Showing posts with label Review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Review. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 18, 2023

#BookReview: The Officer and the Spy by @Jenny_Ashcroft @HQNBooks






Synopsis: “An unforgettable story of great love torn apart by war, of heroism and betrayal, passion and pure evil, all set against an idyllic Greek island backdrop. It’s a genuine masterpiece, a book to lose yourself in.” Gill Paul, The Secret Wife


“With the historical authenticity of Sebastian Faulks, the perfectly observed family relationships of Santa Montefiore, and the gut-wrenching twist of Jojo Moyes, The Officer and The Spy is epic, enthralling and deeply emotional.’ Iona Grey, Letters to the Lost 


* * *
Under the Cretan sun, in the summer of 1936, two young people fall in love… 


Eleni has been coming to Crete her entire life, swapping her English home for cherished sun-baked summers with her grandfather in his idyllic shoreside villa. When she arrives in 1936, she believes the long, hot weeks ahead will be no different to so many that have gone before.


But someone else is visiting the island that year too: a young German man called Otto. And so begins a summer of innocence lost, and love discovered; one that is finite, but not the end.


When, in 1941, the island falls to a Nazi invasion, Eleni and Otto meet there once more. But this time Eleni has returned to fight for her home, and Otto to occupy it. They are enemies, and their love is not only treacherous, but also dangerous. But will it destroy them, or prove strong enough to overcome the ravages of war?



An epic tale of secrets, love, loyalty, family and how far you’d go to keep those you love safe, The Officer and The Spy is an exquisite and deeply moving love letter to Crete – one that will move every reader to tears. 

This title will be released on May 16, 2023.

Sunday, April 16, 2023

#BookReview: The Beauty of Rain by @writerjamiebeck @AmazonPub






Synopsis: Two devoted sisters at a tragic breaking point discover the beautiful and painful truths of being alive in a powerful novel by Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author Jamie Beck. Winning the lottery changed Amy Walsh’s life, but the cost was greater than she could bear. In the aftermath, she struggles to find joy and purpose. Only one thing feels certain now―she will never spend one cent of the prize money on herself.

 Worried, her older sister, Kristin DeMarco, invites Amy to live with her family while she heals. Unfortunately, this arrangement leads to trouble for Divided focus affects her career. Her daughter prefers Amy to her. And Amy’s unsolicited opinions provoke tension between Kristin and her husband. Meanwhile, Amy is making drastic plans of her own, which include giving away all her money. But first she must convince Kristin not to squander her most valuable asset―time with her family. As the sisters help each other reimagine their futures, life’s unpredictability sends them to surprising places that test their love and resilience. Will they learn to live in the now, before it’s too late?

This title will be released on July 18, 2023.

Saturday, April 15, 2023

#BookReview: After the War by Anita Frank






Synopsis: May, 1945. When bells ring out for Victory in Europe, young wife and mother Gwen wonders if her world is about to change. 

Six years ago, she married Jack – not out of love, but to keep a secret. On their wedding night, hoping to atone for events in his past, Jack promised he would leave for the war the following day and never return. 

But Jack is coming home, unable to keep the promise he so faithfully made, and full of hope that he may at last win a place in Gwen’s life and her heart. 

As events of the past return to haunt them, threatening all they hold dear, Jack and Gwen find themselves facing their greatest battle yet. 

To win, they will have to stand together and fight as one. 

In this sweeping historical story with huge heart, Anita Frank weaves a glorious tale of love and loss, secrets and promises.


Friday, April 14, 2023

#BookReview: Daughers of Paris by @elisabethhobbes






Synopsis: Paris 1930s

Colette – daughter of a wealthy Parisian. No-one expects her to amount to anything other than socialite wife. But there’s more to Colette than meets the eye…

Fleur – daughter of a maid in Colette’s household. Her life will not be one of service! She wants an education, to travel and become something more…
The two young girls see in each other what no-one else can: intelligence, strength and courage. They form a forbidden friendship. They become secret sisters.

But as the Nazis occupy their beloved Paris, the bond between them is severely tested. One fights with the resistance, the other protects her family at all costs. Soon they find themselves embroiled in espionage, murder and treason, risking everything to save those they love, their people and their country.

Will their friendship survive the ultimate betrayal?


Thursday, April 13, 2023

#BookReview: The Foreign Exchange by @veronicawrites @AmazonPub






Synopsis: A Vodou priestess turned amateur sleuth investigating a ritual murder is embroiled in an insidious case of corruption that reaches beyond the shadows of New Orleans.

After solving a crime blamed on Vodou in New Orleans’ French Quarter, Vodou priestess turned amateur detective Reina Dumond has returned to her benevolent work as a healer. But when her friend and enigmatic client Evangeline “Vangie” Stiles comes to her for a spell, Mambo Reina quickly realizes what Vangie really needs is a sleuth.

Something is amiss in the Stileses’ marriage. Five thousand dollars has inexplicably appeared in the bank account Vangie shares with her scam-artist husband, Arthur, and she smells trouble. So does Reina. Especially when her investigation into Arthur’s likely new con leads to murder. Considering the manner of death and the signs on the victim’s body, Reina recognizes it for what it is: ritual magic of the vodouisant kind.

As Reina digs deeper, she encounters a conspiracy exploiting vulnerable youth—one of whom may have abilities just like hers. With the help of her friends Darryl and Tyka, Reina must hone her ever-evolving skills to uncover a mystery that reaches further than she imagined.


Wednesday, April 12, 2023

#BookReview: Everything's Fine by Cecilia Rabess






Synopsis: They say love is all you need…

When Jess lands a job as an analyst at Goldman Sachs, she’s less than thrilled to learn she’ll be on the same team as Josh, her preppy, white, conservative sparring partner from college. Josh loves playing the devil’s advocate and is just…the worst.

But when Jess finds herself the sole Black woman on the floor, overlooked and underestimated, it’s Josh who shows up for her in surprising—if imperfect—ways. Before long, an unlikely friendship—one tinged with undeniable chemistry—forms between the two. A friendship that gradually, and then suddenly, turns into an electrifying romance that shocks them both.

Despite their differences, the force of their attraction propels the relationship forwards, and Jess begins to question whether it’s more important to be happy than right. But then it’s 2016, and the cultural and political landscape shifts underneath them. And Jess, who is just beginning to discover who she is and who she has the right to be, is forced to ask herself what she’s willing to compromise for love and whether, in fact, everything’s fine.

A stunning debut that introduces Cecilia Rabess as a blazing new talent, Everything’s Fine is a hilarious, poignant, heartfelt novel that doesn’t just ask will they, but…should they?

This title will be released on June 6, 2023.

Monday, April 10, 2023

#BookReview: I Will Leave You Never by Ann Putnam






Synopsis: In the middle of a perilous drought in the Northwest, an arsonist begins setting fires all around. It gives Zoe Penney nightmares about her home—seated right next to tinder-dry woods—rising up in explosions of fire, as well as haunting dreams of a little boy deep in the forest.

Winter brings the longed-for rains but also a cancer diagnosis for Zoe’s husband, Jay, which plunges the family into disbelief and fear. The children lean in close to their parents, can’t stop touching them. As Jay’s treatment begins, nature lets loose with strange and startling encounters, while a shadowy figure hovers about the corners of the house.

First, Zoe’s fear turns to anger: How can I love you if I am to lose you? How can I live in joy when the sky is falling? But she gradually learns that it’s possible to love anything, even terrible things—if you can love them for what they are teaching you.

This title will be released on May 9, 2023.

#BookReview: House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City #1) by @SJMaas






Synopsis: 
Goodreads Choice Award
Winner for Best Fantasy (2020)
A #1 New York Times bestseller!

Sarah J. Maas's brand-new CRESCENT CITY series begins with House of Earth and Blood: the story of half-Fae and half-human Bryce Quinlan as she seeks revenge in a contemporary fantasy world of magic, danger, and searing romance. 


Bryce Quinlan had the perfect life-working hard all day and partying all night-until a demon murdered her closest friends, leaving her bereft, wounded, and alone. When the accused is behind bars but the crimes start up again, Bryce finds herself at the heart of the investigation. She'll do whatever it takes to avenge their deaths.

Hunt Athalar is a notorious Fallen angel, now enslaved to the Archangels he once attempted to overthrow. His brutal skills and incredible strength have been set to one purpose-to assassinate his boss's enemies, no questions asked. But with a demon wreaking havoc in the city, he's offered an irresistible deal: help Bryce find the murderer, and his freedom will be within reach.

As Bryce and Hunt dig deep into Crescent City's underbelly, they discover a dark power that threatens everything and everyone they hold dear, and they find, in each other, a blazing passion-one that could set them both free, if they'd only let it.

With unforgettable characters, sizzling romance, and page-turning suspense, this richly inventive new fantasy series by #1 New York Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas delves into the heartache of loss, the price of freedom-and the power of love.


Sunday, April 09, 2023

#BookReview: Arranged Marriage by Toni A.J. Williams






Synopsis: Meet Joey. She’s not your everyday hot chick, she’s tough enough to handle anything thrown her way. she’s also not afraid of being the best at what she does. She’s the number one welder in the city, if not the state. If that’s not reason enough to not mess with her she’s also a werewolf.

Meet Logan. He’s not your average accountant nerd, he’s also too hot to believe. he also has a jealousy streak to match that level of hotness. He’s great at his job but he’s looking for more than just a job he’s also looking for his soulmate but not so easy with his werewolf.

When these two meet, there is no denying the passion but just because the connection is real doesn’t mean it’s meant to be. especially when families and ex-girlfriends join the mix, all future plans for the two go right out the window.

In the end which path will these two take, love, or loyalty?


Friday, April 07, 2023

#BookReview: Worldwide Crush by Kristin Nilsen @BookSparks






Synopsis: Rory Calhoun is a teen popstar with perfect teeth and messy hair who’s inspiring first crushes all over the globe. Millie Jackson is just one of the millions of fans who love him—but that doesn't mean her heart doesn't break for him every single day in this laugh-out-loud coming-of-age story.

How many of Rory’s fans collect “data” about him in a special notebook hidden in their underwear drawer? Or have faked a fascination with whale migration for a chance to visit his hometown? Millie may not be Rory’s only fan at Susan B. Anthony Middle School, but she's convinced she's the biggest—and the best.

Rory’s new song “Worldwide Crush” is climbing the charts, and his lyrics are he’s looking for love—and he’s looking in the audience. Meaning Millie’s secret fantasies of running in the surf and eating waffles with him may not be crazy after all . . . she could be that girl! But first she has to get to his concert—his completely sold-out concert in a city nowhere near her home for which she does not have tickets or a ride. She just has to figure out how.

This title will be released on July 11, 2023.

Thursday, April 06, 2023

#BookReview: Mrs. Franchy's Evil Ring and the Six Months that Changed Everything by @johannyconchole






Synopsis: At just nine years old, Isla Delgado had already endured more than her fair share of trauma with her first stepmom when she was only five. Her anxiety worsens as her mom tells her she must go live with her dad and his new wife for six months. 

Determined to protect herself, Isla sets out to expose her stepmom as the evil witch she's sure she is. But as she gets to know her stepmom, she begins to realize that things aren't always as they seem. 

Join Isla on her journey of self-discovery and learn how even the most traumatic experiences can be overcome with the power of love and understanding. 

“Mrs. Franchy’s Evil Ring and the Six Months that Changed Everything” is a heartwarming tale about family, trust, and the power of compassion that will leave readers of all ages feeling uplifted and inspired.


Tuesday, April 04, 2023

#BookReview: Justice Is Served by @LeslieKarst @BookSparks






Synopsis: When Leslie Karst learned that her offer to cook dinner for Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and her renowned tax law professor husband, Marty, had been accepted, she was thrilled—and terrified. A small-town lawyer who hated her job and had taken up cooking as a way to add a bit of spice to the daily grind of pumping out billable hours, Karst had never before thrown such a high-stakes dinner party. Could she really pull this off? 

Justice is Served is Karst’s light-hearted, earnest account of the journey this unexpected challenge launched her on—starting with a trip to Paris for culinary inspiration, and ending with the dinner itself. Along the way, she imparts details of Ginsburg’s transformation from a young Jewish girl from Flatbush, Brooklyn, to one of the most celebrated Supreme Court justices in our nation’s history, and shares recipes for the mouthwatering dishes she came up with as she prepared for the big night. But this memoir isn’t simply a tale of prepping for and cooking dinner for the famous RBG; it’s also about how this event, and all the planning and preparation that went into it, created a new sort of connection between Karst, her partner, and her parents, and also inspired Karst to make life changes that would reverberate far beyond one dinner party. 



A heartfelt story of simultaneously searching for delicious recipes and purpose in life, Justice is Served is an inspiring reminder that it’s never too late to discover—and follow—your deepest passion.

This title will be released on April 4, 2023.

#BookReview: You Could Make This Place Beautiful by @maggiesmithpoet






Synopsis: Keep Moving offers a lush and heartrending memoir exploring coming of age in your middle age.

“Life, like a poem, is a series of choices.”

In her memoir You Could Make This Place Beautiful, poet Maggie Smith explores the disintegration of her marriage and her renewed commitment to herself in lyrical vignettes that shine, hard and clear as jewels. The book begins with one woman’s personal, particular heartbreak, but its circles widen into a reckoning with contemporary womanhood, traditional gender roles, and the power dynamics that persist even in many progressive homes. With the spirit of self-inquiry and empathy she’s known for, Smith interweaves snapshots of a life with meditations on secrets, anger, forgiveness, and narrative itself. The power of these pieces is cumulative: page after page, they build into a larger interrogation of family, work, and patriarchy.

You Could Make This Place Beautiful, like the work of Deborah Levy, Rachel Cusk, and Gina Frangello, is an unflinching look at what it means to live and write our own lives. It is a story about a mother’s fierce and constant love for her children, and a woman’s love and regard for herself. Above all, this memoir is an argument for possibility. With a poet’s attention to language and an innovative approach to the genre, Smith reveals how, in the aftermath of loss, we can discover our power and make something new. Something beautiful.

This title will be released on April 11, 2023.

Monday, April 03, 2023

#BookReview: Falling Hard for the Royal Guard by @meganambxr @avonbooks






Synopsis: Love is in the heir in this royally good rom com debut releasing in Spring 2023 – perfect for anyone who likes relatable heroines (with great hair), hot and aloof book boyfriends (with great hats), near misses, almost kisses and a corgi or two.

Despite living in an actual castle, happily ever after is evading Margaret ‘Maggie’ Moore.

From her bedroom in the Tower of London, twenty-six-year-old Maggie has always dreamed of her own fairy-tale ending.

Yet this is twenty-first century London, so instead of knights on white horses, she has catfish on Tinder. And with her last relationship ending in spectacular fashion, she swears off men for good.

And then a chance encounter with Royal Guard Freddie forces Maggie to admit that she isn’t ready to give up on love just yet… But how do you catch the attention of someone who is trained to ignore all distractions?

Can she snare that true love’s first kiss… or is she royally screwed?

A right royal rom com, perfect for fans of Red, White and Royal Blue and The Royal We.

This title will be released on May 2, 2023.

Saturday, April 01, 2023

#BookReview: Swimming with Ghosts by @michellebrafman @TurnerPub






Synopsis: It's June 2012 at the magical and slightly cultish River Run swim club when a perfect storm brews between team moms and best friends, Gillian Cloud and Kristy Weinstein. The ghost of family addiction has turned up, looming over their carefully planned pasta parties, tie-dye nights, and pep rallies, forcing them to face their unresolved childhood trauma. Gillian responds by trying to control everyone around her, and Kristy relapses into her dangerous addiction to love. Real sparks fly the night the derecho--a freak land hurricane--sweeps through Northern Virginia, knocking out power for days. The storm sets fire to a tinder box of secrets, leaving Gillian and Kristy alone in the hot dark, their only company their shame. In the vein of Little Fires Everywhere, the characters in Swimming with Ghosts discover that sometimes ashes make the best fertilizer for planting new fields and that they have the power to dodge the history they fear they are doomed to repeat. At times satirical, this book club novel captures the ethos and the ruin of any children's competitive sport or activity where parents work out their demons and in turn lose their way.

This title will be released on June 13, 2023.

#BookReview: Starring Adele Astaire by @elizaknight @WmMorrowBooks






Synopsis: USA Today bestselling author Eliza Knight returns with a story full of glitz and glam as she delves into the life of Adele Astaire, a spirited and talented woman who served up smiles and love both on and off the stage—with and without her also famous brother Fred Astaire— along with a determined young dancer with rags-to-riches dreams.

A spirited rising stage star…

Adele Astaire was a glittering, glamorous star, dancing with her brother, Fred, endearing herself to audiences from New York to London. But although she is toasted by royalty and beloved by countless fans, Adele Astaire has dreams of a loving husband and a houseful of children. And when she meets Lord Charles Cavendish, her wishes may just come true—but at what cost?

A determined young dancer …

Ever since Violet Wood could walk she’s wanted to dance on the London stage. Befriended by Adele, filled with ambition, she is more than willing to make the sacrifices it will take to becomes a star herself, and her rags-to-riches hopes are within reach. But the road to fame is never easy.

Two women with unquenchable spirit …

From the fast-paced world of roaring 20s New York to the horrors and sacrifice of wartime London, Adele's and Violet’s lives intertwine, and each must ask themselves is fame worth the price you must pay?

This title will be released on June 6, 2023.

Friday, March 31, 2023

#BookReview: Even If Everything Ends by Jens Liljestrand






Synopsis: Life goes on in the face of a climate crisis in this astonishing and unforgettable debut novel that follows four characters as they struggle to survive in a burning world. 

Even when the climate crisis escalates beyond our worst nightmares and people become refugees, the world keeps turning and life carries on as usual: teenaged love stories, marital collapses, identity crises, and revolts against hopeless parents continue to play out.

Didrik is a forty-year-old media consultant whose misguided efforts to become the family hero render him a pathetic vision of masculine incompetence. Melissa is an influencer with a suitcase full of lost dreams after denying climate change for years. André is the nineteen-year-old loser son of an international sports star who uses the erupting violence around him to orchestrate his own personal vengeance on his negligent father. And Vilja is Didrik’s teenaged daughter who steps into a leadership role in the face of adult ineptitude.

“Simultaneously nerve-wracking, astute, and consumedly entertaining” (Sydsvenskan, Sweden) and through these four related stories, Even If Everything Ends eloquently illustrates a picture of a very near future that is at once extraordinary and entirely realistic.

This title will be released on May 9, 2023.

#BookReview: Love: From the Jungle to the Divine by R Stephen Lynch






Synopsis: "Drawing from both personal experience and the work of scholars, Steve Lynch has assembled valuable insights into the nature of love and of heartbreak. His book raises questions about this mystery we call "love," and asks us to consider our response. There is much for us to learn from this book."

James Hollis, Ph.D., considered by many to be the world's leading Jungian scholar and author, is the author of The Broken Mirror, The Eden Project: In Search of the Magical Other, and many other books.


Thursday, March 30, 2023

#BookReview: Shark Heart: A Love Story by @EmilyHabeck @ScribnerBooks






Synopsis: A gorgeous debut novel of marriage, motherhood, metamorphosis, and letting go, this intergenerational love story begins with newlyweds Wren and her husband, Lewis—a man who, over the course of nine months, transforms into a great white shark.

For Lewis and Wren, their first year of marriage is also their last. A few weeks after their wedding, Lewis receives a rare diagnosis. He will retain most of his consciousness, memories, and intellect, but his physical body will gradually turn into a great white shark. As Lewis develops the features and impulses of one of the most predatory creatures in the ocean, his complicated artist’s heart struggles to make peace with his unfulfilled dreams.

At first, Wren internally resists her husband’s fate. Is there a way for them to be together after Lewis changes? Then, a glimpse of Lewis’s developing carnivorous nature activates long-repressed memories for Wren, whose story vacillates between her childhood living on a houseboat in Oklahoma, her time with a college ex-girlfriend, and her unusual friendship with a woman pregnant with twin birds. Woven throughout this bold novel is the story of Wren’s mother, Angela, who becomes pregnant with Wren at fifteen in an abusive relationship amidst her parents’ crumbling marriage. In the present, all of Wren’s grief eventually collides, and she is forced to make an impossible choice.

A sweeping love story that is at once lyrical and funny, airy and visceral, Shark Heart is an unforgettable, gorgeous novel about life’s perennial questions, the fragility of memories, finding joy amidst grief, and creating a meaningful life. This daring debut marks the arrival of a wildly talented new writer abounding with originality, humor, and heart.

This title will be released on August 8, 2023.

Wednesday, March 29, 2023

#BookReview: One Summer in Savannah by @terahsharris @Sourcebooks






Synopsis: A compelling debut that glows with bittersweet heart and touching emotion, deeply interrogating questions of family, redemption, and unconditional love in the sweltering summer heat of Savannah, as two people discover what it means to truly forgive.

It's been eight years since Sara Lancaster left her home in Savannah, Georgia. Eight years since her daughter, Alana, came into this world, following a terrifying sexual assault that left deep emotional wounds Sara would do anything to forget. But when Sara's father falls ill, she's forced to return home and face the ghosts of her past.

While caring for her father and running his bookstore, Sara is desperate to protect her curious, outgoing, genius daughter from the Wylers, the family of the man who assaulted her. Sara thinks she can succeed—her attacker is in prison, his identical twin brother, Jacob, left town years ago, and their mother are all unaware Alana exists. But she soon learns that Jacob has also just returned to Savannah to piece together the fragments of his once-great family. And when their two worlds collide—with the type of force Sara explores in her poetry and Jacob in his astrophysics—they are drawn together in unexpected ways.

This title will be released on July 4, 2023.