Eternal by Lisa Scottline

August 26, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Eternal by Lisa Scottline
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons
Genre: Historical, Action/Adventure
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Ginger

What war destroys, only love can heal.

Elisabetta, Marco, and Sandro grow up as the best of friends despite their differences. Elisabetta is a feisty beauty who dreams of becoming a novelist; Marco the brash and athletic son in a family of professional cyclists; and Sandro a Jewish mathematics prodigy, kind-hearted and thoughtful, the son of a lawyer and a doctor. Their friendship blossoms to love, with both Sandro and Marco hoping to win Elisabetta’s heart. But in the autumn of 1937, all of that begins to change as Mussolini asserts his power, aligning Italy’s Fascists with Hitler’s Nazis and altering the very laws that govern Rome. In time, everything that the three hold dear–their families, their homes, and their connection to one another–is tested in ways they never could have imagined.

As anti-Semitism takes legal root and World War II erupts, the threesome realizes that Mussolini was only the beginning. The Nazis invade Rome, and with their occupation come new atrocities against the city’s Jews, culminating in a final, horrific betrayal. Against this backdrop, the intertwined fates of Elisabetta, Marco, Sandro, and their families will be decided, in a heartbreaking story of both the best and the worst that the world has to offer.

Unfolding over decades, Eternal is a tale of loyalty and loss, family and food, love and war–all set in one of the world’s most beautiful cities at its darkest moment. This moving novel will be forever etched in the hearts and minds of readers.

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I wasn’t going to read the latest book by Lisa Scottoline; the subject is not something that I would typically read and the length of the book is intimidating. The first day I open the book, expecting not to like it. Fast forward, a week later after finishing the book I am definitely glad that I did give the book a try. The story is a harsh real life event and may be a trigger for some but it’s a beautiful story of family, friendship, and love for people.

The author did a wonderful job in providing scenic details of the cities, and of the events during that time. I love historical reads and I admit that previously I only read history about the United States. But after reading this book it has peeked my interest on what I probably have missed out on reading especially if a story is told with such authentic details and from a heartfelt account that makes it feel personal.

The story is told from several different characters’ viewpoints. The author did this in a way that allows the reader to know thoughts and events that we otherwise may not have known or had to assume if she only voiced the words from Elisabetta D’orfeo, Sandro Simone and Marco Terrizzi. Elisabetta is about to reveal a thirteen year secret to her son. She starts her story during a time of innocence in her childhood. The events that she tell gradually unfold over decades until his birth.

I loved the relationship between the Simone and Terrizzi families. Though the Simone family was Jewish, it didn’t stop Massimo or his son Marco from risking their life to support and save Sandro’s family during the war and cruelty that the Jews suffered.

This was a history lesson and a must read. It’s heartbreaking and upsetting to me how, based on a person’s heritage or beliefs, they can either be looked upon in greatness or looked upon as less than. I was only reading the story and found myself in tears and disbelief so I can not imagine what those that lived this actually felt. The author delivers a full story, the bad and the ugly, but what stands out to me is the fight for what’s right, for equality, the fight for family and definitely the fight for those that we know and call our friend.

I define courage as letting the one that you love go so that they won’t be subjected to the harsh brutality of your heritage. I define courage as standing up for those that are less fortunate or helpless even though you risk being killed. I define courage as the author creating such an emotional story that tells such inhumane acts that should never be repeated but never should be forgotten.

Filed Under: Mainstream Fiction, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

Bless Her Dead Little Heart by Miranda James

August 25, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Bless Her Dead Little Heart by Miranda James
Southern Ladies Mystery, Book 1
Publisher: Berkley Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

With the Mississippi sun beating down, An’gel and Dickce are taking a break to cool off and pet sit their friend Charlie Harris’s cat, Diesel, when their former sorority sister, Rosabelle Sultan, shows up at their door unexpectedly, with her ne’er-do-well adult children not far behind.
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Rosabelle’s selfish offspring are desperate to discover what’s in her will, and it soon becomes clear that one of them would kill to get their hands on the inheritance. Suddenly caught up in a deadly tangle of duplicitous suspects and deep-fried motives, it will take all of the sisters’ Southern charm to catch a decidedly ill-mannered killer…

She believes she’ll be killed…but will she?

This is a cute story with two sisters who love to solve mysteries and a Maine Coon cat who knows people’s true nature. I like the writing because it sped along nicely. I had to know whodunit. The sisters are funny and the cat is adorable.

Dickce and An’gel Ducote like to solve mysteries and they’re born nosy women. It’s okay. They have a mystery happen at their home and it’s natural that they’d want to solve it. This cozy mystery is cute and hits all the right buttons–it’s got animals, a mystery and it’s fun. The mystery is just complicated enough to be entertaining. I had no idea who the murderer was until the very end. I’d read other Miranda James books and it was nice to see the genesis of Endora and Peanut, too. It’s a great story.

If you’re interested in reading a story that’s good for an afternoon, mysterious and fulfilling then this is the one for you.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , ,

Best Served Cold by David J Gatward

August 25, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Best Served Cold by David J Gatward
Publisher: Weirdstone Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

What started in the playground will finish in blood.

When a tragic farm accident turns out to be foul play, DCI Harry Grimm finds himself up against a murderer years in the making and out for revenge.

With the local community in self-imposed lock down, and the body count quickly climbing, Harry and his team are in a race against time to stop a killer as invisible as they are brutally effective.

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And beyond.

DCI Harry Grimm has been up North for a little over a month now and despite his intention to return to Bristol – where his brother is incarcerated and Harry’s private mission can be completed – as soon as he’s allowed by his police superiors, Harry is slowly settling in to life at Wenslydale. He’s slowly allowing the others within the small police department through his shields. Harry has moved from staying at the hotel to renting a small flat, and he’s even considering the biggest change to country life – purchasing his own pair of Wellington’s to save his shoes from further muck.

I really enjoyed this second book from Gatward. While I definitely feel it gives the reader more satisfaction having read the first story (Grimm Up North) this book can absolutely be read and thoroughly enjoyed as a stand alone novel. There is something about Grimm’s character along with his interaction with the small secondary cast of locals that really appeals to me. Gatward is an excellent storyteller and manages to mingle a well written mystery with the country atmosphere yet still allow Grimm’s character to be slightly off balance as the vast expanse of countryside really isn’t his cup of tea at all. It’s a delicate balance and a heady mix in a book like this where it’s really done exceptionally well.

The plot is interesting but not too convoluted. Readers looking for some sort of intricate and deep conspiracy with multiple red herrings and a shadowy cartel or organization in the background won’t find that here. Indeed I found it refreshing and wonderful just how relatable, realistic and “normal” the plot, characters and storyline was. I found this deeply relatable and coupled with the writing style and characters themselves I read this entire book in two sittings because it was just so refreshing and relatable. I loved it.

We learned a very small amount more about Harry’s brother Ben (I can’t wait until we finally get the history and more details about this – I seriously hope it’s in one of the upcoming books but this is clearly a longer-term story arc) and there was also a small reminder or hint about the suspicious nature surrounding the disappearance of the previous DCI which I felt was a gentle nudge to the reader to remind them that particular case/mystery was still open and unsolved and so I’m eager for when that will be resolved too. That said, the main mystery/culprit for this book was wonderfully tied up and I feel the author did an excellent job balancing realism with a good story.

With great storytelling, interesting and realistic characters and a good fast pace, I feel readers should absolutely give this book and series a go. I’m hooked enough I’ve purchased the rest of the series and am really looking forward to them. I’ve found this to be a solid mystery with interesting characters, a good plot and an easy enough writing style they’re fun and engrossing to read. Recommended.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

Complicit by Amy Rivers

August 24, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Complicit by Amy Rivers
Publisher: Compathy Press
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Snowdrop

A tangled web of deception and duplicity where predators are shielded by respectability and no one is safe

Kate Medina had been working as a forensic psychologist and loving every minute until a violent attack left her shaken to the core. Retreating to her hometown where it’s safe, she accepts a job where the prospect of violence is slim to none. As a high school psychologist, Kate tends to the emotional needs of the students. It’s not the career she envisioned for herself.

Five years later, a student disappears, leaving the school in crisis and Kate at the helm of another traumatic event. Roman Aguilar, the lead detective, reaches out to Kate for assistance. Kate’s position at the school and her training make her an ideal ally, but her complicated relationship with Roman puts them at odds.

When the girl’s body is found, changing the focus of the investigation to homicide, Kate finds herself in the middle of a situation she never anticipated. What started as her desire to help puts Kate directly in the crosshairs of an enemy who remains largely in shadows. As her past and present collide, Kate is dragged into the middle of a dangerous game where only one thing is clear-no one can be trusted.

Definitely a thriller, definitely a mystery. I suppose the title suggests suspense and there is plenty of that too. The theme or plot of this story is based on a societal problem we have today. One I grew up with too. That horrid thing called “judgement”. Secret-keeping because of what someone might think. We all had one situation or another growing up in small towns.

I enjoyed the characters Amy Rivers created here. They became very real by her description and her dialog. I’m not a fan of romance, but what I do like exists in this story. That little bit of interest between two characters. The push and pull of “will they be together?” is just the touch the book needed. In Complicit, the author does a good job of making us want to know a lot more things than will it work out. She kept me on the edge of my seat most of the time.

The subject here is quite deep, but the book reads very quickly or…maybe that was because I couldn’t seem to put it down. 🙂

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , , ,

The Half Life by Jennifer Weiner

August 23, 2021 By Leave a Comment


The Half Life by Jennifer Weiner
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Genre: Women’s Fiction, Contemporary
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Lavender

From Redbook’s Red-Hot Read series, a short story by the New York Times #1 best-selling author of In Her Shoes and Fly Away Home

“My life is over,” Piper DeWitt thinks to herself, awaiting departure in the overcrowded International Terminal of the Philadelphia airport for an overseas business trip, to romantic Paris no less. She watched as her husband, Tosh, put his own suitcase into the trunk of a taxi the day before. He’d been telling her for months that he wasn’t happy, and though she still wants to believe it is just a phase, after a call to her mother from the Admiral’s Club, she can no longer deny that he’s left her, left their home, left their four-year-old daughter in her mother’s sole care.

Piper met Tosh when she was only twenty-two, just the way self help books said she would – when she wasn’t looking. Now at forty, she wonders how, through all those years, they’d gotten to this place in their marriage. When her flight is canceled due to volcanic ash spreading from Iceland across Europe, and when a handsome stranger offers her an invitation to share a cab, she realizes she can take a departure from her own life. And after a day of living like a tourist in her own city, she hopes she can still find her way home…

This quick little story will keep people engaged from beginning to end. Piper DeWitt is a career woman, a family woman, but her husband, Tosh, no longer wants her. Devastated, she prepares to go to Paris on a business trip with Tosh’s break-up note in her pocket. She dreads reading those words, but she’s known for months that his feelings have changed.

Her flight to Paris gets cancelled, and she meets an intriguing man at the airport. After a whirlwind night with him, she takes a deep breath and prepares to face her future without Tosh. Many questions come into play, especially those concerning her daughter. How will Piper get through this heartache? Following along, one will hear her backstory with Tosh as well.

For an entertaining escape, why not check out this short story about a woman trying to make sense of her new present and future? She will have to redefine herself, and surprises are in store.

Filed Under: Mainstream Fiction, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

The Role by A.B. Wilson

August 19, 2021 By Leave a Comment


The Role by A.B. Wilson
Publisher: Totally Bound
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Moonflower

Thrown together on the set of a failing TV show, Alina and Markus must navigate the spotlight together as a couple or risk cancellation.

Rebuild. That’s Markus’ plan after a disastrous role and explosive public breakup with the girl he thought was The One. The bit part he originally agreed to take on after losing a bet now seems like his last opportunity to pull his career back from the brink. When he walks onto the set, he finds a TV show on the verge of cancellation and the paparazzi circling like vultures watching for what—or who—he’ll try to do next.

When Markus is introduced to the director’s muse and the show’s on-location assistant producer, Alina, sparks start to fly and the two strike up a tentative friendship among the lights and cameras of the gossipy set. The ambitious and hard-working Alina has zero interest in getting sucked into Markus’ celebrity gossip drama, but she may not have a choice as one disaster after another befalls the set.
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A chance screen test and some serious groveling by the show’s director leads to Markus and Alina taking on major roles in a desperate attempt to save the show from network cancellation. Now in front of the camera, Markus and Alina are bound together as love interests and the line between private and public starts to blur. As life begins to imitate art, Markus and Alina get ground to dust by the celeb gossip mill seeking the ‘real’ story behind the two of them. If they can come back from this and save the show, they’ll be the next Hollywood power couple.

The Role proves that being manipulated and mental exhaustion happens to men, as well as women. Markus has just finished a physically, emotionally, and mentally draining film, compounded by his girlfriend breaking up with him. Alina is working hard as Assistant Director with her own plans for the future. Sparks fly when these two meet.

This is a book of two halves for me. The first half – when Alina and Markus meet. Although they get off to a rocky start, they soon become friends. The second half is when they give in to their feelings and it moves on from there. There was chemistry aplenty between them from the word go, so it really was just a matter of when, not if.

Alina and Markus are both brilliant characters, with their own friends, family, and ways of doing things. The supporting cast of Markus’ family plus Alina’s friends helped to make this a great read.

I can’t wait to see which brother comes along next, and I hope we still see more of Alina and Markus.

A great read that I thoroughly enjoyed and have no hesitation in recommending.

Filed Under: Erotic Romance, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

Anybody’s Game: Kathryn Johnston, the First Girl to Play Little League Baseball by Heather Lang

August 19, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Anybody’s Game: Kathryn Johnston, the First Girl to Play Little League Baseball by Heather Lang
Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company
Genre: Children’s (0 – 6 y.o.), Non-Fiction, Historical
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

In 1950, Kathryn Johnston wanted to play Little League baseball, but an unwritten “rule” kept girls from trying out. So she cut off her hair and tried out as a boy under the nickname “Tubby.” She made the team―and changed Little League forever. This is a story about wanting to do something so badly, you’re willing to break the rules, and how breaking those rules can lead to change.

Baseball is for everyone.

I appreciated the honest tone of this picture book, especially when it came to how difficult it was to push back against sexism in the 1950s because of how ingrained it was everywhere. Kathryn was such a brave girl for finding a clever way around the rules that allowed her to play her favorite sport. Her trendsetting changed the lives of many other kids who would eventually follow in her footsteps.

It would have been helpful to have more details included in the final scene. I was feeling sad right before I read it, so the leap to a much more hopeful emotion to end with left me wishing to know everything that happened between those two moments. This was a minor criticism of something I otherwise enjoyed. It’s simply something I’d want to research on my own before reading it to little ones who may have just as many questions as I did about what Kathryn’s life was like between those two moments.

The plot twists were exciting, especially since Kathryn knew that she wouldn’t be allowed to play baseball anymore if anyone figured out how she’d managed to be invited to join a boys-only baseball team in the first place. I earnestly hoped she’d be included for as long as possible. She’d worked so hard to master her sport and prove her worth to her teammates and coach.

I’d recommend Anybody’s Game to anyone who is a fan of baseball or who has other interests that break stereotypes.

Filed Under: Non-Fiction, Reviews, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , ,

The Doll by Nhung N. Tran-Davies

August 16, 2021 By Leave a Comment


The Doll by Nhung N. Tran-Davies
Publisher: Second Story Press
Genre: Children’s (0 – 6 y.o.), Middle Grade (8 – 12 y.o.), Contemporary, Historical
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

A young girl and her family arrive in an airport in a new country. They are refugees, migrants who have travelled across the world to find safety. Strangers greet them, and one of them gives the little girl a doll. Decades later, that little girl is grown up and she has the chance to welcome a group of refugees who are newly arrived in her adopted country. To the youngest of them, a little girl, she gives a doll, knowing it will help make her feel welcome. Inspired by real events.

Every act of kindness matters.

There was so much compassion included in the plot. Some scenes were straightforward about the many benefits of caring about the suffering of others, while others encouraged the audience to think things through for ourselves when needed. This was a wonderful way to speak to readers of many different ages and ability levels, whether they are already naturally compassionate or are still working to improve this skill.

With that being said, the intended age group this picture book seemed to be written for felt a bit too large to me. Some portions appeared to be written for preschoolers, while others touched on serious topics like why refugees are forced to leave their home countries that would be more interesting and appropriate for older elementary students. While I appreciated the fact that the author tried to reach so many different ages, I do think the story would have benefitted from reducing its scope a little so that it could go into more detail about issues related to this type of immigration. It’s an important subject that older kids should definitely be educated on.

The ending was by far my favorite part of it all. It had a straightforward message that built on everything the author had decided to include in this fictionalized version of something that really happened to her as a child. I loved the fact that it trusted its audience to make certain logical leaps between the narrator’s memories and what she hoped everything would take away from her tale. It was a nice way to wrap things up in the end.

The Doll was a heartwarming read.

Filed Under: Reviews, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Body Counts: A Memoir of Activism, Sex, and Survival by Sean Strub

August 12, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Body Counts: A Memoir of Activism, Sex, and Survival by Sean Strub
Publisher: Scribner
Genre: Historical, Contemporary, Memoir, Non-Fiction
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

As a politics-obsessed Georgetown freshman, Sean Strub arrived in Washington, DC, from Iowa in 1976, with a plum part-time job running a Senate elevator in the US Capitol. He also harbored a terrifying secret: his attraction to men. As Strub explored the capital’s political and social circles, he discovered a parallel world where powerful men lived double lives shrouded in shame.

When the AIDS epidemic hit in the early 1980s, Strub was living in New York and soon found himself attending “more funerals than birthday parties.” Scared and angry, he turned to radical activism to combat discrimination and demand research. Strub takes you through his own diagnosis and inside ACT UP, the organization that transformed a stigmatized cause into one of the defining political movements of our time.
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From the New York of Studio 54 and Andy Warhol’s Factory to the intersection of politics and burgeoning LGBT and AIDS movements, Strub’s story crackles with history. He recounts his role in shocking AIDS demonstrations at St. Patrick’s Cathedral as well as at the home of US Sen­ator Jesse Helms. With an astonishing cast of characters, including Tennessee Williams, Gore Vidal, Keith Haring, Bill Clinton, and Yoko Ono, this is a vivid portrait of a tumultuous era.

I wanted a hard-hitting book that would make me think and this one fit the bill.

I’d seen this book on lists at the library and decided I wanted to try it, so I did. This book is well-written and thought-provoking. I can’t imagine going through the things Sean Strub did–seeing friends and lovers die of a disease no one wanted to deal with. He paints a vivid picture of the epidemic and how it wasn’t handled, but how it also affected him as a person. It’s not an easy read. It’s painful in spots because of the emotion involved.

I love how he managed to take his diagnosis and turn it into something positive. He created POZ magazine, despite running into roadblocks.

This is a good, but mentally tough book that should be read by anyone wanting to know more about AIDS or activism. Recommended.

Filed Under: Non-Fiction, Other, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Dark by Thayer King

August 12, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Dark by Thayer King
Publisher: Evernight Publishing
Genre: Erotic Romance, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Moonflower

For Princess Veracity, it was love at first sight. Unfortunately, Dark has never given her any indication that he returns her affection. Even more unfortunately, she’s betrothed to marry a man she’s quickly growing to hate. She doesn’t want to disappoint her parents, but there’s a reason she’s known to be the rebellious daughter. If she gets her way, her wedding day will feature an entirely different groom.

They call him a monster, an abomination. When he smiles, people run. Dark has wanted Veracity since the moment he laid eyes on her, but there are too many reasons why they can’t be together. She deserves better. Because the rumors are true. He is a monster. And he’s only growing stronger.

Veracity has long for Dark for years to no avail. Instead of being with him, she is betrothed to someone more interested in plants than he is with her – and she’s not that bothered either.

This is the third book in the Princesses series but you can read it as a standalone as I have. The couples from the first two books are mentioned but not in a way that makes you feel like you are missing out. More like you now want to read those too!

Dark was a brilliant character, tortured, hard shell, the whole works. Veracity is the one to break down his walls. I was a bit confused, to begin with, because there wasn’t any mention of them knowing about the other one liking them, but then Dark is ‘summoned’ and it’s full steam ahead. Veracity is impetuous and impulsive yet tries to convince everyone she has matured. This leads to out of control situations.

Dark was a great read that whisked me away to planets unknown, full of amazing characters, and plenty of steam. Thayer King is a new-to-me author but one I will be looking at more closely from now on. Absolutely recommended by me.

Filed Under: Erotic Romance, Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , ,
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