I enjoy reading historical fiction books, especially when they take place during WWII. The characters are well developed, and the author does a good job of pulling you into the lives of Luc and Lisette. I enjoyed the aspect of spending time in France and the espionage and work of the resistance. An interesting love story but the end kind of fizzled out for me. Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own. For more review

This was definitely a failure for me and my attempt to read more historical fiction books that introduce me to a unique aspect of history. One big turn off for me was the amount of crude language. I can handle some when it is imported to the story or the characters, but this was over the top unnecessary. I felt like I was plotting through mud to get through the pages. There are too many wonderful books out there to enjoy for me to spend hours, forcing myself to pick up the bo

I was so looking forward to reading this book. I have enjoyed several books that took place around the Titanic. But I did not find myself engaged in this story. Though I did enjoy the story of Melville. It was very informative. I think the biggest thing that turned me off was the repetitiveness of many things throughout the story parentheses ashes, tires, gripping the pavement, etc.). It definitely took away from my enjoyment of the story. This was an interesting exploration

I have to admit that I am an outlier on this book. There are a lot of 4- and 5-star ratings. But for me, I could not get interested in the story. I think part of my lack of being invested is that a good portion takes place after WWI. I have never enjoyed reading books from that time period. I have typically enjoyed other books by Rachel Wesson, so I was looking forward to getting lost in the pages and learning about different aspects of history and especially about Ireland. A

Well, I am branching out into different areas of books in the historical fiction. Genre, I need to be more careful in what I choose to read. This was a slow plotting through the pages, which made it very difficult for me to become invested in the story or the characters. And I am not a big supporter of feminism for the sake of feminism. By the time I had explored the pages, I was left wanting more. The subject matter had potential, but it was disappointing. Thank you to NetGa

I enjoy reading historical fiction books, and I am trying to brunch out to new time periods. Unfortunately, this was not a good one to attempt that. Not sure how I feel about the liberties the author took to rewrite Evelyn Nesbit's history. But Allison Pataki does an admiral Raul job presenting what life was like for women during Gilded Age. The characters are well developed, though you will not particularly like all of them. This is a glimpse into the dark façade of the life

I enjoy reading historical fiction books, and especially when they take place during WWII. That also makes it difficult to read one that introduces me to a new aspect of that time period. While Before the Mountain Falls exposed me to a taste of the Welch language and cultural, I felt like I was reading a book I have already read before. There were many positive points to the story. But for me, I felt like I was left wanting more. The author did a great job of tying up the end

I have come to love historical fiction books that take place in England. And spending time post WWII was a new frame of reference for me. Ginevra (Gin) Bishop and Sidney Braithwaite wore a wonderful combination for teammates. The mystery and intrigued pulled me into the story. And Gin and Sidney’s very different approaches to espionage kept me entertained. Lots of clues are sprinkled throughout the pages which held my attention and had me anxious to see what danger lurked aro

I love the books in the Reckless Camper series. Between Sassy (Sassafras) and her mother, the campground is open for business and you know there will be a mystery to solve. I especially love watching Mom show off her technological skills as a senior adult. My hat’s off to her! The characters bring this story to life. A variety of personalities, a wide age range of people, and unique choices of how to spend time on their vacation. It is always a treat to spend time with Elvis,

I am enjoying the books in the Cozy Bookshop series by T.C. LoTempio. A delightful cozy mystery with wonderful characters. The mystery will pull you into the story and the characters will keep you captive. I love spending time in the pages of a book when it takes place in a bookstore. Great dialogue, intrigue, clues sprinkled throughout, and a “hot” homicide detective make this a fun and entertaining read. The Halloween theme was a plus and I was glad Charlie’s cat, Poe, play

This was a sweet, though sometimes overly sweet, story. There were some strong emotional moments and the typical mean girl vibe that tends to be prevalent in the South. The dialogue was probably one reason why I did not enjoy the book that much ... syrupy sweet and not much depth. I felt like the characters were rather shallow. I know there are plenty of readers who will love getting to know Tina and the rest of the gang in Benson. Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for my a

This book was one that had me emotionally invested in the story and the characters. It tugged at my heartstrings and I enjoyed getting to know Tula. You will have the opportunity to learn about Tula as well as go back in time to 1941-42 during WWII. Experiencing life on the final voyage of the Oceanus as it traveled during the war and individuals who were aboard was entertaining. This book will expose you to mystery and intrigue, emotional trauma, fear, deep sea diving experi

I love reading historical fiction books and especially if they take place during WWII. There was a myriad of characters introduced and that became a little overwhelming. I appreciated the focus of espionage and the glimpse into the story of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. I felt like it was a slow trod through the pages, but there are many positive reviews, so I may be an outlier. Thank you to NetGalley and Lume Books for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts ar

I enjoy reading historical fiction books. This one was a little different than my typical read in that genre. While presented as adult fiction, I feel like this was more a young adult novel. The story itself was adequate and I was not pulled into the lives of the characters as I had hoped. Though the subject matter was emotional to read about, I appreciated the care with which this was shared by the author. I have to say that the ending was a big disappointment. Oh well. Ther

What a cast of quirky characters will greet you when you open up a book in the Redemption Detective Agency series. Emily and the ladies at the detective agency ... Aunt Tilde, Mildred, and their canine companion, Scout ... are on another mystery case. Between the abduction by aliens or the gargoyles in the cemetery getting up and moving theories, their conversations will have you rolling your eyes and chuckling. There are lots of clues ... legitimate and misguided ... with a

This is an edge-of-your-seat, hanging on by a thread, nail biting mystery thriller. Great characters, a wonderful well-related story, and nonstop thrills will have you flipping through the pages as fast as possible. I fell in love with Silas Tucker and his grandmother. I loved their relationship. There are so many things going on as you get sucked into the story ... from the loss of a lifelong dream, loss of special friends, murder, kidnapping, drug abuse, misuse of power, se

When I open up a Janet Evanovich book, I know I will be in for a thriller ride. A little bit of danger, a touch of snarky humor, and a splash of romance will have you flipping the pages as fast as possible to see what adventure you will experience with Gabriela. Factor in time spent with her ex, Rafer, and his buddy, Harley, and you will be traveling the world, attempting to outsmart the bad guys, and recovering long lost treasures. Just a fun series in which to spend your ti

I loved this third book in the Royal Street series by author Karen White. This one will have you sitting on the edge of your seat and wondering what creepy and mysterious incident will happen next. The characters will pull you into the story and the eerie and haunting moments will hold you captive. The description of the settings is so real, I could feel the hairs stand up on my arms. There are sad and emotional moments that touch your heart. The past and present are expertly

This was a great first book in the new Meg Reed series by Ellie Alexander. There are great characters introduced ... some of which you know will appear in future books. Though I am in no way an outdoor adventure person, I appreciated the activities featured in this book. There is a murder mystery, relationship conflict, family issues, support of friends, and new job insecurities. I really did not know who was guilty of murder until the final reveal! So this book was a hike on

I am almost dizzy from all the twists and turns in this book. Though the fourth one in the series, I do not think it affected my enjoyment. And, in fact, I plan to go back and read the first three in the series. There was murder, mystery, suspense, dysfunctional family relationships … so many aspects to the book that pulled me in and held me captive from the very beginning until the end. There were a few moments when I gasped out loud with surprise. I love books that do that!