.

Edouard Vibert ( Fred ) is sent to work in Paris to translate documents in his tiny apartment, when he's asked to visit security headquarters at Avenue Foch and he's horrified. It looks fine from the outside, he discovers people are taken to the building, kept in cells, where they are tortured, he can hear them screaming and the men who commit these evil acts are monsters. They soon discover that Edouard has been eating at a local cafe, he washes dishes cafe, he's lonely, misses his wife, his bakery and they use this against him. The cafe owners name is Berenice and her son is a wanted man by Nazi's and his job is to find out any information about him and report this to his superior officer. Soon Fred makes a life changing choice, he hates the German army, all it stands for, he helps his friend Berenice, he's now a wanted man by the Nazis and a deserter.

On Jersey, Celine is struggling, things are bad, food is scarce, all radios have been taken, the German's are kicking people out of their houses, they change all the clocks to German time and she decides to hide her best friend Rachel. The citizens of Jersey don't see it that way, they think she's a collaborator, not only is her husband in the German army, soon her brother in law Hurst arrives, he's nothing like his brother, he moves into Celine's house and the locals start calling her a Jerrybag.

The Occupation is a historical saga it follows the lives of two main characters, Fred and Celine Huber. Both had to make difficult choices during one of the worst wars in history, it's a story about love, loyalty, duty, survival and sacrifice. I really enjoyed the book, I highly recommend reading it and I gave it four stars.
I have shared my review on Goodreads, NetGalley, Twitter, Australian Amazon and my blog.

The Secret Messenger

The Secret Messenger by Mandy Robotham
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley, Avon UK and Mandy Robotham for my copy of her new book: The Secret Messenger.

Venice 1943, the city has been invaded by the Nazis, the people of Venice do what they can to fight back and many are involved in the resistance. Woman all over Venice are helping by smuggling notes and messages around the city and right under the German's noses. Hidden in prams, bags, babies nappies, shoes and in ladies underwear. People living in Venice at the time are really struggling, food is scarce, everyone has lost weight, the cities population has almost doubled in size due to a influx of refugees, the water supply is low due to pipes being damaged during allied bombing raids and the only ones with full stomachs are the Germans.

Stella Jilani starts work at Nazi headquarters in the office, she speaks fluent German and her job involves translating documents for the Germans. Stella has a great memory, she's the perfect person to pass on vital information to the resistance, she takes regular bathroom breaks and hides notes in a secret compartment in her shoe. She's a messenger for the Italian resistance, she's also involved in the publication of a local underground newspaper, she writes at night using her portable Olivetti typewriter and she doesn't get a lot of sleep. People think she's a collaborator, but she and her younger brother Vito are both involved in fight to free Venice. Stella increases her resistance work, the Partisans need outside information on how the war is going and soon she's smuggling vital radio parts.

As she's typing away at work, she can hear the German General Breugal going off in his office, a fascist called Christian de Luca is also working for the Germans, he has to deal with the generals moods and yelling. Stella becomes one of the most wanted fugitives in Venice, due her work with the publication of the underground newspaper, also her main feature in the paper is a love story it gives the locals some hope, all over Venice people are reading it and talking about it. This makes General Breugal furious, he has posters printed, a reward will be given for any information that leads to the capture of the mole, he starts having random people arrested and shot to show the locals that he means business. The only clue he has, is the person typing up the articles for the newspaper is using a typewriter and it drops a letter?

Bristol London 2017, Luisa Belmont mother has just passed away, from a short illness, her mother was rather cold and not very loving. She inherits her mothers house and while going through her mothers things in the attic she finds a mysterious old typewriter, old pictures and crumbling documents. Luisa starts looking into the past, she has memories of her grandparents and she knows they once lived in Venice? Luisa uncovers a story about life in Venice during WW II, her grandparents secrets, it's about espionage, reprisal, revenge and most of all finding love.

The Secret Messenger has a dual timeline, it works well, I had no trouble following it and going between the two time frames. I knew nothing about life in Venice during WW II, the beautiful city was taken over by the Nazis and by reading the book you can almost hear the jack boots marching on the cities pavers. The residents of Venice during WW II, suffered years of terror, violence, fear and abuse.

I enjoyed reading The Secret Messenger, I gave it four stars, I have also read the authors previous book called, The Woman Of War and I highly recommend reading both.
I have shared my review on Goodreads, NetGalley, Barnes & Nobel, twitter and my blog.

The Good Woman Of Renmark

The Good Woman of Renmark by Darry Fraser
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley, Harlequin Australia and Darry Fraser for my copy of her new book: The Good Woman Of Renmark.

1895 Renmark, Maggie O'Rourke has always been strong willed, she's not keen on settling down, living in a hut with a dirt floor, cooking on a open fire and having babies. She's very attracted to her brothers best friend Sam Taylor, she can't cope with the temptation he presents and she leaves home. Maggie finds work as a maid at fine house called Olivewood and the house is built very close to river Murray. The whole area is dependent on the mighty Murray river, it provides vital water for people, animals, the area grows stone fruit, both people and produce are all transported by boat down the river. The river Murray, snakes it's way through South Australia, it has areas of high cliffs, flat sandy banks, other areas have some vegetation, small hardy trees called scrub and it's about the only thing that grows in the dry red dirt.

Maggie is forced to defend herself and her friend Nara from being assaulted by the nasty Robert Boyd, she flees in a panic and travels down the river on a paddle steamer called the Lady Goodnight. The captain is concerned about the steam engine, he leaves her on the river bank while he checks it, the engine blows up and she's now stuck all alone on the side of the river? Maggie is very lucky, her friend Nara and her husband Wadgie had been following her in their canoe, they take her to a little settlement called Pyap and Maggie is now deaf as a post. The explosion has damaged her ears, it's not seemly for single women to travel on their own, the residents of Pyap want her to leave and how will she get home?

Maggie's parents have been worried sick about her, when her father Lorcan has an accident her mum Eleanor decides she's had enough and she wants her daughter to come home. The only person available to find her and bring her home is of course Sam Taylor.

Sam has had enough of chasing Maggie, he's been sending her letters, all have been returned unopened and he has decided it's time to move on. After he finds Maggie, he plans to start his own business breeding strong sturdy horses called Walers and his horse Pie will be his stud. Nothing ever goes as planned, he's very concerned when he's discovers the paddle steamer has blown up, he's told it had a woman aboard and could it be Maggie?

During her mad dash to get away from Robert Boyd, Maggie finally accepts she misses her family, she's ready to go home, has she run out of chances with Sam, will he forgive her for being scared and understand why she left? Life was hard in south Australia for the early settlers, especially women, Maggie panicked and she regrets leaving home.

I really enjoyed reading The Good Woman Of Renmark, I live in South Australia, I have been to Renmark, it's great to read about a familiar place and I gave the book four stars.
I have shared my review on NetGalley, Goodreads, Barnes & Noble, Twitter and my blog.

Under Darkening Skies

Under Darkening Skies by Ray Kingfisher
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thanks so much to NetGalley, Amazon Publishing UK and Ray Kingfisher for giving me the chance to read his new book: Under Darkening Skies.

Oslo Norway 1940, Ingrid Solberg is eighteen, she lives with her parents, her father Anders is a fisherman and her mother Helga is a housewife. Of course they're concerned after the Germans invade Poland but like most Norwegians they didn't think WW II will effect them and why worry about it?
One day Ingrid notices that something is happening in the town square and she goes to investigate. In the distance she can see row upon row of a grey mass moving towards her, it's not long before German soldiers march into Oslo and Norway has been invaded. Hardly a shot was fired, the German army crossed the border and took over the country. Ingrid arrives home to tell her mother, she finds her crying and her beloved father has been killed when his shipping trawler hit a stray mine and the Solberg women's lives are changed forever.

German soldiers are everywhere, on every street corner and it's very intimidating.
Soon the German's start enforcing change, it's now illegal to own a radio, ration books are needed to buy food, many things like medicine are very expensive, everyone is issued with identity papers and they must carry them at all times. The couple next door are arrested, they had been involved in the publication of the Light Newspaper, part of the Norway's resistance, their son Olav was badly beaten up and he's not taken into custody. Olav and Ingrid become friends, he cuts fire wood for her mother, they work together in the community vegetable garden, to grow much needed extra food for everyone, they fall in love and get engaged.

Toronto Canada 2011, Arnold Jacobsen, is visiting his mother at the Toronto Western Hospital, she's 90 very unwell and is fading fast. His mother is losing her battle, she also seems to be confused, when she can speak she's not making a lot of sense and she keeps asking for someone called Ulrich? Arnold and his sister Barbra have no idea who he is, after their mother passes away, they have the horrible task of going through their mothers things, they find two suitcases, one contains a unopened letter and the siblings know very little about his parents life before they moved to Canada? Arnold has been divorced for years, he has very little confidence, he hasn't dated and his only friend is Merlene she's a nurse who cared for his mother in hospital. He had no idea at all that Merlene fancied him, he thought they were just friends and he pleasantly surprised when she wants to be more than a good friend! They decide to go to Norway together, to discover what happened to his parents during WW II, over 70 years ago, why they cut all ties with Norway and who Ulrich is?

Nothing could prepare Arnold for what he discovers about his mother, father, what happened to them both during WW II, it forced them to move to Canada, cut off all contact with their homeland and go into hiding.

His mother Ingrid had been stalked by a German SS Officer, his name was Franz Wahlberg and he was obsessed with creating a pure Aryan race. They had a program where women were impregnated by Nazi officers, the expecting mothers stayed at a place called Lindensborn, once they delivered their babies, they breast fed them for 9 months, the babies were adopted by German couples to be raised to be as perfect little German citizens and carry on the pure Aryan bloodline.

I knew pure Aryan babies were created during WW II, I assumed the couple's were willing, I had no idea what happened to the women and babies after the war ended. Yet, another way of the Nazi's treating women and children in a terrible inhumane way, it was brutal, mean and cruel.
Under Darkening Skies is a story about how a young woman must make the unthinkable sacrifice to protect the two people she loves, it's shocking, confronting, emotional and disturbing.
Ray Kingfisher's Under Darkening Skies is a brilliant, heart breaking story, it's a very unique book, one that you should read if you enjoy WW II historical fiction and I gave it five stars.
I have shared my review on Goodreads, NetGalley, Twitter, Barnes & Noble and my blog.

All The Ways We Said Goodbye

All the Ways We Said Goodbye by Beatriz Williams
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

All The Ways We Said Goodbye is a story about three strong women and all had a unique connection to the famous French hotel. The three women had lived or stayed at the Ritz, Aurelie Courcelles is a French heriess, Marguerite (Daisy ) Villon is a French resistance fighter and Babs Langford is a English widow.

France 1914, Aurelie is staying at the Ritz with her mother, she makes a rash decision to leave Paris and to drive her fiance to the front. The Germans are advancing towards capital, all men are being deployed to the front to stop the Germans taking Paris and she's soon finds herself stuck behind German lines.
Aurelie has to make it to safety, she starts the long walk to her fathers ancestral estate and she eventually makes it home. The next morning the Germans arrive, they take over the estate, she's shocked to discover a familiar face and she knows one of the officers. They met before the war, while she was making her debut in Paris, he's the handsome Maximilian Von Sternburg and she has always been very attracted to him.

In 1942, France has again been invaded by the Germans, Paris has fallen and the Nazis have total control.
Marguerite or Daisy is stuck in a very unhappy marriage, her husband is a collaborator, she was a silly naive girl when she married him and she now has two young children to look after.
Daisy is Aurelie’s daughter, she grew up living in the Ritz and she's soon drawn into helping the French resistance by her American grandmother.
She agrees to become a courier, she meets a man, his code name is Legrand he forges documents to help Jewish people escape France, soon they begin having a dangerous and very risky affair.

In, 1964, Babs is a English widow, a American lawyer called Drew Bowdoin, contacted her, he's trying to find a resistance fighter and he asks her to meet him in Paris. She's of course staying at the Ritz, she's hopeful he might be able to help her solve the mystery of what happened to her husband during WW II and help her to find some closure. Babs loved her husband Kit, she kept a secret letter from him and she feels very guilty. During her husbands final days he kept muttering the name La Fleur, she must be her husbands first love and she's a French spy?

The book has multiple timelines, it starts in 1914, it continues in 1942 and it ends in 1964.
It spans two world wars and the rather modern times of mini skirts in the 1960's.
All three women are of course connected, it's a long and very complicated story.
It's a saga really about war, love, tragedy and secrets.
I did enjoy reading the book and did it need to be so long?
I gave the book four stars, I have shared my review on Goodreads, Edelweiss, Twitter and my blog.

Mercy Road

Mercy Road by Ann Howard Creel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and Ann Howard Creel for giving me to the chance to read her new book: Mercy Road.

Arlene Favier is devastated when her family home in Paris Kentucky burns to the ground and why did her father decide at the last minute to run back inside the burning house? She has no idea her father's horse breeding farm is struggling, she's left to look after her Maman and her young brother Luc. Arlene needs to look for work to support her family, she travels to Cincinnati and she's not prepared at all for life on her own. She applies for the only job that she has any qualifications for, she finds a notice advertising for French speaking drivers and she's recruited to drive an ambulance for the new American Woman's Hospital in France. Her Papa was French, he taught her to speak his native language and to drive a car or a small truck.

Nothing could prepare Arlene and her fellow ambulance drivers for the terrible conditions they face in France during WW I. France is a total disaster, damaged buildings, displaced civilians, food shortages and the retreating German army is destroying everything in their path. Worst of all is the terrible war injuries to both soldiers, civilians and children. The team of women American doctors have joined forces to help the war effort, they raised their own funds, purchased medical equipment, supplies and employed female ambulance drivers.

Arlene forms as strong friendship with one of her fellow drivers Cass, she's older than Arlene and seems to be the obvious one to be able to cope with the terrible conditions in France? But it's not the case, Arlene is soon very concerned about her friend mental state and she's also having issues with an American officer called Felix Brohammer. He's arrogant, despite Arlene making it very clear she's not interested in him he continues to believe they're in a relationship and Arlene is playing hard to get?

Arlene is very focused on her job, she's working very long hours driving the ambulance, they need to be constantly on guard at all times, the roads are full of pot holes, driving conditions change due to the weather and also the Germans constantly launching shells at them.

Amongst the chaos Arlene is very happy to see a familiar face from home, Jimmy Tucker, he worked for her father doing odd jobs around the farm and her snobby mother didn't like them being friends.
Soon she and Jimmy are fighting their obvious attraction to each other, the issues Arlene is having with Felix Brohammer escalates and it all gets way out of hand.

Arlene makes a choice to protect her friend, has she lost all she's been working hard for by not speaking up about the nasty Felix Brohammer and has this effected her romantic relationship with Jimmy?
Mercy Road is a story about how during WW I women's roles changed, their courage, their bravery, their dedication to each other and their country.

I loved the book, I gave it 4 stars and Ann Howard Creel is one of my favorite author's.
I highly recommend reading Mercy Road, The Magic Of Ordinary Days and While You Were Mine.
I have shared my review on Goodreads, NetGalley, Barnes & Noble, Twitter and my blog.

A Fight In Silence

A Fight in Silence by Melanie Metzenthin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley, Amazon UK and Melanie Metzenthin for my digital copy of her book: A Fight In Silence.

Hamburg Germany 1936, Richard Hellmer and Paula Engelhardt meet, both are studying medicine, they fall in love, get engaged and eventually marry. Richard is a psychiatrist and Paula works as a doctor at a children's hospital.
The newlyweds are happy, of course they're concerned by what is happening in Germany, so are their families and friends, they don't agree with the politics, many Germans didn't and what could they do?

The Hellmer's discover Paula is pregnant and much to their shock they find out they are expecting twins. Paula continues to work at the children's hospital, despite her older male doctors complaining it's not right for her to be working while pregnant and they have rather old fashioned ideas.
After 18 long hours of labour, Paula gives birth to a baby girl they name her Emilia and a baby boy and they call Georg. As the babies grow they notice that Emilia is progressing faster than her brother Georg and they soon discover why? Georg is deaf, they want the very best for their son, they start early intervention and employ a teacher to come once a week, to teach the family sign language and Georg learns to lip read.

Life in Germany during the depression is very hard, people are struggling to find work, going hungry and many Germans are very unhappy with the situation they find themselves in. You can see how easy it was for the socialists and Hitler to take advantage of this, they wanted to make Germany great again and the Nazi's seized power.
Once the war starts, life for the family changes, being doctors they are horrified to discover anyone with a disability or suffering from a mental condition or is classed as imperfect, the government consider them a liability, they could be sterilized or even worse euthanised. The Hellmer's try to keep Georg deafness a secret and make sure that his hearing problem isn't classed as an inherited condition. While some Nazi doctors went along with the sterilization and the death of their disabled patients, some fought to save their lives, it's risky and very dangerous.

Richard starts falsifying his patients medical records, he's eventually caught and to escape punishment he quickly joins the army as a doctor. He's sent to Africa and Egypt with his friend and fellow doctor Fritz. While Paula is left in war torn Germany, she and they children manage to survive the nightly bombing raids and try to keep Georg's deafness a secret.

A Fight In Silence is very different to any other WW II historical fiction books I have read, it's written from the German point of view, it makes it a very unique story, you discover how the war effected German citizens and the entire country. The German people faced incredible hardship, they had to live with being bombed daily, loss of loved ones, their homes are destroyed, they had no idea how badly the war was going, the only information they received was what the regime wanted them to know, by the end it was pretty obvious they were never going to win the war and Germany was totally destroyed.

I enjoyed reading A Fight In Silence, I gave it four stars, it's a story about life in Germany during WW II, family, friendship, love, loss, endurance and survival. I have shared my review on NetGalley, Goodreads, Twitter and my blog.

Big Lies In A Small Town

Big Lies in a Small Town by Diane Chamberlain
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thanks NetGalley, St Martin's Press and Diane Chamberlain for giving me the chance to read her new book: Big Lies In A Small Town, it's the first book I have read by this author and it wont be my last.

2018, Morgan Christopher found herself serving time in the North Carolina Correctional Facility, she's young, very naive, she made a big mistake, trusted the wrong person and she never considered she could be sent to jail! Once she understands how much trouble she's in, she's tries desperately to explain that she didn't commit the crime, but it's far too late, no one will believe her and she's sentenced to serve three years in jail.

One day, she is taken to the private visitors room at the jail and two women are waiting to see to her. Morgan is totally confused, she doesn't know the ladies, one is Lisa Williams and the other is her lawyer Andrea Fuller. Lisa explains to her that she's the daughter of a famous artist called Jesse Jameson Williams, they want her to restore a mural, if she agrees, she could leave jail with Lisa and be released on parole. Morgan has been in jail for a year, she's been sleeping with one eye open and she's very keen to get out of jail. Prior to going to jail, she was studying art, but they want her to restore a depression era mural and she's had zero experience? Of course she leaves jail with Lisa, she will be living at her house and plans have been made for her to meet her parole officer the next day. What has she gotten herself into now, the parole officer didn't beat around the bush, Morgan is to report to her fortnightly, wear a ankle bracelet and she must attend weekly AA meetings. Morgan discovers the mural she's to restore is dirty, it's damaged, it has to be fully restored by the 5th of August and she has two months to complete the restoration or Lisa will lose her inheritance. The mural is to be a major piece in the galleries opening exhibition, why did Jesse Williams want her to restore it and it made no sense?

The book has a dual timeline, the story alternates between the present time of 2018 and goes back to 1940.

1940, Anna Dale, is a young artist she lives in New Jersey and she won a national contest to paint a mural for the post office in Edenton in North Carolina. Anna is lonely, her mother has just passed away, she needs to find work and she decides to drive to Edenton to have a look around. Once she arrives in Edenton, they want her to start painting the mural right away, why waste time returning to New Jersey and she can board with sweet Miss Myrtle. Anna quickly discovers life in the South is very different to New Jersey, people still have very old fashioned ideas, ladies don't go out alone at night, they don't wear pants, they don't climb ladders, they don't make friends with colored people, especially young colored men and people soon questioning her odd Yankee ways?
Big Lies In A Small Town, is a story full of surprises, it hooks you right in from the start and you don't want it to end. You also to notice how similar Anna and Morgan's stories are and they both had difficult childhoods.

The book covers so many relevant issues that effect so many people and families. They include, forgiveness, trust, judgment, domestic violence, mental illness, alcohol abuse, racism and injustice.
I loved the book, I gave it five big stars and well done Diane Chamberlain.
I have shared my review on Goodreads, NetGalley, Edelweiss, Twitter and my blog.

The Parisians

The Parisians by Marius Gabriel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Struggling artist Olivia Olsen is living in Paris during WW II, she is of Swedish heritage, they don't realize she's actually American and she starts working as a chambermaid at the Ritz to pay her rent and buy food.
As a chambermaid she has access to rooms and she gains the trust of Hermann Goering a high ranking German officer. Olivia reminds him of his first wife, he requests for her to be in charge of waking him up in the morning and cleaning his room. The book uses fact, fiction to create an interesting story and it all takes place in the very posh hotel.

Olivia Olsen decides to take a huge risk to help the French resistance, she learns to use a tiny camera to take pictures of documents that the German officers leave lying around on desks in their rooms. Some very famous people stayed and lived at the Ritz during WW II, they were friends with the German officers and Coco Chanel was one of them.
I gave the book four stars, I have shared my review on Goodreads, Amazon Australia, Twitter and my blog.

The Women Of The Copper Country

The Women of the Copper Country by Mary Doria Russell
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley, Atria Books and Mary Doria Russell for my copy of her new book: The Women Of The Copper Country.
In July 1913, Annie Clements has had enough, her whole life she has lived in the copper mining town of Calumet Michigan and every day men risk their lives mining copper. Men work under ground, six days a week, 12 hours a day and in terrible conditions. Despite their hard work, they struggle to feed, clothe their families and have to buy everything from the company shop. Their wives work hard keeping house, cooking, cleaning, looking after children, tending gardens, harvesting food and preserving it for the long hard winter. They try to earn extra money by cleaning rich ladies houses, scrubbing floors and taking in washing. Mining is a very dangerous job, men are injured, bones crushed, broken limbs, and are killed everyday. Their wives all hold their breath, when they see the company man walking down the street, he delivers the bad news when a loved husband or son has been injured or killed at work.

One day Annie decides she's had enough, her husband works hard, she takes in washing to earn extra money, they have three boarders and yet she only has enough money to survive.
Annie’s a member of the women's auxiliary, they help local families who are struggling and she decides to take matters into her own hands.
Annie finds support from the labor movement, they start protesting, they decide to take further action and start a strike. Annie is determined to fight for better working hours, shorter shifts, safer working conditions, better pay and health care.
She has no idea she's starting a war against the mines powerful owner James MacNaughton, he's a hard man, he sits in his big fancy house and he has no intention of changing the way his mines are being operated.
Annie soon finds herself a target, its risky, dangerous and it gets violent. Her husband doesn't support her, she ends up being arrested and serves time in jail.

The Women Of The Copper Country, is a story about one brave woman deciding to take action against injustice, she's had enough of watching the rich get richer, while the working class people risk their lives everyday, barely scraping by and she wants to create a better future for the people living and working in her home town of Calumet.
I received a complimentary copy of this book, opinions expressed in this review are my own, I found the story a little slow in parts, I didn't like the books abrupt ending and I gave it three stars.
I have shared my review on Goodreads, NetGalley, Barnes & Noble, Twitter and my blog.

The Poppy Wife

The Poppy Wife: A Novel of the Great War by Caroline Scott
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In 1921. The Great War may have ended, but so many desperate families are still trying to find out what happened to their missing husbands, sons and brothers?
Edie’s beloved husband Francis is still listed as missing, Francis is presumed to have been killed in action in France and Edie still believes that he could possibly still be alive?

Harry, Francis’s brother, was with him the day Francis went missing during the battle for Ypres, like Edie, he’s hopeful Francis is still alive and living somewhere in France?

Harry returns to France and he's trying to help grieving families find some closure. Harry takes photograph's of soldiers graves and sends the pictures back to their families in England. As he travels through war damaged France gathering news for British wives and mothers, he searches for any evidence that his own brother is still alive.

For Harry going back to France is very hard, he still suffers terribly from his own experiences during the war, he has horrible nightmares and flashbacks!
He also suffers from survivors guilt and why was he one of the lucky ones to survive the war? His younger brother Will died and older brother Francis has left behind a wife who's still not sure if she's a widow?

When Edie receives a mysterious photograph, she believes it might have been taken recently by Francis, and she's now certain that he's still alive? Edie embarks on her own journey in the hope of finding some trace of her missing husband. Is he truly gone, buried in a unmarked grave in France or could he be living in France?

But why hasn't he come home, has he lost his memory or has he been badly wounded and thinks she wouldn't love him anymore due to his injuries?
Harry and Edie’s paths cross, together they try to solve the mystery of what happened to Francis and could he hiding somewhere in France?

Thousands of men are listed as missing in action and France was a total mess after the WW I finished. Towns are destroyed, buildings are gone, the landscape looks different and fields are full of old army trenches. The countryside is littered with discarded and broken weapons, empty shell casings, rusty barbed wire, bits of uniforms and bones.

While reading: The Poppy Wife, you can almost see the sides of the road littered with soldiers discarded belongings as they march towards the front and feel how nervous they are while waiting in the trenches for the whistle to blow and it's their turn to go over the top!
The Poppy Wife, is a intriguing, beautifully written and a very emotional book to read.

Opinions expressed in this review are my own, I gave The Poppy Wife five big stars and it's one of the best historical fiction WW I books I have read.
I have shared my review on Goodreads, NetGalley, Edelweiss, Barnes & Noble, Australian Amazon, Twitter and my blog.

The Bookish Life Of Nina Hill

The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Nina Hill works in a book shop in Los Angeles, she's big fan of using planners, post it notes and every Sunday she plans her week. Nina likes to be busy, she loves going to trivia nights, she runs book clubs at her work, she goes to the movies with her friends, she says home one evening a week to catch up with reading and has a pet cat called Phil for company.
She's the only child of a busy Australian single mother Candice, she has no idea who her father is and her nanny Louise raised her.

One day, her organized life is turned upside down when a solicitor visits her at work to inform her that her dad has passed away from a heart attack, she needs to be present at the reading of his will and at first she thinks he has the wrong person? Nina calls her mum Candice, she confirms that it's true, the man is her father, you almost feel like Nina is bothering her and her mum hangs up on her!

Not only did she have a father, Candice told him to ever never contact Nina, she discovers he's been married many times, she has brothers, sisters, she's a aunt and a great aunt as well.
Of course a couple of her siblings are not very happy about finding out about Nina, but the solicitor informs them that it's true, no doubt about it she's their sister and things get very interesting.

Around the same time, Nina finds herself feeling rather flustered and rather warm when she keeps bumping into a man called Tom and he attends some of the trivia nights. She's been in romantic relationships before, but Nina is rather busy, she's not sure if she has any spare time and would Tom wait three weeks for them to go on a first date?

The Bookish Life Of Nina Hill, is so funny, she's a real character, very set in her ways and not willing to change. I think all of us who love to read can related to Nina in some ways, yes people have this annoying habit of interrupting our reading plans and we can all rattle off a whole lot of facts that no one else would even remember or even care about.

Just for the record I'm an Aussie and all horses in Australia share the same birthday date, it's the 1st of August and not the 1st of January like in America. See what I mean, Nina had no clue about horses birthdays, she lost a prize at one of her trivia nights by not knowing this and she was cross.

I loved The Bookish Life Of Nina Hill, I can so relate to Nina, the book made me laugh out loud, it's a quick fun read and I gave it five stars. I have shared my review on Goodreads, Barnes & Noble, Twitter, Edelweiss and my blog.

The Glittering Hour

The Glittering Hour by Iona Grey
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Glittering Hour, is a story with a dual timeline, it flows seamlessly between 1925 and 1936.

In 1925 the war is over, Selina is a member of the "Bright Young People" she spends her time going to parties, staying up late, drinking way too much, going on silly treasure hunts with her friends and she's footloose and fancy free. Really, Selina is very insecure due to her strict upbringing, her mother is a stern, cold, distant woman and she finds her youngest daughter rather flighty. Selina misses her brother Howard terribly he died fighting in WW I, she's partying and living life for both of them.

One night while driving around with her friends on a treasure hunt, they run over a cat, Selina gets out of the car, her friends drive off and leave her behind with the injured cat. Lawrence Weston comes to her aide, he's a complete stranger, and together they bury the poor unfortunate cat. Lawrence is a struggling artist, he paints portraits of young men who died fighting in WW I, he uses photos given to him by their families and he provides them with a lasting memento of their lost sons. He really wants to be a photographer, he needs the money and painting is a way for him to support himself!

In 1936, nine year old Alice is staying at Blackwood Hall with her grandparents, they have employed a governess, Miss Vera Lovelock to look after her and see to her education. Selina is away with her husband on a business trip to Burma, she sends her lonely daughter letters and her maid Polly passes them on to Alice. To help Alice discover secrets from her mothers past, she sends her daughter on a treasure hunt, with clues hidden in the letters and she's looking for items scattered around the families crumbling property. Here Alice meets the families old gardener Mr Patterson, they become friends, she begins helping him in the garden and she's not as lonely.

Blackwood is an old family estate, the Lennox Family is struggling to maintain the house and the once beautiful gardens are over grown. Many upper class families struggled to manage their homes after WW I, times had changed and they no longer had the money or the staff to do so!
At the time, women of Selina's class are expected to marry well, it's a way of topping up the families finances, keeping the expensive estates a float and especially for families who had lost, sons and husbands in the war.

Selina is under pressure to do the right thing, marry her brothers best friend Rupert Carew and make her mother happy for once. She feels an instant connection with Lawrence Weston, will she throw caution to the wind, follow her her heart and let her family down?

Iona Grey has written a story about, hidden secrets, family honor, discovering the truth and the pain of lost love. Get out the tissues, you will need them and I gave The Glittering Hour five big stars. I have shared my review on Australian Amazon, Goodreads, Edelweiss, Twitter and my blog.

Mrs. Lee and Mrs. Gray

Mrs. Lee and Mrs. Gray: A Novel by Dorothy Love
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Mrs. Lee and Mrs. Gray by Dorothy Love, is a work of historical fiction based on the authors in depth research, her interest in the relationship and friendship between two very different women. The story is based around the two main characters of; Mrs. Mary Anna Randolph Custis Lee and and Mrs. Selina Norris Gray. Mary is a pampered Southern Bell and Selina is a second generation slave.

Mary was the great granddaughter of Martha Washington, she was born and raised at the family plantation called Arlington. Mary falls in love and marries one of histories most famous General's. The story is about Mary being a military wife, Robert E. Lee was a career soldier, he graduated from West Point, the Lee's never stayed in one place for very long, Mary returned home to Arlington to have her babies and Selina was present during the births.

Selina Noris Gray, was a slave, she was born at Arlington, she lived in the slave quarters and she was included in Mary's inheritance when her father passed away. Selina was educated, she was taught to read and write by Mary and her mother. Selina worked as a young girl in the big house, one of her firsts tasks was to help sew clothes for Mary's wedding trousseau and eventually she became Mary's trusted housekeeper.

Selina was present during the births of Mary's children, she didn't rush into getting married herself due to her not wanting her own children being born as slaves, she did eventually marry and have children.

When the American Civil War began, the Lee's were forced to flee Arlington, Mary trusted her housekeeper Selina and she gave her the keys to her home. They had locked away the family treasures, but Selina couldn't save them from being looted by Union soldiers and she did mange to save some historic items.

Life for the Lee family during the Civil War was hard, they lost their beloved home and they moved often. Mary worried about her husband and her son fighting in the war. She and her daughters made clothes for the General, knitted countless pairs of socks and helped with the war effort. They endured food shortages, patched clothes and worn out shoes like everyone living in the South.

Mary and her two daughters decided to remain in Richmond when the Confederate army retreated, one morning they woke up to the sound of cannon fire, and it didn't take long for the union army arrive. They knew the war would end soon, it did and they waited for a defeated Robert E. Lee to return home. Can you imagine how Robert E. Lee felt returning to Richmond after the war ended he did and riding his beloved horse Traveller home.

Mary and Selina remained in contact during the war, they wrote letters to each other, Mary did return once to visit Arlington years after the war ended, she did see Selina for one last time and her family home's grounds were now the final resting place for hundreds of the Unions soldiers.

Mrs. Lee and Mrs. Gray is a story about two women who were bound together by family ties and a beautiful home called Arlington. Their unique friendship, the bond formed between them, how the Civil War forced them to be separated, the injustice of slavery for Selina and her family and how they were eventually free. Selina earned her place in history by saving General Washington's belongings and Mary by being married to one of histories greatest and beloved General's.

I loved Mrs. Lee and Mrs. Gray, I gave it five stars, I shared my review on Goodreads, Australian Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Twitter and my blog.

The Girl In The Painting

The Girl in the Painting by Tea Cooper
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thank to NetGalley, Harlequin Australia and Tea Cooper for my copy of her new book: The Girl In The Painting.

In 1906, Jane Piper is living in the local orphanage in Maitland, one day she is directed by the nuns to dress in her Sunday best and summoned down stairs. Michael Quinn a local business man wants to talk to her and she has no idea why? Jane was left at the orphanage as a baby, no one has ever wanted to adopt her, she talks way too much and has a habit of saying whatever pops into her head at the time! Jane is very smart, Michael and his sister Elizabeth Quinn support the orphanage. In Jane's case they noticed from her school work that she's a mathematical genesis, they don't want her brilliant mind to be wasted, she's offered a scholarship, she can attend the girls school in Maitland and live with them.

In 1913, Elizabeth Quinn and Jane go to the local technical college to look at the accounting books, when Elizabeth wanders off to look at a taxidermy exhibition and she has a funny turn? Elizabeth wanted to ignore the whole episode, it's never happened before and she puts it down to being tired. The local doctor thinks it's due to her age and it's a ladies change of life complaint? When it happens again, Jane is very concerned and something is wrong with her sensible Aunt Elizabeth.

The story has a dual timeline and fifty years earlier, Michael and Elizabeth O'Cuinn set sail from England to finally be reunited with their parents in Sydney. When they arrive fifteen year old Michael discovers his parents are not waiting for them when the ship docks and he's very concerned. He leaves four year old Elizabeth with Mrs Cameron a lady who they met on the ship while sailing to Australia and sets off to discover what happened to his Mam and Da?

He discovers his Ma has passed away and he father will soon follow her. He has no choice but to leave Elizabeth with Mrs Cameron and pay her to look after his little sister until he has a reliable income and a place for them to stay. Later when he discovers his sister is no longer going to school, the money he sends isn't going towards her "keep" and Mrs Cameron has put Elizabeth to work scrubbing ladies underwear in her laundry business, he's furious. He takes her with him to the Australian gold fields in Hill End where he owns a warehouse and runs a carting business.

Now years later he's very concerned about his sister, did something happen to her while she was staying with the Cameron's and is that why she's started having funny turns? Or is due to what happened to Elizabeth just prior to them leaving for Australia, he has never spoken to her about it and is she having memory flashbacks?

Can cleaver Jane fit together the pieces of the puzzle, put it all together, before her Aunt Elizabeth loses her grip on reality and is considered to be mentally insane? Or, is there something odd about a striking painting on loan from the National Gallery, does it contain clues to her Aunts past and did she look at it while visiting the college?

The Girl In The Painting is a brilliant historical mystery, where the past and the present combine, to create a story that has so many twists and turns and the title of the book hides some of the clues to how it ends?
A big five stars from me and well done Tea Cooper.
I have shared my review on Goodreads, Twitter, NetGalley and my blog.

Lady Clementine

Lady Clementine by Marie Benedict
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley, Sourcebooks and Marie Benedict for my copy of her new book: Lady Clementine.
In 1908, Clementine Hozier married Winston Churchill and it's the start of one of history's greatest unions. Clementine was expected to be a Winston's wife, a mother to his future children and support his political career. Clementine Churchill was more than the wife of England's most powerful men, she was his friend, his confidant, his greatest supporter and together they made a formidable couple.

Not long into their marriage, Clementine saved Winston's political career after the his idea to attack The Dardanelles during WW I was an utter disaster, he was a demoted from the admiralty, she though of a way for Winston to redeem himself and it worked.
Her life wasn't an easy one, she had troubled childhood, her marriage to Winston was at times hard, trying to be a good mother to her five children, while being a busy politicians wife and of course living in England during the two world wars was difficult.

Both she and Winston had issues with " The Black Dog " as they called depression back then, the pressure of being in the public eye, loss of a child, juggling so many different roles and WW II. This took it's toll on both of the Churchill's mental health and of course their marriage.

Clementine was a very strong woman, she was smart and she was determined that her husband's time as England's Prime Minister was a success. During WW II, not only was she her husband sounding board for his famous speeches, she encouraged him to change the wording, Winston used big complicated words and the average English working class person wouldn't understand what he meant!

Clementine, put her husband first, she struggled with terrible guilt regarding the lack of time she spent with her children while they were growing up and her life wasn't easy. But she was dedicated to her husband, she loved him, she supported her country and it's people. She went out herself to look at the damage the German bombs had done to London, she noticed the bomb shelters had issues, she discovered while they did protect women and children from harm? They lacked basic things, like somewhere for families to sleep and decent toilet facilities and she made changes.

She was involved with the Red Cross, she also added her name to the fire spotters list, at night they sat on roofs of buildings for 8 hours shifts watching with binoculars fixed on the sky, they reported incoming German planes and also if any fires had started. Mrs Churchill was also was an excellent hostess, she made do with what food was available due to rationing and she remembered the famous dinner guests favorite dishes.

Lady Clementine, is a story about a strong, brilliant, ambitious woman who stood beside her husband, during England's darkest hour and in her own way she helped her country defeat the Germans.
I received a complimentary copy of this book, opinions expressed in this review are my own, I gave Lady Clementine 5 stars and I really enjoyed the book.
I have shared my review on Goodreads, Twitter, NetGalley, Edelweiss and my blog.

Ride The High Lonesome

Ride the High Lonesome by Rosanne Bittner
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Kate Winters has spent three days wandering around all alone, after the wagon train she's traveling with is attacked by outlaws and she's the only survivor. She has very little chance of finding help, when by chance she stumbles across a gang hanging a cowboy so they can steal his cattle and she wisely stays hidden. Once they leave she notices the mans legs are still twitching and they didn't do a very good job of trying to hang him! She cuts him down, tends his wounds, he's the only person who can help her get to the closest town, he has a horse and with winter quickly approaching they have no time to waste.

Luke Bowden is furious that his cattle have been stolen, he paid good money for them and he's desperate to get them back. He's miles away from the nearest town called Lander, the lady who saved his life is hungry, weak, and she isn't up to traveling. He owes Kate for saving him, he takes her to a near by cave, he leaves her with enough food for three days, the plan is for him to find his cattle, sell them, kill the men who stole them and return for for her.

Ride The High Lonesome is set in the Wyoming Territory in the Rocky Mountain Foothills, it's wild, rugged country and the weather is very unpredictable. Kate is a widow her husband and father died fighting in the Civil War and Luke fought in the Civil War. Both have pasts, Luke's is more complicated, he's a bit wild like the high country, is Luke ready to settle down and can two people meet by chance make a future together?

It's been years since I have read a Western Historical Romance, this one is rather steamy, Kate and Luke certainly had some serious chemistry going on between them, it's a quick book to read, action packed and I gave it four stars.

Cilka's Journey

Cilka's Journey by Heather Morris
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In 1942, Cilka Klein is only sixteen years old when she arrives Auschwitz-Birkenau a concentration camp, she and her sister Magda have spent days standing up in a packed train. The Commandant at Birkenau, Schwarzhuber, notices how pretty she is, and she's quickly separated from the other female prisoners. Cilka becomes the Commandants sex slave, she has no choice, no rights and she endures years of his abuse.

Finally the camp is liberated, Cilka has been through years of hell, she has lost her family, she's witnessed terrible acts of inhuman cruelty and she's been sexually abused. Unlike the other Auschwitz camp survivors she hasn't been starved to death, so physically she's in better shape, she's also bilingual she can understand and speak in many different languages. The Russians consider Cilka a traitor, she's charged as a collaborator, she's been sleeping with the enemy and she's sent to a prison camp in Siberia called Vorkuta.

In a Siberian prison camp, Cilka faces challenges that are now shockingly familiar, being humiliated yet again, having her head shaved, fumigated, waiting in endless lines, eating slop with no cutlery, it's freezing cold, the pecking order among inmates and the unwanted attention of men. Cilka knows she has two choices, one is to find a protector or camp "husband" and the other? She faces being abused by multiple men, her choice is Boris her camp husband, she tolerates him, he's the best of a bad bunch and yet again her body is being used.

Cilka soon makes a good impression on the camp doctor with her quick thinking, first aid skills and Dr Yelena Georgiyevena takes under her wing. Cilka begins working in the camp hospital, she's a natural at caring for people and despite what has happened to her she is still compassionate and kind.

Cilka suffers from terrible nightmares, she still caries the shame and heavy burden of her past. By helping the sick and injured she finds a reason to keep going as she has years to serve stuck in a Russian prison and she's not going to last long working outside in the harsh weather conditions.

Cilka's Journey, is a story about one young woman's fight to survive, her will to continue living and she does despite the odds. Imagine how she felt after surviving Auschwitz, she should finally be safe and free. Instead she's judged, severely punished and sent to Siberia to abused over and over again.

I enjoyed The Tattooist Of Auschwitz but Cilka's Journey was brilliant, I read it in one day, thanks to Heather Morris and Allen & Unwin Australia for my free copy. I gave it five stars, I have shared my review on Goodreads, Twitter, Barnes & Noble, Edleweiss, and my blog.

Light Changes Everything

Light Changes Everything by Nancy E. Turner
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Summer of 1907, it's stinking hot in the Arizona Territory and Mary Pearl is feeling the heat. Mary Pearl and her sister Esther try to take their minds off how hot it is at night, by reading banned Jane Austen novels they have smuggled home from their Aunt Sarah Elliot’s book shelves and they read them secretly in their room.

Around the same time, seventeen year old Mary Pearl meets Aubrey Hanna, he's a smooth talker, snappy dresser and rich. Has Mary Pearl discovered her own Mr Darcy and he's everything a seventeen year old girls romantic dreams are made of? He sweeps her of her feet, he kisses her a couple of times and before she knows it she's engaged.

Mary Pearl’s has always wanted to be an artist and she's not planning on being stuck home looking after her little brothers Zachary and Ezra forever. Wheaton College sends her a offer to study art, she accepts and in a flurry of activity she's ready to leave. Mary Pearl starts her journey, she rides her horse Duende, and also travels by train to begin her lessons at the fancy Northern school. Here Mary Pearl's formal education begins, she's taught, history, Latin, sculpture, drawing, history, oil painting and photography. Mary Pearl is a bit like a fish out of water and she doesn't have a lot in common with the other girly girls at school. She keeps in contact with Aubrey, they write letters to each other and she too busy studying to worry about how their long distance relationship is going?

Light Changes Everything is a delightful story about the spunky Mary Pearl, she's a real character, as you would expect from a girl who has grown up riding horses, wearing a stetson and she can shoot a gun. Mary Pearl grows up in the book, by studying, meeting new people, living in a world very different from her home and from a tragic experience that happens to her. Granny also has given Mary Pearl responsibility/gift of keeping her diaries safe, she's to write her memoirs and only when her Granny meets her maker! I loved how the familiar characters of, Aunt Sarah, Granny, Ma, Pa, Zachary, Ezra, Rachel are included in the new book and also we are introduced to a new character called Brody Cooperhead.

I'm not going to give too much away about the story as I really don't want to spoil it for anyone and it's a truly delightful book. Nancy E. Tuner has done it again and Light Changes Everything made me laugh, cry, smile and I didn't want it to end. A brilliant book, absolutely perfect and I gave it five big stars!

The Giver Of Stars

The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Giver Of Stars by Jojo Moyes is set in Kentucky during the 1930's and Alice a new English bride finds herself living in a little town called Baileyville.

Alice Wright jumps at the chance to leave her boring life in England behind and quickly marries American Bennett Van Cleve. She assumes life as a married women will be far more interesting, she has no idea her husband lives in such a remote area and shares a house with his father.
When she arrives in Kentucky she discovers they will be living in Van Cleve family home, they have very little privacy and she has nothing in common with her new husband! Bennett’s father owns the local mine, he's rich, overbearing, ruthless and a bully.

Alice is soon bored sitting around the house all day, she has no friends, one Sunday in church she hears of a plan to start delivering books to remote mountain people and she's very keen to help.
Margery O’Hare is in charge of setting up the new mobile library, she's a strong independent woman, she has no plans on settling down, having babies and getting married.

Alice like most ladies in England, had horse riding lessons as a young girl, she decided to become a packhorse librarian and she can escape her father in laws house during the day.
Eleanor Roosevelt had a idea to share the joy of reading with people living in poverty in the remote areas of Kentucky during the great depression, by supplying people with reading material, it gave them a vital link to the outside world and a glimmer of hope during such hard times.

Women known as packhorse librarians delivered books to families living in very remote areas, where people have little education and no access to books.
Alice's fellow librarians are a real mixed bunch, Margery, Izzy, Beth, Kathleen and Sophia.
They deliver books packed in saddle bags, in all kinds of weather, winding their way through dark forests and along remote mountain trails.

The women soon discover the power of independence, they share the joy of reading with the children attending the tiny local school, they become best friends and end up fighting against injustice.

I loved The Giver Of Stars, one of the best books I have read this year and I gave it 5 big stars.
I have shared my review on Goodreads, Twitter, Edelweiss, Barnes & Noble and my blog.

The Dressmaker's Gift

The Dressmaker's Gift by Fiona Valpy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley, Amazon Publishing UK and Fiona Valpy for my copy of her new book: The Dressmaker's Gift. I have read her previous book: The Beekeeper's Promise and I loved it.
Paris, 1940. The city is occupied by the Nazis, three young French seamstresses Claire, Mireille and Vivienne are kept busy sewing beautiful dresses for German officers wives and their mistresses.
The girls share a tiny apartment, it's situated on the top floor of the fashion house where they work and the three girls are best friends.
The French citizens are struggling to survive, basic necessities are in short supply, everything is restricted and taken by the German army. Food, clothing, new shoes, fuel to run heaters and cars is hard to find. People are being sent to work in Germany, others are arrested, their families and friends never hear from them again.
The French people are doing what they can to rebel against the German's, many are involved in the resistance and are the girls?

Paris 2017. Harriet arrives in France, she's Claire's granddaughter and she moved to France to work for a year. Much to her shock she discovers she's living and working in the same building on the Rue Cardinale as her grandmother. Harriet's mother died when she was very young, her dad married again and she's struggled with finding her place in the world. She's discovers a picture of three smiling girls in Paris, taken during WW II and in a box of her mother things? Harriet decides to investigate, find out the girls identities, what happened to them during the war and she's not at all prepared for what she uncovers.

Three young women living, working and trying to survive in Paris during WW II. They had to make difficult choices, it's very dangerous, anyone could betray them and they had no idea who they can trust? Claire, Mireille and Vivienne had a friendship that was sewn together by a unbreakable thread and it lives on in the beautiful gowns they made.

I enjoyed, The Dressmaker's Gift, the dual time line was easy to follow and it was relevant to the books ending.
Harriet's grandparents never spoke about what happened to them during WW II, it effected their daughter Felicity, she struggled to cope, by discovering the truth about her grandmother experiences during the war, it helps Harriet understand her own mothers battle with mental illness and she's reunited with her father.

I received a complimentary copy of The Dressmaker's Gift, opinions expressed in this review are my own and I gave the book 4 stars. I have shared my review on Goodreads, NetGalley, Twitter and my blog. Posted 06/10/2019.

Across A Broken Shore

Across a Broken Shore by Amy Trueblood
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley, North Star Editions and Amy Trueblood for my copy of her new book: A Cross A Broken Shore.

America is struggling during the great depression, in San Francisco the Golden Gate Bridge is being built, every morning men line up hoping to be given a job and be able to earn enough money to feed their families.
Willa MacCarthy family owns a Irish pub, she has four older brothers, Paddy, Nick, Sean and Michael.
The pub only provides enough work for her dad, her brother Paddy and her other brothers are looking for a job.

Willa's parents have on wish, that's for her to join the church and become a nun. She's smothered by her family, her life revolves around church and her families expectations of her.
Willa has doubts about becoming a nun, she has been secretly reading medical books and hiding them from her mother.

By chance she meets the new lady doctor, her name is Dr Katherine Winston, she starts helping her at her clinic and lies to her mam telling her she's helping at the soup kitchen.
Willa finds it very confronting working at the clinic, her families struggles are minor compared to the terrible poverty and suffering she witnesses while helping Dr Winston.

Willa finds a purpose, she's smart enough, and she dreams about becoming a doctor. But will she go against what her parents have planned for her future, is she strong enough to stand up to them and tell them what she really wants to do? Willa also meets a young man called Sam Butler, by joining the church she has to accept that she will never marry and have children.

While reading Across A Broken Shore, you realize how much prejudice there was at the time towards female doctors, how difficult is was for women who wanted to go to university, how much control families had over their adult daughters lives, how hard it was for them to go against their families wishes and follow their own dreams.

I received a complimentary copy of this book, opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and I gave the book 4 stars.
I have shared my review on Goodreads, Twitter and my blog. Posted 02/10/2019.

Beyond The Horizon

Beyond the Horizon by Ella Carey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing, Ella Carey for giving me the chance to read and review her new book: Beyond The Horizon.

Beyond the Horizon is a historical story about Eva Scott and a group of brave women who during WW II joined the Women's Air Force Service Pilots Scheme. Male pilots are busy defending the skies over England and fighting in the Pacific. America during WW II, lady pilots are needed to transfer planes to different air bases, to test fly planes that have been repaired and new planes.
Eva and her fellow pilots, Nina, Helena, Rita, Nancy and Beatrice, start five months of intense training at Avenger Field in Sweetwater Texas, it's extremely demanding both physically and mentally.
On a daily basis they have to deal with hot weather, very basic living conditions, and use or wear flying equipment designed for men.
The girls were very focused, determined to pass and they soon become best friends.

After they graduate, Eva, Nina and Helena are sent to Camp Davis in Carolina, here they deal with more shocking discrimination, sabotage, its a very dangerous place to live and work.
During one mission tragedy strikes, Eva's plane crashes and will she ever fly again?

Years later, Eva goes to Washington, she gives evidence in an investigation into how badly the members of the WASP's were treated during and after WW II. Eva finally discovers what really happened after her plane crashed all those years ago and how she was betrayed by two people she trusted.

I loved Beyond The Horizon, it's a story about WW II, friendship, secrets, justice, Eva confronting her past, discovering the truth and understanding the accident wasn't her fault. I received a complimentary copy of this book, opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and I gave Beyond The Horizon four stars.
I have shared my review on Goodreads, Twitter, NetGalley, Barnes & Noble and my blog.

Memories Of Glass

Memories of Glass by Melanie Dobson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Nazi occupied Holland in 1942, childhood friends Josie van Rees and Eliese Linden along with a few brave Dutch citizens manage to hide Eliese’s son Hein and 600 other Jewish children. The children along with their parents could be deported at anytime to Auschwitz and no one is safe!

Josie works as a child minder in the creche where Jewish children are living, some are orphans and others are being kept separate from their parents. Eliese works as a clerk, she's in charge of typing up the identity cards of the families who are being detained in a near by converted theater and she hates her job.
Is she a traitor, is she safe and is her son Hein still safe?

Seventy-five years later, Ava Drake begins to suspect that her great-grandfather William Kingston wasn't the World War II hero he claimed to be. Her work as director of the prestigious Kingston Family Foundation leads her to Landon West’s Ugandan coffee plantation, and Ava and Landon soon discover a connection between both families. As Landon’s great-grandmother shares her tragic story, Ava must confront the greatest loss in her own life? Powerful members of the Kingston family will do anything to keep the truth buried and will they succeed?

Memories Of Glass is a story about good versus evil, greed, betrayal, danger, war, secrets, sacrifice and a mothers love.
The book has a dual timeline that perfectly blends the past with the present and it's a real page turner.

I really enjoyed reading Memories Of Glass and I gave it 5 big stars.
I have shared my review on Goodreads, Twitter, and my blog. Posted 22/09/2019.
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The Five Wishes Of Mr. Murray McBride

The Five Wishes of Mr. Murray McBride by Joe Siple
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Murray McBride is 100 years old, on the day of his special birthday he meets 10 year old Jason Cashman and he's struggling to survive long enough to receive a heart transplant.

They meet when Murray decides to visit the cardiac ward in a local hospital and due to the age gap they don't have a single thing in common!

After Jason leaves hospital, Murray finds a note and Jason has made a list of the 5 things he wants to do before he dies.

The age gap is a big one, Jason is into gaming, Murray is rather old fashioned and set in his ways. Murray decides to help Jason with his bucket list and it's the start of a very interesting friendship.

The Five Wishes of Mr. Murray McBride is a heart warming story about friendship, hope, and love.

I gave the book 3 stars, it's a quick book to read and it needed just a little more depth in the story for me.
I have shared my review on Goodreads, Twitter, Edelweiss and my blog. Posted 20/09/2019.

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The First Lady and The Rebel

The First Lady and the Rebel by Susan Higginbotham
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley, Edelweiss, Sourcebooks and Susan Higginbotham for giving me the chances to read her new book: The First Lady And The Rebel.

I must admit at the very start of the book I was a little unsure if I would like it and if I would find it boring? Not the case at all, I really enjoyed reading it and it's a brilliant book.

It's a interesting story about two sisters, they married two very different men and when the American Civil War starts they support opposite sides.
Mary Todd is married to President Abraham Lincoln and Emily Todd is married confederate officer Benjamin Helm.

Mary Lincoln is the Union's First Lady, she supports her husband Mr Lincoln, his job is a stressful one, it's extremely demanding, with very long hours, making tough decisions, it takes its toll on her husband and his health.
Mary is hoping for a Northern victory, but she's very concerned for her family living in the south, members of her family are fighting in the confederate army and she now has very little contact with them.

Emily is hoping for a Southern victory, her husband is a confederate officer, she and her children live like nomads. They follow her husband around the south never staying in one place for very long and she lives with the constant fear of her husband being wounded, maimed or killed in battle.

The war is a long brutal one, a shocking loss of life, terrible injuries, and thousands of men who will live with the physical and mental scars for the rest of their lives.

The war rages on, both women have to deal with the challenges of motherhood, being separated from each other and accepting their husbands choices.
The sisters may have been supporting different side in the war, but they both show incredible strength, they both suffer terrible personal loss, they both have to deal with grief, they had no time to properly grieve and have to be strong for the sake of their children.

I really enjoyed The First Lady And The Rebel, it's a story about two strong and incredibly brave sisters. They loved each other, their children, and husbands. Separated by politics, war, illness, and both men made personal sacrifices for what they believe in. I gave the book 4 stars and I look forward to read Hanging Mary!
I shared my review on Goodreads, Twitter, NetGalley, Edelweiss, Barnes & Noble and my blog.

The Giver Of Stars

The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Giver Of Stars by Jojo Moyes is set in Kentucky during the 1930's and Alice a new English bride finds herself living in a little town called Baileyville.

Alice Wright jumps at the chance to leave her boring life in England behind and quickly marries American Bennett Van Cleve. She assumes life as a married women will be far more interesting, she has no idea her husband lives in such a remote area and shares a house with his father.
When she arrives in Kentucky she discovers they will be living in Van Cleve family home, they have very little privacy and she has nothing in common with her new husband! Bennett’s father owns the local mine, he's rich, overbearing, ruthless and a bully.

Alice is soon bored sitting around the house all day, she has no friends, one Sunday in church she hears of a plan to start delivering books to remote mountain people and she's very keen to help.
Margery O’Hare is in charge of setting up the new mobile library, she's a strong independent woman, she has no plans on settling down, having babies and getting married.

Alice like most ladies in England, had horse riding lessons as a young girl, she decided to become a packhorse librarian and she can escape her father in laws house during the day.
Eleanor Roosevelt had a idea to share the joy of reading with people living in poverty in the remote areas of Kentucky during the great depression, by supplying people with reading material, it gave them a vital link to the outside world and a glimmer of hope during such hard times.

Women known as packhorse librarians delivered books to families living in very remote areas, where people have little education and no access to books.
Alice's fellow librarians are a real mixed bunch, Margery, Izzy, Beth, Kathleen and Sophia.
They deliver books packed in saddle bags, in all kinds of weather, winding their way through dark forests and along remote mountain trails.

The women soon discover the power of independence, they share the joy of reading with the children attending the tiny local school, they become best friends and end up fighting against injustice.

I loved The Giver Of Stars, one of the best books I have read this year and I gave it 5 big stars.
I have shared my review on Goodreads, Twitter, Edelweiss, Barnes & Noble and my blog.

All The Flowers In Paris

All the Flowers in Paris by Sarah Jio
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Celine lives in 1940's Paris, she's a widow, she lives with her father and her daughter Cosi.
They own and run a busy florist shop and their lives are changed forever when the Germans invade Paris. A German officer notices how pretty Celine is and he discovers that Celine's father is part Jewish. He's an evil man, he has her father arrested, holds Celine captive in a apartment in Paris and she manages to hide Cosi from him.

American Caroline 2009, wakes up in hospital in Paris and has lost her memory. She can't remember anything about her past life, she's discharged from hospital and she's sent home to live in her apartment. They found her address from information in her bag, she has no idea about her former life, and why she's living in Paris?

One day while searching for clues about herself in her apartment she finds a hidden box with love letters inside, written by a woman called Celine to her lost love Luc during WW II. While trying to find out what happened to Celine, Caroline starts to have little flash backs, small details start to pop up in her memory, she eventually remembers what happened to her and her daughter Alma.

Caroline and Celine are both mothers, by discovering what happened to Celine during WW II also helps Caroline come to terms with her own tragic loss and deal with her painful past.
I enjoyed All The Flowers In Paris, I had no issues following the dual time line and I gave it 4 stars. I will share my review on Goodreads, Twitter, Australian Amazon, Barnes & Noble and my blog. Review posted 07/09/2019.

Khaki Town

Khaki Town by Judy Nunn
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Thanks to Judy Nunn, Penguin Random House and Better Reading for my ARC of: Khaki Town.

Townsville 1942, the Japanese forces have just invaded Singapore, Australia looks like it could be next and everyone is on edge. Queensland is bustling with over 70,000 Australian diggers and American soldiers waiting to be sent to fight in the Pacific.

The African American soldiers who signed up to fight are frustrated, they haven't been issued with weapons, not given leave to go ashore when the ship first arrives in Australia and once on dry land are put to work digging ditches. But they soon discover the absence of segregation in Australia and this means ALL the American soldiers can enjoy the Aussie hospitality. Drinking at the pub, flirting with bar maids, having fun, dancing and gambling. Not everyone is happy about no segregation, some of the American soldiers are from the South, one really nasty one is an officer and a racist.

When you combine the threat of war, tension, racism, constant bullying, and alcohol? Violence explodes and it's all covered up!

I gave Khaki Town 3 stars, I wish the story focused more on the Aussie characters, their relationships with each other and life in Townsville during WW II. I didn't like the constant focus on violence, drinking and prostitution.
I shared my review on Goodreads, Twitter, and my blog.

The Daughter's Tale

The Daughter's Tale by Armando Lucas Correa
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Armando Lucas Correa for the opportunity to read his new book: The Daughter's Tale and I have read his previous book called The German Girl.
Berlin in 1939 isn't a safe place for Jewish people to live. Life changes quickly for Amanda Sternberg, her husband Julius, and their two daughter's Viera and Lina.
Amanda owns her family book shop, and her husband Julius is a respected cardiologist.
The Germans burn down the book shop and Julius is sent to a concentration camp.
Julius had been worried about his families safety for sometime, he has secretly saved a large sum of money and has made plans for them to leave. A parent of one of his patients agreed to provide the opportunity for Amanda to flee Germany and she has to leave quickly and has no time to dwell on what will be her husbands fate.

Desperate to save her daughter's they leave Germany, and go to France.
Amanda has a chance to save her daughter's, to send them to Cuba and a ship called the St Louis, she decides her youngest daughter Lina is too young to make the journey and only sends her eldest daughter Viera..
Part of her husbands plan was for Amanda to go to France, to stay with his friends widow Claire and her daughter Danielle.

Once Amanda reaches France life is not easy, she misses Viera and she has to come to terms with the death of her husband in the concentration camp, her future and her daughter's lives have been changed forever.
She writes letter's to Viera, every letter is returned unopened and she has no idea what happened to her daughter and if she made it to Cuba?
Amanda and Lina are eventually taken from Claire's house to a concentration camp and Amanda will do anything to make sure her youngest daughter is safe.

In France, the German's round up all the people in the village, all the women and children are taken to a church in Oradour-Sur-Glane and the church is set alight by the German SS.
Lina is one of the lucky children to survive and the book is about what happens to her after the fire.

New York in 2015 , Elsie Duval receives a call from a woman who explains that she has letters written by Amanda to her daughter all those years ago and the shock causes her to have a heart attack.
Ida Rosen and her daughter Anna deliver letters written to a girl called Viera by her mother almost 70 years ago. They fly to New York to deliver them to the person to a woman who they believe might be Viera and is she?

The Daughter's Tale, takes you from Germany, France, Cuba and New York. It's a journey of tragedy, sacrifice, betrayal, secrets, a mother's love for her daughter's, and about tough choices people had to make during WWII. Not only for themselves, for their families and others. I really enjoyed reading The Daughter's Tale, yes it's very sad, it's based on a true story, so many people never spoke about what happened to them during the war. They moved on with their lives as best as they could and you can understand why it was very difficult for them to be confronted by their past and not even their own family knew what had happened to them during this awful war. I enjoyed the book, gave it 5 stars, I have shared my review on Goodreads, NetGalley, Twitter, and my blog.

The Girl In The Painting

The Girl in the Painting by Renita D'Silva
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Renita D'Silva for giving me the chance to read: The Girl In The Painting and I really enjoyed reading this book.

Margaret grew up England before WW I, she lives with her parents and her sisters in a wealthy upper class home.
Just before the start of WW I Margaret's life starts to fall apart, her baby brother George is stillborn, her mother is consumed by grief and she struggles to cope with her loss.
WW I starts and Margaret's father joins up, a silly decision and her mothers mental health declines.
Despite being warned it's not safe to stay in the family home, it's a huge target, Margaret's mother decides to stay and its a mistake.
One night the family home is destroyed by an air strike and burns to the ground. Margaret's mother and younger sister Evie die in the fire.
Margaret, and her sister Winnie are sent to live at their Aunties farm, they find the farm a shock after living in their genteel home. They find out that their father has also died in the war and they don't feel welcome at their Uncle George's farm. They are made to feel like a huge burden and their Aunt Helen tries her best to make them feel wanted.

Winnie and Margaret are invited to the village dance and Winnie meets the Baron Andrew Cohen, They fall in love and marry. Winnie is so happy in her new life as a Baroness she is content being a wife and mother.
Margaret decides to take the chance she is given and leaves the farm to study art at Kings College in London as she is a talented painter, she starts to paint to cope with her grief of losing her family and she's given a scholarship. At a party she meets Suraj, an Indian man who's studying law in England and due to his heritage is snubbed by most English people and he's very lonely.
They fall in love, Margaret and Suraj marry and soon leave England for India.

Margaret loves India, Suraj's parents are not happy with his choice of wife and they refuse to meet his new bride. Sadly before he can repair his relationship with his parents die in a car accident and he has to move back to his family home to sort out his parents affairs and Margaret's world is changed yet again.

Here she meets and makes friends with her Indian maid Archana, who reminds her of her young sister Evie..
Margaret is shocked not only by the poverty in India, but also the caste system and the practice of sati.
This is when a man dies he is cremated and his wife sacrifices herself as well, she is put alive on her husbands funeral pyre and they burn and go to heaven together.

When Archana's older husband dies, Margaret goes against the advice of her husband and saves Archana from her from sati but saving her brings with it huge consequences for both of them.
Her decision changes her life, her husbands and Archana's forever.

Years later Margaret sends her grand daughter Emma to India to deliver a message to Archana and also a painting. Emma discovers her grandmothers secrets, why Margaret wants to apologize to Archana and discovers Suraj has left his crumbling mansion in the Indian countryside to Margaret and as he never got over losing the love of his life.

The Girl In The Painting is a brilliant book, it's a story with many layers, details, customs, secrets and tragedy. All tied together to create a very compelling and interesting story. I really liked The Girl In The Painting , I gave it 4 stars, I have shared my review on Goodreads, NetGalley, Twitter and my blog.

Beyond The Shadow Of The Night

Beyond the Shadow of Night by Ray Kingfisher
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to Ray Kingfisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read his book Beyond The Shadow Of The Night, I was looking forward to reading his new book as I really enjoyed his two previous books Rosa's Gold and The Sugar Men.

The story starts in the Ukraine in 1923, when two baby boys are born called Mykhail and Asher.
They live on a farm, they grew up together with their families and became best friends.
The story is about what happens to them during the second world war, it describes the horror of the war, how they both had to make difficult choices to survive, and how what they did during the war effected both of them as adults.

One fought in the Russian Army and one being Jewish had his home taken away from him and they both ended up being sent to the horrible concentration camp called Treblinka.

The story alternates between 1939 and the early 2000's in the United States.
Years after the war had ended, the men are reunited in the USA due to a article in a newspaper and become friends again.

One has changed his name to cover up what he did to survive the war, he is a harsh man who decided to never see his parents again, he wasn't a great husband and he was a controlling father.
The other lives alone, he never marries, he can't get over losing his first love and turns to alcohol to cope with his horrible experiences that still haunt him from the second world war and his loneliness as an adult.

I really enjoyed The Shadow Of The Night, it's about how hard life was during the second world war, choices people had to make to survive and how decisions they made at the time still effected them years later, secrets they kept, how they started over in a new country and how one man tried to hide the story of his past. I gave the book four stars and look forward to reading more books by Ray Kingfisher.
I have posted my review on Goodreads, Australian Amazon, NetGalley, Twitter and my blog.

The Violin Maker's Daughter

The Violin Maker's Daughter by Sharon Maas
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and Sharon Maas for my digital copy of her new book The Violin Maker's Daughter.
Josef Mayer is a skilled violin maker he decided to keep his Jewish ancestry a secret, he lives a quiet life with his wife Leah and five daughters in Colmar. His plan is to evade attention by keeping their heads down, live a quiet life and during this troubled time it's impossible to a keep secret. One day two German soldiers arrive at his shop and inform him that he needs to provide documents to prove his family is of Aryan ancestry or his family will be deported.

He makes the choice to quickly get false identity papers for his eldest daughter Sarah the plan is for her to leave and once they have new papers her two teenage sisters will follow her two weeks later and then her parents and the youngest sister will join them.
Sarah and her sisters have been kept at home for the past two years by their parents after the towns Jewish residents had been marched out of town and deported.
Sarah reluctantly leaves her family and the plan is for the whole family to all to make their way to safety in Switzerland and be reunited.

Sarah is only 17, she has lived a sheltered life, she isn't prepared at all for the big wide world and even with a chaperone, guide and a network of safe houses the chances of her traveling across the French countryside and making it to safety are rather slim.
Of course nothing goes as planned and she finds herself traveling through the mountains to Poitiers with a German soldier called Ralf and not her guide. All German men under the age of 35 are conscripted into the army, Ralf had no choice but to join the army, by chance he saves Sarah who's being attacked by another German soldier and he becomes a deserter.

At times you want to shake Sarah, she is very childish, eventually she understands how much danger she's in, as she and Ralf make their way to safety she does grow up and due to her sisters being delayed she needs to find a job.
Sarah is bilingual and she finds work as a Nanny part of her job is to teach a French families children German and Ralf decides to join the French resistance. I enjoyed the second half of the book much more than the start, Sarah is not as annoying but she's still very childish, she learns the hard way to not trust anyone and most of all to keep her mouth shut!
I found The Violin Maker's Daughter to be light, quick, easy book to read, I did enjoy parts of the story and I gave the book three stars. I shared my review on Goodreads, Twitter and my blog.

The Peacock Summer.

The Peacock Summer by Hannah Richell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

To solve her problems, a young naive Lillian decided to marry her charming and older suitor Charles Oberon. He's rich, he's handsome and owns a beautiful house in English countryside called Cloudesley.
Lillian is struggling to raise her younger sister Helen, marrying Charles is the obvious solution to her situation and she is looking forward to being a stepmother to Charles's young son Albie.
It doesn't take long for Lillian to realize she has made a big mistake, she's lonely, Albie is a nervous wreck, her husband is extremely difficult to live with and she's trapped in a unhappy marriage.
One summer her husband decided to hire a young artist Jack to paint a room in the house and she thinks its another one of his crazy ideas!
Soon a dangerous bond is formed between the lonely Lillian and the talented painter Jack.
Maggie Oberon, Lillian's granddaughter receives a call and her dear Nan is ill, she quickly books a flight from Australia to England. When she arrives she discovers her sick aging grandmother is struggling to keep her crumbling home Cloudesley a float and it's in need of major repairs or the house will fall down.
As Maggie tries to save her beloved Nan's home, she discovers the secrets from the past and also how it's effected her whole family. It's a heart breaking story of lost love, lies, tragedy and betrayal.
I really enjoyed The Peacock Summer by Hannah Richell, it was a fabulous story, full of so many twists and turns that I didn't see coming. I gave the book five stars and I highly recommend reading it! Review posted 02/09/2019.

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The Callaborator

The Collaborator by Diane Armstrong
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley, Harlequin Australia and Diane Armstrong for giving me the chance to read and review her new book: The Collaborator.
Budapest 1944, Miklos Nagy is a Jewish journalist he's desperately trying to save as many Hungarian Jews as he can from the death camps and he has to negotiate their safety with the dreaded Adolf Eichmann.
In 2005, Sydney journalist Annika Barnett has always wondered how her grandmother Marika, survived the Holocaust and what happened to her during WW II? Her grandmother will never discuss her past and Annika has no idea how her Nana ended up living in Australia?
She decides to travel to Budapest and eventually makes her way to Tel Aviv. What she discovers effects all three generations of her family and she finds out about her grandmothers secret past.
The books is a long one, it's really a historical family saga about heroism, betrayal, passion and secrets.
Was Miklos Nagy a hero or a traitor?
I gave The Collaborator 3 stars, I'm sorry but I found the story very long, tedious and I was glad when I reached the end! Review posted 01/09/2019.

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One For The Blackbird, One for The Crow

One for the Blackbird, One for the Crow: A Novel by Olivia Hawker
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks so much to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and Olivia Hawker for giving me the opportunity to read her new book One For The Blackbird, One For The Crow. I read her previous book, The Ragged Edge Of Night and I loved it.

Wyoming prairie in 1876, two isolated farming families live next door to each other and one night all hell breaks loose. When Ernest Bemis discovers his wife Cora and his neighbor Substance Webber cheating! The meek mild Ernest shoots Substance and kills him. He rides to the closest town, he informs the local sheriff about his crime and he's jailed for two years.

Nettie Mae Webber is now a widow with a farm, animals to look after and her only help is her 16 year old Clyde. Cora Bemis now has to live with her guilt, shame and life on the prairie is very hard. Her four children Beulah, Benjamin, Charles and Miranda need her and they no longer have their father to do the heavy work. Soon it becomes very clear that Cora is going to struggle to survive the harsh winter on her own, she's not prepared at all, she has no money to buy supplies, she doesn't have enough fire wood and the only person she can ask for help is her neighbor Nettie Mae!

After Clyde becomes ill, Nettie Mae accepts that keeping two farms going is too hard for her teenage son, the two families have no choice but to join forces and Bemis family moves into the Webber house hold.
They begin to prepare for the long hard winter, harvesting vegetables, preserving food, cutting and seasoning fire wood. Despite combining the food/supplies they have both women are concerned that cupboards will be empty before the end of winter and their children will go hungry.

For both women living in the same house over winter is going to be a challenge and Nettie Mae has every right to hate Cora! Nettie Mae isn't as stern as she seems, she's a natural home maker and she loves children.
Cora isn't a bad person, she wasn't prepared for the lonely isolated life on the remote prairie, Substance took advantage of her weakness and she has to live with her shame of her infidelity.

The story is about two women struggling to live and keep their children safe in such a harsh environment, how they cope with being totally isolated for months, how they discovered by working together they could survive the long winter, it's about forgiving someone who has betrayed you and giving them a second chance.

I really enjoyed reading One For The Blackbird, One For The Crow and I gave it four stars.

The Lost Pearl

The Lost Pearl by Emily Madden
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Lost Pearl, starts in Hawaii just before the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor, when Catherine McGarrie meets Charlie at her 16th birthday party, he's a friends with her brother Eddie and they fall in love.

Hawaii is beautiful, tropical weather, white beaches, picture perfect scenery, and young people having fun in paradise. Yes they had some concerns about the war but they really thought they were safe and that all changed on the 7th of December 1941.

Catherine, Charlie, Eddie and their families lives are changed forever when the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor. It's a story about war, love, secrets, drama, family and sacrifice.

I enjoyed reading The Lost Pearl, it's a emotional family saga and I gave it 4 stars.
I will be sharing my review on Goodreads, Amazon and Twitter. Review posted 23/08/2019. View all my reviews

Carnegie's Maid

Carnegie's Maid by Marie Benedict
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

During the Irish potato famine, Clara Kelley immigrates to America, she's hoping to find her distant cousin Patrick and a job. Her family is struggling, she's the obvious one to emigrate to America being the smartest in her family and they desperately need her to send money home. Clara endures the long voyage to America on the Envoy, in steerage and it's a nightmare.
When she arrives, she is mistaken for another woman, they have the exact same name but they come from very different social backgrounds! Taking a big chance, she doesn't mention she isn't the gentile Clara Kelley and she's soon on her way to Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. Clara is to be the new ladies maid for Mr Andrew Carnegie's rich Scottish mother and she has no idea how she will manage?
Mrs Carnegie's is difficult to please, set in her ways and being her lady's maid isn't a easy job. Clara is kept busy all day, into the evening attending to Mrs Carnegie's needs and she's learns very quickly how to keep her mistress happy.
Due to her position as a lady's maid the other staff employed at the mansion are not very friendly to Clara and the only person that's nice to her is the cook Mr Ford. Clara is home sick, misses her family terribly and is anxiously waiting to hear from them.
Clara finds herself in a unique situation, due to her duties as a maid, she's present when the Mrs Carnegie and her son Andrew discuss details about the family business.
Andrew Carnegie is a interesting man, he can be friendly, happy and he's not a snob. But he's ruthless in his business interests, he's rich, powerful and he never want's to be poor again.
He discovers Clara visiting the library in the mansion, he asks her questions and is shocked the find out how well educated she is!
They start to talking to each other, they secretly meet while Clara is running errands for Mrs Carnegie and it becomes very obvious that Andrew has feelings for Clara.
Clara is very cautious, she's heard so many stories about poor Irish girls being taken advantage of by rich men and she also has to maintain her cover.
She can't let her guard down, her family are only just surviving on her money she sends them and can she trust Andrew Carnegie?
Soon she and Andrew are discussing business ideas, ways to make money and what would Mrs Carnegie think about her son considering marrying her lady's maid?
I enjoyed Carnegie's Maid, it makes you think about what it's like to be poor, how hard it is to escape poverty and what lengths you would go to save your own family? Would you tell the truth or would you jump at the chance of taking a well paid job and hide a terrible secret?
It's the first book I have read by Marie Benedict, I loved it and I gave it four stars.
I will share my review on Goodreads, Twiiter and Facebook. Review posted 12/08/2019.

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Westering Women

Westering Women by Sandra Dallas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was so excited to be given the chance to read Westering Women by Sandra Dallas. I live in Australia, for years I have looked at her books on Amazon and I have never had the opportunity to read one.

Chicago February 1852, Maggie Kaiser reads a notice about a wagon train leaving soon, it's traveling to Goosetown in California. She's a struggling young mother, with a young daughter and takes in sewing to make ends meet.

Maggie joins 43 other women who are looking for a new start, they begin the long grueling 2,000 mile journey west where there's a need for women who are keen to get married and start families.

None of the women are prepared for the hardships they will face on the trail as they travel by foot through the high plains, mountains, and dry deserts.

Due to the distance they need to not over burden the oxen, they can only take with them the necessities such as food, cooking utensils, clothing and tents.

They need to take turns cooking over the open fire, collecting fire wood, getting water, looking after the animals, they also need to learn to defend themselves and shoot a rifle.

As they travel west they soon notice a trail of discarded belongings from previous travelers and so many lonely graves.

They need to cross rivers, endure traveling in all kinds of weather, some days it's stinking hot, others its freezing cold and raining. The constant worry about danger, Indians and illness takes it's toll. Soon all the women are sun burnt, exhausted and tired of eating the same bland food.

As Maggie gets to know her fellow travelers she soon discovers that she’s not the only one looking to leave her past behind and almost all of them have secrets!

During the journey the women become friends, they share a strong bond, they do things that most men would struggle to do and they also have to deal with the harsh reality of how dangerous it is.

I loved Westering Women, it's a brilliant story about women traveling west by the overland trail, their courage, their friendship and determination. I gave the book 5 stars, I will be sharing my review on Goodreads and Twitter.

Review posted 10/08/2019. View all my reviews

The Whisper Man

The Whisper Man by Alex North
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Tom Kennedy, is heart broken after the sudden death of his wife Rebecca and he decides to move to a new area. He feels buying a new house will free him from the memories of his past and help his son Jake.

They move to Featherbank it's smaller town, Jake changes schools and he's a loner, he's different, has trouble making friends and not your typical kid. Tom has no idea that his house and the town have a dark past.

Twenty years earlier a serial killer stalked the town, abducting and killing children after luring them from their homes by whispering at their windows.
The Whisper Man was caught, Frank Carter is locked up in jail but the body of his last victim has never been found and the detective in charge of the case Pete Willis is still haunted by this.

Prior to Tom and Jake moving in, another little boy goes missing!
Neil Spencer's parents are separated, one afternoon he left his dads house and he planned to walk home to his mothers house. He never made it, his parents take two hours to workout their son had gone missing and before they finally contacted the local police.

Detectives Pete Willis and Amanda Beck are involved in the new missing child case, they need to find out what happened to Neil and quickly.

Pete knows it's a long shot, but he decides to visit Frank Carter in jail and ask him a few questions! He has always wondered if Frank Carter was the only person involved in the murders and if he had an accomplice? Aspects of the new case seem to be very similar to what happened twenty years ago. Even with two guards present, his arms restrained and legs in chains Frank Carter is menacing. He's a big man, after 20 years he still gives Pete the creeps and Frank enjoys playing mind games with him.

Tom notices that Jake has been acting strange, he talks to himself and has a imaginary friend. His new teacher is rather stern woman and his first day at his new school didn't go well. One night Jake wakes his dad, he has been hearing noises and he's scared.

The new house is spooky, a man has been hanging around trying to open the locked garage and Tom is concerned. He contacts the police but they don't take him seriously and he decides to look into the houses history.
What he discovers is far worse than he ever expected, the house has many secrets and it has a connection to his own families past.

When investigators Amanda Beck and Pete Willis contact the local police, they ask if they have had any leads or new reports and they mention the call out to the Tom Kennedy's house.

What follows is a story that has so many twists and turns. It's impossible to work out what will happen next, it's full of suspense and it makes you double check that you have locked your own doors when you go to bed at night!!!

I really enjoyed The Whisper Man, thanks to Celadon books, Edelweiss above the Treeline and Alex North for my advanced digital copy of his book and I gave it 5 stars.
I shared my review on Goodreads, Twitter and Barnes & Noble. Review posted 06/08/2019.

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The Hidden

The Hidden by Mary Chamberlain
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley, Oneworld Publications and Mary Chamberlain for giving me a chance to read and review her new book: The Hidden.
I have read her previous book The Dressmaker Of Dachua, I really liked it and it's also called The Dressmakers War.

The Hidden: is a fictional story based around true facts about the German occupation of The Channel Islands during WW II and how the island of Jersey was cut off from England for five long years.
Jersey and the people who remained living there were completely isolated from the mainland from 1940 to 1945. They had to live with the German's controlling everything on the Island, they suffered terribly due to shortages of basic every day items such as food, medicine, new clothes, new shoes, bicycle tires and even soap!

The Hidden has a dual timeline and it's easy to follow. It's a story about the effects of isolation, survival, secrets, betrayal, humanity, shame and it's a very emotional book to read.

The story is based on three main characters living on the Island during WW II, the local midwife Dora Simon, Joe O'Cleary he's a very unhappy Irish priest and Geoffrey Laurent a lonely widowed farmer.
They all knew each other, they all had issues from their pasts that they wanted to keep hidden and they found themselves caught up in a very unique situation being stranded on Jersey at the time. They had no idea who they could trust and they had to deal with the constant threat from German soldiers. They arrested anyone who broke the rules, had not handed in their radios and people of Jewish heritage.

In 1985, Barbara Hummel is going through her deceased mothers Trude's things when she discovers some old photo's of a mystery woman with a German officer and they were taken during WW II on the island Jersey?
Her mother had always told her that her father died in the war but Barbara had always had her doubts about this being true? She has a feeling the mysterious woman in the photo might be able to help her find out the truth and she begins her search to discover who she is?

England 1985, Dora is contacted by Barbara and she also visits her, but she's very reluctant to tell her anything about her past, what happened to her during the war and especially about her Jewish heritage.
Barbara also travels to Jersey, she meets Joe who's living in a caravan on Geoffrey's land and he's taking care of the aging Geoffrey.

All three are connected by the past and are hiding what happened to them during WW II. They didn't want to talk about the terrible suffering they all experienced, it's a tragic story full of secrets, hardship and abuse.

I really enjoyed reading The Hidden by Mary Chamberlain, it's a brilliant emotional story that takes place during WW II in a unique setting and I gave it 5 stars.
I have shared my review on Goodreads, NetGalley, Twitter and my blog. Posted 03/08/2019.

The Flight Girls

The Flight Girls by Noelle Salazar
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When the US military advertises it's need for experienced pilots to train young male pilots in Hawaii, Audrey's Coltrane's father encourages her to apply and soon she's working in beautiful Hawaii. In her free time she enjoys spending time with her new friends, swimming, going to beach parties, drinking cocktails and she loves living on the beautiful island.
Audrey has always wanted to teach others to fly, her plan is to one day own her own air field and her experience working in Hawaii teaching flying might help her achieve her dream?

On the 7th of December 1941 Pearl Harbor is attacked and bombed by the Japanese forces.
Audrey at the time is giving a young pilot a flying lesson, she manages to land the plane while under enemy fire and they escape unhurt.
Nothing can prepare Audrey for what happens after she lands her plane, what once was paradise has been destroyed, damaged or on fire. During this time a fellow pilot Lieutenant James Hart comes to her aid, he provides her with somewhere to live and they try to find out what happened to her friends?
In the past, both Audrey and James have avoided romantic relationships, despite the obvious attraction between them they decide to be good friends. Audrey leaves Hawaii, she returns to Texas, she promises to keep in touch with James and they start writing letters to each other.
Audrey returns home, after a few months she grows restless, she want's to help her country and America is now involved in WW II.
Audrey decides to join the WASP, women pilots are needed to transport planes to and from different military bases around the US, they also test new planes before there sent to England and used in combat.
The women who join the WASP, start a rigorous training program, they need be physically fit, pass written exams, and while in training they discover how dangerous their job will be!
I really enjoyed reading about Audrey and her friends experiences during training and the strong bond formed between the women.
Once she graduates Audrey is sent to Fort Sam Huston, here she again experiences prejudice from men as they assume a woman can't fly a big plane and she's working in very a dangerous conditions.
Audrey continues to write to James, but she's very concerned by his letters, the war has changed him and in his last letter it's almost like he's saying goodbye to her? Will she ever see or hear from James again, she starts to really think about their relationship and are they just friends?
Audrey and her fellow pilots work long hours, the war takes it's toll, both physically and mentally. I shed quite a few tears, when one of Audrey's friend's is involved in a tragic flying accident and it's breaks your heart.
I really enjoyed The Flight Girls, thank you Mira Publishing and Noelle Salazar for giving me the chance to read her first book. I gave The Flight Girls four stars and look forward to reading her next book. I have shared my review on Goodreads, Edelweiss, NetGalley, Barnes & Noble and my blog.

Love Of The Finished Years

Love of Finished Years by Gregory Erich Phillips
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Twelve year old German girl Elsa Schuller arrives with her family at Ellis Island in 1905, they find America confusing and things don't go as planned! Life in the tenements of New York is a shock, her once happy father Tobias is distant, her family have very little money and they don't speak English. Elsa's dream of going to school ends as it becomes very clear for them to survive everyone in the family needs to find work and quickly. Elsa and her younger sister Sonja both find jobs working in a factory weaving cloth.

Working at the factory is hard work, the hours are long, some employers started locking girls in rooms so they couldn't leave unless work targets are met, they start timing toilet breaks and the working conditions are terrible.

We have all heard about the horrible fire at one of the shirtwaist factories, so many women and girls died because they couldn't escape the fire. Elsa survives the fire, her best friend Beth dies but she leaves Elsa with a precious gift as she has taught her to read and write in English. Elsa is offered a job working in Long Island as a maid, due to being German and she's also needed to translate documents for her new boss. He imports and exports goods to and from Germany.

Her mother Nina is busy with the women's rights movement they want to reduce the working hours for women, the garment makers go on general women's strike and eventually their working conditions and hours are changed.

Elsa becomes friends with her bosses daughter Dafne, she's a flighty girl, she's spoilt, rather modern with her attitude towards her maid and treats her as an equal. This has it's benefits, but at times causes issues between the girls and Dafne is rather annoying.

Four years later, the world has changed and the threat of the World War I is looming and Elsa's life is turned upside down yet again. People of German origin begin changing their last names, their businesses are broken into and damaged. She and Dafne move back to Manhattan.

Once America enters World War I, Elsa and Dafne's relationship changes, especially when Dafne's ex fiancee Glenn is fighting in the war in France and he starts writing to Elsa.

I enjoyed reading: Love Of Finished Years, it's an interesting story about German migrants moving to New York, the fire in the shirtwaist factory and the strike general strike by low paid working women. How women fought hard for the right to vote, women's roles changing during World War I, the effect the war had on the men fighting in France and the women waiting for them to return home.
I gave the book 4 stars, I will share my review on Goodreads, Australian Amazon and Twitter. Posted 31/07/2019.

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The Fire Blossom

The Fire Blossom by Sarah Lark
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley, Sarah Lark and Amazon Crossing for giving me the chance to read: The Fire Blossom.

It's a story about how two brave young women struggle to survive in the new colony of New Zealand, they come from very different back grounds and become best friends.

Ida Lange is a young girl who lives in a Lutheran community in Prussia ( Germany) and she has been looking after her younger siblings since her mother passed away during childbirth. She's friends with a boy at school, Karl Jensch's family are poor and her father doesn't approve of their friendship. Both teenagers are forced to leave school, Ida is needed at home. Karl's father can't afford for him to stay at school and he needs to start work. Both Ida and Karl are bright, eager and keen students and it's a shame when they're forced to leave school.
A few years later, the opportunity arises for the Lutheran community to emigrate to New Zealand, Ida's father is very keen, he wants Ida to marry Ottfried Brandmann, he's the local bully, they become engaged and they're families plan the journey across the ocean to their new home.

Karl is a hard worker and he manages to find a way of being able to be on the same ship as Ida, her family isn't happy about that and he moves to New Zealand.

Kitten is a young girl who's struggling survive living in a remote area in New Zealand near a whaling station, she runs away from the local tavern where she has been living, she's concerned that she will be made to work as a prostitute, and finds a new home with a local Maori tribe. Later she is forced to leave when the tribe decides she has betrayed them. Eventually, Cat and Ida meet and become best friends.

I enjoyed reading about New Zealand, Maori culture, language, beliefs, herbal medicine, food, and how they lived.
The author has done a lot of research into how Maori people lived at the time and also about Lutheran settlers leaving Prussia to live in New Zealand.
The book is a long one, the main part of the story is really a saga, it's about how Ida and Cat struggle to live in a male dominated world where women are not treated as equals and both women suffer terrible abuse in the story.
I really didn't like that most of the book and story is based around domestic violence, drinking and rape.
I have read other books by Sarah Lark that I have really enjoyed, this one was only ok and I gave it 3 stars.

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The Yankee Widow

The Yankee Widow by Linda Lael Miller
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved The Yankee Widow by Linda Lael Miller, I gave her book 5 big stars, I really enjoy reading Civil War historical fiction and I don't mind a story with a little romance.
The book begins in Pennsylvania during the war, when Caroline Hammond is notified her husband Jacob has been wounded, she leaves her farm and travels on her own by train to find out what happened to him, is he dead or alive?
This begins the story about Caroline, her husband Jacob and their daughter Rachel.
Caroline lives in near Gettysburg, prior to, during and after the famous battle.
You're soon reading about the terrible battle at Gettysburg, how it effected the soldiers on both sides and the local people.
Linda Lael Miller writing style has you engaged in the story, you care deeply about the character's and what happens to them! Caroline's hired hand Enoch, a escaped pregnant slave called Jubie, a Yankee soldier called Rogan McBride and his best friend Bridger Winslow he's a Confederate officer. Later in the book his young sister Amalie Winslow is mentioned and she's living alone at the family plantation in Georgia. I'm sure there will be another book to follow about Amalie experiences during the war and I can't wait to read it!
I have posted this review on Australian Amazon and Twitter.

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Keeping Lucy

Keeping Lucy by T. Greenwood
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Massachusetts 1969. Ginny Richardson is excited about the up coming birth of her second child and she has the nursery all ready for her new baby.
Ginny goes into labor at her baby shower, her husband takes her to hospital and she has her baby.
After her baby is born, she's tired, confused and sleepy due to the drugs she was given to help her with the pain.
When she asks about her baby no one will tell her anything and she eventually discovers she's had a baby girl.
Her husband Ab is a nice man but his father is very controlling and when he discovers his grand daughter has Down Syndrome, he puts pressure on his son to send her to a children's home called Willowridge and hide her away.
Ginny is very upset, at first she had no idea they had taken her daughter away, they keep her heavily sedated, she's sore and she's in no shape to try and find her baby.
During the next two years the couple struggle, the loss of their baby puts a strain on their marriage, Ginny is depressed, angry with her husband and Ab spends most of his time hiding at work.
One day Ginny's best friend Marsha visits and she shows Ginny newspaper articles about the children's home where little Lucy is being cared for and it's very bad news.
The children are living in dirty, filthy conditions, not being looked after properly at all and Ginny is very worried about Lucy.
Marsha offers to take Ginny to visit the children's home, so they set off with Ginny's 6 year old son Peyton and to visit Lucy for the first time.
Ginny has wanted to visit Lucy but her husband has told her that it's not encouraged as it's disruptive and not good for the children.
When Ginny arrives at the home she's horrified, the place is filthy, the staff are slack and the children are not being looked after properly at all.
She can't leave Lucy, she decides to sign her out for a weekend and has no idea what she will do? Ginny has no clue that her husband has signed away their parental rights and her daughter is now a ward of the state.
The weekend is the start of Ginny's and Marsha's mad car ride across America and it's a very interesting trip.
Peyton isn't happy to find out he has a baby sister, he's jealous and he's due to start school.
During the crazy car trip, Ginny discovers that Lucy hasn't been cared for properly at all, no way will she return her to the home and she has no idea what she will do?
Ginny soon discovers looking after Lucy isn't always easy, but it's rewarding as Lucy is a beautiful sweet little girl and Ginny loves her daughter.
Keeping Lucy, is a story about a mother's love for her children, what she will do to protect them and how far she will go to keep them safe. Ginny also discovers during her trip that she's a lot stronger than she thinks, sometimes you have to follow your heart and do what is right for your child.
I really enjoyed reading Keeping Lucy, thanks edelweiss for my advanced readers digital copy, I gave the book four big stars, and I will share my review on Goodreads and Twitter.

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The Girls Of Pearl Harbor

The Girls of Pearl Harbor by Soraya M. Lane
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Girls Of Pearl Harbor, is a wonderful book about three young nurses working in Hawaii, two sisters April and Grace are army corps nurses and their new friend Eva is a nurse in the navy. In their spare time girls enjoy everything the island has to offer and it's a adventure in paradise. They enjoy going to the beach, swimming, and the attention of so many young handsome men.
Of course they have no idea their world is about to change, when on the 7th of December 1941 the Japanese army bomb Pearl Harbor, the three nurses lives are changed forever and nothing could prepare them for what happens during and after they attack. The damage to Pearl Harbor is massive, buildings, ships and planes are destroyed by bombs and are on fire. They had no warning about Japanese forces attacking the island, the girls are caught up in a battle zone of flying bullets, bombs landing, patients with terrible wounds, burns and the severe loss of life. They also feel very vulnerable after the attack, being stranded in Hawaii, they have no idea if the Japanese would return and attack the now isolated island?

After the attack on Pearl Harbor, America declares war against the Japanese and joins the allied forces fighting in WW II.
Grace, April and Eva decide to leave Hawaii and they volunteer to go to North Africa.
Here the nurses are working in very primitive conditions, the hospital is made up of a series of tents, the food is horrible, the water is foul, flies drive them crazy, they can't have a proper bath, toilet facilities are a long drop and it's also stinking hot.
All three women have their own personal issues to deal with, they have all experienced loss, grief and one had a difficult childhood. They're all effected by their work as nurses, the terrible injuries, soldiers with shell shock, the constant danger, a nasty doctor, lack of sleep, one very difficult patient and the poverty of the local people.
The Girls Of Pearl Harbor takes you on a emotional journey, it's a story about how friends can help each other cope during tough times, young nurses growing up and becoming strong independent women, once the war is over they will choose to follow their dreams, one decides study to be a doctor and they all fall in love.

Thank you Amazon Publishing UK for my digital copy, NetGalley and Soraya M. Lane for writing another brilliant book, I have read and enjoyed her previous books: Wives Of War, Hearts Of Resistance and The Spitfire Girls.
I loved The Girls Of Pearl Harbor, I gave it 5 big stars, I will be sharing my review on Amazon Australia as I have kindle unlimited and Twitter.

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A Fire Sparkling

A Fire Sparkling by Julianne MacLean
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed: A Fire Sparkling by Julianne MacLean and it's a book full of interesting surprises.
It's a story with a dual timeline that seamlessly blends the past and with the present.
In 2011, Gillian catches her boyfriend cheating, she's very upset, and she's goes to visit her dad. She had no idea that he's just found a mysterious box filled with old photographs of his mother Vivian and she's standing next to a man who's dressed as a Nazi officer?
Edward is very confused, he had been told his dad Theodore had died during WW II during the blitz in London, why is his mum standing next to a German soldier and he's now worried this mysterious man might be his father?
Vivian is now in her 90's, she begins the story by explaining to her son Edward and her grand daughter Gillian why she's in the photograph, what happened to her in the past and during WW II.
Soon your swept way in a dramatic heartfelt tale about lost love, romance, secrets, mystery, and danger that all takes place during the war. I loved A Fire Sparkling, I'm a fan of WW II historical fiction and I gave the book fours stars. I have posted my review on Goodreads, Australian Amazon, Twitter, Barnes & Noble and NetGalley.

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The Long Flight Home

The Long Flight Home by Alan Hlad
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thanks so much to NetGalley, Kensington Books and Alan Hlad for giving me the chance to read his book: The Long Flight Home.
Susan Shepherd lives with her grandfather Bertie near Epping Forest in England, Susan was raised by her grandparents and her parents died when she was a little girl. Susan and her grandfather live a quiet life, they breed and race homing pigeons.
Susan was studying zoology, but the war starting halted her studies and she decides to help her aging grandfather care for his pigeons as he has very bad knees, he finds doing every day tasks a challenge and he's in a lot of pain.

When the German's start bombing London, Susan and her grandfather spend most night's in a shelter they built in the backyard. In the morning they wake up to see fires burning in London, the damage the Luftwaffe has done to buildings and witness the terrible loss of life.

The War Office contacts them requesting Bertie to attend a meeting as they have a plan using pigeons to carry military information between England and France.
The idea is to drop hundreds of pigeons into France as part of undercover mission called Columbia, they need as many pigeons as they can get from breeders all over England and join the National Pigeon Service.
Susan attends the meeting as it's too hard for her grandfather to travel due to his aging knees.

Buxton Maine, Ollie Evans is living with his parents on a potato farm and he also flies a plane as a crop duster. His parents die in a tragic accident and the bank forecloses on the family farm. Ollie has no choice he leaves the farm, his plan is to get to England and joining the Air Force. Once he arrives in England he is traveling on a train and he notices a young lady being harassed by an English officer. He saves Susan Shepherd from the unwanted advances from Clyde Boar and before he knows it he's in trouble with the military police. Ollie is released but he is told that he must help the Shepherds for three months as a type of good behavior bond and once this ends he hopes to join the RAF.

Soon all the trained pigeons are to be loaded on to a truck, taken to the RAF base to be loaded onto planes and to be dropped in cages over France. By mistake Susan's pet pigeon Duchess has been taken as well and Ollie tries to find her in one of the cages in the cargo hold of a plane. Before he knows it the plane takes off in a hurry as the German's start bombing the air field, he and Duchess are soon on the way into enemy territory.

Of course disaster strikes and the plane crashes, Ollie, Duchess and the planes pilot Clyde Boar all find themselves stranded in France. They eventually find help from a elderly French lady and they're drawn into the war and start helping the French resistance. Duchess provides a link to England and soon she is flying back and forth carrying important messages all written in a secret code to help win the war!

Soon both Ollie and Clyde begin the journey to escape France, it's too dangerous for them to stay and they must try to return to England. Do they make it? Will they both survive the trip? What happens to Susan and Bertie in England? The war eventually ends but the story doesn't and it only gets more interesting.

The Long Flight Home is one of the most incredible, enthralling and beautiful books I have read. I enjoyed reading every page, well done Alan Hlad and I gave your book five stars.
I shared my review on Goodreads, NetGalley, Barnes & Noble, Twitter and on my blog.

The Occupation Secret

The Occupation Secret by Mario Reading
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley, Mario Reading and Canelo Publishing for my digital copy of: The Occupation Secret.

Tank Commander Maximilian Von Aschua is a seasoned officer, he's spent years fighting on the Eastern Front, against the Russian army in freezing conditions, with limited food and supplies. He's been wounded many times, he's a highly decorated soldier and has been awarded medals for his bravery and courage.
With him the whole way is his brother in arms Sergeant Major Paul Meyer, together they fought against the Soviet army and they share a special bond.
With the threat of the Allies invasion looming Commander Max is sent to the French countryside where he's to begin planning the German defenses.
When Max arrives at St Gervais du Mont-Boise he moves into a vacant mansion called Bastide de Marmont and the mayor takes him for a meal at a local cafe. The owner's name is Jeanne Lere, she sees the Germans arrival in town as a perfect opportunity for her to make money and she isn't missing her older husband who's a prisoner of war in Germany. Her daughter Lucie, lives on her grandparents farm but she travels to town to see her mother and her mother soon gives her the job of delivering the Commander's lunch to him every day.

Lucie has a admirer his name is Herve Najac, they grew up together and he follows her around like a lost puppy. He was badly wounded at the start of the war by a phosphorous bomb and his face was badly disfigured. Lucie and Herve have a understanding that she might marry him when the war ends and he's not happy when the commander starts to show interest in his bride to be.

Lucie and Max find they have a common interest, they both enjoy music, Lucie discovers that the Commander is a nice man and soon they start to have feelings for each other. But will a relationship between Max and Lucie be possible during the war?

By reading The Occupation Secret, you look at WWII from a German soldiers point of view, it breaks down conceived boundaries, and you discover how strong the bond is between soldiers fighting in a war. I enjoyed the book and I gave it four stars.

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Love And Other Battles

Love And Other Battles by Tess Woods
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks NetGalley, Harper Collins Publishing Australia and Tess Woods for my copy of her new book : Love And Other Battles.
In 1969, hippie nursing student Jess never imagined she would fall in love with a soldier, but she falls head over heals in love with Frank Stone and he's about to be sent off to serve his country in the Vietnam war. As we know at that time in Australia the war in Vietnam was a very touchy subject, not all Australians agreed with our involvement in the war and the soldiers coped a lot of abuse.
In 1989, Jamie Stone is studying to be a teacher, when she meets and falls in love with a Simon he dreams of becoming a country singer and making it big in Nashville. All sensible Jamie has wanted is to be married, start a family and this wasn't what Simon had planned at all!
In 2017, CJ, is a friendly, happy teenager she's doing well at school until she falls in love with the bad boy and she can't believe it when Finn Maxwell asks her out on a date. It doesn't take long for her mum Jamie to notice a big change in her daughters behavior and she's very worried.
Love And Other Battles is a book that explores the complex relationships between three women, a grandmother, her daughter and her granddaughter. Their relationships with each other at times can be rocky, especially as it involves different generations, age groups, personalities and how they deal with the challenging situations they find themselves in.
I found the book very hard to read at times, I almost stopped reading it to be honest and I'm glad I didn't. The story includes subjects I can relate to such as; aging parents, illness, being a parent, and falling in love for the first time. However, I found the parts about drug use, oral sex, peer pressure, body image, self harm and cyber bullying very distressing, confronting and I wanted to strangle Finn.
But, I can understand why Tess Woods included these topics in her book, the story was well written and it had so many interesting layers. What we need to understand is that being a teenage girl is still really hard and it's actually worse now than when I was a teenage girl in the 1980's. Technology and smart phones have made it easier for photo's and nasty rumors to be spread quickly. Peer pressure is such a powerful weapon, Love And Other Battles has made me very aware of this and well done to Tess Woods for tackling so many difficult subjects and including them in her book. It took me way out of my comfort zone and I gave the book 4 stars.

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The Last Year Of The War

The Last Year of the War by Susan Meissner
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Last Year Of The War by Susan Meissner is a wonderful book and I enjoyed reading every single page.
In 1943, Elsie Sontag is a fourteen year old American girl, her parents are of German origin and emigrated to the US over 20 years ago. Elise and her younger brother Max's lives are changed forever when her father is suddenly arrested for being a supporter of the Nazi party.
Her father wasn't associated at all with Nazi party, a series of events and mistakes made it look like he was.
Her family is sent to an interment camp and detained with German, Japanese and Italian families.
Here, Elsie meets a girl named Mariko Inoue, they become best friends and like all teenage girls they share with each other their hopes and dreams for the future
They have no idea that they will be quickly separated and nothing could prepare Elsie and her family for what happens to them next!
Mariko's once kind father becomes a angry, bitter man and he want's to return to Japan.
Despite being separated by time, distance, illness, growing old, the friendship and bond formed between two young girls all those years ago will remain strong.
I loved The Last Year Of The War, it made me cry because it was such a beautiful book and I gave it five stars. I have shared this review on Goodreads and Twitter.

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No Ocean Too Wide

No Ocean Too Wide by Carrie Turansky
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I had no idea that in the early 1900's over 100,000 poor, orphaned and neglected English children were sent to Canada for a better life and of course this was not always the case.
No Ocean Too Wide is a fictional story about the McAlister children, Katie, Garth and Grace. When their widowed mother becomes ill the police decide to remove them from the family home and send them to live in a orphanage.
Their older sister Laura is working as a ladies maid for the Frasier family, she receives word informing her about her mothers illness and she returns home as quickly as she can. Laura is worried about her mother's health and she's also concerned about how her siblings are coping.
Unfortunately when she arrives home, it's too late her brother and two sisters have been sent to Canada and she's stunned.
Laura takes matters into her own hands she will do anything to find her younger siblings and bring them back to England where they belong.
Once she arrives in Canada she tries to find out what has happened to her brother and sisters with the help of Andrew Frasier a young and handsome lawyer. By reading No Ocean Too Wide, I discovered how children could be sent across the other side of the world, some suffered horrible abuse and it's heart breaking.
The first book in the series is about Katie McAlister, I look forward to reading the next two books to find out the fate of Garth and Grace. Lets hope the whole family is reunited and the series has a happy ending. I have shared this review on Goodreads and Twitter.

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Front Line Nurse

Front Line Nurse by Rosie James
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley, HQ Digital and Rosie James for my copy of her new book : Front Line Nurse.
On a cold English night in 1900, Randolph Garfield is walking home after a busy day working at his tobacco importing business and he's in a hurry to get home to his young son Alexander. As he's walking he hears a noise and he finds a abandoned new born baby girl in a cardboard box and he takes her to the near by orphanage.

He knocks on the door and meets Emma Kingston the superintendent of the orphanage. He's walked past it many times, he's never given a thought to how many children live there and he is shocked to find out it's going to be closed in a couple of weeks due to lack of funds.
He decides to become the orphanages new benefactor, both Mr Garfield and his son Alexander visit the orphanage often, they witness little baby Angelina grow up and enjoy the visiting the other children.

When she and her friend Ruby turn 14 they leave the orphanage, they move into a boarding house and start working. Ruby starts working at the near by hairdressers and Angelina dreams of one day being a nurse.
She applies to be a nurse, she is quickly accepted due to WWI having just started and they need as many nurses as they can train.

The story is about Angelina's experiences as a nurse during the great war, the information is accurate for the time, you read how horrible it was in the trenches, the terrible wounds, how they set up tent hospitals, how casualty clearing stations worked, the huge loss of life and the side effects of what we now call shell shock.

I really enjoyed Front Line Nurse it's a great book and you fall in love with the character's. The kind Mr Garfield, his handsome son Alexander, sweet kind Ruby, strong determinant Angelina, and the steady influence of Mrs Kingston. I gave the book four stars and it's a delightful story to read.

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In The Warsaw Ghetto

In the Warsaw Ghetto by Glenn Haybittle
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Thanks To NetGalley, Cheyne Walk and Glenn Haybittle for my digital copy of In The Warsaw Ghetto.

Ala Silberman is busy training as a ballet dancer when the Germans invade Warsaw and nothing can prepare her for how much her life will change. Ala is very close to her Uncle Max he's a bachelor he has never gotten over the loss of his first love Sabina who he met at university and she decided to marry someone else.
Before they know it both Ala, her mother, father, brother and uncle Max are all living in the ghetto.
It's a huge shock but for Ala's family, at first life isn't too bad as they have money, everything can be smuggled in and can be bought for a price. But as time goes on life gets harder, housing is crowded due to new people arriving daily, disease is rampant, people are starving, freezing, their money can only last so long and it only gets worse. The German soldiers take what they want, anyone who tries to stop them has no chance and they enjoy humiliating the Jewish people
Max discovers Sabina is living in the ghetto as her catholic husband divorced her, she has two little girls Ora and Eugenia. They're living in terrible conditions with her auntie and they move in with Max as he has a spare room. For awhile they live as a family, eventually they decide to marry as a way of keeping them all safe.
But as time goes on no one is safe in the ghetto, people go missing never to be seen again, the transports to concentration camps begin and the Nazi's plan to empty the ghetto. Nothing can prepare the Silberman's for the horror they witness during two years they spend in the Warsaw ghetto, eventually Max and Ala do anything they can to survive, living on rooftops, they move under ground, living in drains and they both decide to fight back.
In The Warsaw Ghetto is a heart breaking book to read, nothing is held back, it's violent, brutal and contains a lot of sexual references. I finished the book, it was a struggle for me due to the subject and I gave it three stars.

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The Tuscan Secret

The Tuscan Secret by Angela Petch
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture, Angela Petch for my digital copy of her new book The Tuscan Secret and I gave it three stars.
After her mum Ines passes away in 1999, Anna decides to visit Rofelle in Italy and look into her mother's past. Anna is very interested in discovering how her Italian mother ended up living in England as a war bride and married to her father Jim? When Anna asked her mother about her past or the war she was never keen to talk about it and she always wondered why her dad was cold and distant with her?
Anna has two older siblings her brother Harry he inherited the crumbling family home and her sister Jane inherited her mother's jewelry.
Anna's inheritance is a lump sum of money, some old family photos and her mother's old diaries.
Anna's parents marriage wasn't a happy one, her parents fought a lot and Anna was a lonely child as her older siblings had grown up and left home when she was still a little girl.
After she loses her job, Anna decides to travel to Italy, she books into a Italian bed and breakfast run by siblings Teresa and Francesco.
Francesco helps Anna by translating her mother's diaries, Anna is pleased to here about her mum's happy childhood in Italy, she discovers her mum had a brother called Davide and how life in Italy changed during the second world war under the dark cloud of German occupation.
The story has many twists and turns, you discover why Anna's dad Jim ended up being a bitter old man, it's due to what happened to him during the war and you also learn about how bad life was for the Italian people during this time.
Ines really struggled as a new bride in England, her new husband is distant and cold. She didn't speak hardly any English when she arrived in England, how much she missed her parents, how cold England was compared with Italy and how much she hated the new food.
In Italy, Anna meets a rather grumpy old man who grew up in the same village as her mother, why is he so reluctant to talk about Ines and what happened to him during the war? Anna with Francesco's help slowly uncovers the truth about her mothers past and how the war had such a terrible in pact on her mothers family.
Anna also starts a romantic relationship with Francesco, I did find this part of the book a bit predictable but that's just my opinion and some readers might like a little romance included in the story!

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Heart Of The Cross

Heart of the Cross by Emily Madden
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley, Harlequin Australia for giving me the opportunity to read Emily Madden's new book: The Heart Of The Cross.

Ireland, 1959 Rosie Hart leaves Tinahely to emigrate to Australia with her young son Jimmy and to be reunited with her husband Tom Fuller.
She and Tom meet in Ireland, he's originally from England, they fall in love, Rosie soon discovers she's pregnant and they quickly marry. Tom has grand plans to move to Australia, he leaves pregnant Rosie behind in Ireland while he moves to Australia to work and save money to send for his wife and son.

Rosie and young Jimmy arrive in Sydney excited to finally be a family but it doesn't take long for Rosie to notice that Tom has changed and not for the better! They live in Kings Cross, Rosie makes the best of a bad situation, she makes new friends and they help her adjust to living in a new country.

Kings Cross in the 1950's was an interesting place it had it's good side, so many people migrated to Australia after the end of WW II and they introduce the locals to all kinds of new food and most of all real coffee! But it had it's dark seedy side that involved crime, prostitution, violence, gambling, strip clubs and drug use.
Just as Rosie's dream for a better life for her and her son becomes true she experiences a huge life changing loss.

Rose Bay, 1984 Maggie Hart is living with her mum Rosie, her mum pushes Maggie to study, she wants her to do well at high school and become a doctor.
Maggie gets tired of her mother's controlling ways, she wants to have fun and decides once she's finishes school to have a gap year. Maggie leaves home to share a flat with her best friend and they both soon discover the bad side to Kings Cross.

Sydney, 2017 Brianna Hart returns to Australia when her grandmother Rosie suddenly dies, her gran is a successful business women and loved by the local community. As Brianna organizes her grans funeral she discovers her grandmother has been making changes to her life and she knew nothing about any of them!

Brianna has always been curious about why she was raised by her grandmother and she has no idea who her father is? Rosie has always dodged questions about Brianna's mother Maggie and now that she has passed away Brianna is worried about what else her gran has been hiding from her and will she ever be able to find out the truth about her father?

Brianna starts slowly going through her grandmothers things by doing so she not only discovers what happened to her grandmother and mother so many years ago, it also makes her think about her own life. Brianna travels the world as a photographer, she never stays in one place for very long and her romantic relationships never last.
While in Sydney Brianna starts to consider her own future, she catches up with her old school friends, and her first love Josh, she also discovers he's the manager of her grandmother's coffee shop that she has kept a secret.

The Heart Of The Cross is a family saga, it delves into family secrets and I really enjoyed discovering the connection between the three main characters, Rosie, Maggie and Brianna. I also found it interesting to read about Kings Cross, yes you do discover the bad side to "the cross" but you also learn about it's cultural diversity and so much more!
I loved the book, I gave it fours stars and I look forward to reading Emily Madden's previous book The Lost Pearl, I did buy it a few months ago, I haven't read it yet and I'm very keen to read it now.
I shared my review on Goodreads, NetGalley, Twitter and Barnes & Noble.

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Once More Unto The Breach

Once More Unto the Breach by Meghan Holloway
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley, Polis Books and Meghan Holloway for my copy of Once More Unto The Breach.
Rhys Gravenor is a Welsh sheep farmer, he's a widower and has one son called Owain.
Rhys is a WW I veteran he fought in the battle of the Somme and even though he is still tormented by his own memories of war he is very upset when he discovers his son Owain is a conscientious objector.
They have a huge disagreement due to Owain refusing to fight in WW II and after not hearing from his son in years Rhys receives a letter from Owain and he's somewhere in war torn France?
Rhys arrives in France, it's a mess the Germans are retreating, they have left behind a country that's people and countryside have been severely damaged by years of war.
He meets an American ambulance driver called Charlotte Dubois she is a bundle of energy, she even packs a gun and together they go on a journey to find Owain. They drive through the French countryside in a ambulance and your taken on a trip with many twist and turns that will leave you stunned but in a good way!
Along their journey they find a injured German soldier, his dog Otto, orphaned children, nuns, spies, lost art and they even tackle the Swiss Alps.
No matter what is thrown at him Rhys is on a mission to find his son, nothing will stop him and Charlie is with him every step of the way.
I really enjoyed Once More Unto the Breach, it's a great book it has so many aspects to the story, a father who struggles with his own horrible memories of war, a son who has his own ideas and is just as brave as his father. I gave the book 4 stars and I loved it.

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Have You Seen Luis Velez

Have You Seen Luis Velez? by Catherine Ryan Hyde
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and Catherine Ryan Hyde for my advanced copy of Have You Seen Luis Velez.
What a brilliant book and I loved it.
Raymond Jaffe is a mixed race 16 year old young man he lives with his mum, step father and three younger sisters. His father has married again, he stays with them every second weekend and his fathers new wife can't be bothered with him. He feels unwanted, unloved and a burden to everyone.
Raymond struggles to fit in at school, he has one friend who's moving away and he's resigned to the fact that he will be alone.
One day on his way to school his elderly neighbor Mildred Gutermann is standing out the front of her apartment trying to get someone to help her, she's 92, house bound, blind and desperate.
Her friend Luis has assisted her for 4 years but for some reason Luis Velez hasn't been to visit her and he hasn't called her to tell her why? Luis provided support for her go to the bank, pay her bills, go food shopping and he was her only link to the world outside of her apartment.
After a couple of weeks she is getting very desperate and is down to her last half a can of soup.
Raymond decides to help his neighbor with her errands and also solve the mystery of what happened to Luis Velez?
Along the way he saves an abandoned kitten, meets some very interesting people, makes new friends and eventually he finds out what happened to Luis.
Have You Seen Luis Velez is a beautiful book it's about relationships, compassion, kindness, justice and it's about a young man finding his way in life and his unique relationship with his 92 year old neighbor.
I loved the book, it takes you back to being an insecure teenager and I gave it 5 stars.
I have shared my review on Australian Amazon as I have kindle unlimited and on Twitter.

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Our Last Goodbye

Our Last Goodbye by Shirley Dickson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and Shirley Dickson for my digital copy of her new book Our Last Goodbye.

England 1943, on a foggy night May Robinson and her mum are walking home in the WW II blackout after a night out at the pictures when her mum is tragically killed in an accident.

May's father is a hopeless drunk and her young brother Derek has been evacuated to Hillcrest farm in Allendale and is being looked after by Maud and Alf Talbot.

May is very close to her mother, she finds it very hard to deal with her mothers death and May also has a secret from her past that she struggles to deal with and she is always worried that her secret will be exposed. May has her best friend Etty who's the only person she can rely on for emotional support to help her cope with her grief but Etty has two young children and is very busy looking after them.

May works in a factory, she has always dreamed of being a nurse but due to her circumstances she never thought that she would ever have a chance of ever being one and after her mum passes away she decides to take a chance. May applies to be a nurse at Edgemoor general hospital and much to her surprise she passes the entry exam and she starts her nurses training.

May now lives in the nurses quarters, she is soon very busy helping to care for wounded soldiers, elderly people and working on the maternity ward. May has the qualities to make a wonderful nurse, she is kind, caring, compassionate and she enjoys studying and learning new skills.

While training at the hospital May meets Richard Bentley, he is working as an orderly at the hospital and has just been released from jail. He was jailed for 6 months due to being a conscientious objector he has his own beliefs and he refused to serve in the army.

Of course he is not very popular with patients and staff due to the choice he made and his path in life is not an easy one, Richard and May become friends but for them to have any relationship is going to be difficult due to Richard being outsider.

Life in England at the time is not easy, people live with the constant threat of the Germans invading, food shortages, homelessness, air raid sirens and people are worn down by the constant bombing every night.

Can May and Richard ever have any chance of being more than friends? May is keeping her past a secret, not telling Richard the truth about her brother Derek and her father has decided to marry his new lady friend Gertie. When the war is finally over May and Derek can't return to the family home, Gertie makes that very clear and what will they do? May misses her mother, struggles to cope with her death, she worries about Derek he's only 8 and how can her father walk away from his family?

Our Last Goodbye was an interesting book to read especially about Richard being a conscientious objector, I did however find the plot a little predictable and for this reason I gave the book three and a half stars.

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The Secret Letter

The Secret Letter by Debbie Rix
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thanks so much to NetGalley, Bookouture and Debbie Rix for giving me the chance to read her new book: The Secret Letter, I was so excited to be approved for this book as I love WW II Historical Fiction and this book ticked all the right boxes for me.

Magda Maier lives in Germany in 1939, she lives with her father Pieter, her mother Kathe on the families dairy farm and her older brother Karl is studying at the Heidelberg university.
One day Magda best friend Lotte and her family are run out of town. Magda is very upset by how her friend is treated and she later finds out that the family had been sent to a concentration camp.

Life in Germany starts to change, Magda soon discovers that she feels differently to her peers, she has no choice and joins the German Girls League it's the girls version of Hitler youth. Magda hates the meetings, uniform, and activities. Traditional events are no longer celebrated in Germany, Christmas being one of them, popular songs have the words changed and libraries are forced to burn books.

While reading The Secret Letter you really start to understand how Germany was changed by the oppressive tide of Hitler and the Nazi party. Not all of the German people agreed with what was happening at the time and what could they do? If You didn't support the cause not only did you put yourself in danger and your whole family as well.

Karl finishes his degree, he is offered a place to study at Oxford university and he moves to England.
He sends a letter to his sister to explain that he will not be returning to Germany, as he would be made to fight in the war and he tries to explain what is really going on in Germany to his sister! The only information the German people receive is what's released by Nazi's party and Karl pleads with his sister to destroy his letter after she finishes reading it.

In England 15 year old Imogen Mitchell or Immy as she liked to be called lives with her mother Rose, her father Joe and her pet dog honey in Newcastle.
One day her mum sits her down and explains that she's going to be one of the thousands of children evacuated to the country, with the threat of war looming they had no idea when or if Hitler would attack England or where?
She and her friends Joy and Helen are sent to the beautiful lakes district where they go to school and enjoy living in the country. Imogen has a secret crush on a family friend Freddie and does her best to hide this from her family and friends.

Both Magda and Imogen are teenagers when the war starts, soon they both grow up to be young women and are required to help the war effort.
Magda continues to help on the family farm, but she gets restless under the oppressive regime, she becomes involved in the White Rose movement but she soon discovers how dangerous it can be to rebel against the Nazi's.

Magda's life is changed forever when one day she helps a RAF pilot Michael Stewart who is shot down close to her families farm and against her parents wishes she decided to help him and other pilots shot down in Germany to escape and return to England.

In England Imogen has turned 19, she puts her plans for further study on hold and joins the Wrens, soon she is helping her boss with the plotting and planning of operation overlord.

Years after the war finishes Magda and Imogen find out that they're lives are connected by circumstances and events that happened during the war.
I loved The Secret Letter, it's a story that makes you cry because you can see how hard life was during WW II for two young teenage girls, both had to grow up very quickly and keep going no matter what happened to them and their families during such a turbulent time in history. I gave the book 5 stars, I loved it and I also enjoyed Debbie's previous book called The Promise.

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The Forgotten Letters Of Esther Durrant

The Forgotten Letters of Esther Durrant by Kayte Nunn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley, Hachette Australia and Kayte Nunn for my digital copy of her new book : The Forgotten Letters Of Esther Durrant and I really enjoyed reading this book.
In 1951, John and Esther Durrant leave to go on a holiday and John has secretly made other plans! Esther finds herself isolated on a small island off the coast of Cornwall, she's not very happy when she discovers that she has been tricked by her husband and he did what he thought was the best for her at the time.

Esther is staying at a private mental asylum run by an old school friend of her husbands and his name is Doctor Richard Cresswell.
Esther discovers that she's the only female patient being treated at the private sanatorium all the other patients are men who are being treated for shell shock.
She soon finds out that she can't leave the island, it's in a very remote area, obviously the only way in or out is by boat, she soon settles in and makes friends with her fellow patients. Esther soon discovers how peaceful life is on the island and it's exactly what she needs. Esther has been consumed by grief and she needs time to heal. The Island is the perfect place to do this, plenty of fresh air, good food, she starts going for walks around the island and begins to regain her strength.

In 2017, marine scientist Rachel Parker is employed to do a research project around the small islands off the coast of Cornwall. She's a free spirited Aussie, she uses her job as a way of traveling the world and she doesn't stay in the one place for very long and she likes to move on to the next challenge.

The Forgotten Letters Of Esther Durrant is a book with a dual timeline, it flows easily between 1951 to 2017.
Esther is now in her 90's and she had a fall, she's being cared for by her grand daughter Eve who has put her own life on hold to look after her Gran and help her get back on her feet.

One Day Rachel decides to take her tinny out to do some research when she gets caught in a bad storm and she ends up being marooned on the same island that Esther stayed on so many years ago.
Rachel finds shelter in the same old house, she's rescued by a lady called Leah a recluse who lives on the island and she's also using the island as a way of escaping from the world.
Leah gave Rachel a suitcase with some women's clothes in it, as she has nothing to wear and Rachel finds some old letters hidden in the suitcase.
Once she is rescued Rachel decides to try and find out who wrote the letters and why they never posted them?

The Forgotten Letters Of Esther Durrant is a beautiful story, it's about how the mind, body and soul can be healed. Finding friendship in the last place you might expect and falling in love. I gave it 4 stars and I'm now very keen to read Kayte Nunn's first book called The Botanist's Daughter.
I shared my review on Goodreads, NetGalley, Twitter and on my blog.

Under The Midnight Sky

Under the Midnight Sky by Anna Romer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster Australia and Anna Romer for my copy of her new book : Under The Midnight Sky and it's a ripper of a book!

Abby lives in a small country town in NSW called Deepwater Gorge and she works as a journalist for a small local newspaper.

While out going for a run along a track in the Australian bush, Abby finds a young girl who's alive but hurt and non responsive. Due to having no phone coverage because of the remote location she has to run back to get help and of course when she returns the girl has gone. The area is what we call scrub or bush in Australia it's a dense over grown mixture of native plants, ferns and trees.
So I can understand just how creepy the situation was for Abby, is someone hiding behind trees looking at her and what happened to the missing girl?
After contacting the local police, Abby gets the brush off and after asking a few questions she finds out that a young teenage girl is missing, her name is Shayla and has a history of running away. Her mum isn't that worried and thinks she will either return home or turn up at her dads. The police think the same thing?
Abby seems to be the only one who is concerned, 20 years ago two girls bodies were found in the same area, a local man was arrested, the latest missing girl called Shayla looks a lot like one of the victims and she starts to have doubts about if they have the real killer in jail?

Abby is given a hard task by her boss, she's to try and interview a famous writer called Tom Gabriel, he has just purchased an old mansion called Ravensong and he just happens to write crime novels. The weather in Australia can be fickle so while interviewing Tom it starts to pour with rain. Abby ends up having to stay at Ravensong for a couple of days due to the only road out of the property is covered by water and isn't safe to cross.
While staying with Tom, she notices a strange window on one side of the house, it is covered by metal bars and she finds out that it's actually a secret room that no one knows about and not even Tom the houses new owner.
While nosing around Abby finds a page for a secret diary, it's about two girls who have been locked up in the house for 5 years and kept captive by a man called Ennis.
As she delves into the past, Abby discovers two girls went missing in the 1940's, they're sisters called Frankie and Lily. They had never been found and she notices that the story of the missing girls has a lot in common with the story about the two girls who went missing 20 years ago and in the same area.
As Abby tries to find out what happened to the girls in the 1940's she meets an older couple called Lil and Joe.

Anna Romer's book is a brilliant psychological thriller, it has so many twists and turns that you can't predict what will happen next, add the creepy Australian bush into the story and it sent shivers down my spine.
You question how close is the bond between siblings, the love between and older couple, are they as nice as they seem to be and what secrets have been covered up?
Tom and Abby are also getting close, start to have feeling for each other and is it possible for them to start a relationship?
Under The Midnight Sky has so many layers, it keeps you guessing right to the end and I couldn't stop reading it. I really enjoyed the book, I gave it 5 stars and I must read Anna's other book called Thornwood House that I have sitting on my kindle and haven't read yet.

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The Bookwoman Of Troublesome Creek

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thank to NetGalley and Kim Michele Richardson for giving me the chance to read her first book: The Book Woman Of Troublesome Creek.

Cussy Mary is the last of the Kentucky blue people, they suffered from a rare genetic disorder called Methemoglobinemia that causes their skin to have a blue tinge.

The story is set in the Appalachian mountains, where poverty, sickness and hunger is a sad part of every day life.
Mary is a strong person, with the love and support of her father she has been raised to be kind and considerate to others.
Mary's pa is a coal miner, he has some rather old fashioned ideas about women and he made a big mistake thinking that Mary needed to be married for her own safety. Lets just say offering a small plot of land and Marys hand in marriage to a much older man, Mary's father stuffed up!
The sad fact is Mary has a hard life, the local ladies in the community are mean and nasty to her. Mary only visits town when really has to as she is made to feel like she's not welcome and they're rude to her.

President Roosevelt's WPA Program was established to create jobs during the depression and to help isolated people have access to books.
Mountain people were extremely poor, they had no money, little education and some were suffering from the side effects from malnutrition.

Cussy Mary is a pack horse librarian, she travels deep into the mountains riding on her mule, where each week she delivers worn out books, old magazines, health pamphlets and scrapbooks that she make up herself with recipes and other home making ideas.

Many of the mountain people live in severe poverty, they don't like change, they can't afford to see a doctor and are very superstitious.
Through her job Mary visits people who are isolated from the outside world, they're very grateful for the service she provides, they don't judge her by the colour of her skin and for the first time in her life she has friends.

I really enjoyed The Book Woman Of Troublesome Creek, it's a wonderful and it shows by sharing books, wisdom, kindness, hope and friendship lives can be changed.
One of the best books I have read this year, I loved it and I gave it five stars.
I shared my review on Goodreads, NetGalley, Twitter, Barnes & Noble and on my blog.

The Girl From Galloway

The Girl from Galloway: A stunning historical novel of love, family and overcoming the odds by Anne Doughty
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Thanks to Anne Doughty, HQ Digital and NetGalley for the giving me the opportunity to read: The Girl From Galloway.
The books two main characters are Hannah McGinley and her husband Patrick, they live in Donegal Ireland with their two young children.
The story is about life in Ireland in 1845, Hannah's life as a wife and mother. Also her relationship with her friends, neighbors and how hard life in Ireland was during this very difficult at the time.
The cottage school her children attend was threatened with being closed and the story is based around how Hannah helps to keep the school open and feed hungry families during the famine.
I of course have read about the great Irish famine, the failure of the potato crop due to disease and the book is set during this time.
I had no idea that Irish farm workers went to Scotland, worked for months on farms digging potatoes and spent so much time away from their families.
Then they returned home and struggled to find other work as many of them farmed land that had poor soil it didn't grow enough food to feed their families, they needed to earn money to buy extra food and pay rent.
This is the basis of the story is about how Patrick would be away working at Hannah's fathers farm, how Hannah and her children coped with him being away.
Why didn't Hannah's dad a widower ask his daughter and her family to live with him in Scotland and Patrick help him with his farm?
I gave The Girl From Galloway 3 stars and I look forward to reading The Teacher At Donegal Bay later in the year.

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A Tale Of Two Sisters

A Tale of Two Sisters: A heartfelt historical drama of intrigue, love and loss in a strange land by Merryn Allingham
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley, Canelo Publishing and Merryn Allingham for giving me the chance to read A Tale Of Two Sisters..
The book is a based around the story of two English sisters Alice and Lydia Verinder's in the early 1900's.
The book is classed as historical fiction saga, but it's also a mystery and the front cover of the book is beautiful.

Lydia travels to Constantinople to work as a governess for the Sultans two daughters , but her sister Alice becomes concerned when she suddenly stops writing.

Alice's is given some money by her Aunt to go on a holiday to Venice and have a much needed break from her parents.
Alice decides to travel to Constantinople to try to find out what happened to her sister and along the way she meets the handsome Harry Frome.

The story is very interesting, it has many twists and turns, and it keeps you guessing until the end to find out what happened to Lydia?
I enjoyed A Tale Of Two Sisters, it's a great story, full of interesting facts about life in Turkey at that time, the culture, the food, the Sultans harem, travel on the orient express, and living in the palace..
I gave the book three stars and I hope to read more books by Merryn Allingham in the future.

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The Abolitionists Daughter

The Abolitionist's Daughter by Diane C. McPhail
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Thank you NetGalley, Kensington Books and Diane C McPhail for my free copy of The Abolitionist's Daughter.

Emily Matthew's is the only daughter of a local judge who lived in the southern state of Mississippi even though he did own slaves, he was against slavery and owing people. He had signed papers stating the slaves he owned were free but he kept this as a secret and even from his own family.
Due to the law at the time it was illegal to free slaves or educate them and he couldn't give his slaves their freedom papers.
Due to her father's beliefs Emily didn't have a lot of suitors and when a young doctor Charles Slate came courting Emily decided to accept his marriage proposal. As a wedding present her father gifted them some land, built them a house and gave them three slaves.

Emily's brother Will decided to marry Charles sister Belinda and the basis of the story is about how the two marriages change both families lives both before and after the war.
The story is about the slavery, disputes over land, property and how the families struggled during the war.
Emily is a strong person, she never gave up, despite what happened to her before and after the war.

I did expect due to book being called "The Abolitionist's Daughter" to have more details included in the book about slavery, the underground railroad, runaway slaves and the battle's that took place during the war. The war was mentioned but not a lot about the battles and I think a little more information regarding this might have added more depth to the book and also the effect the Union army had on the southern states during the war wasn't really discussed in the book.
I enjoyed reading The Abolitionist's Daughter, especially about the relationships between Emily and her slaves.
Great first book from Diane C McPhail and I gave it three stars.

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The Oceans Between Us

The Oceans Between Us by Gill Thompson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and Gill Thompson for my copy of his book: The Oceans Between Us.

The book tells the story of Jack, a young English boy and his mum Molly.
Jack is five when during the Blitz his mother Molly's is presumed dead after a bomb explodes in their backyard and he is sent to an orphanage.
Molly was injured from the bomb blast, she spends years in hospital and has no idea who she is or anything about her life.
Jack is taken to an orphanage and he's told that his mum has died

England had so many orphanages that are full and Australia offered to give home's to children who have lost their parents during the war and it was part of a migration scheme to increase the population of Australia.
Jack is sent to Australia by boat, the children are told stories about how wonderful his life would be in Australia, sunshine, oranges and wide open spaces.
The horrible fact was many of these children are abused, siblings are often separated and Jack was sent to Bindoon.
Bindoon is in Western Australia, it's a horrible place, boys are expected to work hard, conditions are primitive and boys are abused and some in the worst possible way.
Jack is lucky, he catches the attention of Kathleen she is married to John and he works for a department that organized the migration scheme.
They decide to adopt Jack as they don't have children of their own and Kathleen is desperate to be a mother.
Jack's life changes, yes he is given a good home but he finds is difficult to believe his mum has really died and John isn't an easy person to live with.

Molly spends years in hospital, she has lost her memory and has no idea who she is or where she lived or if she's married or a mother.
Years go by, Margaret as she is called, is given all kinds of treatment and slowly she recovers enough that she can leave hospital, is employed to work at the hospital where she was once a patient and lives in a nearby boarding house.
As time goes on, she starts working in a dress shop and little pieces of memory return, she remembers her name, that she had a son called Jack, her first husband had died, her real name is Molly and what happened to Jack?

It's a sad story based on true events so many children were sent to Australia after WW II, many were orphans, others their parents had put them into care for only a short period of time while they tried to find work or a place to live, they returned to collect them and to find out that their children had also been sent to Australia.

It's very hard to believe that children were treated this way in Australia, but it's true and Gill Thompson's book "The Oceans Between Us" explains the sad details of the children's migration scheme in Australia and he writes a interesting story about this sad time in Australia's history. I enjoyed the book but I did find it was a little slow in places for me and I gave it three stars. I have shared my review on Goodreads, NetGalley, Twitter and my blog.

The Hidden Women

The Hidden Women by Kerry Barrett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read The Hidden Women by Kerry Barrett.
I really loved the book, its a captivating story and the book has a beautiful front cover.
The book is set in a dual timeline, you're taken back to England in 1944 and then to England in the current time frame of 2018.
Lilian Miles is the main character, from her struggles as a pregnant teenager, she is taken advantage of by an older married man, how she handles this situation with help from her loving family and how she gets on with her life after her pregnancy is a major part of the story.
Lillian is strong person, she becomes a pilot for the ATA, they transported planes around England during world war 2, women played an important role by transferring planes to different areas and it was vital service needed during the war.
So many male pilots where killed during the war they needed everyone of them to defend English skies and take part in the bombing raids over Germany.. They didn't have male pilots to spare for transporting planes to different locations or when they needed to be moved to be repaired and women were given the chance. Yes women flew big planes, with no navigational support or radio contact.
Also Lilian and her friends, fellow ATA pilots, formed a secret network to help women in a similar situation to what Lilian found herself in, young unwed mothers or women with an unplanned pregnancy were judged harshly back then had very few legal options and support.
Helena Miles is a research assistant for a celebrity tv show, and even though banned from looking at her own families history, she is influenced by the handsome Jack Jones into looking at her dad's and her great Aunt Lilian's past.
As she explores her families past she discovers things that her father had always suspected and secrets about her life her great Aunt Lilian had hidden away.
Helena is a single mum herself and her great aunt had always supported Helena and her quirky family when they needed her.
I really enjoyed reading The Hidden Women, I had no problem in following the dual timeline, it's an interesting story about a family, the second world war, hidden secrets and of course a new romance begins!
I'm a huge fan of historical fiction and The Hidden Women by Kelly Barrett is a ripper of a book.

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The Land Girls

The Land Girls by Victoria Purman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Australia for giving me the opportunity to read: The Land Girls by Victoria Purman. I have read and I really enjoyed her previous book: The Last Of The Bonegilla Girls.
I loved the book, it's full of familiar places and it was easy for me to be swept away by the story.
The book is about three brave women who for very different reasons decided to join the Australian Women's Land Army and they play a vital role helping busy farmers harvest their crops

Flora Atkins lives with both her father, and her brother Jack.
Flora is 30 years old, she has looked after her dad and brothers for 15 years.
She works as a clerk where she isn't appreciated, never promoted and paid a pittance.
She decides to join the Australian Land Army, she is sent to Mildura to help Charles Nettleford harvest his sultana and currant crop. It's back breaking work, Flora struggles at first but she soon adjusts, Charles is a widower he lives with his mother, he has two sweet little girls Violet and Daisy.

Betty Brower lives in Sydney, she's 17 and works in Woolworths.
Her best friend is her neighbor Michael, he turns 18 before her and decides to join the army.
Betty lives with her parents, both her parents are teachers, she misses Michael and is very unhappy with her job. She decides that she wants to join the Women's Land Army and due to her age she needs her fathers permission?
Her parents agree, Betty struggles at first she has never been away from home before, she's very home sick, misses Michael and she cries every night.
With support from the older girls and the local farming community she soon settles into her new job.

Lilian Thomas lives in North Adelaide it's a very posh suburb, she has no idea what she wants to do with her life, she's stuck going to red cross meetings with her mother and learning to type.
Lilian lives in the shadow of her older sister Susan who's a doctor in the Australian army and stationed in Egypt.
Lilian has been dating David Hogarth for six months when he decides the join the RAAF and train to be a fighter pilot. They decide to get married quickly, much to her mother's horror before he's deployed to start his training.
Once David leaves to start his training, Lilian decides the join the Women's Land Army and her parents are horrified. Lilian joins anyway, before she knows it she has her land army kit and is sent off to her first posting.
They're sent to pick cherries in Norton Summit, it's a huge shock for Lilian who has never done a days work in her life!
The girls earn 30 shillings a week, including food and board!

As the war drags, the lives of the three women are changed forever, constant worry about loved ones serving overseas takes it's toll, mail can take weeks if not months to reach them, and they work really hard. They sometimes worked six days a week, in tough conditions, in the heat, and rain. As time goes on some girls leave to marry or lose loved ones in the war.

The Land Girls takes you on a emotional journey, one that makes you laugh and cry. You discover the sacrifices both men and women made during WW II in Australia. I had no idea about the important role the land girls made towards the war effort and how hard they worked.

I live in the Adelaide Hills, I know the area well and Victoria Purman has done a brilliant job with her research. I loved reading about familiar places and I gave the book 5 stars. I share all my reviews on Amazon Australia, Barnes & Noble, NetGalley, Twitter and Goodreads.

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In A Great Southern Land

In a Great Southern Land by Mary-Anne O'Connor
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the chance to read: In A Great Southern Land by Mary-Anne O'Connor.
I enjoyed reading the story about Eve Richards and Kieran Clancy. It's a saga that goes from Kieran being a poor tenant farmer in Ireland, to being given a free passage and land in the new colony of Australia in the early 1850's.
Eve's is an Irish servant who's charged for a crime she didn't commit, she is sentenced to life and is sent to Australia aboard a convict ship. Her journey to Australia was horrible, so much harder than Kieran's and his families.
They both faced challenges in the new world and life was hard for both of them.
From the farmlands of NSW, to the gold fields of Ballart and the battlefield of the Eureka stockade.
It's a tale about finding justice, fighting for equality and finding love in a new country.
I did however find story to be a bit long, drawn out in stages and that's my only complaint.
If your interested in reading about the settlement of Australia and the challenges that new settlers and convicts faced, you should read this book!
I gave In A Great Southern Land 3 stars, I shared my review on NetGalley, Goodreads and Twitter.

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2020 Reading Challenge

Karren has read 22 books toward her goal of 90 books.

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22 of 90 (24%)

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