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Laura M. reviewed on + 26 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
Taking place in the Regency Era and full of careless friends, cold-hearted relatives, and set dancing, Grace Hitchcock gives Jane Austen vibes, but she also adds a flourish of her own! With a lighthearted touch of silliness and ever-growing subplot with action, there were times I laughed and others that caught me off-guard. I loved main female protagonist Muriel for her fearlessness and the main male progagonist (Erik) for his kindness. Their adorable meet-cute added to the charm of their relationship. The book gave twists and turns I didn't see coming, and a plan at the climax was brilliant and powerful. Grace Hitchcock is a great author, and Regency Era books are my jam, so I'm thrilled to see them come together!
Death and Glory: A Barker & Llewelyn Novel (A Barker & Llewelyn Novel, 16)
Author:
Genre: Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
Book Type: Hardcover
Author:
Genre: Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
Book Type: Hardcover
Helpful Score: 1
Private Enquiry agent Cyrus Barker, along with his partner Thomas Llewelyn, has a long, accomplished history - he's taken on cases for Scotland Yard, the Foreign Office, and even the crown itself, fulfilling them all with great skill and discretion. None of those cases, however, are as delicate and complicated as the one laid before him by a delegation of men who, thirty years before, fought for the Confederacy during the American Civil War. These men want to revive the Confederacy with a warship promised to the Rebels from the British Government in 1865. To get it now, they're threatening to reveal the long-secret treaty with the Confederacy. Barker is hired to use his connections to discreetly bring their threats to the Prime Minister.
With a web of prominent, if secret, supporters throughout England ready to through their support to their efforts to wage war anew on the United States, the delegates are just waiting for the warship to begin their plans. But some of the men are not who they claim to be, and the American government has their own team watching, and waiting, for the right moment to take action.
As this fuse on this powder keg of a situation grows ever shorter, it's up to Barker & Llewelyn to uncover the real identities and plans of these dangerous men.
This is the first book of the Barker & Llewelyn series that I have read. It has made me want to go back and read the whole series. It has showed us a relationship between the U.S. and Britain where a ship was bought by the Confederacy but never delivered because of the end of the Civil War. I now look forward to reading the series in order. If you love mysteries about U.S. and Britain relationships then you will love this book.
With a web of prominent, if secret, supporters throughout England ready to through their support to their efforts to wage war anew on the United States, the delegates are just waiting for the warship to begin their plans. But some of the men are not who they claim to be, and the American government has their own team watching, and waiting, for the right moment to take action.
As this fuse on this powder keg of a situation grows ever shorter, it's up to Barker & Llewelyn to uncover the real identities and plans of these dangerous men.
This is the first book of the Barker & Llewelyn series that I have read. It has made me want to go back and read the whole series. It has showed us a relationship between the U.S. and Britain where a ship was bought by the Confederacy but never delivered because of the end of the Civil War. I now look forward to reading the series in order. If you love mysteries about U.S. and Britain relationships then you will love this book.
Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing
Author:
Genres: Arts & Photography, Biographies & Memoirs, Humor & Entertainment
Book Type: Hardcover
Author:
Genres: Arts & Photography, Biographies & Memoirs, Humor & Entertainment
Book Type: Hardcover
Helpful Score: 1
Heartbreaking. I don't know what else to say. He chronicles his history of abandonment and addiction from the time he was a young child. And every time it seemed to get better-it didn't. I feel he was very truthful and didn't leave much out of his story. Frightening in so many places. And sadder yet, is that The Big Terrible Thing finally got him in the end.
Helpful Score: 1
If the bodyguard, protective hero trope is your thing, than this book is for you. It is the third book in a series, but it can easily stand alone. The couples from the other books make appearances.
The hero is strong on the outside, mushy on the inside. Family and protection is important. Heroine is soft, anxious, yet determined. Both have something in their pasts to overcome. But that is only a thread in the story involving the threat to heroine's business and self and the hero's need to protect and solve the mystery.
The heroine is in danger, but it is also a mystery as to why.
Banter is great, funny, and I laughed out loud at some parts.
Hero falls pretty fast.
Not sure what sexy rating to give it. There is some heat to a build up of attraction. There is an explicit sex scene and language. Some sex scenes are more closed door.
This was my first book by this author and I loved it enough to want the other books in the series.
The hero is strong on the outside, mushy on the inside. Family and protection is important. Heroine is soft, anxious, yet determined. Both have something in their pasts to overcome. But that is only a thread in the story involving the threat to heroine's business and self and the hero's need to protect and solve the mystery.
The heroine is in danger, but it is also a mystery as to why.
Banter is great, funny, and I laughed out loud at some parts.
Hero falls pretty fast.
Not sure what sexy rating to give it. There is some heat to a build up of attraction. There is an explicit sex scene and language. Some sex scenes are more closed door.
This was my first book by this author and I loved it enough to want the other books in the series.
Helpful Score: 1
Evelyn Finch is twenty-nine years old and has decided to face the truth: She is a spinster. When a child in the family embarrasses Evelyn by commenting on her unmarried state, Mr. Finch decides to take action. He asks Gideon Payne to conduct a short courting with his daughter.
Gideon has black marks against him. A young woman was compromised through none of his doing, and Gideon was blamed. The girl's family knew the truth, but Gideon must remain silent to protect the young lady's good name. People know he's unsavory, but they don't know why. Now that Gideon has taken over his father's bank, he has difficulty because of the rumors.
Lewis Fitch, Evelyn's father, sees a potential solution to both Evelyn's singlehood and Gideon's tarnished reputation. He believes that the two can help each other and, thus, proposes the idea to Gideon. After a brief internal debate, Gideon agrees to meet Evelyn. Their first encounter is set at a party, an event orchestrated by Mr. Fitch to bring them together.
Of course, like all previous M A Nichol books, characters grow and evolve. This story was beautifully written. This leaves me to grieve the loss of Ms. Nichols. I await her latest novel (A Light in the Dark -- due on May 24, 2024). Then, I will have read her whole backlog of stories at least once. She is a wonderful writer.
Finches
The Jack of All Trades (2021)
Tempest and Sunshine (2022)
** 3. The Christmas Wish (2022)
Gideon has black marks against him. A young woman was compromised through none of his doing, and Gideon was blamed. The girl's family knew the truth, but Gideon must remain silent to protect the young lady's good name. People know he's unsavory, but they don't know why. Now that Gideon has taken over his father's bank, he has difficulty because of the rumors.
Lewis Fitch, Evelyn's father, sees a potential solution to both Evelyn's singlehood and Gideon's tarnished reputation. He believes that the two can help each other and, thus, proposes the idea to Gideon. After a brief internal debate, Gideon agrees to meet Evelyn. Their first encounter is set at a party, an event orchestrated by Mr. Fitch to bring them together.
Of course, like all previous M A Nichol books, characters grow and evolve. This story was beautifully written. This leaves me to grieve the loss of Ms. Nichols. I await her latest novel (A Light in the Dark -- due on May 24, 2024). Then, I will have read her whole backlog of stories at least once. She is a wonderful writer.
Finches
The Jack of All Trades (2021)
Tempest and Sunshine (2022)
** 3. The Christmas Wish (2022)
Romney: A Reckoning
Author:
Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Politics & Social Sciences
Book Type: Hardcover
Author:
Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Politics & Social Sciences
Book Type: Hardcover
Helpful Score: 1
In the last year I have read this book and Liz Cheney's book and they were both 5 star reads to me. Go figure.
Helpful Score: 1
An absorbing read -- told from three different viewpoints of people living in the small Texas town during WWII. It's not really a murder mystery, although one of the three narrators is the local sheriff investigating some deaths. The first two thirds of the book meanders along as you gain insight into the three people and how the town reacts to its German citizens; the last third races to a shocking conclusion that makes this book one of those can't-put-down books, which frequently aren't.
Helpful Score: 1
This book is so far from any genre I would read, that I'm amazed that I picked it up. However, once starting, I was mesmerized by the author's writing and imagination. I could hardly put this down and finished it in less than 24-hours. Because I've watched the old movies, I knew that the stopping point of this book is not the end. There are actually twenty-four novels with Tarzan as the lead character.
The only thing I had a problem with was Tarzan's ability to learn English from picture books and a dictionary.It seemed impossible, but once I got past that, the story was smooth and erudite (the author was brilliant and well-versed in many scientific studies). I was stunned that I could enjoy a book like this.
Tarzan
**1) Tarzan of the Apes
2) The return of Tarzan
3) The Beasts of Tarzan
The only thing I had a problem with was Tarzan's ability to learn English from picture books and a dictionary.It seemed impossible, but once I got past that, the story was smooth and erudite (the author was brilliant and well-versed in many scientific studies). I was stunned that I could enjoy a book like this.
Tarzan
**1) Tarzan of the Apes
2) The return of Tarzan
3) The Beasts of Tarzan
Glenn S. reviewed on + 15 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Much as I like Philip Wylie's books-- particularly "When Worlds Collide" and "After Worlds Collide," there is a reason he never won the Nobel Prize for Literature. His aim is not to create art, but to express his views on the social, sexual, and political issues of his time. The narrative is simply a framework on which to hang his ideas. Not a lot of narrative craftsmanship is devoted to that framework, with results that are often clunky and creaky. In this book, written in the midst of 1950s angst about the Communist menace and atomic weapons, his aim is to argue that nuclear war is survivable, but only if proper civil defense measures are put in place. The story takes place in two Midwestern cities located in two states sitting across a river from each other. One city takes civil defense seriously, the other considers it a waste of time, believing that nuclear war is not survivable. Then both cities suffer a nuclear attack, allowing Wylie to show how each fares. What is strange is that the first four-fifths of the novel is a soap opera about the lives of several families in each of the towns, including Wylie's usual fascination with sexual, emotional and psychological tension that results from a love triangle. Only in the final section of the novel does the nuclear attack occur. This buildup up is long and often boring, making the apocalyptic conclusion seem rushed and perfunctory. Overall, the book is a long, boring slog. Wylie has done better, including "Triumph" the post-nuclear-apocalypse novel he published nine years later.
If Something Happens to Me
Author:
Genres: Literature & Fiction, Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
Book Type: Hardcover
Author:
Genres: Literature & Fiction, Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
Book Type: Hardcover
Helpful Score: 1
Ryan Richardson remembers the night Alison Lane was taken and a cloud of suspicion was over Ryan as everyone was suspecting him but he was never charged. Now he has entered law school and put his past behind him. Ryan gets a call from his father while traveling in Italy. He tellls Ryan that Ali's car has been found submerged in a lake in his hometown. Inside are two dead men and a cryptic note with five words written on the envelope in Ali's handwriting: If something happens to meâ¦.
This story is told by different characters POV with a twist after twist which kept me guessing until the very ending. I have read all of the other books written by Alex Finlay and they just get better and better. If you like fast-paced thrillers then you will love this book. I am now looking forward to his next book as I think he is an excellent writer and I know you will enjoy reading him too.
This story is told by different characters POV with a twist after twist which kept me guessing until the very ending. I have read all of the other books written by Alex Finlay and they just get better and better. If you like fast-paced thrillers then you will love this book. I am now looking forward to his next book as I think he is an excellent writer and I know you will enjoy reading him too.
Helpful Score: 1
Oh my, how I loved this book. It isn't your average haunted house story. I loved all of the scary and humorous parts and the shocking twists and turns. It was an enjoyable read through and through.
Married couple, Margaret and Hal, finally find the house of their dreams. No matter if there was a murder in the house. They don't even care that multiple people died in there. Why bother?! It is the house that is important. Yet it doesn't take long for things to happen in the house. Especially in September. That month is the worst. Walls bleed, there is constant moaning and screaming, the ghosts are in their prime. Get through September and then it's not so bad. You either have to adjust or move out and Margaret is all about adjusting. Yet, when Hal disappears and their daughter, Katherine, comes looking for answers, Margaret's life and her little haunted house start to unravel.
Like I said... too much fun! I took a half star off because there was way too much cursing. I'm not opposed to bad words but it did get a bit excessive.
Can't wait to see what the author has in store for us in the future.
Married couple, Margaret and Hal, finally find the house of their dreams. No matter if there was a murder in the house. They don't even care that multiple people died in there. Why bother?! It is the house that is important. Yet it doesn't take long for things to happen in the house. Especially in September. That month is the worst. Walls bleed, there is constant moaning and screaming, the ghosts are in their prime. Get through September and then it's not so bad. You either have to adjust or move out and Margaret is all about adjusting. Yet, when Hal disappears and their daughter, Katherine, comes looking for answers, Margaret's life and her little haunted house start to unravel.
Like I said... too much fun! I took a half star off because there was way too much cursing. I'm not opposed to bad words but it did get a bit excessive.
Can't wait to see what the author has in store for us in the future.
Helpful Score: 1
Eskens is a phenomenal writer. It doesn't take much to get immersed in his stories and it is so easy to settle in for the duration.
In this book, we have some of the characters from his previous book, The Heavens May Fall. You could easily read this book without the other but may find reading the first one will put you more attuned to the characters.
There are two stories happening with this one. On one hand, there is the story of Boady and Dee's ward/daughter, Emma, and on the other is a case that Boady takes on for the innocence project. Both stories build into a crescendo where they come together and explode into a bunch of craziness.
Great characters with a wonderful story!
In this book, we have some of the characters from his previous book, The Heavens May Fall. You could easily read this book without the other but may find reading the first one will put you more attuned to the characters.
There are two stories happening with this one. On one hand, there is the story of Boady and Dee's ward/daughter, Emma, and on the other is a case that Boady takes on for the innocence project. Both stories build into a crescendo where they come together and explode into a bunch of craziness.
Great characters with a wonderful story!
Helpful Score: 1
Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth is a quick read that kept me engaged throughout, and I enjoyed the audiobook narrated by Jessica Clarke.
Content warning: girls experience childhood trauma in the foster care system.
Set in Australia (of course), this is told in dual time (Then and Now) with rotating points of view. Jessica, Norah, and Alicia bonded as "sisters" when each was placed into foster care with Miss Fairchild at Wild Meadows farm. Twenty-five years later, a tragic discovery is made at the farm, and local law enforcement requires the women to return for questioning. As the investigation moved forward, long-held secrets are revealed.
It was interesting to meet the women as adults and learn how their relationships developed in childhood. I wonder if the author was in a dark place in life as she wrote this because all of the characters seemed more 'troubled' than in her previous novels I've enjoyed.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for the review copies of this novel.
Content warning: girls experience childhood trauma in the foster care system.
Set in Australia (of course), this is told in dual time (Then and Now) with rotating points of view. Jessica, Norah, and Alicia bonded as "sisters" when each was placed into foster care with Miss Fairchild at Wild Meadows farm. Twenty-five years later, a tragic discovery is made at the farm, and local law enforcement requires the women to return for questioning. As the investigation moved forward, long-held secrets are revealed.
It was interesting to meet the women as adults and learn how their relationships developed in childhood. I wonder if the author was in a dark place in life as she wrote this because all of the characters seemed more 'troubled' than in her previous novels I've enjoyed.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for the review copies of this novel.
Helpful Score: 1
Historical fiction. Based on the real life friendship between Teddy Roosevelt's daughter, Alice, and Booker T. Washington's daughter, Portia. The two met when attending an event and struck up a life-long friendship although very different in personality and beliefs. Neither had an easy life in the time of women being second class citizens. Resilient, strong women forging a friendship across racial barriers in a time that was not conducive to interracial interaction.
Marcia C. reviewed on + 626 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Worth ten stars!
Original, suspenseful, believable, intelligently written - what more could you want in a crime thriller?
Will keep you guessing, especially in the second half of the book. Who is really conning whom?
Original, suspenseful, believable, intelligently written - what more could you want in a crime thriller?
Will keep you guessing, especially in the second half of the book. Who is really conning whom?
The Cowboy Says Yes (Rustlers Creek, Bk 1)
Author:
Genres: Literature & Fiction, Romance
Book Type: Mass Market Paperback
Author:
Genres: Literature & Fiction, Romance
Book Type: Mass Market Paperback
Donna C. (g-ma) reviewed on + 3102 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
OMG! I AM LAUGHING SO HARD!!
This is one of the worst written books EVER!!!
Ms. Fox, is this a joke??
Fox doesn't write a story that makes a bit of sense unless you just want to read---NOTHING--and a lot of foul language that is so out of place - like I said LOL all the time it is so bad
there really isn't a story here at all, it's all about Hayley and Zack marriage/fights/sex etc., along with his parents
I couldn't make it through this one at all, it is one of the worst written I've ever picked up and hope I don't do it again
If you are stricktly a romance reader you might like it but believe me it doesn't have much of anything going for it AT ALL!!
This is one of the worst written books EVER!!!
Ms. Fox, is this a joke??
Fox doesn't write a story that makes a bit of sense unless you just want to read---NOTHING--and a lot of foul language that is so out of place - like I said LOL all the time it is so bad
there really isn't a story here at all, it's all about Hayley and Zack marriage/fights/sex etc., along with his parents
I couldn't make it through this one at all, it is one of the worst written I've ever picked up and hope I don't do it again
If you are stricktly a romance reader you might like it but believe me it doesn't have much of anything going for it AT ALL!!
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
Author:
Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Literature & Fiction
Book Type: Mass Market Paperback
Author:
Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Literature & Fiction
Book Type: Mass Market Paperback
Graciela J. (grazy) reviewed on + 3 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
In this book Maya Angelou recounts her life story until she was 16 years old. While it may be simple to look at the story and imagine a life of tragedy and sadness it is impossible to see the story as anything but lovely after reading the book. Read this book for inspiring and insightful quotes and takeaways, as is always the case with Maya Angelou's writing.
Down the Broken Road (Rachel Carver, Bk 2)
Author:
Genre: Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
Book Type: Hardcover
Author:
Genre: Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
Book Type: Hardcover
Laura P. (hemmputnam) reviewed on + 1119 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
I almost didn't read this because the blurb seemed convoluted, but I'm very glad I changed my mind! It's a procedural with lots of page-turning action and made total sense. Rachel is a strong female lead with intelligence, perseverance, and martial arts skills.
The Terminal List (James Reece, Bk 1)
Author:
Genre: Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
Book Type: Mass Market Paperback
Author:
Genre: Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
Book Type: Mass Market Paperback
Marcia C. reviewed on + 626 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
I read a lot of thrillers, but I decided to quit this one halfway through for two reasons.
First, the main character was much too bloodthirsty for my taste. And second, the whole premise of the book involves an unrealistic view of government power and rightwing justifications of lawlessness, which I found politically objectionable.
First, the main character was much too bloodthirsty for my taste. And second, the whole premise of the book involves an unrealistic view of government power and rightwing justifications of lawlessness, which I found politically objectionable.
Pat W. (3ladybug) reviewed on + 531 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
A novel written about 1942 during WWII and the Jews across France. Claude Pelettier, a talented seamstress falls in love with A Jewish man seeking shelter at the castle where she works. From the romance she finds herself pregnant, and escapes to Spain for her and her unborn child's safety. Later during 1968,Sharon Bloomenthal is recruited by an Israeli naval office for a secret naval operation in Cherbourg,France. The naval officer is the target of her investigation. Bloomenthal tracks her boss's extraofrdinary jouney as an orphan in a small Village, immigrating to Isreal. Bloomenthal faces challenges to solving the puzzle she investigates. A great read!
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Robert K. R. (rikker) reviewed on + 391 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
A very interesting story for a small space. It still includes nice recalls about life.
Here After: A Memoir
Author:
Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Health, Fitness & Dieting
Book Type: Hardcover
Author:
Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Health, Fitness & Dieting
Book Type: Hardcover
Helpful Score: 1
Here After is the raw and heartbreaking memoir of a grieving young widow. Amy Lin deeply loved her husband Kurtis, and one day while on a long run, he suffered a medical emergency and died. Less than two weeks later, still reeling from this shocking loss, Amy faced a life-threatening health crisis of her own.
To deal with these devastating crises, the author's therapist encouraged her to journal; her memoir is taken from this writing. It's a very honest account of her first year of grief told through vignettes. The memoir also provides insights into meaningfully assisting a friend or family member on their grief journey.
With the print book's petite size, lots of white space on the page, and 275 page-length, this can be read quickly, but the emotional depth had me pausing frequently. The sparse prose is almost like poetry with its economy of words, chosen deliberately. I really appreciated the author's powerful interview with Cindy Burnett on the Thoughts From a Page podcast where I learned more about the title, cover art, format, and other aspects.
Thank you to Amy Lin for her honesty in sharing her deeply personal experience. I hope it brings her continued healing.
To deal with these devastating crises, the author's therapist encouraged her to journal; her memoir is taken from this writing. It's a very honest account of her first year of grief told through vignettes. The memoir also provides insights into meaningfully assisting a friend or family member on their grief journey.
With the print book's petite size, lots of white space on the page, and 275 page-length, this can be read quickly, but the emotional depth had me pausing frequently. The sparse prose is almost like poetry with its economy of words, chosen deliberately. I really appreciated the author's powerful interview with Cindy Burnett on the Thoughts From a Page podcast where I learned more about the title, cover art, format, and other aspects.
Thank you to Amy Lin for her honesty in sharing her deeply personal experience. I hope it brings her continued healing.
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