Tag: historical

What I Read in March (2023)

Books Read in March: 21
Books Read for the Year: 54/225
Topical Books/Monthly Goal Books:

Topical Books/Monthly Goal Books:

West with Giraffes, by Lynda Rutledge (audio book/TBR). This was such a good read! I enjoyed the narrator, but the story was absolutely wonderful.

Look Up!, by Jimmy Evans (TBR, spiritual).

The Fellowship of the Ring, by J.R.R. Tolkien (re-read).

Little White Lies, by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (re-read). This sucked me right in! Again.

Arcana Rising, by Kresley Cole (re-read). I had forgotten so much about this series!

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, by C.S. Lewis (re-read). Loved this.

The Silver Chair, by C.S. Lewis (re-read).

The Dark Calling, by Kresley Cole (re-read)…only a few more weeks until the final book in the series….

For Review:

Off the Map, by Trish Doller. I loved this read, just like I’ve loved the others in this linked standalone series. Highly recommend! I was ready to leave for Ireland immediately.

The Lost English Girl, by Julia Kelly. I didn’t enjoy this quite as much s I have other books by this author, but it was a good read. Hard, in places, but good.

Whistleblower, by Kate Marchant. This was a solid read, but I reel like it tried to hard to be inclusive—instead of just being inclusive.

A Novel Proposal, by Denise Hunter. This was a sweet read. Sadie was a little—a lot—to extroverted for me, but I loved the beach town setting and all the secondary characters.

You Wouldn’t Dare, by Samantha Markum. The friendships in this book were fantastic! Juniper was very self-centered and self-absorbed, not to mention overly dramatic, but she was a (mostly) fun character to read.

Hotel of Secrets, by Diana Biller. I really enjoyed this! The setting was something I hadn’t read before, and, while the family drama was a bit much for me, I loved the characters. Plus, the cover is gorgeous!

Yours Truly, the Duke, by Amelia Grey. I very much enjoyed this! I liked how the characters grew and changed, and the children added a lot of fun to the story.

When You Wish Upon a Star, by Elizabeth Lim (forthcoming). I enjoyed the narrator of this audio book very much! Loved the relationship between the sisters a lot—even if I didn’t care for Ilaria at all.

Please, Sorry, Thanks, by Mark Batterson. This was a thought-provoking read. Such a simple concept, yet so impactful.

Five Fortunes, by Barbara Venkataraman. A quick, fun read about a group of five friends.

Once We Were Home, by Jennifer Rosner. This was a deep and emotional book. Difficult to read because of the subject matter, and I feel like it really left one of the characters unresolved.

Zora Books Her Happy Ever After, by Taj McCoy (forthcoming). The first third of this read was solid: I liked the characters, the family dynamic was awesome, and I was invested in what was going on. Then it became obvious that the characters were very hypocritical, neither of the two male leads was really a good guy, and the big “secret” was about as hidden as Mount Rushmore. So, no, I do not recommend this. I enjoyed the author’s previous book, but this one wasn’t for me.

Oxford Star, by Laura Bradbury (forthcoming). This was a cute, fun read. I loved all the members of the skulk!

Left Unfinished:
When in Rome, by Liam Callanan. The premise of this absolutely intrigued me, but Claire got on my very last nerve with her indecisiveness and let-life-happen-to-me attitude instead of taking some initiative herself, so I stopped reading at 15%. I wasn’t willing to be annoyed for the other 85% of the book.

Beyond That, the Sea, by Laura Spence-Ash. Solid writing in this and interesting premise, but in the end, the multiple POV characters and leisurely pacing just didn’t hold my attention. Not a good fit for me at this time.

The London Seance Society, by Sarah Penner. I made it to 20% because I loved The Last Apothecary, but this felt disjointed and erratic, and the content wasn’t what I expected.

Book Review: The Lost English Girl, by Julia Kelly

Title: The Lost English Girl
Author: Julia Kelly
Genre: Historical fiction
Rating: 4 out of 5

Liverpool, 1935: Raised in a strict Catholic family, Viv Byrne knows what’s expected of her: marry a Catholic man from her working-class neighborhood and have his children. However, when she finds herself pregnant after a fling with Joshua Levinson, a Jewish man with dreams of becoming a famous Jazz musician, Viv knows that a swift wedding is the only answer. Her only solace is that marrying Joshua will mean escaping her strict mother’s scrutiny. But when Joshua makes a life-changing choice on their wedding day, Viv is forced once again into the arms of her disapproving family.

Five years later and on the eve of World War II, Viv is faced with the impossible choice to evacuate her young daughter, Maggie, to the countryside estate of the affluent Thompson family. In New York City, Joshua gives up his failing musical career to serve in the Royal Air Force, fight for his country, and try to piece together his feelings about the family, wife, and daughter he left behind at nineteen. However, tragedy strikes when Viv learns that the countryside safe haven she sent her daughter to wasn’t immune from the horrors of war. It is only years later, with Joshua’s help, that Viv learns the secrets of their shared past and what it will take to put a family back together again.

I do love Julia Kelly’s novels, so this was a no-brainer. There was some hard stuff in this novel, though. Viv’s mother was a terrible person, and it was gut-wrenching to read her treatment of Viv. Joshua wasn’t exactly a catch, but his journey was good to read. Poor Viv. What a terrible thing the first part of her life was, until she grew into herself and realized she had the strength to make her own life. Let’s be honest: Viv is a better person than I am, because I’m not sure what I would have done to Mrs. Thompson. This is a solid read, and I ended up plowing through 3/4s of it in one sitting, eager to find out what happened.

Julia Kelly is a bestselling author. The Lost English Girl is her newest novel.

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

Book Review: The Weight of Air, by Kimberly Duffy

Title: The Weight of Air
Author: Kimberly Duffy
Genre: Christian, historical, romance
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

In 1911, Mabel MacGinnis is Europe’s strongest woman and has performed beside her father in the Manzo Brothers Circus her entire life. But at his unexpected death, she loses everything she’s ever known and sets off in the company of acrobat Jake Cunningham for America in hope of finding the mother she’s just discovered is still alive.

Isabella Moreau, the nation’s most feted aerialist, has given everything to the circus. But age and injury now threaten her security, and Isabella, stalked by old fears, makes a choice that risks everything. When her daughter Mabel appears alongside the man who never wanted to see Isabella again, Isabella is forced to face the truth of where, and in what, she derives her worth.

This was a lovely read! I enjoyed the glimpses of circus life and life in the early 1900s. Mabel was a great character! Her character growth was fantastic to watch, and I enjoyed reading Jake, too. I wasn’t quite as fond of Isabella, but she grew on me. I highly recommend this read!

Kimberly Duffy lives in Ohio. The Weight of Air is her newest novel.

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

Book Review and Blog Tour: Code Name Sapphire, by Pam Jenoff

Title: Code Name Sapphire
Author: Pam Jenoff
Genre:   historical fiction
Rating: 4.0 out of 5

1942. Hannah Martel has narrowly escaped Nazi Germany after her fiancé was killed in a pogrom. When her ship bound for America is turned away at port, she has nowhere to go but to her cousin Lily, who lives with her family in Brussels. Fearful for her life, Hannah is desperate to get out of occupied Europe. But with no safe way to leave, she must return to the dangerous underground work she thought she had left behind.

Seeking help, Hannah joins the Sapphire Line, a secret resistance network led by a mysterious woman named Micheline and her enigmatic brother Matteo. But when a grave mistake causes Lily’s family to be arrested and slated for deportation to Auschwitz, Hannah finds herself torn between her loyalties. How much is Hannah willing to sacrifice to save the people she loves? Inspired by incredible true stories of courage and sacrifice, Code Name Sapphire is a powerful novel about love, family and the unshakable resilience of women in even the hardest of times.

I enjoyed this WWII fiction—one of my favorite reading genres—but I did find bits of it pretty sad (not surprising, considering). I liked Hannah, but found her frustrating at times, too. I would have liked to have seen more of her paintings in the novel. Lily annoyed me about half the time, so she wasn’t my favorite, but I enjoyed the relationship between the cousins.

Pam Jenoff is a bestselling author. Code Name Sapphire is her newest novel.

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

Book Review and Blog Tour: The Lipstick Bureau, by Michelle Gable

Image belongs to Harlequin/Graydon House.

Title: The Lipstick Bureau
Author: Michelle Gable
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: DNF

1944, Rome. Newlywed Niki Novotná is recruited by a new American spy agency to establish a secret branch in Italy’s capital. One of the OSS’s few female operatives abroad and multilingual, she’s tasked with crafting fake stories and distributing propaganda to lower the morale of enemy soldiers.

Despite limited resources, Niki and a scrappy team of artists, forgers and others—now nicknamed The Lipstick Bureau—find success, forming a bond amid the cobblestoned streets and storied villas of the newly liberated city. But her work is also a way to escape devastating truths about the family she left behind in Czechoslovakia and a future with her controlling American husband.

As the war drags on and the pressure intensifies, Niki begins to question the rules she’s been instructed to follow, and a colleague unexpectedly captures her heart. But one step out of line, one mistake, could mean life or death…

This seemed a bit erratic, and the transitions between POV characters were clunky. I felt very distant from all the characters—they were more paper dolls than actual people. And….Niki wasn’t a very likable person. I read 38% of this before realizing I didn’t care about her or what happened to her because she was pretty cold and heartless.

Michelle Gable is a bestselling author. The Lipstick Bureau is her newest novel.

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

Book Review: The Secret Society of Salzburg, by Renee Ryan

Title: The Secret Society of Salzburg
Author:   Renee Ryan
Genre: Historical fiction
Rating: 5 out of 5

London, 1933

At first glance, Austrian opera singer Elsa Mayer-Braun has little in common with the young English typist she encounters on tour. Yet she and Hattie Featherstone forge an instant connection—and strike a dangerous alliance. Using their friendship as a cover, they form a secret society with a daring goal: to rescue as many Jews as possible from Nazi persecution.

Though the war’s outbreak threatens Elsa and Hattie’s network, their efforts attract the covert attention of the British government, offering more opportunities to thwart the Germans. But Elsa’s growing fame as Hitler’s favorite opera singer, coupled with her secret Jewish ancestry, make her both a weapon and a target—until her future, too, hangs in the balance.

From the glamorous stages of Covent Garden and Salzburg to the horrors of Bergen-Belsen, two ordinary women swept up by the tide of war discover an extraordinary friendship—and the courage to save countless lives.

I love World War II historical fiction. That being said, I did DNF one just a couple of weeks ago. I wasn’t ever in danger of putting this book down, though! Both Hattie and Elsa were fascinating characters, and I was fully invested in both of their stories. I wanted to see them succeed beyond their wildest dreams—and it was exhilarating seeing that happen on the page.

World War II was one of the most horrific times in world history, but seeing Hattie and Elsa jump in, determined to help Jewish people despite the danger to themselves was inspiring and uplifting. I truly loved every page of this book!

Renee Ryan grew up in Florida and now lives in Wisconsin. The Secret Society of Salzburg is her newest novel.

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

Book Review: The Stolen Book of Evelyn Aubrey, by Serena Burdick

Title: The Stolen Book of Evelyn Aubrey
Author: Serena Burdick
Genre: historical fiction
Rating: 5 out of 5

What if you could write a new ending for yourself?

England, 1898. When Evelyn first married the famous novelist William Aubrey, she was dazzled by his brilliance. But their newlywed bliss is brief when William is gripped by writer’s block, and he becomes jealous of Evelyn’s writing talent. When he commits the ultimate betrayal–stealing a draft of her novel and passing it off as his own–Evelyn decides to write her way out of their unhappy marriage.

California, 2006. Abigail always wondered about her father, his identity forever lost when her mother unexpectedly died. Or so Abigail thought, until she stumbled upon his photo and a message that her great-great-grandmother was the author Evelyn Aubrey, leading Abigail on a journey to England in search for answers. There, she learns of Evelyn’s shocking disappearance and how London society believed she was murdered. But from what she uncovers about Evelyn, Abigail believes her brilliant great-great-grandmother had another plot up her sleeve.

When I first started reading this, Abby was such a self-absorbed, selfish person that I almost stopped reading. I held out until she went to England, and then, as she started growing, I got more interested. Following the mystery of Evelyn made her a much more interesting character—and learning more about her own parents, especially her messed-up mother, allowed her to work through her own issues.

Evelyn was my favorite character: she ended up caught in a very tough situation, but she was smart enough to figure a way out. I wanted to smack her husband—and his mistress—several times, but she somehow managed to turn the other cheek and make a life of safety for herself. This ended up being a fascinating and engrossing read—despite the slow (due to a character issue) start.

Serena Burdick lives in Massachusetts. The Stolen Book of Evelyn Aubrey is her newest novel.

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

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

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: Treachery on Tenth Street, by Kate Belli

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: The Girl from Guernica, by Karen Robards

Title: The Girl from Guernica
Author: Karen Robards
Genre: Historical fiction
Rating: 5 out of 5

On an April day in 1937, the sky opens and fire rains down upon the small Spanish town of Guernica. Seventeen-year-old Sibi and her family are caught up in the horror. Griff, an American military attaché, pulls Sibi from the wreckage, and it’s only the first time he saves her life in a span of hours. When Germany claims no involvement in the attack, insisting the Spanish Republic was responsible, Griff guides Sibi to lie to Nazi officials. If she or her sisters reveal that they saw planes bearing swastikas, the gestapo will silence them—by any means necessary.

As war begins to rage across Europe, Sibi joins the underground resistance, secretly exchanging information with Griff. But as the scope of Germany’s ambitions becomes clear, maintaining the facade of a Nazi-sympathizer becomes ever more difficult. And as Sibi is drawn deeper into a web of secrets, she must find a way to outwit an enemy that threatens to decimate her family once and for all.

I was hooked on this from the very first page! All the characters were so vivid and so believable, and the author did such a great job with them that I felt like I was right there with Sibi through everything, grieving and struggling and determined to do what was right—no matter what. I cannot recommend this highly enough!

Karen Robards is a bestselling author. The Girl from Guernica is her newest novel.

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

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