It’s July!
“OOOHH and AAAHH” Over these New Releases!
I’m delighted to share my reviews of these books, available now on all major retail sites and places! Add to your summer reading stack and enjoy!
Thanks to the following for providing me with advance digital review copies. I am so thankful for this privilege!
NetGalley
Rachel’s Random Resources for Blog Tour opportunities
and generous Publishers BoldwoodBooks, Mills and Boon, Grove Alantic, St. Martin’s Press, and Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine Books HarperCollins One More Chapter.
Let me know which of these books makes it into your beach bag!
A Biography that is an Honor to Read
The Road from Raqqa: A Story of Brotherhood, Borders, and Belonging by Jordan Ritter Conn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This biography begins with a cup of coffee and it ends with a food truck. This is the story of two Syrian brothers, Riyad and Bashar and their families. The author notes that “telling their story has been among the great honors of my life.”
Reading their story has been one of the greatest privileges of my life. The book peers into the hearts and souls of the two brothers, and it also gives us the big picture of wars and governments. The writing is spellbinding and free from any preconceived agendas.
Both brothers loved their birthplace, Syria, and the grounding that being part of the founding tribe of their region gave them. Riyad is the more adventurous and restless brother and Bashar is quieter and more studious. In 1990, as a young adult, Riyad decides to go to America so that he can learn about democracy and come back and change Syria. What impresses him the most when he arrives in America? His visit to a Target store. That’s how honest and revealing this book is.
Riyad becomes a citizen and establishes a life in America. He sees things he likes, and doesn’t like. He gets to know Guy Fieri, the Oak Ridge Boys and Ricky Scaggs. But his heart is still in Riqqa. And so is his brother Bashar. The brothers haven’t changed, but Riqqa has.
You will be moved as their story plays out. But don’t pity the brothers. Their story will stop you in your tracks and open your heart. Highly recommend. Thanks to NetGallley and Random House Publishing
A Debut Novel of Dashing and Daring!
The Rebel Heiress and the Knight by Melissa Oliver
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Once upon a time in England , a very long time ago in the year of our Lord 1215, there was a rebel heiress named Lady Eleanor and a brave and virtuous knight known as Sir Hugh. And their story is the most marvelous fairy tale for grownups ever. This is a character-driven romance and the characters are fully developed and unforgettable.
Eleanor is a lovely young noble lady from a noble family. In her own words she is “headstrong, sharp-tongued and highly opinionated.” And not about to change. Sir Hugh is the ideal knight, handsome, virile, strong of character. Both of them have a sense of courage, righteous justice and honor. Unfortunately, they are on different sides, many different sides.
Hugh knows that women are nothing but heartache. Eleanor sees men as evil, selfish beasts. When King John orders them to marry, they aren’t even able to consummate their marriage. And it gets more complicated. King John has ordered Hugh to find the outlaws who have been stealing the King’s tax money. And who is the secret leader of the outlaws? Would you dare to guess that it’s Eleanor? Oh what a wonderful web of a plot! How will they get to their happily ever after?
Eleanor and Hugh do manage to overcome the strife of their times and the chasm of their personal lives, and we are spellbound as the author creates their beguiling story. Both are heroes, yet real and vulnerable, too. Darling Eleanor, so beautiful and brave, yet unsure of herself is slowly attracted to Hugh, the paragon of virtue and bravery, whose stubbornness is paired with grace and humility. Both must change for them to be their best, both as individuals and as a couple.
The writing is excellent- nimble yet meaningful. The story is the perfect blend of romance, wry humor, excitement, and mystery. I smiled and “oohed and awed” over so many parts- the chess games, the gift of sheep, Eleanor training with Hugh. The history of the times is presented in a spare and easy to understand manner.
Did I forget to mention the tender yet powerful love and passion between them? Above all, this is a delightful romance. The love scenes were …well, I read the romantic parts several times. Get ready to swoon.
I highly recommend this book. I thank the author for an advance digital review copy. This is my honest review.
Cozy Mystery- It’s Showtime at Castlewood Manor
Double Trouble: Showtime at Castlewood Manor by Veronica Cline Barton
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I hope by now you have all ready discovered the My American Almost-Royal Cousin series. We are up to book 5, but don’t despair- this is the best book so far and entirely enjoyable as a stand-alone. If you’ve been enthralled with the series, as I have, then you know that Gemma is an amazing American gal who started a new adventure in Jolly Olde and is now the Marchioness of Lancaster, and mistress of Cherrywood Hall. She has a handsome husband, Sir Kyle and a dazzling actor Mama, Jillian, who stars in the popular new show, Castlewood Manor (loosely based on Downton Abbey).
Book 5 features all the motifs that we we have come to love and expect. There are plenty of friends, Royal and society, who come and go, bringing laughter and fun. Some new faces appear- who are quite appealing, interior designer Rikkhe St. Claire, and the “uncanny nanny” Figgy McEwen, as well as a new darling doggie. Gourmet food, entertaining with events big and small, and fabulous clothes abound and enrapture us. The most fun is the massive rebuilding and redecorating at Cherrywood Hall-truly sumptuous and I swooned over every detail. I agree that the gang has achieved a new heights of castle-chic living. And the spirit of Aunt Pippa watches over it all
So, what’s with the Double Trouble? The discovery of a skeleton is just the start of the series of murders that must be solved. Intriguing history from the 1930’s comes in to play, which leads to a major joint-nation crime collaboration between the UK and US. Pippa and a Lady from the past are also on the mission to solve the crimes that even reach to the Royal family. Oh the toil and troubles! But the best “Double” is that Lady Gemma is expecting twins. Thank goodness she has spicy cornbread with jalapeño jelly to give her strength. (Doesn’t that sound yummy?) Jillian will henceforth be known as “Glammie” and we hope that everyone at Cherrywood Hall lives happily ever after.
This book is all aglitter with great characters, a fun plot and so many delightful details. I hope you spot the clever reverence to current events- oh that was a good one! I highly recommend this book and the series! Well done Lady Veronica Cline Barton.
Excellent Nonfiction- How to Forge an Army
The Rise of the G.I. Army, 1940-1941: The Forgotten Story of How America Forged a Powerful Army Before Pearl Harbor by Paul Dickson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I highly recommend this detailed and comprehensive, yet engaging and readable, non-fiction study of the years leading up to America’s declarations of war in 1941. At times in history, great men and women arise to lead. In the United States, we know of the Founding Leaders. In the years before World War II, we were blessed with the similar ascension of citizens with vision and energy. Were these people perfect? No, but they creatively persevered. Some of them have names that we still remember. Many are lost to history- especially the brave men and women who volunteered to serve in our citizen army.
What was America like before World War II? It was an isolationist country, dealing with the effects of the Great Depression. The armed forces had basically been disbanded after World War I, about 180,000 members remained, about the size of Portugal’s army, with old and limited equipment and resources. In 1939, when Germany attacked Poland, some leaders realized that we were ill-prepared to even defend our country, let alone participate in a war.
How did we go in a little over two years, from a skeleton service to a force that waged war in Europe and Japan? That journey is the heart of this book. We get to know Eisenhower, Bradley, Patton and Marshall. We learn how they started the selective service and drafted 5 million to serve, how they trained these regular folk to be dedicated soldiers, how the Officer Candidate School was created, how factories were mobilized to work around the clock, how Patton developed his tank command. Many of us who enjoy reading about WWII may not have realized how important the various army maneuvers, such as in Louisiana, were in creating fighting force.The book also highlights the dreadful issue of segregation in the armed forces, a terrible blight on the armed forces.
Near the end of this inspiring book, a woman who was 12 years old when a large-scale military maneuver was held near her farmhouse, recalled watching the soldiers relaxing in her yard. She wondered how many of those precious boys made it back.
This is the forgotten story of how America forged a powerful Army before World War II. Many thanks to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for an advance digital review copy. This is my honest review.
Mystery and Suspense on the Isle of Wight!
The House Party by Mary Grand
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I have followed Author Mary Grand for five years now, and I jumped at the chance to read an advance review copy of her latest book, The House Party. Her earlier books featured intimate portraits of characters that I bonded with and still remember. And this mystery also features Ms. Grand’s insightful and deft touch with her characters.
Why does life always seem to be fine, until it isn’t? Main character Beth lives on the lovely Isle of Wight with her kind and hardworking pharmacist husband Sami, two teenage children, and a darling pet dog. All seems well and normal- daily life is busy, sometimes the kids do something eye-rolling, maybe she and Sami aren’t quite as star-crossed as they once were, but no worries.
Until Beth and her family go to a house party with their close friends. They are there to celebrate the new and fabulous house built by Kathleen and Patrick. The evening takes a surprising turn when Kathleen privately confesses to Beth that something sinister is happening. Someone knows Kathleen’s secret. Early the next morning, Kathleen is found dead below the cliffs of her property.
Beth can’t believe that Kathleen would have harmed herself. Beth begins to observe the families that were at the house party. Altogether, there were only 11 (forgive me if I didn’t count right!) of them. Is one of them the killer? Will more people die?
This book has a quiet, slow-moving plot which I found made it all the more suspenseful, creepy, and tingly. The House Party is filled with real characters, and lovely scenes of the Isle of Wight.
Everyone has secrets, right? Who knows yours?
Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for a digital advance review copy. This is my honest review. Highly recommend.
Fascinating Nonfiction- How to Journey to the Stars
Once Upon a Time I Lived on Mars: Space, Exploration, and Life on Earth by Kate Greene
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Once Upon a Time I lived on Mars”, is the imaginative and intriguing name of this non-fiction book. And it’s something I once thought was guaranteed to happen in my life time- living on Mars. Like the author, when I was in the 4th grade, I was also fascinated and dazzled by space and space missions. I am 30 years older than author Kate Greene, inspired by watching Mercury lift-offs on a small tv in my grade school classroom. I couldn’t wait to fly to airlocked pods on faraway planets. Alas- I am still reading books about space. Fortunately, this is a wonderful book!
Subtitled “Space, Exploration, and Life on Earth, this fact-filled yet easy to understand book is a series of essays by the author. In 2013, Kate Greene was selected as a crew member for NASA’s newest Mars analog—a project called HI-SEAS. Its home base was a dome on the Hawai’ian volcano of Mauna Loa. The mission’s main goal was to test food systems, but there were many other research projects during the 4 month project. What this really meant, was that the author and other professionals basically “pretended” they were living on Mars. Cool, right?
Ms. Greene tells us about the project through a series of essays. I found this to make for an engaging read, instead of a linear,”Here’s what we did today” project, although she does give us many snapshots of her life “on Mars”. Many of the daily experiments involved food. Is it better for astronauts’ health to cook meals, and have a variety of meals instead of pouches of food and Tang? As the subtitle suggests, she uses her experiences to consider why we should have a space program, what we can learn, and how it may help ourselves and the world in ways we may not have readily considered. For example, what if artists- poets, writers, painter, musicians went along on the first missions to deep space? Wouldn’t their perspectives help us on earth to realize the immense grandeur of space? Would we see our Earth in a different way?
Thanks to the author for such an engaging and inspiring book and many thanks to the brave astronauts who rocketed to near space, the moon and the space stations and may we continue our journey to the stars. Thanks to Net Galley and St. Martins Press for an advance review copy. This is my honest review.
Crime Thriller- Share it Around the Campfire
Secrets of a Serial Killer by Rosie Walker
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I commenced reading this crime thriller on an early evening in June. I relaxed on my deck with my ereader, enjoying the fading sun and calls of birds as the day ended with a glowing sunset. I began this crime thriller with interest and anticipation, even though I am a big scaredy-cat, The story is shared by many characters, and I enjoyed getting to know Zoe, a teenage girl, who is sometimes delightful, and sometimes impatient, especially with her parents. Helen is Zoe’s mom, a busy, weary divorcee. A sweet young boy named Thomas who is almost finished with his early years of trust and innocence and his slightly more worldly cousin, Maggie, rounded out my favorite characters.
And then there is Him. By the time I met Him, the light outside had faded to deep shadows and the wind had picked up as it escorted dark clouds. Time to go inside. The book had begun to unnerve me and a bolt of lighting startled me. I rushed in, and settled in my “reading chair” and continued with the story, which was revealing some eerie knowledge about the almost 100 year of lineage of serial killers in the Lancaster area. As the storm grew more fierce, I “entered” the world of the dilapidated and abandon Lunatic Asylum.
And then the lights went out and I was alone in the creepy basement where psychopaths shuffled through the shadows. Is the serial killer(s) responsible for the deaths of so many young teenage girls? The book terrified me, and the real life storm was savage. I stumbled in the dark to my bed, but I couldn’t stop reading. Please don’t let them die!
Yes, perhaps not the book for me to read on a stormy night- or maybe it was! I finished it that night, hidden under the covers. The author’s marvelous details and descriptions and her care in creating relatable characters made for the best stormy-night read. I highly recommend this book.
Thanks to Net Galley and HarperCollins UK One More Chapter for an advance digital review copy. This is my honest review
Romance- Have you Ever Wondered, ”What If”?
The Start of Us by Hannah Emery
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I don’t usually give instructions to readers, but for this book I must give you this imperative. If you read it- you have to read it through to the end. You may feel upset, unbalanced or discombobulated as you read, but you must push through your sadness and finish the book!
The Start of Us is the atmospheric and evocative story of Erica. Erica has the disconcerting ability to be able to go back and view scenes from her life. One minute she is in a café in Blackpool and then suddenly she is back in her childhood home in Yorkshire, watching herself talk to her father. She can’t interact with her other self, and the people she sees don’t know she is there. Since the age of twelve, she has visited many “episodes” of her life. As she reaches her late twenties, she realizes that she is actually seeing herself in a parallel life- a life that shows what would have happened if she had made different choices. What if she had been braver and had travelled the world? And then tragedy strikes and in her grief, Erica wonders if she can go back and “rewrite” her life.
Erica tells her story in the first person. Since she is not firmly grounded in one life, she is shy and quiet. But, you will never forget her. She is involved with two men who are opposites- the earnest and nerdy Daniel, and the devil-may-care Mike. Erica lives in an old, neglected house in Blackpool, a home that once was a grand place. Like Erica, the house has had many lives and memories.
The ending of the book will jolt you- but everything will finally make sense. Have you ever asked yourself, “What if?” “What if I had gone with my friends to Thailand” or “What if had left the party early?” This book is an intriguing look at the moments that form the puzzle of our lives. This is a moody and melancholy read that will fascinate you.
Thanks to Net Galley and HarperCollinsUK, One More Chapter for an advance review copy. This is my honest review.
The Latest Divine Domestic Drama by Amanda Prowse
The Day She Came Back by Amanda Prowse
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Bestselling author Amanda Prowse knows how to play my heartstrings with her stories of “ordinary women and their families who find their strength, courage, and love tested in ways they never imagined.” In this book, we move in with Victoria. Victoria’s mother died when Victoria was a baby. Victoria lives with her vivacious grandmother Primrose in Surrey, England. Victoria is a smart and pleasant young woman, somewhat sheltered, a bit awkward, still growing and maturing.
If you’ve read a book by Author Prowse before, and I hope you have, you know that as soon as you crack the book open, you will keep reading, through smiles and tears, until the satisfying conclusion. So, how is Victoria’s “strength, courage and love” tested? Well, she learns that her whole life has been based on a cruel lie- her mother is not dead. In fact, she’s standing out in the backyard by the lake, as mourners gather after Primrose’s funeral.
Victoria not only has to bear the loss of her beloved grandmother; she must totally rewrite her whole life. I liked that this book moves at a slow pace- it takes time for Victoria to process it all. Victoria is helped by her best friend, and by some other wonderfully conceived friends and neighbors. The mystery of her mother is slowly unraveled, and Victoria finally earns her birthname- a strong and powerful name.
This book highlights the agony of heroin addiction. We also get to visit lovely Oslo. I recommend Ms. Prowse’s latest “domestic drama” and know you will enjoy befriending Victoria. I received an advance digital review copy from NetGalley. This is my honest review.
A Moody and Thoughtful Literary Read
Flatiron: A Novel by Michael Heslin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Told by an unnamed narrator in the first person, this coming of age story is profound. The writing is sparse, pared down, every word counts. But what a story is told. The beautiful heart of this book will give you plenty to think about.
The young man who tells the story begins it in 1964 when he meets another young girl outside the Beatles concert. Their story is told year by year, until 1989, and what a long and winding road the main characters have.
The story is almost stream of consciousness. For the young man, New York is his education, his life, his soul. He is just there to be part of it all. New York wasn’t the Big Apple then, much of it was grim with despair. But the experiences that this young man sees and feels will make you long for his life.
In addition to the young girl, Laura that he meets and grows up with, we are shown a variety of souls, people that would not be noticed, if it weren’t for the young man. The young man doesn’t judge or try to change people. He observes, cares, and does what is needed. By 1989, the last story, New York is beginning to look up. Time Square is revitalized. What will happen to him?
This is a special book. I received an advance digital review copy from Netgalley and BooksGoSocial. This is my honest review.
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