I thought I would love this epistolary novel about three Brooklynites in need of a fresh start who move to Goodnigh*DNF at 25%* No Rating on Goodreads
I thought I would love this epistolary novel about three Brooklynites in need of a fresh start who move to Goodnight, Kansas after inheriting a dilapidated Victorian home (And a few Alpacas). Especially when I read that the family purchases the May Day Diner, an iconic eatery under the threat of the wrecking ball.
Told through diary entries, emails, school notes, an anonymous town paper and a few messages in a bottle, I hoped to find the story to be as charming as just about EVERY other reviewer has, but found that I just can’t relate to the town or its quirky residents.
No book is for every reader, and sadly, this one isn’t for me. BE SURE to read other reviews! There are MANY praising this debut offering!
Expected publication date : April 22, 2025
Thank You to Sourcebooks Landmark for the opportunity to read an early copy provided through NetGalley....more
Eddie Winston is a 90 year old who laughs easily and loves with all of his heart.
An incurable rom4.5 stars ⭐️
A GREAT BOOK TO START THE NEW YEAR WITH!
Eddie Winston is a 90 year old who laughs easily and loves with all of his heart.
An incurable romantic, Eddie spends his days volunteering at a charity shop, where he sorts through donations and secretly salvages love letters and other items that he knows will be missed. It is here that he meets Bella, a 24 year old who has just tragically lost the love of her young life.
When he sees the items she is donating, he sets them aside, knowing that one day she will regret parting with them. And, when that day comes, and he is able to return them to the heartbroken young woman, a fast friendship is formed.
When Bella learns that Eddie has yet to be kissed, she resolves to help Eddie Winston finally find a love that can be reciprocated. You see, he knows what love is having spent his life hopelessly devoted to a devout woman who would never break her vow to another.
Helping Eddie (and his Guinea pig, Pushkin) find love, is healing for Bella too. And, I loved Pushkin’s love story! ...more
Our author, an Italian cat, named Babas, explains that although cats are a notch higher than humans, the “Dogs are to humans, what humans are to Cats”
Our author, an Italian cat, named Babas, explains that although cats are a notch higher than humans, the world is dominated by humans, so it’s imperative to choose one wisely.
The “right” human, if well trained, can be an affectionate and loyal companion even if they are nomadic primates.
Follow this manual carefully and you will become the absolute monarch of the home and with just a few practiced looks, several specific vocalizations, and strategic shows of affection-your human will be waiting on you, hand and foot. ( shouldn’t that be PAW?)
And, the ideal human will NEVER, EVER take advantage of their gigantic size to scoop you up in a coercive embrace!
Translated from Italian by Katherine Gregor, with elegant illustrations by Andrea Ferolla, this 144 page novella can be read it one sitting and had me wondering if my own cat EMMA had read this manual!! ...more
*No Spoilers from books one and two in the Jaipur Trilogy*
In Book One, “The Henna Artist” we were introduced to the vivid sights and smells of India,*No Spoilers from books one and two in the Jaipur Trilogy*
In Book One, “The Henna Artist” we were introduced to the vivid sights and smells of India, as we met Lakshmi, the most requested Henna Artist in the pink city of Jaipur, and learned about her skills, including the polite but calculated negotiations that allowed her to flourish in her trade.
Book Two, “The Secret Keeper of Jaipur” the story continues 12 years later with her protégé, Malik, who has taken an apprenticeship interning at the Jaipur Palace, whose latest project is a State of the Art Cinema, which doesn’t go as planned.
And, in Book Three-the final chapter of the trilogy, “The Perfumist of Paris”the spotlight is now on Lakshmi’s younger sister, Radha, who is now thirty-two and living in 1974 Paris with her husband, Pierre, and their two daughters, Shanti and Asha.
When her friend’s grandfather offered her a job at his parfumerie, she quickly discovered that she had a gift for matching the “right” fragrance for each customer who walked through the door, sensing not only what would work with their own essence but also intuitively knowing what they wanted it for.
I enjoyed learning about the processes and it made me wonder what she would choose for me. What would be my “signature scent”?
Despite not having a chemistry degree, Radha is now a lab assistant to Delphine Silberman, a master perfumer at the House of Yves, in Paris, and rising up the ranks much to the chagrin of her husband who would prefer that she would be happy being a “stay at home” wife and mother.
She has come a long way from the lost 13 year old we met in book one, full of regrets and sorrow and the trilogy comes full circle as she tries to balance her love for her career with her love of being a mother.
She will have to hold her own against her better educated adversaries, navigate a relationship with a judgmental mother in law, and do so with only her close friend, Mathilde to lean on, as the rest of her family resides in India.
Her first major project will take her home to India searching for the perfect scent for a special client, just as a secret from her Past, will arrive in Paris, making her confront all of the things she thought could remain buried.
Once again, the VIBRANT sights and INTOXICATING smells of both Paris, and India were brought alive, by the MESMERIZING lyrical voice of narrator Sneha Mathan, in the Audible version and I toggled between listening and reading.
The author, Alki Joshi, thoughtfully provided a cast of characters in the beginning, reminding us of who everyone from each book is and how they are related, as well as a glossary of terms (and a couple of recipes!) at the book’s conclusion.
Although, this was always a planned trilogy, the story could easily continue with Radha’s children, should the author reconsider, and I would most definitely enjoy seeing where their paths would take them, but this was most definitely a WORTHY conclusion and a WONDERFUL way to conclude this journey.
I had to just untag all of the shelves, I had marked for this book-IT IS NOT THE PSYCHOLOGICAL SUSPENSE novel, I expected from the book synopsis.
Dr. I had to just untag all of the shelves, I had marked for this book-IT IS NOT THE PSYCHOLOGICAL SUSPENSE novel, I expected from the book synopsis.
Dr. Gregory Weber has a thriving career, as a therapist but he is haunted by a secret—a fatal mistake he made at seventeen. No one else knows about it, or so he believes, until Mira, an unscheduled patient, begins appearing in his office each Wednesday at 1 p.m.
She seems to KNOW about his lies of omission and she seems to accept him anyway, which makes him feel freer with her, than with anyone else.
He becomes obsessed with her, and their hourly talks, which in turn causes more friction and distance between him and everyone else in his life.
Who is she, and why has she turned up now? What is she looking for?
This is a story of REMORSE and FORGIVENESS, which reads more LIKE a Christian Fiction novel than it does one of psychological suspense though there is also an element of something else-which would be a *spoiler* if I shared it…
If this is something you are looking for, the characters are well developed and feel like people you might be friends or neighbors with…
But, if you were looking for what I was looking for-you won’t find it here! ...more
“There comes a day in every man’s life when he stops looking forward and starts looking back” Maxwell Hill (Sam’s father)
So begins the story, of Samu“There comes a day in every man’s life when he stops looking forward and starts looking back” Maxwell Hill (Sam’s father)
So begins the story, of Samuel Hill, as he reflects on the moments in his life, past and present, heartbreaking and heartwarming, which have made him into the person he is today.
“WHAT THE SAM HELL?”
Those were the four words, uttered by Samuel’s father, when he laid eyes on his infant son for the very first time-a baby born with ocular albinism, a rare condition which gave him red pupils.
But, his mother was unperturbed, as she was a devout Catholic who believed unwaveringly in “God’s Will” and she decided that his eyes meant that her son was destined for an extraordinary life.
She was his fierce protector, for as long as she could be, but eventually Samuel would have to attend school at the “Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church”, where his mother can go only as far as the steps leading into the classrooms.
There, he will be ridiculed and taunted by the kids who call him “Devil Boy” and bullied relentlessly David Bateman, a boy twice his size, which will make him question his FAITH, despite the unconditional love he grew up with.
He wanted to believe that it was God’s Plan to send Ernie Cantwell, the only African American child in his grade, from Detroit Michigan to Burlingame, CA, to be the friend he desperately needed.
And, also part of God’s design to add Mickie Kennedy to their circle in sixth grade-a girl with a bit of a reputation, who defied the norms. And, sometimes the Nuns.
The result? An extraordinary, moving story, which will stick with me long after it’s done.
I recently reviewed “Her Deadly Game”, a legal thriller very different from this book, and mentioned that it had been my first book by Dugoni. Goodreads friends (thank you! ...more
If you were first in line at the theater on Friday nights, waiting to see the latest movie like “Father of the Bride”, stalked the Blockbuster s3.5 ⭐️
If you were first in line at the theater on Friday nights, waiting to see the latest movie like “Father of the Bride”, stalked the Blockbuster shelf for “My Big, Fat Greek wedding”, reserved “The Wedding Planner” the first night it was available at Redbox or stream “Mamma Mia” repeatedly (I may be guilty as charged about the last one...more
Octogenarians are definitely having a moment in literature!
Some have taken road trips to attain something, while others have taken one because they nOctogenarians are definitely having a moment in literature!
Some have taken road trips to attain something, while others have taken one because they needed an escape!
A few have been amateur detectives or retired assassins…and now, we have Mrs. Wilt-who just might be the “never caught” renowned jewel thief of the famous Kinsey diamond.
Ever since 21 year old, Tanner Quimby got injured and lost her Soccer scholarship, she has been in a rut. She sits around in sweat pants, playing “Horizon Zero Dawn” for hours, because now that Soccer is off the table-she isn’t sure what to do with her life.
Louise Wilt, needs a caretaker of sorts. Mostly, she needs a driver, because since falling, she is unable to operate a motor vehicle on her own. Tanner agrees to take the “job” hoping to make some money so she can return for her senior year at Northwestern.
But when Tanner sees a “breaking news” story about one of the greatest unsolved jewel heists in American History, she cannot help but notice that the age progressed “suspect” looks alarmingly like “Mrs. Wilt”.
So when Tanner is woken up by the sound of sirens, and Mrs. Wilt appears in her room with a packed suitcase at 1 AM insisting that they leave town immediately-she finds herself becoming the “getaway driver” for an 84 year old woman “on the lam”, while Mrs. Wilt’s daughter has to report both women as MISSING.
Yes, Tanner and Louise are on a “Thelma and Louise” road trip to California, inspired in part by the author’s own grandmother, a fierce woman who never missed her 5 PM cocktail and “didn’t suffer fools”!
Mrs. Wilt is always ONE STEP ahead of everyone, including the FBI, and Tanner just may learn something along the way that helps her to move forward in her own life.
“Johnny Cash, Tiger-Sam, Holly Golightly, Miss Tabby, Dolly Parton…”
Breathe in…Breathe out!
Whenever 81 year old, Bernice Hart is feeling a bit stres“Johnny Cash, Tiger-Sam, Holly Golightly, Miss Tabby, Dolly Parton…”
Breathe in…Breathe out!
Whenever 81 year old, Bernice Hart is feeling a bit stressed, she recites the names of her beloved cats, past and present, until she finds some serenity.
But that may not be enough to do the trick if her well meaning daughter, Sarah has her way!!
You see, Sarah has given Bernice a book called “The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up” by Marie Kondo and suggested that Bernice begin to “death clean” in preparation for a move to Atlanta to live in the carriage house being built for her in her daughter’s backyard.
But Bernice isn’t ready to die, or to move away from her home in Savage Crossing, her community, her Church or her memories.
So, what does she do? She packs up her car, (“Miss Fiona”) with the few things she cannot live without, and her latest cat companion, “Dolly Parton” and sets out towards Cooper’s Bluff. (Check out the cute cover!)
She has rented a lake view cabin there, and she hopes to find both a new community to live in on her own terms, and maybe also a sense of closure in the place where she once experienced both great joy and great sorrow…in addition to her first love.
Perhaps she could also find out whatever happened to John Marvel, who always held a tiny piece of her heart…??
Although the road trip almost ends in a CATastrophe..she makes it there safe and sound and proves to everyone that she still has a lot of life left to live!!
Some of her choices made me downright nervous, as I feared that people would take advantage of her…but this is an UPLIFTING book, so no need to worry!!
Although I do think that readers of a “certain age” who have experienced some of the same challenges as Bernice might relate to this more than a younger reader-readers of ALL ages should find the story to be both delightful and charming!
I hated to say goodbye to Bernice by the end, as I really did enjoy the time I got to spend with her!
AVAILABLE NOW!
Thank You to One Mississippi Press for the gifted copy provided through NetGalley! It was my pleasure to offer a candid review!...more
“FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE, LIFE CAN CHANGE IN A MATTER OF SECONDS…..PEOPLE TAKE THEIR FIRST AND LAST BREATHS. CARS CRASH, PLANES PLUNGE INTO OCEANS. TH “FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE, LIFE CAN CHANGE IN A MATTER OF SECONDS…..PEOPLE TAKE THEIR FIRST AND LAST BREATHS. CARS CRASH, PLANES PLUNGE INTO OCEANS. THE HEALING PROCESS CAN BEGIN WITH A SIMPLE GESTURE”
THOSE WORDS are the heart ❤️ of this story!
DAY 1,214
That is how many days it has been since Meredith Maggs has left her house. The question is WHY?
It isn’t because she is shy or quirky. There are much darker reasons for her retreat into her own World.
Meredith is able to earn a living working from home, and have her groceries delivered. She has a ginger rescue cat named Fred, and a lifelong best friend in Sadie, who visits at least weekly, often with her two children.
Jigsaw puzzles, reading and baking keep her days full and satisfying. She is happy….enough.
DAY 1,215
The healing process will begin, when Tom McDermott from Holding Hands, the befriending charity, rings the doorbell. He is the first new person she will let into her home, and her life.
DAY 1,219
CATLADY29, Hello?
A new user will sign on to Meredith’s online support group, “StrenghInNumbers” needing someone to talk to.
JIGSAWGIRL: (finger hovering above the keyboard) Hi! I am Meredith….
1993
We will meet Meredith’s sister, Fiona . And, their mother. The two girls were thick as thieves. Where is she now?
I’m sorry. “ Two words that that can mean everything. Or Nothing.”
“A JOURNEY OF A THOUSAND MILES BEGINS WITH A SINGLE STEP” Lao Tzu (and Meredith’s therapist Diane)
Sometimes that step is reaching out for help-and sometimes it is answering someone’s plea…
This book is SO MUCH MORE than what I expected!
I didn’t realize that so many characters in this book have been let down by someone who should have made them feel loved and safe, or have been taken advantage of by a stranger.
And, yet, this story ISN’T about those people….
It’s about the PEOPLE who prop you up when that happens-and all the characters in this book will feel like friends you wish could be in your life too.
For this reason this is ultimately a HEARTWARMING, FEEL GOOD story despite touching on some serious themes, and it resonated deeply with me.
It’s the kind of book that you miss as soon as you reach the last page! (Sigh)
If you enjoy CHARACTER driven stories with ❤️-open up your ❤️ to Meredith!
I will see you in the deep end, Meredith!
AVAILABLE NOW!!
Thank You to Grand Central Publishing for the gifted copy provided through NetGalley! It was my sincere pleasure to offer a candid review!...more
The kids were the scene stealers for me, in this family saga which takes place over the course of three months, in a little hamlet called Owl’s Head, The kids were the scene stealers for me, in this family saga which takes place over the course of three months, in a little hamlet called Owl’s Head, on the coast of Maine!
Louisa has arrived for the Summer at her parent’s house, called Ships View, with her three kids in tow: Matthew (Matty) aged twelve, Abigail, aged 10 and Claire, just seven years old.
Her husband, Stephen has stayed behind in Brooklyn, trying to make a go of his Podcast, and as her year long sabbatical from being a teaching Professor winds down, she hopes to complete her book.
But, Louisa’s father, a well known Maine Supreme Court judge, is suffering from Alzheimer’s, and he has deteriorated more than she had realized, since her last visit, and her Mom, Annie, doesn’t feel like she can cope for much longer, with the limited help that she has, and with the repairs needed for their aging home.
Will this be the last summer that the family will be able to come together to find comfort and renewal on the wrap around front porch, or play board games in the parlor that offers such calming ocean views?
Along with her grief, a waitress named Kristie, has arrived in town from Altoona, with the last of her tip money, $761 dollars to be exact, $27,000 in medical bills and the envelope her mother gave her on the day before she died. Although she has the words of the letter contained inside, memorized, she knows she will carry it with her at all times. She is trying to outrun the bill collectors and hopes this move will offer her a fresh start.
Over the course of three months, we will see how these women will learn what money can and cannot buy and what really makes life rich, while Matty experiences his first crush, Abigail keeps her Daddy informed and in line with her insightful letters sent to Brooklyn, and Claire, wise beyond her years, but still realistically age seven, will tell it like it is!
I did figure out early on where this was headed but I did not know what Louisa and Kristie’s “final decisions” would be, by the book’s closing chapters.
Although I was disappointed by some of Kristie’s choices-I did enjoy spending time with all of these characters and am sorry that my Summer in Owl’s Head has drawn to a close.
This warm and wonderful beach is AVAILABLE NOW!
Another buddy read with DeAnn-be sure to also check out her thoughts in her amazing review!
Thank You to William Morrow & Company for the gifted ARC. It was my pleasure to offer a candid review!...more
April 2022 Libby Nichols arrives in London lugging her two rucksacks aboard the 88 bus on her way to her sister’s house-the place she willGOOSEBUMPS!
April 2022 Libby Nichols arrives in London lugging her two rucksacks aboard the 88 bus on her way to her sister’s house-the place she will be temporarily living as she sorts out the end of her eight year relationship with Simon.
Her red hair catches the eye of an elderly gentleman named Frank, who has been looking for the red headed girl he met aboard this same bus, in 1962.
THE GIRL WHO CHANGED HIS LIFE
They had made plans to go to the National Gallery on the Saturday following their initial conversation, to see her favorite painting, Bacchus and Ariadne, but he lost the bus ticket she had written her phone # on. He waited by the bus stop all of Saturday afternoon but she never showed up, and he has been trying to find her, ever since.
Frank is starting to suffer from dementia and his daughter wants to move him from his own home, to a full-time Care facility, so his days of riding the 88 are drawing to a close.
This inspires Libby to help him search for the beautiful girl that Frank has never forgotten, and along with his caregiver, Dylan, she begins posting flyers all along the bus route. They also publish an advert for “missed connections” in the newspaper hoping for a lead.
#girlonthe88bus E-mail girlonthe88bus@gmail.com
And, when that first lead comes in-I literally got GOOSEBUMPS!
You may think you have this one all figured out as you are reading it, but there are some surprising detours along the way!
If you have been looking for this years “feel good” lit book-the kind which has characters you enjoy spending time with-and already miss when the story ends..THIS IS IT!
Frank may have lost that bus ticket-but I lost my heart to Frank! ❤️
Have a tissue ready for the final page!
You don’t have long to wait! AVAILABLE August 30, 2022!
I would like to thank Elisha at Berkley for my gifted copy! It was my pleasure to offer a candid review!...more
Told in 5 parts-four time jumps-between the years of 2002 and 2010-this is the story of a seven year old boy named Jonah, who recalls the memori3.5 ⭐️
Told in 5 parts-four time jumps-between the years of 2002 and 2010-this is the story of a seven year old boy named Jonah, who recalls the memories of a twenty two musician who disappeared without a trace after a gig with his band, Dog Radio.
Much to his mother Helen’s dismay, Henry has become one of the 650,000 Americans who go missing each year- a number greater than the populations of Denver or Seattle.
We are privy to what happened after the gig, through flashbacks from Henry’s soul-not at rest because of his violent death.
The case had gone cold, until Jonah begins having night terrors, and insisting that he also has another mom, and a dog.
His mom Lucie’s determination to find an answer, will lead her back to the small town of Aurora Falls, where Jonah was conceived-the town that Henry disappeared from.
Could Jonah be the reincarnation of Henry Bird?
Helen’s dog, Charlie, who was her son Henry’s dog, does seem to recognize him-even in a different body. And, how does Jonah know the things that he knows?!
I was expecting “speculative fiction” with a focus on exploring rebirth and reincarnation, and a much darker story-but although the story does touch on this topic-the book reads more like an”Hallmark movie” than the psychological thriller that it is marketed to be.
It IS enjoyable enough, but it was not the book I was hoping to read.
Now that you know what you can realistically expect from this-you can determine if it’s a book for you! Available on July 5, 2022!
Thank You to HarperCollins for the gifted copy! It was my pleasure to offer a candid review!...more
I was wanting to try some magical realism, but at 25% I realize this isn’t for me!
Magical Realism is style of literary fiction and art. I Not rating!
I was wanting to try some magical realism, but at 25% I realize this isn’t for me!
Magical Realism is style of literary fiction and art. It paints a realistic view of the world while also adding magical elements, often blurring the lines between fantasy and reality. Despite including certain magic elements, it is generally considered to be a different genre from fantasy because magical realism uses a substantial amount of realistic detail and employs magical elements to make a point about reality, while fantasy stories are often separated from reality. (Wikipedia)
Please read the reviews from those who love the genre and the author because it’s just a matter of personal taste and nothing more. ...more
Janice is a house cleaner, and a collector of stories.
She likes all the people she cleans for except for one married couple who work from home-“Mrs.Janice is a house cleaner, and a collector of stories.
She likes all the people she cleans for except for one married couple who work from home-“Mrs. Yeah Yeah Yeah” and “Mr. No, Not Now!” She does however, love the dog that she walks for them-Decius-a Fox terrier who walks on his toes like a ballerina, and has such an expressive face that she just KNOWS when he is saying to her-“Don’t say a word. Not a f***ing word.” or “WTF?”
So, she isn’t thrilled, when her favorite Mr. and Mrs. ask if she would be willing to clean for Mrs. B-a prickly woman in her nineties who will have to be moved to assisted care living, if she doesn’t get help. Not wanting to feel responsible for that-Janice reluctantly agrees to meet with her.
Mrs. B wants Janice answer a question before she agrees to the help-“If you could only take one novel with you to a Desert Island, what would it be?” and when Janice responds “Vanity Fair” -Mrs. B agrees to hire her.
“I have a wonderful story for you, about a woman just like Becky Sharp (a character from that novel)” Mrs. B, proclaims recognizing Janice as a collector of stories, AND one with a story to tell.
Of course, Janice cannot resist.
So begins a charming tale that shows us how literature (and dogs) can bring people together and enrich their lives-and that sometimes the people you are overlooking can have QUITE an interesting story to tell!
We all have a basic need to BE SEEN and BE HEARD.
So, why just 3 ⭐️?
I was not familiar with the novel Vanity Fair-William Makepeace Thackeray-a novel published in 1848, so PERHAPS I missed something that would have made the telling of “Becky’s story” more interesting? It didn’t really resonate with me-but you just might find it fascinating! I did find the relationships that were formed in the present day, to be heartwarming.
A buddy read with DeAnn. Please be sure to check out her wonderful review, and to read a sample of others as many other reviewers have loved this! AVAILABLE a on February 28th, 2022.
Thank you to HarperCollins UK-One more Chapter for my gifted copy. It was my pleasure to offer a candid review!...more
With the exception of “The Girl Before” (the Goodreads Choice Award nominee for Mystery and Thriller in 2017 which was NOT a winner for me) J.P. DelanWith the exception of “The Girl Before” (the Goodreads Choice Award nominee for Mystery and Thriller in 2017 which was NOT a winner for me) J.P. Delaney has delivered mostly 4 and 5 star books.
So, when I saw that the author had published a new book, NOT available in the U.S., I purchased a copy from my favorite book outlet-“The Book Depository”!
This one falls into the domestic drama category, and unfortunately, it’s likability factor was more in line with “The Girl Before” for me.
Fifteen years ago, Susie Jukes gave up a baby for adoption, but she has turned her life around from those darker times, and she now has an “up and coming” music career, and a stable and happy marriage with Gabe.
Unfortunately, they have suffered a few miscarriages, and she wonders if the only baby she will successfully carry to term, would be Sky, the baby she relinquished.
When Sky contacts Susie, finding her on social media with the information she has from her “for later on” letter, which explains the reasons why her birth mother had to give her up-and makes claims that her adoptive home is not a happy one, and could even be dangerous-Susie feels compelled to act.
Sky, now called Anna, preys upon Susie’s guilt-but is she genuinely interested in a relationship with her-or could there be an ulterior motive at play?
The story unfolds through the alternating POV’s of Susie, Gabe and Anna/Sky and starts out well as the quick chapters propel the story along-
BUT-about halfway through the book, the story became both tedious and over the top, and I lost interest rapidly.
I do appreciate that the author IS trying to educate us on some very REAL issues that both adoptive parents and adoptive children face-but this fictional account which sheds light on many of them (maybe too many of them?) missed the mark for me.
OBSESSION DESPERATION DECEPTION Words that could describe “getting lost in love”…and do so in this story, where the truth is as ELUSIVE as our mai3.5
OBSESSION DESPERATION DECEPTION Words that could describe “getting lost in love”…and do so in this story, where the truth is as ELUSIVE as our main characters as they travel through Europe on a belated honeymoon.
It’s 1996- a time before cell phones, and, Gina Reinhold has fallen and sustained a head injury while in Berlin.
Her memories are hazy, but she starts to realize that a few things that her husband, Duncan Lowy has told her, don’t “feel right”.
Has she really had a row with both her Dad and her best friend, Violet and that is why she doesn’t want to communicate with them while they are traveling? Does the man in a cafe staring at her so intently have a reason to be doing so? And, why does she almost call her own husband, Graham instead of Duncan?
Because of the omniscient third person narration, it took awhile to feel apprehension for Gina, and just when I did, what is happening in the PRESENT is interrupted by too much backstory, of how the couple and their friends met at Yale, years ago, slowing down the pace.
I also found it hard to believe that all of their AMERICAN friends from Yale, were now living in Europe-Vienna, Prague and London- to be specific.
It was difficult to like either one of the characters as each leaves friends and family members back in America, worried about their whereabouts and their well-being, amongst other things.
Still, the story is ORIGINAL and when the TRUTH catches up with our couple, I was once again reminded of how the lines of the truth can often be blurred.
I liked the story-but I didn’t love it.
See if DeAnn and Marilyn agreed by checking out their amazing reviews!
Thank You to Simon & Schuster for a gifted copy. It was my pleasure to offer a candid review!
What a fantastic title! What a charming book cover!
But, unfortunately it was just an okay read.
Perhaps because this book seemed like a cross between What a fantastic title! What a charming book cover!
But, unfortunately it was just an okay read.
Perhaps because this book seemed like a cross between “Who is Maud Dixon” by Alexandra Andrews and “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” by Taylor Jenkins Reid (which was even mentioned in the book) and both featured difficult authors-and those employed by them-it felt a bit too familiar and predictable.
When the moody, reclusive bestselling author Essie Starling, stipulates in her Will that upon her death, her house cleaner, Liv Green should finish writing her twentieth and final-Georgia Rory novel -it will lead Liv on a path of self discovery.
Instead of Morocco (Maud Dixon) Liv will travel to Croatia and she will seek out Essie’s past husbands (Evelyn Hugo) in an attempt to figure out who had been her true love, so that she could “write” this character for the fictional Georgia Rory.
Throughout the narrative we also get to read snippets from the Georgia Rory novels, and well, let’s just say they would have been DNF for me! ...more
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