I love historical fiction books and especially if they are set during the WWII time period. This also appealed to me because it has a dual timeline ... 1942 and 1994. The horrors that Irena experienced during the Nazi invasion of Poland is heartbreaking. The mental, physical, and emotional abuse that is exposed throughout the pages will touch you deeply. A story of love, loss, sacrifice, and relationships. A great twist at the end is different than any other WWII historical b

This historical fiction book was different than my typical read. While it took me a while to get into the story, the last third of the book made it a satisfying read. I was unfamiliar with byssus and the weavers. (Byssus is the fine amber filament that anchors mollusks to the ocean floor.) Learning the tradition of harvesting the sea silk was so interesting. The author has done an amazing amount of research and sharing the story of Sardinia’s water women allowed you to discov

To begin with, I fell in love with AJ Winthrop. What an amazing man he was. There are a lot of characters and storylines woven throughout the pages. The tapestry that is created through the author’s words is unforgettable. There were so many quotes that touched me and had me grabbing a pen and paper to jot them down. When an author does that, I am completely invested in the story. One of my favorites was: “Love is two broken people fitted together to hold each other up, to po

I love reading historical fiction books and especially if they are set during the WWII time period. Because I have read so many books in this genre, it is hard to find one that covers an aspect I am not familiar with. This book covered Lenny’s life as a spy for the SOE. But what really caught my attention was the title and the synopsis which hinted at coded messages being shared through the knitting of clothing. While this is introduced, I was disappointed that there was very

This was a wonderful opportunity to spend time in the pages of a book about love, loss, longing, forgiveness, and mystery. I loved getting lost in the world of Bronwyn, Clara, and Wynnie. In fact, eight-year-old Wynnie stole my heart! As the fog covers the streets of London, so does the mystery of Bronwyn’s (Clara's mother) disappearance more than 20 years ago cover the lives of Clara and Wynnie. There is wonder, mystery, make-believe, family connections, and the blossoming o

I love reading historical fiction books, and especially if they are set during the WWII time period. When there is a dual timeline, I'm definitely hooked. Once again, I'm in all of the efforts, so many individuals were willing to make to help the people mistreated by Hitler's army of evil. I was not familiar with the Croatian fight for freedom and the devastation that has played the country … families, and the community … for years. The impact on the lives of the children is

This was the first book I have read the Marius Quin series by Benedict Brown. I do believe I would have enjoyed it more if I had more background into the primary characters, Marius Quin and Lady Bella Montague. However, I still liked spending time trying to solve the murder mysteries and getting to know Marius and Bella more. The relationship between the two of them is entertaining, and I loved that while they have such different personalities, their relationship is built on

I really enjoyed this exploration through the pages of friendship. What a difference that can make in a person's life. This is an emotional read, as you feel the pain of loss, fear, guilt, secrets, and healing. And the friendship between the ladies is a tool to help Elisavet heal. The Bridge Between Friends is not just a physical bridge, Cora, Megan, and Gladdie go to share their friendship. It also represents a link from the past to the present and a connection from friends

I really enjoy historical fiction and especially when it revolves around books. This book took a while to have me invested in the story. I enjoyed reading about the three sisters, Olivia, Daphne, and Celia. Observing them running a bookstore in the early 1900s ... a time when men would have been in that role. Each sister has a focus and it was interesting to explore their lives and the secrets they kept from each other. Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow Paperbacks for

This is definitely an emotional read that will have you angry at how society treated women in the early 20th century. Their treatment at the institutions was horrendous and eye-opening. The fact that the book is based on real events is appalling. A very difficult and uncomfortable read, but also important that we learn about this type of unacceptable treatment of women in the hopes that history does not repeat itself. Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for my advance

I enjoy reading historical fiction books and especially when they take place during the WWII time period. The dual timeline aspect of this story was an added plus. There are some deep subjects covered throughout the pages ... mental illness, persecution of the Jews, mistreatment of residents of an insane asylum. The author does a wonderful job of creating two separate timelines but merges them together that is so subtle I had to spend time thinking about the connection. Thank

I love historical fiction books and especially those that are about books. The magical aspect of this particular story flowed well with the historical fiction focus. The characters are well developed and the mystery pulled me in and kept my interest. There is a touch of romance and I really wanted to discover where the relationship between Lillian and Harry would go. This book will take you on a journey into another time and place with mystery and intrigue. Thank you to NetGa

I have really enjoyed the books in the Emma Langley series by Emily Organ. I love spending time with Emma Langley and Penny Blakely. They each have their own lives but work well together to solve mysteries. Such strong, independent, and intelligent women. And as was true during the Victorian time period, they were not valued as major contributors to society. There were lots of clues and possible suspects that kept me invested in the story and wondering who was guilty of murde

I love historical fiction books and especially those that deal with books and libraries. So many magical things can happen in the pages of a wonderful book. So this one caught my attention and I looked forward to time spent with Lily. The history of the American Library in Paris was interesting and I enjoyed getting to know the many characters featured in the book. The shelves of books and the comfort of friendship makes this a story worth exploring. Thank you to NetGalley an

I have loved the author, Fannie Flagg, for many years. So any time a new book is released, I will definitely have it on my to-be-read list. So I was excited at the opportunity to read her latest book. However, this one just did not appeal to me. The collection of short stories was okay, but not what I was expecting. “My bad” that I did not read the synopsis first. As with most of her books, there are some quirky individuals which I enjoyed. Unfortunately, the random stories w

I enjoy reading books in the historical fiction genre. And while this was a different focus than my typical read, it had a lot of positive aspects. I love the focus of a strong female character who demonstrated intelligence and strength. Set in a period of time when women were not recognized for these positive characteristics, this was a breath of fresh air.Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own. Fo

First of all, I was not the intended audience for this book. While I have enjoyed other books by the author, Evie Woods, I do not find those in the magical realism genre appealing. As a musician myself, I did appreciate the focus on musicians. Being exposed to how violins are made as well as played was informative and a positive aspect to this book. At times, I felt like the story dragged on and I had a difficult time staying focused. There are many individuals, though, who w

I enjoy reading historical fiction books. However, this was a different focus from most of my reads. Unfortunately, this one just seemed to take too long to tell the story. I struggled to stay focused. It had promise but I did not feel like it delivered. The Roaring Twenties, murder mystery, and PTSD aspects could have developed into a relatable and inspiring story. Plus the random use of the “F-bomb” was totally unnecessary. Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for my a

This was a different read for me. I appreciated the historical fiction aspect of this book. However, the magical realism focus was not engaging to me. The time period of Prohibition was interesting. But there were some aspects that did not appeal to me ... the gangsters that appeared late in the book for the purpose of turning the dancers against each other or the over-the-top discussion of Nora’s fears. This book had promise, but for me, it did not deliver. Thank you to NetG

I love reading books from the historical fiction genre ... and especially when they are set during the WWII time period. The synopsis of this book intrigued me and I anticipated learning more about the enigma machines and codebreaking. While you will be exposed to a lot of information about the codebreaking efforts throughout WWII and how the Polish teams led the way in that accomplishment, the book just seemed to drag on. The romance between Beata and Harry took up too much