Books
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Review: Midnight in Berlin by James MacManus
I am a sucker for war romances…..and that’s sort of what I thought I was getting with this book. While it does have elements of romance, it’s more of a book about the beginning days of WWII and what was going on behind the scenes with diplomatic discussions etc. Berlin, 1938. Newly-appointed diplomat, Noel Macrae and his wife Primrose arrive at the British Embassy in Berlin. Prime Minister Chamberlain is intent on placating Nazi Germany, but Macrae is less so. Convinced Hitler can be stopped by other means than appeasement, he soon discovers he is not the only dissenting voice in the Embassy and finds that some senior officers in the German…
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Review: A Fine Imitation by Amber Brock
The 1920s seem to be a very popular period in literature at the moment. I’ve read a lot of books lately set in this time period which is fun because it’s a period that often gets passed over in historical fiction. The Regency, Tudor, and Victorian era always seem to garner the most literary action when it comes to historical fiction. In this book we meet young New York socialite Vera Bellington who passes her days with champagne-soaked socializing and then at night she waits for her less than attentive husband to come home to her, which basically never happens. Her life is lonely to say the least and she is longing for…
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Spotlight Feature: LOVING ELEANOR by Susan Wittig Albert
Loving Eleanor By Susan Wittig Albert Publication Date: February 1, 2016 Persevero Press; Thorndike (Large Print) Hardcover, Paperback, eBook, Large Print Genre: Historical Fiction/Biographical Fiction When AP political reporter Lorena Hickok—Hick—is assigned to cover Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt, the wife of the 1932 Democratic presidential candidate, the two women become deeply, intimately involved. Their relationship begins with mutual romantic passion, matures through stormy periods of enforced separation and competing interests, and warms into an enduring, encompassing friendship that ends only with both women’s deaths in the 1960s—all of it documented by 3300 letters exchanged over thirty years. Now, New York Times bestselling author Susan Wittig Albert recreates the fascinating story…
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Review: The Storm Sister (The Seven Sisters #2) by Lucinda Riley
Last spring, I had the pleasure of starting this unique series, The Seven Sisters. This series tells the story of each of the D’Apliese sisters that were adopted by a rich billionaire, Pa Salt, and named after the Seven Sisters constellation. This book is the second in the series and chronicles the story of Ally D’Apliese who is a sensible, professional sailor. After sailing in one of her most challenging races, the smoldering chemistry between skipper, Theo, and Ally is ripe for igniting. The two are vacationing together in the Greek Isles when word reaches Ally that Pa Salt has died. After this devastating news Ally returns to her home retreat ‘Atlantis’…
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Review: The Tsarina’s Legacy by Jennifer Laam
The book begins with flashbacks to the Empress Catherine of Russia, and the relationship she had with Grigory ‘Grisha’ Potemkin. Grisha is in love with Catherine, and is trying to win back her heart. Unfortunately, Catherine has a new lover named Platon Zubov. Platon is a threat to Grisha, not only because he is Catherine’s lover, but also because he tries to influence Catherine. He is determined to preserve Catherine’s legacy he must save her from Zubov’s dangerous influence and win back her heart. Veronica Herrera receives news that she is an heiress to the Romanov throne, and receives an invitation to go to Russia. Seeking purpose, Veronica agrees to act…
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Special Feature: RE JANE by Patricia Park
RE JANE: A Novel (Penguin Books ; On-sale: April 19, 2016; $16.00; ISBN: 978014310794) by Patricia Park is a fresh, contemporary retelling of Jane Eyre and a poignant Korean-American debut novel that takes its heroine Jane Re on a journey from Queens to Brooklyn to Seoul—and back. For Jane, a half-Korean, half-American orphan, Flushing, Queens, is the place she’s been trying to escape from her whole life. Sardonic yet vulnerable, she toils, unappreciated, in her strict uncle’s grocery store and politely observes the traditional principle of nunchi (a combination of good manners, hierarchy, and obligation). Desperate for a new life, she’s thrilled to become the au pair for the Mazer-Farleys,…
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Review: The Girl from the Paradise Ballroom by Alison Love
Soho, 1937. When struggling Italian singer Antonio meets the wife of his wealthy new patron he recognizes her instantly: it is Olivia, the captivating dance hostess he once encountered in the seedy Paradise Ballroom. Olivia is afraid that Antonio will betray the secrets of her past, but little by little they are drawn together, outsiders in a glittering world to which they do not belong. At last, with conflict looming across Europe, the attraction between them becomes impossible to resist – but when Italy declares war on Britain, the impact threatens to separate them for ever… That’s the description of this latest historical fiction novel and to my surprise…..the description…
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Special Feature: EXCERPT When It Rained at Hembry Castle by Meredith Allard
When It Rained at Hembry Castle (The Hembry Castle Chronicles, Book 1) by Meredith Allard Publication Date: January 28, 2016 Copperfield Press Paperback & eBook; 465 Pages Series: The Hembry Castle Chronicles Genre: Historical Fiction/Literary From Meredith Allard, author of the bestselling Loving Husband Trilogy, comes When It Rained at Hembry Castle, a lush historical novel set in Victorian England. Perfect for fans of Downton Abbey, it’s the story of an aristocratic family, a mysterious death, secrets that dare not be told, and the wonder of falling in love. When the 8th Earl of Staton dies, his eldest son, the unreliable Richard, inherits the title and the family�s home�Hembry Castle.…
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Review: The Winemakers by Jan Moran
Caterina Rosetta has got some big time choices to make in her life but her options are limited. She’s had a daughter out of wedlock with a man who she thinks has abandoned her….and since it’s the 1950’s, having a child out of wedlock basically means social suicide. She hasn’t told her mother about the baby because she knows her mother will basically disown her so she needs to give the baby up for adoption…..but she can’t bring herself to do that either. Her mother basically raised her all on her own, so why can’t she raise her daughter by herself? Caterina is an accomplished sommelier who has grown up in a…
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Book Blast: The Dark Lady’s Mask by Mary Sharratt
The Dark Lady’s Mask by Mary Sharratt Publication Date: April 19, 2016 Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Hardcover, eBook, Audio Book Genre: Historical Fiction READ AN EXCERPT. Shakespeare in Love meets Shakespeare’s Sister in this novel of England’s first professional woman poet and her collaboration and love affair with William Shakespeare. London, 1593. Aemilia Bassano Lanier is beautiful and accomplished, but her societal conformity ends there. She frequently cross-dresses to escape her loveless marriage and to gain freedoms only men enjoy, but a chance encounter with a ragged, little-known poet named Shakespeare changes everything. Aemilia grabs at the chance to pursue her long-held dream of writing and the two outsiders strike up…