Julie's Review: What You Do to Me

Author: Rochelle B. Weinstein
Series: None
Publication Date:  October 17, 2023
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Pages: 363
Obtained: publisher via NetGalley
Genre:  Contemporary Fiction; Historical Fiction
Rating: 5/5
Bottom Line: Music and love always go together
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Summary: Journalist Cecilia James is a sucker for a love song. So when she stumbles across a clue to the identity of the muse for one of rock’s greatest, she devotes herself to uncovering the truth, even as her own relationship is falling apart. While writing an article for Rolling Stone, Cecilia works to reveal the mystery that has intrigued fans and discovers a classic tale of two soulmates separated by fate and circumstance. Rock star Eddie Vee once sang with his soul, dedicating love songs to Sara Friedman, his inspiration and first love. Now, Eddie takes refuge in anonymity, closed off to the past. Sara, too, has distanced herself from their love, moving thousands of miles away to live the life she once railed against. As Eddie and Sara tentatively open up to Cecilia about broken dreams, she struggles to give them a happy ending. In the process, she learns that broken hearts can be healed―even her own. What You Do To Me is the story of a love song and of the triumph of the heart over the greatest of odds. Even for those who have written off love forever. ~amazon.com

Review: A song can transport you to a moment or a person or even a time period in your life. Sometimes it'll spark a memory you have forgotten or it just helps your mood. We all have a song or probably many that can do this for us. Not only that but there are song where you wonder who or what the inspiration was and that is what Ms. Weinstein explores in What You Do to Me? 

Cecilia James is an up & coming journalist at Rolling Stone but she needs that big break to get her own byline but at what expense. She's in Miami for another meeting when she happens upon a lady sitting on a bench upset about the tragedy marker. She also leaves a piece of paper behind, which is what sets Cecilia on a path to find out the truth behind one of the most famous songs and who is behind it. 

The story is told by Cecilia in the 90s and Sara in the 70s/80. I loved Sara's voice and reading about her struggles with falling in love with someone where she knew it was impossible but trying to find a way to make it happen. Sara is trying to live her life while honoring the traditions of her faith but her mom has much stricter rules. I loved the closeness of Sara's family but I could also see how suffocating it would be for a young women who wants to experience life outside her bubble. She's trying to define her own life while still trying to live into her family expectations. 

CeCe is dealing with some unresolved baggage from her parents marriage and divorce. She's never forgiven her father for walking out on them and has her deceased mom on a pedastal. When things go south for her in her relationship, she has no one else to turn to but her dad and his wife, Tori. It is here where Cece begins to heal and let her walls fall down. It is also the story of Sara and Eddie that helps her heal as well and figure out what she really wants. 

This is a pretty emotional book; well at least it was for me. I loved both women's journey to figuring out their lives. Both of them were dealing with things that were holding them back from the lives they wanted and yes they were different but obstacles are obstacles. 

I will read anything Ms. Weinstein writes but this is definitely her best novel so far! If you haven't read her, you really should. 

Julie's Review: The Aubrey Hepburn Estate

Author: Brenda Janowitz
Series: None
Publication Date:  April 18, 2023
Publisher: Graydon House
Pages: 368
Obtained: publisher via Netgalley
Genre:  Contemporary Fiction, Historical Fiction
Rating: 4.5/5
Bottom Line: Wasn't expecting the twist but as usual a great story
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Summary: When Emma Jansen discovers that the grand Long Island estate where she grew up is set to be demolished, she can't help but return for one last visit. After all, it was a place filled with firsts: learning to ride a bike, sneaking a glass of champagne, falling in love. But once Emma arrives at the storied mansion, she can't ignore the more complicated memories. Because that's not exactly where Emma grew up. Her mother and father worked for the family that owned the estate, and they lived over the garage like Audrey Hepburn's character in the film Sabrina. Emma never felt fully accepted, except by the family's grandson, Henry—a former love—and by the driver’s son, Leo—her best friend. As plans for the property are put into motion and the three are together for the first time in over a decade, Emma finds herself caught between two worlds and two loves. And when the house reveals a shattering secret about her own family, she’ll have to decide what kind of life she really wants for herself now and who she wants to be in it. ~amazon.com 

Review: I've been a big Brenda Janowitz fan since reading The Dinner Party and her writing gets better with each book. How do you leave the past behind when it keeps coming into your present? Even more daunting how do you reconcile the past that is true with the past that you thought was your truth? Emma has very fond memories of growing up in a fancy estate where her parents helped to run the household. It's also where she fell in love with her childhood best friend, who was the grandson of the estate owners. Of course it isn't that easy since his grandfather and her mother forbade them from being together. What do you do when your other childhood best friend buys the property and wants to tear down the main house to build a housing community. She's not on board and even joins a local organization to stop Leo from building it. 

Emma is in quite the quandary with Leo and Henry. It is so easy for the 3 of them to fall back into the roles they had as teenagers. Except are these the roles they are supposed to be in as adults. Emma also has her own journey she needs to take part in and figure out who she is, who she wants to be and how she reconciles the past. 

What I loved about this story was the meaning of home and how it doesn't always have to be tied to a physical place. As someone who has fond memories of her childhood home, it is hard to let go of, even though you know the memories you made there are what counts. This is something that Emma has to learn as well. 

I liked the tie to Audrey Hepburn but it's definitely not what you think when you go into the book, which makes in better in my opinion. 

If you haven't read any of Ms. Janowitz' books, I highly suggest you go and read her back list or start with this one! 

Julie's Review; The Perfumist of Paris

Author: Alka Joshi
Series: The Jaipur Trilogy
Publication Date:  March 28, 2023
Publisher: MIRA
Pages: 359
Obtained: publisher via Netgalley
Genre:  Historical Fiction
Rating: 5/5
Bottom Line: My favorite of the series and that's saying a lot
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Summary: Paris, 1974. Radha is now living in Paris with her husband, Pierre, and their two daughters. She still grieves for the baby boy she gave up years ago, when she was only a child herself, but she loves being a mother to her daughters, and she’s finally found her passion—the treasure trove of scents. She has an exciting and challenging position working for a master perfumer, helping to design completely new fragrances for clients and building her career one scent at a time. She only wishes Pierre could understand her need to work. She feels his frustration, but she can’t give up this thing that drives her. Tasked with her first major project, Radha travels to India, where she enlists the help of her sister, Lakshmi, and the courtesans of Agra—women who use the power of fragrance to seduce, tease and entice. She’s on the cusp of a breakthrough when she finds out the son she never told her husband about is heading to Paris to find her—upending her carefully managed world and threatening to destroy a vulnerable marriage. ~amazon.com

Review: The Jaipur Trilogy has been one of my favorites over the past few years and the last installment, The Perfumist of Paris might just be my favorite of all of them. The sights, sounds and the smells that Ms. Joshi evokes in this novel are outstanding. Not to mention that she does a phenomenal job of describing Agra; she transports you there. I happen to think that Lakshmi is one of the strongest female characters I've read in a series because of what she endured, who she became and who she helps. Her sister Radha on the other hand, endured a hard childhood but was given some privileges because of her sister and she acts like it. Marrying into a rich Parisian family has it's advantages as well but also has it's disadvantages. Her husband Pierre isn't the most supportive of her quest to become a master perfumer or just her working at all. He truly feels that her place is at home with their 2 girls. 

When Radha gets the chance to design her own perfume, she jumps at it but it means going home to her sister and facing things in her past that she's never dealt with before. It is where he future collides with her past. It also causes Radha to grow up a bit and come into her own. It also helps her relationship with Lakshmi go into a different phase, as more equals instead of a more mother and daughter relationship. It puts them on more even ground. I loved how the courtesans are the ones who inspire her to find her passion and her scents for her perfume. 

If you haven't read any of this trilogy, you really must! I'm sad it's over but I can't wait to see what Ms. Joshi writes about next. 

Julie's Review: The House of Eve

Author: Sadeqa Johnson
Series: None
Publication Date:  February 7, 2023
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Pages: 384
Obtained: publisher via Netgalley
Genre:  Historical Fiction
Rating: 4/5
Bottom Line: 
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Summary: 1950s Philadelphia: fifteen-year-old Ruby Pearsall is on track to becoming the first in her family to attend college, in spite of having a mother more interested in keeping a man than raising a daughter. But a taboo love affair threatens to pull her back down into the poverty and desperation that has been passed on to her like a birthright. Eleanor Quarles arrives in Washington, DC, with ambition and secrets. When she meets the handsome William Pride at Howard University, they fall madly in love. But William hails from one of DC’s elite wealthy Black families, and his par­ents don’t let just anyone into their fold. Eleanor hopes that a baby will make her finally feel at home in William’s family and grant her the life she’s been searching for. But having a baby—and fitting in—is easier said than done. With their stories colliding in the most unexpected of ways, Ruby and Eleanor will both make decisions that shape the trajectory of their lives. ~amazon.com

Review: Let me begin by saying that Ms. Johnson's 2021 release The Yellow Wife was one of my favorites and I encourage you to go read it if you haven't. The House of Eve focuses on a different time period but yet still highlights the struggles of black women. Eleanor and Ruby are similar in their backgrounds but very different. Eleanor's parents wanted to afford her a higher education so they sacrificed to send her to Howard. Ruby's home life is anything but ideal and she's often shuffled between homes. It is her Aunt that is the one that truly encourages her to try to make the best of herself by taking advantage of the program she's enrolled in. 

Eleanor gets an introduction to black high society while she is at Howard and especially when she begins to date William Pride. Before then she wasn't aware of racism in her own people but now she's too dark to even join the sorority on campus. She is not welcomed by William's inner circle and of course his mother thinks that she's beneath him. It's not easy constantly be in situations where you are ignored because you aren't one of them and it does cause some strife in their relationship at times. 

Ruby does her best to keep her head in the books but it's hard when a young man, Shimmy, keeps pursuing her. Despite her aunt's warning about getting involved with him, she finds herself in trouble. She ends up at a home for pregnant, unwed girls in D.C. What Ruby finds in herself is the strength to get through her current circumstances, finish her circumstances and pursue her dreams. 

I enjoyed the novel but for me it didn't have the same emotional punch as The Yellow Wife but Ms. Johnson does a great job of telling both stories. What I really enjoyed was her afterword because she gives a lot of history/context on black high society, which is super interesting. I can see why Reese Witherspoon chose this as her February 2023 choice, it lends itself to some great conversations. 

Julie's Review: Code Name Sapphire

Author: Pam Jenoff
Series: None
Publication Date: February 7, 2023
Publisher: Park Row
Pages: 328
Obtained: publisher via Netgalley
Genre:  Historical Fiction
Rating: 5/5
Bottom Line: Brave women change the world
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Summary: 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 Mateo. 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. ~amazon.com

Review:  Pam Jenoff has done it again with Code Name Sapphire.  This is a book that is a slow burn, it builds steadily to the moment where everything changes. Hannah and Lily are cousins who grew up joining each other for summers with their families. Over the years though they hadn't spoken much, and each gone their own way.  As Hannah needs a place to stay during the war, she goes to Lily in Brussels. This decision will change the course of their lives in the very near future. 

I loved that we got both Lily, Hannah and Micheline's POVs throughout the book: otherwise, I'm not sure it would have been the same story. All 3 of these women are brave but it takes Lily the longest to find her voice and her action. There were definitely times when Lily got on my nerves but in the end she redeemed herself. Micheline makes her life be about the rescue downed airmen but she ends up giving up her life to save a family that isn't hers. 

Historical Fiction is one of my favorite genres and I love author notes about the real situation/person that inspired their story. This one has a fantastic background, and the ending of the book is something I will think about for a long time. 

Julie's Review: The Crimson Thread

Author: Kate Forsyth
Series: None
Publication Date:  July 5, 2022
Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
Pages: 405
Obtained: Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tour
Genre:  Historical Fiction
Rating: 4/5
Bottom Line: Unique story set in WWII
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Summary: May 1941. German paratroopers launch a blitzkrieg from the air against Crete. They are met with fierce defiance, the Greeks fighting back with daggers, pitchforks, and kitchen knives. During the bloody eleven-day battle, Alenka, a young Greek woman, saves the lives of two Australian soldiers. Jack and Teddy are childhood friends who joined up together to see the world. Both men fall in love with Alenka. They are forced to retreat with the tattered remains of the Allied forces over the towering White Mountains. Both are among the seven thousand Allied soldiers left behind in the desperate evacuation from Crete’s storm-lashed southern coast. Alenka hides Jack and Teddy at great risk to herself. Her brother Axel is a Nazi sympathiser and collaborator and spies on her movements. As Crete suffers under the Nazi jackboot, Alenka is drawn into an intense triangle of conflicting emotions with Jack and Teddy. Their friendship suffers under the strain of months of hiding and their rivalry for her love. Together, they join the resistance and fight to free the island, but all three will find themselves tested to their limits. Alenka must choose whom to trust and whom to love and, in the end, whom to save. ~amazon.com

Review: I read a lot of historical fiction, which if you read this blog, you already know. Yet in all my readings, I have never read one about the invasion of Crete by the Nazis. So of course I was intrigued when I got this blog tour request. It helps that I loved one of her previous novels, Bitter Greens. 

Alenka is a wonderful heroine that has a lot coming at her all at once. Between rescuing two Australian soldiers and her brother's allegiance to the Nazi's, she's handling a lot. Plus the only home she's ever know is under attack and they aren't giving up so easily. Jack and Teddy are both quickly falling for Alenka, which will have obvious detrimental affects on their friendship. It'll also try Alenka's feelings for both of them at different times.

What I truly enjoyed about The Crimson Thread was how Ms. Forsyth weaved Greek Mythology with history and a love triangle. All of these aspects weaved wonderfully together for a seamless story about love, hope, forgiveness and tragedy. In the face of war, normal things do occur, like a love triangle and falling in love. 

Thanks to Amy for letting me adjust my review date for the tour! 

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Julie's Review: The Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons

Author: Kate Khavari
Series: Saffron Everleigh #1
Publication Date:  
Publisher: 
Pages: 
Obtained: publisher via Netgalley
Genre:  Historical Fiction, Mystery
Rating: 4.5/5
Bottom Line: A good old-fashioned murder mystery
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Summary: Newly minted research assistant Saffron Everleigh is determined to blaze a new trail at the University College London, but with her colleagues’ beliefs about women’s academic inabilities and not so subtle hints that her deceased father’s reputation paved her way into the botany department, she feels stymied at every turn. When she attends a dinner party for the school, she expects to engage in conversations about the university's large expedition to the Amazon. What she doesn’t expect is for Mrs. Henry, one of the professors’ wives, to drop to the floor, poisoned by an unknown toxin. Dr. Maxwell, Saffron’s mentor, is the main suspect and evidence quickly mounts. Joined by fellow researcher--and potential romantic interest--Alexander Ashton, Saffron uses her knowledge of botany as she explores steamy greenhouses, dark gardens, and deadly poisons to clear Maxwell's name. Will she be able to uncover the truth or will her investigation land her on the murderer’s list, in this entertaining examination of society’s expectations.

Review: Historical Mystery might be one of my new favorite sub-genres if they can all be like Kate Khavari's debut. Enter Saffron Everleigh who is trying to make her way into the male dominated world of academia by working her butt off to prove she's just as good as the men in the department. Unfortunately, some just see her as a pretty female in a skirt but that doesn't hold her back; she's determined to honor her father who died when she was young. 

Saffron is going to have to use all her knowledge when someone is poisoned at a department party from a poison and her beloved mentor is accused. Little does she know is that she'll endanger herself and those she cares about to find the truth. 

Saffron is a great heroine: she's smart, witty, self-assured and determined. She's confident in her knowledge and she'll take some calculated risks to protect those she cares about. I really enjoyed how I thought the book was going down one path (adultery) but it ended up in a completely different reasoning for the attempted murder. It doesn't hurt that she had the help of another scientist, Alexander Ashton, to help her with the clues. I'm pretty sure he didn't plan on getting sucked in with the case or with Saffron herself. 

I am definitely looking forward to the next Saffron mystery; hopefully I don't have to wait too long. 

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Julie's Review: Our Last Days in Barcelona

Author: Chanel Cleeton
Series: Perez Sisters #3
Publication Date:  May 24, 2022
Publisher: Berkley 
Pages: 320
Obtained: publisher via NetGalley
Genre:  Historical Fiction
Rating: 4/5
Bottom Line: Sisters always have each other's backs
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Summary: Barcelona, 1964. Exiled from Cuba after the revolution, Isabel Perez has learned to guard her heart and protect her family at all costs. After Isabel’s sister Beatriz disappears in Barcelona, Isabel goes to Spain in search of her. Joining forces with an unlikely ally thrusts Isabel into her sister’s dangerous world of espionage, but it’s an unearthed piece of family history that transforms Isabel’s life. Barcelona, 1936. Alicia Perez arrives in Barcelona after a difficult voyage from Cuba, her marriage in jeopardy and her young daughter Isabel in tow. Violence brews in Spain, the country on the brink of civil war, the rise of fascism threatening the world. When Cubans journey to Spain to join the International Brigades, Alicia’s past comes back to haunt her as she is unexpectedly reunited with the man who once held her heart. Alicia and Isabel’s lives intertwine, and the past and present collide, as a mother and daughter are forced to choose between their family’s expectations and following their hearts. ~amazon.com

Review: I'm a huge fan of all of Chanel Cleeton novels but am definitely sad to see her Perez Sisters novels come to a close with the one about Isabel. As the oldest, Isabel has always bared the brunt of her mom's tough love. A lot of expectations were put on Isabel that her sisters did not have to live up to. Especially since escaping  Cuba for the sunny beaches of Palm Beach where they aren't readily accepted.  So when her parents arrange for her to marry a well-to-do business man, Tom; Isabel goes along with the plan. She's hoping that if they don't love each other, they can at least have a partnership. 

Just as she's settling in to married life, Beatriz goes missing from Barcelona. Even if they haven't spoken in ages due to a fight, Isabel feels the need to be the one to go over and figure out what is going on. She's not quite sure what she'll find out when she gets there. What she doesn't think she'll find is a family secret that involves her own past. 

While Beatriz is her focus she gets involved in whatever her sister is in. This leads her to join up with Diego, a mysterious American businessman that knows her sister. Isabel isn't quite ready for the adventure she goes on in Barcelona or the secret that her mother has been hiding for decades. 

This trip changes Isabel;  how she views herself and how she interacts with others. I loved seeing the changes in Isabel and how she flourished being on her own. 

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Julie's Review: The Lioness

Author: Chris Bohjalian
Series: None
Publication Date:  May 10, 2022
Publisher: Doubleday
Pages: 317
Obtained: publisher via NetGalley
Genre:  Historical Fiction, Thriller
Rating: 5/5
Bottom Line: Intense
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Summary: Tanzania, 1964. When Katie Barstow, A-list actress, and her new husband, David Hill, decide to bring their Hollywood friends to the Serengeti for their honeymoon, they envision giraffes gently eating leaves from the tall acacia trees, great swarms of wildebeests crossing the Mara River, and herds of zebras storming the sandy plains. Their glamorous guests—including Katie’s best friend, Carmen Tedesco, and Terrance Dutton, the celebrated Black actor who stars alongside Katie in the highly controversial film Tender Madness—will spend their days taking photos, and their evenings drinking chilled gin and tonics back at camp, as the local Tanzanian guides warm water for their baths. The wealthy Americans expect civilized adventure: fresh ice from the kerosene-powered ice maker, dinners of cooked gazelle meat, and plenty of stories to tell over lunch back on Rodeo Drive. What Katie and her glittering entourage do not expect is this: a kidnapping gone wrong, their guides bleeding out in the dirt, and a team of Russian mercenaries herding their hostages into Land Rovers, guns to their heads. As the powerful sun gives way to night, the gunmen shove them into abandoned huts and Katie Barstow, Hollywood royalty, prays for a simple thing: to see the sun rise one more time. A blistering story of fame, race, love, and death set in a world on the cusp of great change, The Lioness is a vibrant masterpiece from one of our finest storytellers. ~amazon.com

Review: I have long been a fan of Chris Bohjalian's novels but The Lioness is very different than his other novels. This is a great combination of Historical Fiction and Thriller but a bit of old Hollywood glamour. Mr. Bohjalian always has an interesting take on societal issues and this one is no different. Are humans really that much different than the wild animals that live in the Serengeti? Would you want to die at the claws of a wild animal or by the gun of a human?

Katie Barstow and her husband, David Hill decided to take their closets friends and family on a honeymoon Safari with Katie footing the bill for everyone. Except this isn't a hunt Safari but rather a photo Safari with famed white hunter, Charlie Patton. It all starts out well enough, they enjoy the Wildebeast crossing the river and hoping to see other animals of the Serengeti. Quickly, this trip goes very wrong and they are ambushed by Russian mercenaries that take them hostage and brutally kill their guides. 

I really can't review too much more of it'll give away key elements to the story that I don't want to ruin for you. I flew through this book and enjoyed every single minute of it. It kept me guessing on the outcomes and who or what group was behind this kidnapping scheme. I will say that none of the characters are the same after this trip and for some it changes the trajectory of their careers and lives. 

Do yourself a favor and pick this latest Chris Bohjalian novel up; you won't regret it. 

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Julie's Review: The Wedding Veil

Author: Kristy Woodson Harvey
Series: None
Publication Date:  March 22, 2022
Publisher: Gallery Books
Pages: 412
Obtained: Author
Genre:  Contemporary Fiction, Historical Fiction
Rating: 4.5/5
Bottom Line: Strong Woman led story that doesn't disappoint
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Summary: Four women. One family heirloom. A secret connection that will change their lives—and history as they know it. Present Day: Julia Baxter’s wedding veil, bequeathed to her great-grandmother by a mysterious woman on a train in the 1930s, has passed through generations of her family as a symbol of a happy marriage. But on the morning of her wedding day, something tells her that even the veil’s good luck isn’t enough to make her marriage last forever. Overwhelmed and panicked, she escapes to the Virgin Islands to clear her head. Meanwhile, her grandmother Babs is also feeling shaken. Still grieving the death of her beloved husband, she decides to move out of the house they once shared and into a retirement community. Though she hopes it’s a new beginning, she does not expect to run into an old flame, dredging up the same complicated emotions she felt a lifetime ago. 1914: Socialite Edith Vanderbilt is struggling to manage the luxurious Biltmore Estate after the untimely death of her cherished husband. With 250 rooms to oversee and an entire village dependent on her family to stay afloat, Edith is determined to uphold the Vanderbilt legacy—and prepare her free-spirited daughter Cornelia to inherit it—in spite of her family’s deteriorating financial situation. But Cornelia has dreams of her own. Asheville, North Carolina has always been her safe haven away from the prying eyes of the press, but as she explores more of the rapidly changing world around her, she’s torn between upholding tradition and pursuing the exciting future that lies beyond Biltmore’s gilded gates. In the vein of Therese Anne Fowler’s A Well-Behaved Woman and Jennifer Robson’s The Gown, The Wedding Veil brings to vivid life a group of remarkable women forging their own paths—and explores the mystery of a national heirloom lost to time. ~amazon.com

Review: I am a huge fan of Kristy Woodson Harvey's Peachtree Series and was so excited when she announced The Wedding Veil because not only does it have a contemporary storyline but this time she intersects it with a historical one.  One thing that Ms. Harvey always does so well is generational, strong female relationships. This time it's the one between Julia & her grandmother, Babs. Babs has always been the force behind Julia to follow her dreams; no matter what that entails. So when some stuff goes down at her Bridal Brunch, it's Babs that tells her to listen to herself. For so long, Julia ran away when things got hard and she always ran back to Hayes, her fiancé. She's never known herself without him.

Babs herself is ready to make some changes to her life. To move out of the house she shared with her husband, Reid before he passed. Except her daughters, Meredith and Alice are vehemently against it so she takes the situation into her own hands She knows it's the right thing to do for herself. What she doesn't expect is to find someone from her past. 

The veil is how we get to go back to the 1914 and the Vanderbilt family and the history of it, the family and the Biltmore. Edith was quite the formidable woman and leader after her husband, George died. She helped take George's vision for Asheville and made it come true. Her daughter, Cornelia, is set to follow in her footsteps until something sets her off-course. Of course, her life going off course starts a tradition in Bab's and Julia's. 

It's all these strong women, Edith, Cornelia, Babs and Julia that show us how tradition, family, love and dreams are what makes it all worth it. 

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Julie's Review: Our American Friend

Author: Anna Pitoniak
Series: None
Publication Date:  February 15, 2022
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Pages: 316
Obtained: publisher via NetGalley
Genre:  Contemporary Fiction, Historical Fiction
Rating: 5/5
Bottom Line: Slow burn of a novel that is worth every minute
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Summary: Tired of covering the grating dysfunction of Washington and the increasingly outrageous antics of President Henry Caine, White House correspondent Sofie Morse quits her job and plans to leave politics behind. But when she gets a call from the office of First Lady Lara Caine, asking Sofie to come in for a private meeting with Lara, her curiosity is piqued. Sofie, like the rest of the world, knows little about Lara—only that Lara was born in Soviet Russia, raised in Paris, and worked as a model before moving to America and marrying the notoriously brash future president. When Lara asks Sofie to write her official biography, and to finally fill in the gaps of her history, Sofie’s curiosity gets the better of her. She begins to spend more and more time in the White House, slowly developing a bond with Lara—and eventually a deep and surprising friendship with her. Even more surprising to Sofie is the fact that Lara is entirely candid about her mysterious past. The First Lady doesn’t hesitate to speak about her beloved father’s work as an undercover KGB officer in Paris—and how he wasn’t the only person in her family working undercover during the Cold War. As Lara’s story unfolds, Sofie can’t help but wonder why Lara is rehashing such sensitive information. Why to her? And why now? Suddenly Sofie is in the middle of a game of cat and mouse that could have explosive ramifications. ~amazon.com 

Review: Fantastic novel set during the Cold War and more recent political climate. Lara Caine is the wife of the divisive President but yet no one knows a lot about her; especially before her modeling days. Ms. Caine hires journalist Sofie Morse to write her biography. Sophie isn't really sure what to think about being called to write this book. Not only that but writing a biography is personal and takes getting close to your subject. As a journalist, Sophie has her doubts about how to handle this and still be partial. 

What Sophie learns is a background that she couldn't have even fathomed but it leaves her in quite the quandary.  I really liked Sophie and her moral code/ethics. I like her relationship with her sister, Jenna and her husband, Ben. They made her more down to earth and smoothed her edges. 

Lara Caine is an enigma. She definitely keeps her cards close to her chest but with good reason given her childhood and everything she went through. She had quite the upbringing in Paris with her dad, mom and sister, Natasha. 

Being a product of the Cold War, Our American Friend captured me from page 1. I wasn't sure what to expect with this novel, but it was exactly what I needed. The writing is fantastic, and these are characters that I won't soon forget. I can't recommend this enough. 

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Julie's Reviews: The Liz Taylor Ring

Author: Brenda Janowitz
Series: None
Publication Date:  February 1, 2022
Publisher: Graydon House
Pages: 384
Obtained: publisher via NetGalley
Genre:  Contemporary Fiction, Historical Fiction
Rating: 5/5
Bottom Line: Some mystery but mainly a story about family, love and forgiveness
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Summary: In 1978, Lizzie Morgan and Ritchie Schneider embark on a whirlwind romance on the bright beaches and glamorous yachts of Long Island. Over the years, their relationship has its share of ups and downs, including a nine-month hiatus that ends with a stunning eleven-carat ring—one that looks just like the diamond Richard Burton gifted Liz Taylor after their own separation. Like the famous couple, despite the drama that would unfold throughout the Schneiders’ marriage, the ring would be there as a symbol of their love…until it wasn't. Decades later, when the lost ring unexpectedly resurfaces, the Schneiders’ three children gather under one roof for the first time in years, eager to get their hands on this beloved, expensive reminder of their departed parents. But determining the fate of the heirloom is no simple task, unearthing old wounds and heartaches the siblings can't ignore. And when the ring reveals a secret that challenges everything they thought they knew about their parents’ epic love story, they’ll have to decide whether to move forward as a family or let the ring break them once and for all. ~amazon.com 

Review: If you haven't read Brenda Janowitz' previous books, well you've been missing out. For me The Liz Taylor Ring is her best to date; her writing just keeps getting better. This novel focuses on the Schneider siblings and how their lives shift due to the contents of a mysterious lock box. Each of them have their own agenda for the family heirloom; Abby - Wants to keep it to add to her collection of diamond armor; Nathan - Wants to keep it as a reminder of his parents love story & Courtney - Wants to sell it so she can get rid of her debts and start over. 

Of course it is never so easy as to figure out what happens to the diamond. We learn about the history of the it through flashbacks of Lizzie and Ritchie's relationship. To say it was a roller coaster, is to put in mildly. Much like the relationship of Liz Taylor & Richard Burton, Lizzie and Ritchie have their ups and downs but only because of Ritchie's gambling issue. Ritchie never met a card game he could resist or a casino, which leads him into some pretty big problems. Lizzie turns a blind eye until she really can't anymore because she's blinded by love/infatuation. She had her eyes set on Ritchie for so long and gave up so much to be with him that she ignores all the red flags. 

The brief time they are apart has a profound affect on Addy and Nathan. It colors their relationships and who they end up marrying. For Courtney who came when Addy and Nathan were older, she saw a different version of her parents. 

I loved how Ms. Janowitz weaved in Liz Taylor and Richard Burton's love story with Lizzie and Ritchie's and the similarities between them (and the differences). This is what she's good at though, taking a famous person or persons and interjecting their story into her novels but in a way that makes complete sense.  There are a couple shoes that drop during the course of the novel but just add more to the family lore and history. 

The Liz Taylor Ring is a story about family, love, loss and heritage.  

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Julie's Review: Last House on the Street

Author: Diane Chamberlain
Series: None
Publication Date:  January 11, 2022
Publisher: 
Pages: 328
Obtained: publisher via NetGalley
Genre:  Contemporary Fiction, Historical Fiction
Rating: 4.5/5
Bottom Line: Very different subject matter for the author
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Summary: 1965: Growing up in the well-to-do town of Round Hill, North Carolina, Ellie Hockley was raised to be a certain type of proper Southern lady. Enrolled in college and all but engaged to a bank manager, Ellie isn’t as committed to her expected future as her family believes. She’s chosen to spend her summer break as a volunteer helping to register black voters. But as Ellie follows her ideals fighting for the civil rights of the marginalized, her scandalized parents scorn her efforts, and her neighbors reveal their prejudices. And when she loses her heart to a fellow volunteer, Ellie discovers the frightening true nature of the people living in Round Hill. 2010: Architect Kayla Carter and her husband designed a beautiful house for themselves in Round Hill’s new development, Shadow Ridge Estates. It was supposed to be a home where they could raise their three-year-old daughter and grow old together. Instead, it’s the place where Kayla’s husband died in an accident—a fact known to a mysterious woman who warns Kayla against moving in. The woods and lake behind the property are reputed to be haunted, and the new home has been targeted by vandals leaving threatening notes. And Kayla’s neighbor Ellie Hockley is harboring long buried secrets about the dark history of the land where her house was built. Two women. Two stories. Both on a collision course with the truth--no matter what that truth may bring to light--in Diane Chamberlain's riveting, powerful novel about the search for justice. ~amazon.com

Review: I've been a fan of Diane Chamberlain's books since I read my first one a few years ago and while she always deals with serious issues, this one about race, the Klan and the South has to be one of the hardest to read. She really doesn't hold any punches in parts of the book to show how things were back in the 60's (and probably to some extent today). Yes people, the Klan still exists but just not in the same way that it used to. 

The Last House on the Street is about moving on, grieving, surviving loss and finding your purpose. It is about how the past always comes back in the present. Kayla is moving into the house that her late husband and her built together and she's already unsure of moving there when she starts getting weird visits and then strange happenings on the property. Meanwhile she befriends her neighbor, Ellie until Ellie figures out who her dad is, her old sweetheart. We get both Ellie's POV from 1965 and Kayla's from 2010 and then they come together. 

I loved Ellie's backstory and learning about the SCOPE program in the Southern states to get black people registered to vote back when they were hesitant to do so. She was the rare white Southern female to be part of the program since it was mainly comprised of Northern students. Ellie lived in a bubble so everything she was seeing and learning was opening her eyes. She even gave up her family and friends because she believed in the cause so much. I loved her gumption and that she did want to help no matter what the cost to her personally. It did alter her adult life in a way that she couldn't have possibly known. 

Kayla deals with the fallout of Ellie's story in the present because there are secrets that this small, southern town is hiding. All secrets eventually come out and it's about to for the town of Round Hill and it's residents. 

I have to stay I was stunned at the ending of the book; I kind of saw it coming but not quite how she wrapped it up. For fans of Ms. Chamberlain's previous books you will want to pick this one up and if you've never read her, The Last House on the Street is a great place to start. 

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Julie's Review: The Last Green Valley

Author: Mark Sullivan
Series: None
Publication Date:  May 4, 2021
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Pages: 328
Obtained: Amazon First
Genre:  Historical Fiction
Rating: 5/5
Bottom Line: A courageous story about a family that never gave up, even in their darkest times
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Summary: In late March 1944, as Stalin’s forces push into Ukraine, young Emil and Adeline Martel must make a terrible decision: Do they wait for the Soviet bear’s intrusion and risk being sent to Siberia? Or do they reluctantly follow the wolves—murderous Nazi officers who have pledged to protect “pure-blood” Germans? The Martels are one of many families of German heritage whose ancestors have farmed in Ukraine for more than a century. But after already living under Stalin’s horrifying regime, Emil and Adeline decide they must run in retreat from their land with the wolves they despise to escape the Soviets and go in search of freedom. Caught between two warring forces and overcoming horrific trials to pursue their hope of immigrating to the West, the Martels’ story is a brutal, complex, and ultimately triumphant tale that illuminates the extraordinary power of love, faith, and one family’s incredible will to survive and see their dreams realized. ~amazon.com

Review: This book is not an easy read at all. It is criminal what other humans will do to each other under the guise of war. It is heartbreaking to know that The Last Green Valley is based on a family's 

story at the end of WWII. Emil & Adeline live a simple life on their farm in the Ukraine when they decide that they can no longer live under Stalin and use the offer of the Nazi's to go West. 

For Emil and Adeline the question becomes to stay with the devil you know or to travel with the devil you don't know but that might get you closer to freedom. They know the travel won't be easy, but they are hoping it's worth it. Through flashbacks we learn about the struggles they have gone through both together and separate. Through it all Adeline retains her faith and never doubts God. The opposite is true for Emil who struggles with his faith and to trust in God. It is one area where the Martel's disagree. 

Throughout their travel West, they suffer difficulties, horrors and others all while continuing to believe that they will find their "Green Valley" that Adeline believes is their end game. 

For most of the book you are holding your breath as you read about their struggles and their flee to cross various countries. Their sons are incredibly strong and brave to endure what they did as well. While this book isn't a biography, it is based on the true story of the Martel family, which is seriously amazing. At the end of the novel, I cried because of so many things but the sheer grit of this family will astound you. 

Mr. Sullivan has written another brilliant historical fiction novel. Highly Recommend. 

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Julie's Review: Shoulder Season

Author: Christina Clancy
Series: None
Publication Date:  July 6, 2021
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Pages: 336
Obtained: publisher via NetGalley
Genre:  Contemporary Fiction, Historical Fiction
Rating: 5/5
Bottom Line: 
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Summary: The small town of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin is an unlikely location for a Playboy Resort, and nineteen-year old Sherri Taylor is an unlikely bunny. Growing up in neighboring East Troy, Sherri plays the organ at the local church and has never felt comfortable in her own skin. But when her parents die in quick succession, she leaves the only home she’s ever known for the chance to be part of a glamorous slice of history. In the winter of 1981, in a costume two sizes too small, her toes pinched by stilettos, Sherri joins the daughters of dairy farmers and factory workers for the defining experience of her life. Living in the “bunny hutch”―Playboy’s version of a college dorm―Sherri gets her education in the joys of sisterhood, the thrill of financial independence, the magic of first love, and the heady effects of sex, drugs, and rock and roll. But as spring gives way to summer, Sherri finds herself caught in a romantic triangle―and the tragedy that ensues will haunt her for the next forty years. From the Midwestern prairie to the California desert, from Wisconsin lakes to the Pacific Ocean, this is a story of what happens when small town life is sprinkled with stardust, and what we lose―and gain―when we leave home. With a heroine to root for and a narrative to get lost in, Christina Clancy's Shoulder Season is a sexy, evocative tale, drenched in longing and desire, that captures a fleeting moment in American history with nostalgia and heart. ~amazon.com

Review: I knew a year ago when I first heard about Shoulder Season that I needed to read it. I grew up going to Lake Geneva and yet somehow the fact that there was a Playboy Resort there was never known to me. The idea that it was billed as a family resort kind of cracks me up as well, so I wanted to read about one naive, young woman's experience as a bunny. 

Sherri needs a change in her life as it's been filled with a lot of loss; so when her best friend wants to go for an interview at the Playboy resort she begs Sherri to come along and just interview. The interview and desire to hire her will change the trajectory of her life in good ways and bad. Things will happen that will haunt her until she's almost 60. 

Her time at the Playboy resort will be short but the friendships and relationships she makes will see her through years. Sherri grows into herself in her time there but she also makes a lot of mistakes and hurts some people close to her. 

I loved that Sherri grew up during her experience but she also had so much more to learn, which unfortunately meant making a few more mistakes but don't we all. I really liked how the story came full circle in the end. The friendships that the woman made as bunnies were inspiring. They really supported each other even if they didn't always get along. 

I highly recommend this one if you are at all interested in recent contemporary history. 

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Julie's Review: The Woman with the Blue Star

Author: Pam Jenoff
Series: None
Publication Date:  May 4, 2021
Publisher: Park Row 
Pages: 336
Obtained: Publisher via NetGalley
Genre:  Historical Fiction
Rating: 5/5
Bottom Line: Friendships can save lives
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Summary: 1942. Sadie Gault is eighteen and living with her parents in the Kraków Ghetto during World War II. When the Nazis liquidate the ghetto, Sadie and her pregnant mother are forced to seek refuge in the perilous tunnels beneath the city. One day Sadie looks up through a grate and sees a girl about her own age buying flowers. Ella Stepanek is an affluent Polish girl living a life of relative ease with her stepmother, who has developed close alliances with the occupying Germans. While on an errand in the market, she catches a glimpse of something moving beneath a grate in the street. Upon closer inspection, she realizes it’s a girl hiding. Ella begins to aid Sadie and the two become close, but as the dangers of the war worsen, their lives are set on a collision course that will test them in the face of overwhelming odds. Inspired by incredible true stories, The Woman with the Blue Star is an unforgettable testament to the power of friendship and the extraordinary strength of the human will to survive.

Review: I really never get sick of reading WWII novels and The Woman with the Blue Star is no exception to that. Sadie is living in the Ghetto in Krakow when they have to get out without being put on a train. Her dad secures them passage through the tunnels of Krakow. To add onto it, her mother is pregnant with her sibling and they are unsure of how long they will have to remain in hiding. 

Ella is a well to do young lady but she lives with her step mom who survives by entertaining the local Nazi officers. Ella's house that she grew up in has become the place she doesn't want to spend her time. So she often wanders the streets during the day trying to blend in. Until one day she she spots Sadie in the tunnel grates and has a sudden urge to help. Ella wants to do something to feel like she's helping someone other than herself. 

As Ella and Sadie develop a bond, they take risks that jeopardize both of their lives and the lives of those that Sadie is in hiding with. It is also what will end up saving them both in different ways.

What I love about Ms. Jenoff's books is there is always some element of surprise in them, just when you think you've figured it out. Her books are always impeccably researched and immediately pull you in. This book was about survival, love, hope and most of all friendship. How friendship can save you even in the darkest of times. 

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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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