books and ladybugs

This was a little different type of book.  The narrator, Jan, is not really a major character in the book.  She is relating other characters’ stories.  The author does a great job with this historical fiction.  Her descriptions of Italy and the area around the villa made me feel that I was sitting there and experiencing the environment in person.  I could smell the food even as I turned the pages of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Nan A. Talese for my advanced review copy.  All opinions and thoughts are my own.

Wow!  This was full of suspense and kept you turning the pages quickly.  So many twists and turns that caused tense moments. The author does a great job of character development.  She will have you sitting on the edge of your seat…gripping the book as your heart races.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for my advanced review copy.  All opinions and thoughts are my own.

Oh my goodness!  Could 24 hours last any longer?  It was painful reading through without feeling like I was going anywhere.  While touted as a thriller, it’s really more of a family drama.

While many B. A. Paris fans will probably enjoy this book, it did not appeal to me.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my advanced review copy.  All opinions and thoughts are my own.

This is the first book in the “Deadly Edits” series.  But I don’t think that took away from my enjoyment of the book.  I believe this could be read as a standalone.

I really liked getting to know the main character, Mikki.  She is a feisty 70-year-old hoot!  I loved this cozy mystery that the author wrote with NO ROMANCE!  Thank you, Kaitlyn Dunnett!

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishers for my advanced review copy.  All opinions and thoughts are my own.

This was a rather slow moving book.  It was difficult for me to get invested in the story even with twists and turns.  But those just didn’t provide any excitement to me.  Perhaps because of the thrillers I’ve read in the past, I have a higher standard in my expectations.  I hope others will enjoy the book more than I did.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for my advanced review copy.  All opinions and thoughts are my own.

I have become enamored with books based during WWII.  And reading about the Special Operation Executives (SOEs) has been very interesting.  Then when I read about the amazing women who played such an important part in the resistance efforts during the atrocities of Hitler’s reign of terror, I am impressed.  “Madeleine” was an amazingly strong and dedicated woman.  Her willingness to serve in a difficult time and literally give her life to protect others leaves me in awe.

I think what touched me most was making me think about how far I am willing to go to respond to injustice and cruelty…even in the present time.  This is definitely one to put on your to-be-read list!

Thank you to NetGalley and W. W. Norton Company for my advanced review copy.  All opinions and thoughts are my own.

This was an interesting dual timeline book.  The present time was easier to keep straight…as well as the characters.  However, the 1571 time had too many characters so that it was difficult to remember everyone.  That made it difficult to connect with them.

I enjoyed reading about Italy and the art.  Traveling to Italy is on my bucket list.  Hopefully one day! 

I definitely think some will enjoy this book and encourage anyone reading this review to read those of people who rated it higher than me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for my advanced review copy.  All opinions and thoughts are my own.

I could not finish this one quickly enough.  But this one was just so predictable that I could not become invested in the story.  Though there are lots of twists and turns, the characters were too manipulated and just plain irritating.  When I don’t like ANY of the characters, my enjoyment of a book is pretty much negligible.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my advanced review copy.  All opinions and thoughts are my own.

WWII historical fiction books are my new favorite and I really looked forward to reading this book.  You will experience life through Charlotte and her daughter, Vivi’s, time during WWII and after they escape to the United States.  It was interesting to read about the anti-semitism views in the US and something I was aware of, but had not given much thought.  It made my heart ache to think of the prejudices Vivi experienced.

The author does a great job of handling the back-and-forth of the two timelines.  I enjoyed that Vivi is encouraged to discover more about her heritage which, in turn, forces Charlotte to face her past and reveal her secrets.  Very moving story that I really enjoyed!

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Griffin for my advanced review copy.  All opinions and thoughts are my own.

I LOVE books based on the Cape!  I’ve been to Wellfleet and it is a wonderful town and great for a summer home.  This is a good book about family relationships and how siblings get along with each other.  Having three different points of view was presented well and it was great to get their differing opinions about the same incidences.

This is a tale that will expose you to trauma, love, hate, forgiveness…lots of emotional angst.  But that’s life and especially life with family.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s for my advanced review copy.  All opinions and thoughts are my own.