Tag: fiction

Book Review:   When We Had Wings, by by Ariel Lawhon, Kristina McMorris and Susan Meissner

Image belongs to Harper Muse.

Title:   When We Had Wings (audio book)   
Author:  Ariel Lawhon, Kristina McMorris and Susan Meissner  
Genre:   Historical fiction
Rating:  5 out of 5

The Philippines, 1941.

When U.S. Navy nurse Eleanor Lindstrom, U.S. Army nurse Penny Franklin, and Filipina nurse Lita Capel forge a friendship at the Army Navy Club in Manila, they believe they’re living a paradise assignment. All three are seeking a way to escape their pasts, but soon the beauty and promise of their surroundings give way to the heavy mantle of war.

Caught in the crosshairs of a fight between the U.S. military and the Imperial Japanese Army for control of the Philippine Islands, the nurses are forced to serve under combat conditions and, ultimately, endure captivity as the first female prisoners of the Second World War. As their resiliency is tested in the face of squalid living arrangements, food shortages, and the enemy’s blatant disregard for the articles of the Geneva Convention, the women strive to keep their hope— and their fellow inmates—alive, though not without great cost.

In this sweeping story based on the true experiences of nurses dubbed “the Angels of Bataan,” three women shift in and out of each other’s lives through the darkest days of the war, buoyed by their unwavering friendship and distant dreams of liberation.

I really enjoyed this! The narrator was personable and clear, and I was drawn into the story from the very beginning. I loved all three main characters, and even the secondary characters were well-done and became people I cared about. I couldn’t wait to find out how everything worked out for these three women! This is well-worth reading.

Ariel Lawhon, Kristina McMorris and Susan Meissner are bestselling authors. When We Had Wings is their newest novel.

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

Book Review:   Marlowe Banks, Redesigned, by Jacqueline Firkins

Image belongs to St. Martin’s Press.

Title:  Marlowe Banks, Redesigned  
Author:  Jacqueline Firkins
Genre: Romance   
Rating:  4 out of 5

Marlowe Banks’s life has come apart at the seams. Her engagement ended abruptly. Her latest costume design was shredded by critics. Her student loans are overdue. Her parents have never been more disappointed. Desperate to hide from her failures, Marlowe flees New York City to embrace invisibility in Los Angeles as a menial Production Assistant on a popular TV show. While sorting socks and taking care of her boss’ spoiled Weimaraner, no one can confront her poor artistic choices or the end of her engagement, the end her ex refuses to accept.

When a costume mix-up requires Marlowe to step into in a scene, the camera catches a heated look between her and Angus Gordon, the show’s arrogant bad boy, thrusting Marlowe into the spotlight. As the pair is forced together on set, Marlowe learns she’s not the only one hiding. Walls come down for both of them, revealing a life Marlowe isn’t sure she’s ready for, and when her past comes calling, she has to decide if she’s going to stay invisible or if it’s time for a redesign.

This was a decent read. Marlowe life and all its drama was a bit much for me, but it was believable. There wasn’t anything surprising in the book, but a few funny moments, mainly from Marlow’s clumsiness and general awkwardness. This would make a good beach read.

Jacqueline Firkins lives in British Columbia. Marlowe Banks, Redesigned is her newest novel.

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

Book Review: To Capture His Heart, by Nancy Campbell Allen

Image belongs to Shadow Mountain Publishing.

Title: To Capture His Heart    
Author: Nancy Campbell Allen
Genre:  Romance
Rating:  4 out of 5

Seaside, England, 1886

Eva Caldwell is an accomplished and well-known photographer who often works with the local constabulary to assist in documenting crime scenes, which means she also often works alongside the handsome and charming detective, Nathan Winston. She appreciates his intellect and how he treats her like an equal, but Eva’s heart is still healing from a past relationship, so, for now, she decides to keep her feelings for Nathan a secret.

One evening, Nathan arrives on her doorstep asking for a personal favor. Would Eva be available to photograph his mother’s legendary, week-long dinner party and matchmaking event? The catch is that Eva would also have to pretend they are courting in order for Nathan to avoid the many single women seeking his attention.

Though wary of the charade, Eva agrees. Spending a week with the two things she loves most—her detective and her camera—sounds simple enough. And if she wants to imagine that Nathan’s pretend courtship of her is real, well, what’s the harm in that?

But when a criminal from Nathan’s past threatens revenge on the detective, Nathan must be extra vigilant to keep his mother and the rest of the partygoers safe. He confides in Eva, and as the two work together to solve the mystery and apprehend the criminal, they find that they might capture more than they expected—each other’s heart.

I liked that this wasn’t just a romance novel:  there was the mystery of what was happening with the criminal from Nathan’s past. I absolutely adored Nathan’s four sisters and the family’s relationships, so that added another level of fun. Eva is unconventional, but not blatantly so, and Nathan is open-minded enough to appreciate her fully. This was a fun read.

Nancy Campbell Allen is an award-winning author. To Capture His Heart is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Shadow Mountain Publishing in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review:  Treachery on Tenth Street, by Kate Belli

Image belongs to Crooked Lane Books.

Title:  Treachery on Tenth Street     
Author: Kate Belli   
Genre: historical fiction   
Rating:  4 out of 5

As a heat wave engulfs New York in the summer of 1888, the city’s top models begin turning up dead, one by one, suggesting the work of a single killer. Society girl turned investigative journalist Genevieve Stewart is drawn into the case when Beatrice Holler, one of her friend Callie’s fellow models, is found with her throat cut.

Genevieve and her compatriot, wealthy Daniel McCaffrey, are joined by Callie to seek out the suspects, which leads them to search for answers from the members of the elite, notorious gangsters, and the city’s most prominent painters.

In an era when London’s Jack the Ripper murders have everyone on edge, the police want to keep the killings quiet. But the bodies are piling up as fast as the suspects—and unless the killer is found, the simmering New York summer could boil over into madness.

I haven’t read any of the other Gilded Gotham mysteries, but that wasn’t a problem. This was a solid read. I enjoyed the characters and the setting. I liked Genevieve’s independence in a time when that wasn’t a common thing. Even Daniel had depths, with his street punk background and shady friends. This was a fun read, and I’d definitely read more of the series.

Kate Belli lives in Pennsylvania. Treachery on Tenth Street is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Crooked Lane Books in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review and Blog Tour: Lark Ascending, by Silas House  

Image belongs to Algonquin Books.

Title: Lark Ascending    
Author: Silas House   
Genre: Fiction   
Rating: 3 out of 5

As fires devastate most of the United States, Lark and his family secure a place on a refugee boat headed to Ireland, the last country not yet overrun by extremists and rumored to be accepting American refugees. But Lark is the only one to survive the trip, and once ashore, he doesn’t find the safe haven he’d hoped for. As he runs for his life, Lark finds an abandoned dog who becomes his closest companion, and then a woman in search of her lost son. Together they form a makeshift family and attempt to reach Glendalough, a place they believe will offer protection. But can any community provide the safety that they seek?  

Despite the quality of the writing, for me, this was a pointless book. It’s bleak. The plot seemed meandering at best. And the ending didn’t seem to accomplish much. Perhaps it just wasn’t the right choice for me, but the political undertones were narrow-minded enough to make the characters seem very judgmental.

Silas House is a bestselling author. Lark Ascending is his newest novel.

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

The Best Books I Read in September (2022)

I read 17 books in September, bringing my total read for the year to 176 books. I also DNF 8 books. For a change, there were a solid number of really good reads this month. Of the 17 books, I rated nine of them 5 out of 5 stars. My favorites of those nine are:

The Winners, by Fredrick Backman. I LOVE this book! The first book, Beartown, was such a wonderful surprise to me. The second book was stellar, and this one was enthralling from the very first page. Even if you don’t care about hockey (I don’t), you should absolutely pick this up!

Long Way Gone, by Charles Martin. I adore everything this man writes. Everything. No questions.

The Last Legacy, by Adrienne Young. Adrienne Young is a fantastic writer, and the world of Fable/the Narrows is absolutely captivating. Loved this—and read it straight through in one sitting.

Honorable mention:

Sundays Are for Writing #193

This week, I only wrote one book review, but I also wrote my September reading post, and my Best Books I Read in September post, so it was a solid writing week.

Happy writing!

What I Read In September (2022)

Books Read in September: 17

Books Read for the Year:  176/250

Topical Books/Monthly Goal Books:

Soul Taken, by Patricia Briggs. As usual for this series, I was glued to the page and couldn’t put it down.

No God But One, by Nabeel Qureshi (spiritual, TBR, audio). So much information in this.

The Book Woman’s Daughter, by Kim Michele Richardson (TBR). I enjoyed this as much as the first book.

Elodie’s Library of Second Chances, by Rebecca Raisin (TBR). This was a cute read.

The Return of the Gods, by Jonathan Cahn (spiritual). This was a bit terrifying, but explains so much.

For Review:

Don’t Let In the Cold, by Keely Parrack. This was a solid read. I can’t imagine being trapped outside in a blizzard and being hunted by criminals, but this kept my attention.

Monsters Born and Made, by Tanvi Berwah. The culture/setting in this was quite unique, even if the premise had echoes of The Hunger Games. I ended up enjoying it quite a bit.

The Girl from Guernica, by Karen Robards. This was SO good! I read it in less than a day because I just couldn’t put it down! I was invested in all the characters and on the edge of my seat several times.

The Make-Up Test, by Jenny L. Howe. This wasn’t terrible, but the MC, Allison, was quite full of herself and unable to look past her own selfishness and be considerate of anyone else.

Something in the Heir, by Suzanne Enoch. This was an okay read, but not a standout. I enjoyed the kids very much.

Spells for Forgetting, by Adrienne Young. This was a heck of a read! I love Ms. Young’s YA books, and I’m happy that this was up to their standard. The setting was very dark, but it was so vividly drawn!

The Winners, by Fredrik Backman. This book. Man. All of Backman’s novels, actually. But this one was unbelievably good.

A Place to Land, by Lauren K. Denton. Loved this! Such a compelling story.

Just Because:

Mere Christianity, by C.S. Lewis (spiritual). Lewis was such a wonderful communicator.

The Final Gambit, by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. This was such a fun read!

Long Way Gone, by Charles Martin. I love this guy’s books so, so much!

The Last Legacy, by Adrienne Young. Love this author and this world. So unique and vivid.

Left Unfinished:

The Bachelor and the Bride, by Sarah M. Eden. The writing was fine in this, but the characters bored me, so I put it down.

The Opera Sisters, by Marianne Monson. The distant narrator/point-of-view just did not work for me. I didn’t feel any connection to the characters.

The Decoy Girlfriend, by Lillie Vale. I loved the premise of this. But the MC were just…not likable people to me, so I had to put it down.

The Only Child, by Kayte Nunn. I read about 30% of this, but the MC just wasn’t for me. She was a bit pushy and aggravating.

The Two Lives of Sara, by Catherine Adel West. Okay, the MC was completely selfish and hateful, and I couldn’t make myself care in the slightest about her.

The Book Hater’s Book Club, by Gretchen Anthony. These people were just kind of hateful to each other, and the beginning dragged on so long I lost patience.

An Affair of Spies, by Ronald H. Balson. The overabundance of technical jargon felt like the author trying to show me how smart he is. The info dumps did not feel natural.

Wishtress by Nadine Brandes. I read the first 10% of this, but it just didn’t capture my attention.

Book Review:  A Place to Land, by Lauren K. Denton

Image belongs to Harper Muse.

Title: A Place to Land    
Author:   Lauren K. Denton
Genre: Fiction
Rating:  4.5 out of 5

A hidden past isn’t past at all.

Violet Figg and her sister Trudy have lived a quiet life in Sugar Bend ever since a night forty years ago stole Trudy’s voice and cemented Violet’s role as Trudy’s fierce and loyal protector. Now, Trudy spends her days making sculptures from found objects and speaking via notes written on scraps of paper, while Violet runs their art shop, monitors the bird activity up and down the water, and tries not to think of her one great love she gave up in order to keep her sister safe.

Eighteen-year-old Maya knows where everyone else belongs, but she’s been searching for her own place ever since her grandmother died seven years ago. Moving in and out of strangers’ houses has left her exhausted, so when she sees a flyer on a gas station window for a place called Sugar Bend, she follows the strange pull she feels and finds herself on the doorstep of an art shop called Two Sisters.

When a boat rises to the surface of Little River in the middle of the night, the present and the no-longer-buried past clash, and the future is at stake for Maya, Violet, and Trudy. As history creeps continually closer to the present and old secrets come to light, the sisters must decide if it’s time to face the truth of what happened forty years ago, or risk losing each other and newly formed bonds with those they’ve come to love.

I loved this book!   Parts of it are very sad—what Violet and Trudy went through 40 years ago and what Violet had to give up—but the entire story was so immersive and lovely. Lauren K. Denton makes small-town life sound appealing, verging on wonderful. The characters, as always for this author, are fascinating and believable, and the reader just feels at home in the story.

Lauren K. Denton is a bestselling author. A Place to Land is her newest novel.

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

Book Review:   The Winners, by Fredrik Backman

Image belongs to Atria Books.

Title:  The Winners     
Author: Fredrik Backman   
Genre: Fiction   
Rating:  5 out of 5

Two years have passed since the events that no one wants to think about. Everyone has tried to move on, but there’s something about this place that prevents it. The residents continue to grapple with life’s big questions: What is a family? What is a community? And what, if anything, are we willing to sacrifice in order to protect them?

As the locals of Beartown struggle to overcome the past, great change is on the horizon. Someone is coming home after a long time away. Someone will be laid to rest. Someone will fall in love, someone will try to fix their marriage, and someone will do anything to save their children. Someone will submit to hate, someone will fight, and someone will grab a gun and walk towards the ice rink.

So what are the residents of Beartown willing to sacrifice for their home?

This book. I was up until 2 a.m. finishing it, if that tells you anything. Beartown took me completely by surprise. I don’t really care about hockey, and small towns usually give me the creeps, but it was my first introduction to Backman’s writing and I was blown away. Us Against You was the same experience, and so was The Winners.

I loved these characters and was completely enthralled by the story. Even the seemingly minor characters are compelling in the hands of a master storyteller like this. He is so, so good at creating believable characters that you care about and feel like you’ve met. I’m not super thrilled by what happened to one of my favorite characters, but I laughed, cried, and was in turn awed by the occasional absolutely perfect sentence that truly captured the moment. Go read this.

Fredrik Backman is a bestselling author. The Winners is his newest novel.

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