Author: tamaramorning

Book Review: The Living and the Lost, by Ellen Feldman

Image belongs to St. Martin’s Press.
  • Genre:   Fiction, historical
  • Rating:  4 out of 5

Millie Mosbach and her brother David escaped to the United States just before Kristallnacht, leaving their parents and little sister in Berlin. Now they are both back in their former hometown, haunted by ghosts and hoping against hope to find their family. Millie works in the office responsible for rooting out the most dedicated Nazis from publishing. Like most of their German-born American colleagues, the siblings suffer from rage at Germany and guilt at their own good fortune. Only Millie’s boss, Major Harry Sutton, seems strangely eager to be fair to the Germans.

Living and working in bombed-out Berlin, a latter day Wild West where the desperate prey on the unsuspecting; spies ply their trade; black markets thrive, and forbidden fraternization is rampant, Millie must come to terms with a past decision made in a moment of crisis, and with the enigmatic sometimes infuriating Major Sutton who is mysteriously understanding of her demons. Atmospheric and page-turning, The Living and the Lost is a story of survival, love, and forgiveness, of others and of self.

Millie was hard and unlikable enough at the beginning that I almost stopped reading, but she grew on me. This was set in post-WWII Berlin and offered a different view of the war—from someone who escaped before it got very, very bad, but who nonetheless did not escape unscathed. Solid writing and characters, and I enjoyed how all of them had such different layers. They weren’t all just one thing. That made for a nuanced and complex read, perfect for savoring.

Ellen Feldman lives in New York. The living and the Lost is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.)

Sundays are for Writing #138

I only got two book reviews written this week, but I’m okay with that. There’s a lot going on right now, and I refuse to be too hard on myself.

Happy writing!

Book Review:  Never Saw Me Coming, by Vera Kurian

Image belongs to Harlequin.
  • Genre:   Mystery/thriller
  • Rating:  DNF

Meet Chloe Sevre. She’s a freshman honor student, a leggings-wearing hot girl next door, who also happens to be a psychopath. Her hobbies include yogalates, frat parties, and plotting to kill Will Bachman, a childhood friend who grievously wronged her.

Chloe is one of seven students at her DC-based college who are part of an unusual clinical study for psychopaths—students like herself who lack empathy and can’t comprehend emotions like fear or guilt. The study, led by a renowned psychologist, requires them to wear smart watches that track their moods and movements.

When one of the students in the study is found murdered in the psychology building, a dangerous game of cat and mouse begins, and Chloe goes from hunter to prey. As she races to identify the killer and put her own plan into action, she’ll be forced to decide if she can trust any of her fellow psychopaths—and everybody knows you should never trust a psychopath.

I read almost half of this before stopping reading. I thought the writing was solid and the characterization good, but I just couldn’t connect with the characters. I mean, they’re psychopaths, so it’s a bit hard to care what happens to them, honestly. And Chloe manipulates and lies to everyone, and those are both character traits that I can’t stand in real people, so I’m certainly not going to waste my team reading about them.

Vera Kurian lives in Washington, DC. Never Saw Me Coming is her debut novel.

(Galley courtesy of Harlequin in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review: A Bright Young Thing, by Brianne Moore

Image belongs to Alcove Press.

In 1931 England, Astra Davies defies all the conventions. Clever, witty, and determined, Astra smokes, drinks, plays a mean piano, and gallivants around London with her beloved Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. But Astra finds herself in a tight spot when her parents die suddenly, leaving her with a raft of debts. With few marketable skills and a closet full of family secrets, Astra has two choices: find a rich husband or make her own way.

A fiercely driven woman like Astra is not about to cast her lot in with a man, especially out of desperation. And since the only man she fancies–Jeremy Harris, the Earl of Dunreaven–is as hard up as she is, her way forward is clear. But the path to independence is a bumpy one fraught with hazards and heartbreaking choices. A blackmailing socialite threatens to derail Astra’s reputation. A brainless business partner just might drive her even further into debt. And a series of bruising scandals dogs her every step of the way.

From the bustle of London to the country estates of the aristocracy, Astra embarks on a journey that tests her brains, wit, and mettle as never before. But one way or another, Astra Davies is dead set on proving she’s no ordinary Bright Young Thing.

I really enjoyed this read! Astra’s character growth was fantastic to watch. Her friend’s sister, however, was evil and vindictive, and I just couldn’t stand her at all. It seemed like Astra just keep getting slammed with more and more obstacles, but she persevered and learned from them, letting them make her stronger instead of destroying her.

Brianne Moore is from Pennsylvania but now lives in Scotland. A Bright Young Thing is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Alcove Press in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review and Blog Tour: The Inheritance, by JoAnn Ross

Image belongs to Harlequin.

 

When conflict photographer Jackson Swann dies, he leaves behind a conflict of his own making when his three daughters, each born to a different mother, discover that they’re now responsible for the family’s Oregon vineyard—and for a family they didn’t ask for.

After a successful career as a child TV star, Tess is, for the first time in her life, suffering from a serious identity crisis, and renewed resentment around losing her father all over again.

Charlotte, brought up to be a proper Southern wife, gave up her own career to support her husband’s political ambitions. On the worst day of her life, she discovers her beloved father has died, she has two sisters she never knew about, and her husband has fallen in love with another woman.

Natalie, daughter of Jack’s longtime mistress, has always known about her half sisters. And she can’t help feeling that when Tess and Charlotte find out, they’ll resent her for being the daughter their father kept.

As the sisters reluctantly gather at the Maison de Madeleine to deal with their father’s final wishes, they become enchanted by the legacy they’ve inherited, and by their grandmother’s rich stories of life in WWII France and the wounded American soldier who would ultimately influence all their lives.

I actually really enjoyed this read! Tess was kind of unlikable at first, but she grew on me as she mellowed out a bit. As did Charlotte, who actually grew a pair and stood up for herself with her horrid, cheating husband. I would have enjoyed seeing more from Natalie’s viewpoint, as I liked her the best.

The stories of the three sisters, interspersed with tales from their grandmother’s time in the French Resistance, made for a compelling read, fraught with family tensions and truths waiting to be discovered.

JoAnn Ross is a bestselling author. The Inheritance is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Harlequin in exchange for an honest review.)

Sundays are for Writing #137

It’s been a busy week, so not much writing happened. I wrote one book review plus two blog posts (my August reading and the best books I read in August). I’m not worried about the light writing week. My family lives outside of New Orleans and I have friends there, too, so the storm took quite a bit of my focus.

Happy writing!

The Best Books I Read in August (2021)

I read 13 books in August…and DNFed 12, so yeah, August’s reading was a crapshoot.

I actually really loved four of my monthly reading selections from my TBR pile.

A Court of Silver Flames, by Sarah J. Maas. I’ve enjoyed this entire series, but it was fascinating to see Nesta and Cassian’s story. Talk about oil and water!

Deeply Odd, by Dean Koontz. I read the first five books in this series years ago (I started reading before they were a series), and have just recently re-read those and started reading the others. I love the voice in these so much, and Odd Thomas is such a great character.

Mister Impossible, by Maggie Stiefvater. I do enjoy Stiefvater’s books so much, and I’ve loved these characters for years (some of them, anyway).

Million Dollar Demon, by Kim Harrison. I’ve read and loved this entire series. Jenks is definitely my favorite character.

What I Read in August (2021)

Books Read in August: 13

Books Read for the Year: 165/250

I will say, I DNFed a lot of books this month—as in almost as many as I actually finished reading. Possibly because I committed to read so many, so I couldn’t afford to read one that didn’t completely hold my interest.

Topical Books/Monthly Goal Books:

A Court of Silver Flames, by Sarah J. Maas (TBR). Loved this read!

Gently and Lowly, by Dane Ortlund (spiritual). I enjoyed this.

Deeply Odd, by Dean Koontz (TBR). I really loved this!

Mister Impossible, by Maggie Stiefvater (TBR). I do enjoy Stiefvater’s books so much.

Million Dollar Demon, by Kim Harrison (TBR). I’ve read and loved this entire series. Jenks is definitely my favorite character.

For Review:

Such a Good Wife, by Seraphina Glass. I have to say, the wife was pretty heartless in this. It was a solid read, but she gave me issues.

Where the Truth Lies, by Anna Bailey. I feel like the author had a bad experience with a small town, because every single person in this novel was hiding dark, ugly secrets.

We Are the Brennans, by Tracey Lange. I really enjoyed this family tale!

Beware the Mermaids, by Carrie Talick. I enjoyed this more than I thought I would, although the husband was such a jerk. A fun, easy read.

What We Carry, by Kalyn Fogarty. This was pretty heavy, and the MC (and her mother) were both basically selfish and clueless people.

The Bookseller’s Secret, by Michelle Gable. I liked this read, although I preferred the present-day storyline much more than the historical one.

Where I Left Her, by Amber Garza. This was…I don’t know. It wasn’t a horrible read or anything, but the mother and her super-controlling personality were awful. Definitely an unreliable narrator and I didn’t care for her at all.

Velvet Was the Night, by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. This was masterfully written, but I didn’t really care for the characters.

Left Unfinished:

Songbirds, by Christy Lefteri. I read about 15% of this, but it was very slow, and it just didn’t keep my attention.

The Wildest Ride, by Marcella Bell. I think I read about 30% of this, but the two main characters were too arrogant and their only other non-cliche character trait was attitude, so it just wasn’t for me.

The People We keep, by Allison Larkin. I just couldn’t get into this.

The Hand of the Sun King, by J.T. Greathouse. I made it about 15% of the way through this before giving up. I just couldn’t make myself care about the MC.

The Show Girl, by Nicola Harrison. This wasn’t bad. I read over 50% of it, but Olive ended up getting on my nerves because she was so self-absorbed.

Yours Cheerfully, by AJ Pearce. I wanted to like this. But, I read 15% of it, and though I found it funny, I was also slightly bored, so I stopped reading.

Maiden Voyages, by Siân Evans. I didn’t get very far in this before putting it down, because it felt like reading a textbook.

The Eternal Audience of One, by Rémy Ngamije. I didn’t make it very far in this, as the condescending and racist tone was too much for me.

Ramadan Ramsey, by Louis Edwards. Normally, I love to read anything set in New Orleans, but this started off sooooo slooooowly I just couldn’t get into it.

Refugee High, by Elly Fishman. I choose not to read anything that makes its political bias so obvious on page two.

The Family Plot, by Megan Collins. This sounded intriguing, but the whole scenario was pretty creepy—and Dahlia was just so unwilling to accept that reality was different from her perception of it. I couldn’t read more than 15% of it.

Book Review: Velvet Was the Night, by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Image belongs to Random House/Del Rey.

1970s, Mexico City. Maite is a secretary who lives for one thing: the latest issue of Secret Romance. While student protests and political unrest consume the city, Maite escapes into stories of passion and danger.

Her next-door neighbor, Leonora, a beautiful art student, seems to live a life of intrigue and romance that Maite envies. When Leonora disappears under suspicious circumstances, Maite finds herself searching for the missing woman—and journeying deeper into Leonora’s secret life of student radicals and dissidents.

Meanwhile, someone else is also looking for Leonora at the behest of his boss, a shadowy figure who commands goon squads dedicated to squashing political activists. Elvis is an eccentric criminal who longs to escape his own life: He loathes violence and loves old movies and rock ’n’ roll. But as Elvis searches for the missing woman, he comes to observe Maite from a distance—and grows more and more obsessed with this woman who shares his love of music and the unspoken loneliness of his heart.

Now as Maite and Elvis come closer to discovering the truth behind Leonora’s disappearance, they can no longer escape the danger that threatens to consume their lives, with hitmen, government agents, and Russian spies all aiming to protect Leonora’s secrets—at gunpoint.

Maite and Elvis interested me enough to finish reading this, which is truly a testament to the author’s skill—because Maite was pretty boring, and Elvis, well, there wasn’t a whole lot about him that I could relate to. I ended up liking this read, despite not really caring for the characters.

Maite is a chronic liar, inflating her sad life with falsehoods, obsessing about comic book romances—and let’s not forget her kleptomaniac tendencies. She wants more out of life, she’s just too afraid of everything to actually go after more. I liked Elvis a bit more, with his sad history and determination to do the right thing—ironic, considering his line of work, but he was sadly blind to reality.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia is an award-winning author. Velvet Was the Night is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Random House/Del Rey in exchange for an honest review.)

Sundays are for Writing #136

I’ve done very minimal writing this week: only one book review. It’s been crazy busy…and most of the books to be reviewed I’ve started reading this week I DNFed. That’s way more than normal, and I’m not sure if it’s because I committed to read and review way too many books in August so my tolerance for reading boredom is almost non-existent or because the books in question really did have issues. Either way, hopefully this next week will be a better writing week.