Band of Sisters by Lauren Willig

March 30, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Band of Sisters by Lauren Willig
Publisher: William & Morrow
Genre: Historical, Fiction
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

A scholarship girl from Brooklyn, Kate Moran thought she found a place among Smith’s Mayflower descendants, only to have her illusions dashed the summer after graduation. When charismatic alumna Betsy Rutherford delivers a rousing speech at the Smith College Club in April of 1917, looking for volunteers to help French civilians decimated by the German war machine, Kate is too busy earning her living to even think of taking up the call. But when her former best friend Emmeline Van Alden reaches out and begs her to take the place of a girl who had to drop out, Kate reluctantly agrees to join the new Smith College Relief Unit.

Four months later, Kate and seventeen other Smithies, including two trailblazing female doctors, set sail for France. The volunteers are armed with money, supplies, and good intentions—all of which immediately go astray. The chateau that was to be their headquarters is a half-burnt ruin. The villagers they meet are in desperate straits: women and children huddling in damp cellars, their crops destroyed and their wells poisoned.

Despite constant shelling from the Germans, French bureaucracy, and the threat of being ousted by the British army, the Smith volunteers bring welcome aid—and hope—to the region. But can they survive their own differences? As they cope with the hardships and terrors of the war, Kate and her colleagues find themselves navigating old rivalries and new betrayals which threaten the very existence of the Unit.
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With the Germans threatening to break through the lines, can the Smith Unit pull together and be truly a band of sisters?

A war, women and danger…it’s all in this book.

I’ve never read anything by Lauren Willig before this book and I’m glad I rectified that. This was an interesting book. It’s not for everyone, in that it describes war times and could be a trigger for some readers, but honestly, it’s a fascinating read.

The plot moves along well and kept my attention. I rooted for these women. They’re in a difficult place trying to make the world better, in their own little fashion. I liked the variety of characters, despite the fact that there are a lot of characters and it can be a little confusing trying to keep them all straight. Still, the story plugs along just fine and kept me interested.

There is a lot of description about war and the destruction that comes with it. As I’ve noted, this might be a trigger for some readers, as there is mention of injury, death and the death of children. Read with caution, but do let the story take you away.

If you’re interested in a book that’s a good mix of history, war and a little bit of romance, then this might be the book you’re looking for.

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

Missouri Loves Company by W.J. Costello

March 30, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Missouri Loves Company by W.J. Costello
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Contemporary, Action/Adventure, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Former U.S. marshal Rip Lane lives in a motor home. He is a drifter. His only desire is to explore the country he once protected. But trouble seems to find him in every small town and every big city along the way. In Missouri he picks up a beautiful hitchhiker with a duffel full of secrets. When the woman disappears at a bus station Rip finds himself the target of mobsters. But targeting Rip is always a mistake. Because he never backs down. And he always exacts his own brand of revenge.

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This is a fun and interesting story that I picked up on a whim. With a terse and very different style of writing I nevertheless found myself almost instantly hooked on the style and engrossed in Rip’s life. In many ways the writing of this story reminds me a little of Robert Parker’s Spenser series – short sentences, a gritty and dry style of writing and wit, but loads of character and action. The pace of the plot and action moves quite quickly, but I was really happy the author still managed to dole out enough backstory on Rip for me to understand the motive and history behind his actions and choices.

While I’d classify this story as a mystery it’s not really a traditional “who done it”. There’s no murder mystery but instead a series of events that occur and Rip wants answers and to solve why his life collided with the consequences and then see justice served. Different and addictive I found the style and characters engrossing and read this book quickly. While there is a little bit of hotness (off screen and not descriptive) this absolutely isn’t a romance story and readers looking for that probably won’t find themselves very satisfied.

Witty, dry and sparsely written this is a good story and a decent mystery. I enjoyed Rip’s character and am intrigued enough to look into the second book in the series.

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

Amy McDougall, Master Matchmaker by Gary Pedler

March 29, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Amy McDougall, Master Matchmaker by Gary Pedler
Publisher: Regal House/Fitzroy Books
Genre: Middle Grade (8 – 12 y.o.), Contemporary, LGBTQ
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Thirteen-year-old Amy McDougall is worried about Travis, the single gay guy who adopted her when she was a kid. He wants a boyfriend, yet isn’t having any luck finding one himself. Amy decides the solution is for someone else to do the finding. Someone like her! Amy’s first attempts at matchmaking are embarrassing flops, despite advice from her hyper-smart best friend Grace. Soon Amy makes not only a match for Dad, but for other people she knows. Now no one can deny that she’s Amy McDougall, Master Matchmaker. Still, she finds there’s a price to pay for her meddling when all three matches cause problems she hadn’t foreseen. Amy McDougall, Master Matchmaker is a fun and engaging tale that takes a fresh look at important subjects like love and friendship.

How complicated can finding a boyfriend for one’s single gay dad possibly be?
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Amy was a likeable girl whose character development felt realistic to me. I enjoyed getting to know every side of her personality from her unbridled creativity to her tendency to meddle in other people’s lives over and over again. This particular flaw of hers played an important role in how the plot unfolded, especially in the beginning when she wasn’t aware of all of the issues that can be caused by someone trying to control what other folks do. It was amusing to see how she reacted to her loved ones not always responding the way she wanted them to when she quietly interfered with their love lives.

I would have liked to see a tad more attention paid to the downside of Amy’s attempts to play matchmaker. The humorous parts of her experiment popped up everywhere, and I giggled my way through them. With that being said, I did think the negative consequences of her trying to set people up together weren’t explored quite as fully as they could have been. This was especially true when it came to the dates she picked out for her dad. I adored this tale in general, and I would have given it a perfect five-star rating if she’d faced a few more logical consequences for her actions.

Travis and Amy became a family thanks to an transracial older child adoption. He was a single, white, gay man, and she was a school-aged biracial foster child. I’ll leave the specific details of how they became a family for other readers to discover for themselves, but I appreciated the fact that this book acknowledged the difficult parts of her past while still having such a hopeful and upbeat approach to the beautiful life they’d built together. There was so much love in the McDougall household that I can’t help but to hope for a sequel about them someday.

Anyone who has ever wished they could set their friends and family up with perfect love interests might really like Amy McDougall, Master Matchmaker.

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

A Reluctant Attraction by Rosanna Leo

March 29, 2021 By 2 Comments


A Reluctant Attraction by Rosanna Leo
Publisher: Totally Entwined
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Moonflower

He was looking for an escape. In her, he found his home.

Contractor and Handymen host Nick Zorn needs a change. He’s been feeling listless, and when his ex-girlfriend embarrasses him in a viral post by sharing private details of their sex life, he’s downright ready to escape. When an opportunity to reinvent his career arises, Nick takes it, even though it might mean the end of Handymen. However, the team has one more project to tackle together first—a struggling cat sanctuary in dire need of renovation.

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But the more time they spend together, the more reluctant these ‘friends’ become to fight their deepening connection, even though they know their inevitable break will devastate them…

Imagine being the crazy cat lady at a young age because your husband dies and you take over his cat sanctuary. That’s a good thing, right? But what happens to your life and dreams? Where do they go?

Nick has had a rough time of it with cyberbullying, and Claire is slowly drowning as she tries to keep the sanctuary alive. These two are made for each other, and they realize it quite early on, but in trying to keep emotions out of their relationship, it becomes more confusing than it should be.

I enjoyed this book, the first one by this author I have read. Her writing style is smooth, and it is evenly paced out. The only problem I had was the constant back and forth between Nick and Claire. It felt like just a bit too much for me, although I am sure I will be in the minority with that opinion. I like having some angst in the stories I read, but this one felt a little like a pendulum. I guess that makes it authentic?!

All in all, this was a great read. This is the third book in the series so now I really want to read books one and two. If you enjoy contemporary romance, then I can absolutely recommend this book.

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

Divided House by JM Dalgliesh

March 29, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Divided House by JM Dalgliesh
Publisher: Hamilton Press
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

The public face. A private reality. Sometimes, the dead have a lot to hide…

DI Nathaniel Caslin’s life is a mess. He works the minimum, abuses substances to survive the day and drinks his nights away. A once-promising career is in freefall.

Investigating the death of an ex-serviceman in police custody, reveals the disappearance of a young family. No-one noticed. No-one seems to care. In the grip of a bitter, Yorkshire winter, a family home reluctantly offers up its grisly secrets. Out on the moors, a murder scene of horrific brutality demands Caslin’s focused attention. In the search for answers, is anyone who they claim to be?

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DI Nathaniel Caslin’s career with the police is going downhill and with his marriage in shambles around him his whole life is seeming to spin ever more out of control. Struggling to keep a handle on everything – and with his heavy drinking and occasional substance abuse getting more out of hand – Nathanial isn’t managing to find a way out of the mess. When what seemed like a straightforward case of suicide leads to a missing family his case quickly becomes far more complicated – and sinister – than anything else he’s experienced.

I was unsure about this book to begin with. Having never heard of the “Dark Yorkshire” genre I was curious to try it out, especially since I’ve been enjoying a number of more noir and gritty style mysteries and police procedurals lately. This book was fantastic on many levels and I had already purchased the second in the series before reaching the half-way point of this story.

I found the plot deliciously complicated and I enjoyed how seamlessly the author entwined the two different cases. It didn’t feel overly convoluted nor too “easy” – even though I could tell early on the two cases would dove-tail it never felt manufactured or illogical. I was super impressed with this. I also was thrilled that while Nathanial certainly drank more than is generally considered healthy and Nathanial’s dabbling with drugs was also alluded to this wasn’t a major focus of the story. I was pleased that when Nathanial really got moving with the case a lot of his more personal issues in this department fell to the wayside as he focused his mind and attention on the police work and finding answers. I was pleased Nathanial wasn’t so far down the drinking/drugs path that he couldn’t function properly at his work and this helped sell me on his character and the story as a whole.

I also was pleased that Nathanial’s family life and the many problems revolving around that – while a subplot and given a fair amount of showing – didn’t over-shadow the mystery plot or case he worked on. I felt the scenes with his ex-wife and kids gave added dimension and life to Nathanial, but I didn’t feel like it was skimmed over nor taking up too much time away from the main mystery plot. I thought the author handled this balance really well.

While called “Dark Yorkshire” this story definitely had a noir type of feel to it. Some of the plot matter was gritty and realistic and I feel readers who prefer lighter mysteries or more “who done it” mysteries might find it a little much for them. That said, I was grateful that the darker aspects weren’t gory nor were they overly descriptive. I didn’t find this a gruesome or heavy thriller/horror style of book or writing and for me that added to my enjoyment of the mystery and story itself. The opening scene (three pages from the perspective of a captive/victim) was definitely the starkest and heaviest aspect for most of the story and I strongly feel readers should give the book at least a few chapters after this opening scene to decide if it’s for them or not. I was very grateful I pushed past that opening scene. While not convoluted with the plot twists there were certainly a few turns in the storyline I didn’t guess ahead of it being unveiled and while not earth-shatteringly new I found the plot and story refreshing, interesting and I enjoyed it thoroughly.

Well written, solidly plotted and with a bunch of interesting secondary characters I feel this book should appeal to a wide range of mystery readers. Dark but not heavily so, gritty but not gory or using violence in a titillating manner, this book definitely ticks a number of the boxes of the exact style of stories I enjoy. I’m looking forward to reading the second in the series and am intrigued enough to look at this author’s other series as well.

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

Upstairs at the White House: My Life with the First Ladies by JB West

March 26, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Upstairs at the White House: My Life with the First Ladies by JB West
Publisher: Open Road Media
Genre: Historical, Non-Fiction
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

In this New York Times bestseller, the White House chief usher for nearly three decades offers a behind-the-scenes look at America’s first families.

J. B. West, chief usher of the White House, directed the operations and maintenance of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue—and coordinated its daily life—at the request of the president and his family. He directed state functions; planned parties, weddings and funerals, gardens and playgrounds, and extensive renovations; and, with a large staff, supervised every activity in the presidential home. For twenty-eight years, first as assistant to the chief usher, then as chief usher, he witnessed national crises and triumphs, and interacted daily with six consecutive presidents and first ladies, as well as their parents, children and grandchildren, and houseguests—including friends, relatives, and heads of state.

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What a glimpse into the world of the White House.

First, I have to say this isn’t a political book. It’s got the words White House in it and First Lady, but honestly, it’s not a political book. It’s about the women who ruled the White House, no politics involved. I have to also admit right off that it’s the end of FDR’s presidency through the beginning of Nixon’s presidency. It’s dated. It’s long before my time and can come across as old. But it’s also a snapshot into the lives of these people.

The writing is somewhat simplistic, but oddly, it worked. The book was originally published in 1973 and the author is dead, but that didn’t bother me while reading. I enjoyed the sneak peeks into the lives of these ladies. There isn’t much about the presidents, but more of the first ladies, as the title states. Yes, there is a lot about how the ladies decorated, but it’s of the time. The ladies of the era the author worked in weren’t concerned with social causes, per se. Their domain was making the White House a home for them and their children. That’s not to say they didn’t have causes, but if there seems to be a big chunk of description on the decor and furnishings–that’s why.

I rather liked learning about the presidents as people through the eyes of the author and the first ladies. I loved that Johnson had dogs named simply Him and Her. It’s cute. Or that Eisenhower loved watching westerns and that the staff had to hunt down new ones because he’d seen the rest at least a half dozen times. It made them seem more like people than simply names in a book.

If you’re looking for a book that’s an easy read, engrossing, but somewhat tedious at times (the descriptions of the decor can get tiresome), yet a book where you’re going to learn about the presidents and first ladies, then this might be the book for you. I enjoyed it.

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

The Tumor by John Grisham

March 26, 2021 By Leave a Comment


The Tumor: A Non-Legal Thriller by John Grisham
Publisher: Focused Ultrasound Foundation
Genre: Contemporary
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Lavender

John Grisham says THE TUMOR is the most important book he has ever written. In this short book, he provides readers with a fictional account of how a real, new medical technology could revolutionize the future of medicine by curing with sound.

THE TUMOR follows the present day experience of the fictional patient Paul, an otherwise healthy 35-year-old father who is diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. Grisham takes readers through a detailed account of Paul’s treatment and his family’s experience that doesn’t end as we would hope. Grisham then explores an alternate future, where Paul is diagnosed with the same brain tumor at the same age, but in the year 2025, when a treatment called focused ultrasound is able to extend his life expectancy.

Focused ultrasound has the potential to treat not just brain tumors, but many other disorders, including Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, hypertension, and prostate, breast and pancreatic cancer.
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For more information, you can visit The Focused Ultrasound Foundation’s website. Here you will find a video of Grisham on the TEDx stage with the Foundation’s chairman and a Parkinson’s patient who brings the audience to its feet sharing her incredible story of a focused ultrasound “miracle.”

Readers will get a taste of the narrative they expect from Grisham, but this short book will also educate and inspire people to be hopeful about the future of medical innovation.

The name John Grisham is sure to catch eyes; however, this work, The Tumor, is completely unrelated to his previous books. Grisham states that this is his most important work. He presents the case of a family man born in 1980 who develops brain cancer, and his story is a sad one. Next, Grisham rewinds the tale in a fascinating way and asks the question, What if this man had been born ten years later?

In a form of reimagined history, he goes through this man’s altered history, one that is brighter due to his updated birth year. How is this so? Well, a new medical procedure is available to this man of a later generation: focused ultrasound.

This medical technology is real. Grisham offers this story to give patients hope. He explains through the use of a fictional man’s story how his life would change through the use of the new technology. He would live longer, his ordeal in the hospital would be quicker and easier, and he would save a lot of money.

This is a quick story but an interesting one. It is bringing to light a new medical breakthrough that people could ask their doctors about.

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

Peace, Love, and Crime: Crime Fiction Inspired by the Songs of the ’60s by Sandra Murphy (editor)

March 25, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Peace, Love, and Crime: Crime Fiction Inspired by the Songs of the ’60s by Sandra Murphy (editor)
Publisher: Untreed Reads
Genre: Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, LGBTQ, Historical, Contemporary
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Rebellion, revolution, and rock and roll defined the ‘60s. As music moved from country to folk protest songs, rock became the voice of the “turn on, tune in, drop out,” generation. Peace, love, and harmony were the goals. Meditation, mysticism, and psychedelic drugs were the way to enlightenment. Peace, love, and crime were often the result, sometimes humorous, sometimes deadly.

And the music played on. As Harold says in The Big Chill, “There is no other music, not in my house.”

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There’s a story behind every song.

In “Cooking with Butter,” Amanda decided to murder her ex-husband. All she needed to do was to figure out the best way to go about it while hopefully avoiding detection. Her personality grew on me as I got to know her better and figured out her reasons for wanting him to die. She was a complex character who gave me plenty to think about, especially once I realized exactly how much thought she’d put into her plan.

All of the stories in this anthology had clever premises that were worth reading, but there were a few that I thought would have benefitted from a little more development. “Mercy” was one example of this. It followed a young woman named Lila as she grieved the death of her brother, came out of the closet, and tried to figure out what to do with her life. There was so much going on in her life that she didn’t have enough time to explore any of those subplots in detail. It would have been nice to get to know Lila better as she was a fascinating character in general.

Jerry had to find out what caused his father’s sudden and frightening chest pain in “Spirit in the Sky.” The relationship between these two characters was genuine and nuanced. They didn’t always see eye-to-eye, but they did always love each other no matter what. I had a wonderful time peeling back the layers of their personalities. They were both far more complex than they appeared to be at first glances for reasons I’ll leave up to other readers to piece together for themselves.

Anyone who loves ’60s music should give Peace, Love, and Crime a try.

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

City Of Windows by Robert Pobi

March 24, 2021 By Leave a Comment


City Of Windows by Robert Pobi
Publisher: Mulholland Books
Genre: Contemporary, Action/Adventure, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

During the worst blizzard in memory, an FBI agent in a moving SUV in New York City is killed by a nearly impossible sniper shot. Unable to pinpoint where the shot came from, as the storm rapidly wipes out evidence, the agent-in-charge Brett Kehoe turns to the one man who might be able to help them—former FBI agent Lucas Page.

Page, a university professor and bestselling author, left the FBI years ago after a tragic event robbed him of a leg, an arm, an eye, and the willingness to continue. But he has an amazing ability to read a crime scene, figure out angles and trajectories in his head, and he might be the only one to be able to find the sniper’s nest. With a new wife and family, Lucas Page has no interest in helping the FBI—except for the fact that the victim was his former partner.

Agreeing to help for his partner’s sake, Page finds himself hunting a killer with an unknown agenda and amazing sniper skills in the worst of conditions. And his partner’s murder is only the first in a series of meticulously planned murders carried out with all-but-impossible sniper shots. The only thing connecting the deaths is that the victims are all with law enforcement—that is until Page’s own family becomes a target.
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To identify and hunt down this ruthless, seemingly unstoppable killer, Page must discover what hidden past connects the victims before he himself loses all that is dear to him.

After a horrific incident costs more than Lucas Page thought he could ever pay, his whole life changes around and the least of this is his leaving the FBI. Ten years have passed since then and Lucas has a whole new life – a new wife and family, a new home and he’s one of the most sought after professors in his field. All this changes again when the FBI need Lucas’ help in identifying a sniper that made what should have been an impossible shot in impossible conditions. Is Lucas willing to pay the price this time around?

I bought this book on a whim since it kept cropping up in my amazon feed as a recommended read. I’m very glad I did because this is an amazing story that balances really well between what feels realistic and what pushes the envelope too far. For this story I am really pleased the author kept on the correct side of believability and the story that results is wonderful.

In some respects Lucas Page is not a character that I feel many people can really relate closely to. His is crazy smart and has had a roller coaster of a life. Indeed I was pleased that the author sortof fed us as readers snapshots of Lucas’ past and history just in bits and pieces. A massive info dump or some sort of encapsulation of it would have read as unlikely in the extreme and more importantly I feel this would have detracted from showing us – at the relevant time – why Lucas thinks or feels a certain way or why he’s making a specific choice. Highlighting these decisions and showing us brief glimpses of his past and history really let the picture as a whole of Lucas evolve and grow and I loved this.

The main plot of this story was the sniper shooter and while this isn’t the strongest mystery I’ve read it is a good and solid plot and well woven into the rest of the story and characters. I really feel the strong cast of secondary characters as well as Lucas himself really make this book better than just the plot itself. I also am a sucker for New York City as a backdrop and the author didn’t disappoint with this aspect of the story either. My only serious complaint is that this is the first book in a series and I really wish I’d found this series six or seven books in so I could binge the lot and have a load more reading immediately available.

Readers who enjoy a solid mystery with prickly and smart characters and a wonderfully woven story should definitely give this one a try. Recommended.

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

The Homesick Club by Libby Martinez

March 23, 2021 By Leave a Comment


The Homesick Club by Libby Martinez
Publisher: Groundwood Books
Genre: Children’s (0 – 6 y.o.), Contemporary
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Mónica and Hannah are school kids in the big city. Together, they have formed the Homesick Club, since they are both from far away. Mónica misses the family of hummingbirds that she and her grandmother would feed in her backyard in Bolivia every day. Hannah misses the sunshine and the tiny tortoise that lived near her house in Israel.

When a new teacher, Miss Shelby, arrives from Texas, the girls discover that she misses her home, too, especially the huge sky full of stars and a Southern treat known as Hummingbird Cake. The girls ask Miss Shelby to join their club, then Mónica decides she will bring a surprise for show and tell ― a surprise that brings Miss Shelby close to tears.

So, the first thing to do to be able to appalachianmagazine.com cheap generic sildenafil avoid issues any time purchasing medicines on the market, “Zicam,” is actually a homeopathic remedy that consists of nothing more than homeopathic zinc in the form of a nasal gel. Herbs as the herbal formulas and herbal teas have been used for decades for buy levitra uk preparation of ayurvedic medicines. Motor viagra without prescription canada vehicle accident along with sports incidents tend to be the most prevalent cause of ED, as well as depression and stress. buy viagra soft Some physicians see a link between Beta Blockers and there will be close monitoring of the blood pressure as well. Author Libby Martinez addresses a theme that many children can relate to ― feeling homesick ― especially when home is far away. Rebecca Gibbon’s charming illustrations bring an imaginative, light touch to the story.

It’s lonely to be far away from the familiar sights, scents, tastes, and sounds of home.

Mónica and Hannah were such kind and empathetic kids. I especially appreciated how these parts of their personalities were expressed through their actions over and over again. They both gave so many examples of what it truly meant to care about and help others without any expectation of reward.

There were times when I found the text too wordy for the age group it seemed to be written for. The narrator sometimes went into much more detail about what the characters were thinking about than is typical for picture books. On the positive side, this meant I got to know the characters well and could see how the upper age range could be stretched a few years for older kids who are interested in it.

Being an immigrant can be a lonely experience. Some of the loveliest scenes were the ones that explored this emotion and gave the audience multiple coping strategies for it whether they’re the person feeling that way or a compassionate friend who wants to help the immigrants and homesick people in their lives feel truly welcomed. What made it even better was that so many of these ideas could be used by both groups!

The Homesick Club was a heartwarming read that I was grateful to have picked up and would warmly recommend.

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