Julie's Review: The Good Sister

Author: Sally Hepworth
Series: None
Publication Date:  April 13, 2021
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Pages: 313
Obtained: publisher via NetGalley
Genre:  Psychological Thriller
Rating: 4/5
Bottom Line: Sisterly love or sisterly control?
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Summary: There's only been one time that Rose couldn't stop me from doing the wrong thing and that was a mistake that will haunt me for the rest of my life. Fern Castle works in her local library. She has dinner with her twin sister Rose three nights a week. And she avoids crowds, bright lights and loud noises as much as possible. Fern has a carefully structured life and disrupting her routine can be...dangerous. When Rose discovers that she cannot get pregnant, Fern sees her chance to pay her sister back for everything Rose has done for her. Fern can have a baby for Rose. She just needs to find a father. Simple. Fern's mission will shake the foundations of the life she has carefully built for herself and stir up dark secrets from the past, in this quirky, rich and shocking story of what families keep hidden. ~amazon.com

Review: I love a good family drama and books dealing with sisters. It just solidifies that my sister and I have a completely normal relationship. The Good Sister starts off with Rose's point of view from her diaries but if I've learned anything about psychological thrillers, it's not to necessarily trust the first point of view you read. Rose is the eldest sister who always took care of her younger sister, Fern, because their mother was incapable when they were growing up. Fern also needed extra care because of her sensory issues, so Rose made sure she could be ok. 

Fern, on the other hand, has a different viewpoint. She works at a library and loves it; she credits it to her mother bringing them there all the time when they were kids. She's always been dependent on Rose and still has dinner with her 3x a week. Then she meets Rocco, aka Wally, and her view of the world and her life. She begins to think that maybe there are things other than work and her sister.

Of course, Rose doesn't quite view these changes the same. As we get to know more about their childhood, the more different things come to light. Fern has a big decision to make, her happiness or her sister's. 

I have loved all the Sally Hepworth's but I think The Good Sister might be my favorite. She weaves together a wonderful thriller that keeps you guessing until the end. 

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Sunday Skim

Week 4/18/2021:

Finished:

Currently Reading:

Looking Forward To:

Running a little late today with the Sunday Skim post because we had an 8am ballgame up in Wisconsin and yesterday we were up there pretty much all day as well. Didn't have the outcome we would have liked but still enjoyed watching him play (even in 30 degrees). I did get some books read and am definitely getting back into the audiobook groove. 

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Sunday Skim

Week 4/11/2021:

Finished:

Currently Reading:

Looking Forward To:

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Julie's Review: The Last Bookshop in London

Author: Madeline Martin
Series: None
Publication Date:  April 6, 2021
Publisher: Hanover Square Press
Pages: 328
Obtained: publisher via Netgalley
Genre:  Historical Fiction
Rating: 4.5/5
Bottom Line: Stories and books save us from many things, including war
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Summary: August 1939: London prepares for war as Hitler’s forces sweep across Europe. Grace Bennett has always dreamed of moving to the city, but the bunkers and blackout curtains that she finds on her arrival were not what she expected. And she certainly never imagined she’d wind up working at Primrose Hill, a dusty old bookshop nestled in the heart of London. Through blackouts and air raids as the Blitz intensifies, Grace discovers the power of storytelling to unite her community in ways she never dreamed—a force that triumphs over even the darkest nights of the war. ~amazon.com 

Review: Grace and her best friend, Viv move to London from the country when the things are on edge in the big city as war with Germany is inevitaable. They settle into live with Mrs. Waterford, Grace's mum's oldest friend and her son Colin but Grace needs a job. Mrs. Waterford gets her a job as a shop asssistant at a local bookstore, Primrose Hill, but Grace doesn't read and only wants to be there fora limited time so she can get a letter of refererce to join Viv at Harrod's. 

Except, Grace ends up enjoying Mr. Evans and the bookshop. He even lets her make her mark on it by organizing it and placing advertisments for it. Granted they will never be the bigger bookstores but what Grace does is improve the store and it's sales. As the war rages on and the air raid/bombing of the city intesify, Grace finds bravery is volunteering to be a neighborhood watch dog from dusk until dawn to ensure that the blinds are closed and no lights glow for the planes to see. They are prepared for all kinds of situations and unfortunately are will need to use them as they try to save as many people as they can. While they stay in the tube stations overnight as shelter (I never knew this), Grace starts to read out loud to keep everyone's minds off the bombings. What she didn't expect is that it would transition to the shop and become one of the most popular events they have there. While books can't solve the war it can help them all escape for the times they are together. 

I know that this is a ficitionalized WWII novel but I can't help but think that somewhere during those awful air raids someone was making a difference to someone else. It's the little acts of kindness or bravery that go along way not only in times of war but daily. 

If you are a fan of Historical Fiction, then you won't want to miss The Last Bookshop in London. 

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Sunday Skim

Week 4/4/2021:

Finished:

Currently Reading:

Looking Forward To:

I love when I get in a rhythm with reading and usually it's due to some good romance, comedy or a combination of them. They clear my brain of facts and historical events and get me ready for the next one. If you haven't read Martha Waters' Regency Vows series, then you need to pick it up immediately, especially if you are missing Bridgerton. April is chock full of great read and looking ahead to May, I'm wondering how I'm going to get all them read!

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Julie's Review: To Love and to Loathe

Author: Martha Waters
Series: Regency Vows
Publication Date:  April 6, 2021
Publisher: Atria Books
Pages: 349
Obtained: publisher via Netgalley
Genre: Historical Romance
Rating: 5/5
Bottom Line: Fun barbs witih heart and romance
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Summary: The widowed Diana, Lady Templeton and Jeremy, Marquess of Willingham are infamous among English high society as much for their sharp-tongued bickering as their flirtation. One evening, an argument at a ball turns into a serious wager: Jeremy will marry within the year or Diana will forfeit one hundred pounds. So shortly after, just before a fortnight-long house party at Elderwild, Jeremy’s country estate, Diana is shocked when Jeremy appears at her home with a very different kind of proposition. After his latest mistress unfavorably criticized his skills in the bedroom, Jeremy is looking for reassurance, so he has gone to the only woman he trusts to be totally truthful. He suggests that they embark on a brief affair while at the house party—Jeremy can receive an honest critique of his bedroom skills and widowed Diana can use the gossip to signal to other gentlemen that she is interested in taking a lover. Diana thinks taking him up on his counter-proposal can only help her win her wager. With her in the bedroom and Jeremy’s marriage-minded grandmother, the formidable Dowager Marchioness of Willingham, helping to find suitable matches among the eligible ladies at Elderwild, Diana is confident her victory is assured. But while they’re focused on winning wagers, they stand to lose their own hearts. ~amazon.com 

Review: I loved To Have and to Hoax last year and that was before the Bridgerton phenomeon came about and To Love and to Loathe is delightfully charming. The characters are witty and fun. The setting is what you would expect, a country house with people of the ton around. Diana and Jeremy have the best jabbing conversations I might have ever read. They know exactly what buttons to push on each other and where it hurts. As a reader you know underneath all of that jabbing, they are really drawn to each other. Shoot everyone in their inner circle sees it. So the bet they make sets up nicely for some romance.

You just know that as they spend more quality time together, their attraction will deepen and maybe they'll respect each other. Of course things don't really go as planned but that's what makes it such a fun book. There are a few surprises along the way that I really didn't see coming. Plus we get Violet and Emily back as Diana's best friends which is even better. Plus we get to see how Violet and James are fairing now that they settled their stupid fight. 

I chuckeld quite a lot reading this one and I can't wait for the next one in the series. If you are looking for a Bridgerton filler, you will definitely want to read the Regency Vows series. 

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Sunday Skim

Weeks of 3/21/2021 and 3/28/2021:

Finished:

Currently Reading:

I loved the first one To Have and to Hoax and this one is promising. 

Looking Forward To:

You know how you go on vacations and have grand plans for reading? That was me but I literally finished one book and started another. I didn't even start The Summer Wives on our trip back which I had planned. I did do a little catching up this week as we got into our Spring/Summer schedule for baseball. I'm definitely looking forward to the nice weather and hanging out with my gals. 

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