Category: 8.5/10

#BookReview The Next Ship Home by Heather Webb @msheatherwebb @Sourcebooks @sbkslandmark #TheNextShipHome #HeatherWebb #bookmarkedbylandmark

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#BookReview The Next Ship Home by Heather Webb @msheatherwebb @Sourcebooks @sbkslandmark #TheNextShipHome #HeatherWebb #bookmarkedbylandmark Title: The Next Ship Home

Author: Heather Webb

Published by: Sourcebooks Landmark on Feb. 8, 2022

Genres: Historical Fiction

Pages: 432

Format: Paperback

Source: Sourcebooks Landmark

Book Rating: 8.5/10

Ellis Island, 1902: Two women band together to hold America to its promise: “Give me your tired, your poor…”

Ellis Island, 1902. Francesca arrives on the shores of America, her sights set on a better life than the one she left in Italy. That same day, aspiring linguist Alma reports to her first day of work at the immigrant processing center. Ellis, though, is not the refuge it first appears thanks to President Roosevelt’s attempts to deter crime. Francesca and Alma will have to rely on each other to escape its corruption and claim the American dreams they were promised.

A thoughtful historical inspired by true events, this novel probes America’s history of prejudice and exclusion—when entry at Ellis Island promised a better life but often delivered something drastically different, immigrants needed strength, resilience, and friendship to fight for their futures.

Review:

Fascinating, compelling, and memorable!

The Next Ship Home is an immersive tale that sweeps you away to New York City during 1902 and into the life of two women, Francesca Ricci, a young Italian girl who dreams of a better life in America only to suffer persecution and unimaginable loss in the shadows of the statue of liberty, and Alma Brauer, a young American woman with a passion for languages and a new job on Elis Island that, she quickly learns is not a place for immigrants to feel welcome and supported, but rather a building where corruption is rampant and abuse is prolific.

The prose is vivid and rich. The characters are flawed, driven, and engaging. And the plot is a poignant, tender tale of life, loss, love, hope, prejudice, politics, family, sacrifices, tragedy, abusive power, successes, and female friendship.

Overall, The Next Ship Home is an absorbing, moving, beautifully written tale by Webb inspired by real-life events that, at its heart, highlights that sometimes a little kindness, a bit of luck, and a lot of hard work and determination can make a world of difference, and reminds us that even though we’ve come so far when it comes to exclusion and racism, we still have a ways to go.

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

            

 

 

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Heather Webb

Heather Webb is the USA Today bestselling and award-winning author of seven historical novels. In 2015, Rodin’s Lover was a Goodread’s Top Pick, and in 2018, Last Christmas in Paris won the Women’s Fiction Writers Association STAR Award. Meet Me in Monaco, was selected as a finalist for the 2020 Goldsboro RNA award in the UK, as well as the 2019 Digital Book World’s Fiction prize. To date, Heather’s books have been translated to sixteen languages. She lives in New England with her family, a mischievous kitten, and one feisty rabbit.

Photo courtesy of Author's Website.

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#BookReview The Midnight Ride by Ben Mezrich @benmezrich @GrandCentralPub @HBGCanada #TheMidnightRide #BenMezrich

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#BookReview The Midnight Ride by Ben Mezrich @benmezrich @GrandCentralPub @HBGCanada #TheMidnightRide #BenMezrich Title: The Midnight Ride

Author: Ben Mezrich

Published by: Grand Central Publishing on Feb. 22, 2022

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 304

Format: Hardcover

Source: Grand Central Publishing

Book Rating: 8.5/10

From the celebrated, New York Times bestselling author comes a commercial thriller of an MIT grad student who unwittingly uncovers the hidden connection between the Gardner Museum heist and the most fascinating secret in American history.

THE CARD SHARK: Hailey Gordon is looking to make some fast cash to help pay her tuition when she’s caught counting cards at the Encore casino in Boston. She grabs her winnings and makes her escape. With guards closing in, she dives into an unlocked room to hide . . . only to find a dead body.

THE EX-CON: Recently released from prison, Nick Patterson hasn’t felt hope in a long time, but the job he “inherited” in prison promises to change that. He enters hotel room 633 to find that the person he was supposed to meet has been murdered. Next to the corpse stands a terrified young woman—Hailey Gordon.

THE PROFESSOR: American history professor Adrian Jensen learns of the death of his professional nemesis, Charles Walker, the night after he received Walker’s latest research. Skeptical at first, Adrian nearly deletes the file. But when one small, new detail catches his eye, he makes it his mission to uncover what could be one of the biggest secrets of the Revolutionary War.

All three strangers find themselves on the cusp of an incredible discovery—one that someone is willing to kill to keep buried.

Review:

Sinister, tense, and highly entertaining!

The Midnight Ride is a propulsive, ominous tale that takes us on a journey into the lives of three strangers, Hailey Gordon, an MIT grad student with an exceptional mind for numbers and a special talent for counting cards, Nick Patterson, a recently paroled con man with a new job already planned that he’s sure will go off without a hitch, and Adrian Jensen, a Tufts professor of American history who specializes in all things Paul Revere, as their paths accidentally collide in a race to uncover a secret of unimaginable importance that seems to have been hidden since the Revolutionary War.

The writing is brisk and sharp. The characters are intelligent, determined, and impulsive. And the plot is an action-packed thrill ride full of twists, turns, surprises, adventure, manipulation, danger, historical events, code-breaking, violence, and murder.

Overall, The Midnight Ride is an intense, suspenseful, fast-paced read by Mezrich that I thoroughly enjoyed and which reminded me a little of the National Treasure movies that I absolutely adore.

 

This book is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

            

 

 

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Ben Mezrich

Ben Mezrich is the New York Times bestselling author of The Accidental Billionaires (adapted by Aaron Sorkin into the David Fincher film The Social Network) and Bringing Down the House (adapted into the #1 box office hit film 21), as well as many other bestselling books. His books have sold over six million copies worldwide.

Photo courtesy of grandcentralpublishing.com

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#BookReview Electric Idol by Katee Robert @katee_robert @SourcebooksCasa #KateeRobert #ElectricIdol #DarkOlympus #SourcebooksCasa

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#BookReview Electric Idol by Katee Robert @katee_robert @SourcebooksCasa #KateeRobert #ElectricIdol #DarkOlympus #SourcebooksCasa Title: Electric Idol

Author: Katee Robert

Series: Dark Olympus #2

Published by: Sourcebooks Casablanca on Jan. 18, 2022

Genres: Contemporary Romance, Fantasy

Pages: 375

Format: Paperback

Source: Sourcebooks Casablanca

Book Rating: 8.5/10

He was the most beautiful man alive.
And if I wasn’t careful, he was going to be my death.

*A scorchingly hot modern retelling of Psyche and Eros that’s as sinful as it is sweet.*

In the ultra-modern city of Olympus, there’s always a price to pay. Psyche knew she’d have to face Aphrodite’s ire eventually, but she never expected her literal heart to be at stake…or for Aphrodite’s gorgeous son to be the one ordered to strike the killing blow.

Eros has no problem shedding blood. But when it comes time to take out his latest target, he can’t do it. Confused by his reaction to Psyche, he does the only thing he can think of to keep her safe: he marries her. Psyche vows to make Eros’s life a living hell until they find a way out of this mess. But as lines blur and loyalties shift, she realizes he might take her heart after all…and she’s not sure she can survive the loss.

Review:

Witty, dark, and wickedly seductive!

Electric Idol is a steamy, provocative retelling that takes you on a journey into the life of Psyche Dimitriou, a candidate to become the new Hera who, after causing a scandal and falling under the wrath of Aphrodite, finds herself needing the protection of a fake marriage to the one man, Aphrodite’s fixer and son, Eros who has literally been sent to take her heart.

The writing is fluid and enticing. The characters are consumed, sassy, and endearing. And the plot is a delightfully salacious tale of desire, temptation, mystique, attraction, chemistry, danger, and sizzling romance.

Overall, Electric Idol is an alluring, fun, spicy tale that I absolutely adored. It is the second title in the Dark Olympus series by Robert that I am now totally hooked on and is, in my opinion, a series that just keeps getting better and better.

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

         

 

Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Katee Robert

Katee Robert is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance and romantic suspense. Entertainment Weekly calls her writing “unspeakably hot.” Her books have sold over a million copies. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, children, a cat who thinks he’s a dog, and two Great Danes who think they’re lap dogs.

Photo courtesy of Author's Website.

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#BookReview The Deepest of Secrets (Rockton #7) by Kelley Armstrong @KelleyArmstrong @MinotaurBooks @StMartinsPress #TheDeepestofSecrets #KelleyArmstrong #CaseyDuncan #Rockton #RocktonNovels #MinotaurInfluencers #SMPInfluencers

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#BookReview The Deepest of Secrets (Rockton #7) by Kelley Armstrong @KelleyArmstrong @MinotaurBooks @StMartinsPress #TheDeepestofSecrets #KelleyArmstrong #CaseyDuncan #Rockton #RocktonNovels #MinotaurInfluencers #SMPInfluencers Title: The Deepest of Secrets

Author: Kelley Armstrong

Series: Rockton #7

Published by: Minotaur Books on Feb. 15, 2022

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 352

Format: ARC, Paperback

Source: Minotaur Books

Book Rating: 8.5/10

#1 New York Times bestseller Kelley Armstrong returns to the captivating town of Rockton in The Deepest of Secrets, the next installment in one of the most imaginative crime series on shelves today.

It’s not always easy to live in the hidden town of Rockton, something Detective Casey Duncan knows firsthand. Tucked away in the Yukon wilderness, the community survives—and thrives—because the residents’ many secrets stay just that—secret.

But what happens when these secrets start to come out? Overnight, no one is safe. It’s not a question of if your secret will come out—but when.

Casey and her boyfriend, Sheriff Eric Dalton, need to find the culprit while protecting those who have been thrust into the spotlight. For a place built on privacy and new beginnings, Rockton isn’t handling these revelations very well. People are turning on one another, and when one of the loudest complainers turns up barely alive, it’s clear that their trickster is actually a murderer.

The threat of exposure is reaching its breaking point, and no one knows what’s going to happen next.

Review:

Sinister, addictive, and highly entertaining!

The Deepest of Secrets is a gritty, unsettling tale that takes us back to the Yukon and into the small community of Rockton, a refuge and home to a variety of criminals from the south where histories are guarded, secrets are treasured, the governing council may be finally ready to pull the plug, and at least one individual with a penchant for burying people alive may have decided it’s time to uncover and reveal everyone’s past they’re desperately trying to keep hidden.

The writing is sharp and descriptive. The characters are crafty, intelligent, and driven. And the plot unfolds and unravels quickly into a suspenseful, action-packed tale full of twists, turns, manipulation, deception, desperation, duplicity, politics, red herrings, friendship, complex relationships, violence, and murder.

Overall, The Deepest of Secrets is another intricate, atmospheric, edgy addition to the Rockton series by Armstrong that ultimately left me enthralled, surprised, and undoubtedly confident that whatever happens next, Rockton will never be the same.

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or one of the following links.

            

 

 

Thank you to Minotaur Books for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Kelley Armstrong

Kelley Armstrong has been telling stories since before she could write. Her earliest written efforts were disastrous. If asked for a story about girls and dolls, hers would invariably feature undead girls and evil dolls, much to her teachers' dismay. All efforts to make her produce "normal" stories failed.

Today, she continues to spin tales of ghosts and demons and werewolves, while safely locked away in her basement writing dungeon. She's the author of the NYT-bestselling "Women of the Otherworld" paranormal suspense series and "Darkest Powers" young adult urban fantasy trilogy, as well as the Nadia Stafford crime series. Armstrong lives in southwestern Ontario with her husband, kids and far too many pets.

Photograph by Kathryn Hollinrake.

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#BookReview Real Easy by Marie Rutkoski @HenryHolt #RealEasy #MarieRutkoski #HenryHoltBooks

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#BookReview Real Easy by Marie Rutkoski @HenryHolt #RealEasy #MarieRutkoski #HenryHoltBooks Title: Real Easy

Author: Marie Rutkoski

Published by: Henry Holt and Co. on Jan. 18, 2022

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 320

Format: ARC, Paperback

Source: Henry Holt and Co.

Book Rating: 8.5/10

It’s 1999 and Samantha has danced for years at the Lovely Lady strip club. She’s not used to mixing work and friendship―after all, between her jealous boyfriend and his young daughter, she has enough on her plate. But the newest dancer is so clueless that Samantha feels compelled to help her learn the hustle and drama of the club: how to sweet-talk the boss, fit in with the other women, and make good money. One night, when the new girl needs a ride home, Samantha agrees to drive: a simple decision that turns deadly.

Georgia, another dancer drawn into the ensuing murder and missing person investigation, gathers information for Holly, a grieving detective determined to solve the case. Georgia just wants to help, but her involvement makes her a target. As Holly and Georgia round up their suspects, the story’s point of view shifts between dancers, detectives, children, club patrons―and the killer.

Drawing on her experience as a former dancer, Marie Rutkoski immerses us in the captivating world of the club, which comes alive with complicated people trying their best to protect themselves and those they love. Character-driven and masterfully plotted, Real Easy gets to the heart of the timeless question: How do women live their lives knowing that men can hurt them?

Review:

Intricate, addictive, and twisty!

Real Easy is a complex, gritty, character-driven thriller that takes you back to 1999 and into the lives of a myriad of people, including Detectives Amador and Meylin, as they work together to solve a case involving a murdered stripper, her missing coworker Samantha, and a killer who seems to have an unusual fascination with the image of a crown and enjoys keeping small pieces of jewellery as mementoes.

The prose is vigorous and tight. The characters are multilayered, flawed, and troubled. And the plot, told from multiple perspectives, quickly unravels into a sinister tale of unforeseen twists, well-timed surprises, complex relationships, suspicious motivations, manipulation, obsession, tragedy, loss, and murder.

Overall, Real Easy is a dark, unnerving, entertaining adult debut by Rutkoski that kept me guessing from the very first page and left me chilled, satisfied, impressed, and curious to see what her devious mind might come up with next.

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

           

 

 

 

Thank you to Henry Holt and Company for providing me with a copy of this story in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Marie Rutkoski

Marie Rutkoski is a New York Times bestselling author of several novels for children and young adults. She grew up in Illinois as the oldest of four children, and has lived in Moscow, Prague, and Paris.

She holds degrees from the University of Iowa and Harvard University, and is now a professor of English literature at Brooklyn College, where she teaches Shakespeare, children’s literature, and fiction writing. She lives in Brooklyn with her family and two cats, Cloud and Firefly.

Photo by Beowulf Sheehan.

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#BookReview A Winter Memory by Lulu Taylor @MissLuluTaylor @PGCBooks @panmacmillan #AWinterMemory #LuluTaylor

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#BookReview A Winter Memory by Lulu Taylor @MissLuluTaylor @PGCBooks @panmacmillan #AWinterMemory #LuluTaylor Title: A Winter Memory

Author: Lulu Taylor

Published by: Pan Macmillan on Jan. 4, 2022

Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 576

Format: Paperback

Source: Publishers Group Canada

Book Rating: 8.5/10

A house full of secrets lies at the heart of this absorbing family drama that is perfect for the winter months, from Sunday Times top ten bestselling author Lulu Taylor.

Where is Sylla? Why will no one tell me where she is?

Helen is married to Angus, the younger of the Ballintyre brothers. They met as students and Helen fell in love, not just with Angus but with the romantic Ballintyre family and their beautiful house on the edge of a loch. But marriage to Angus has not proved happy.

Now, years later and with a family, Helen and Angus have been forced to move back to live at Ballintyre with his older brother, Charlie. Helen is surprised to find that Sylla, Charlie’s wife, has disappeared and no one seems to know where she is. Helen is worried, not least because Charlie and Sylla lost their teenage daughter, Rose, only a year before. Surely someone should be looking for her . . .

Sylla Ballintyre has spent her life ministering to her husband, Charlie, and coping with the presence of his overbearing mother, Josephine, until the tragedy of losing Rose drained her happiness away. When she stumbles on the path to freedom, she knows she must take it, whatever the cost.

As Helen struggles with the fallout of recent events and its effect on her life, Ballintyre House becomes the setting for revelations of love, obsession and betrayal that have resonated beyond the present and into the past, affecting the lives of all those who have called it home.

Review:

Brooding, nostalgic, and heart-tugging!

A Winter Memory is predominantly set in the Scottish countryside during the late 1960s, as well as present day, and is told from two different perspectives, Tigs, a young woman struggling with the feelings she has for her childhood friend even after he goes off and marries someone else, and Helen, a wife and mother who finds her life unexpectedly turned upside down when her husband loses his job, they relocate to his family’s estate, and her sister-in-law seems to have up and disappeared without a trace.

The writing is descriptive and smooth. The characters are multilayered, secretive, and troubled. And the plot, including all the subplots, unravel and intertwine seamlessly into a mysterious tale filled with life, loss, secrets, betrayal, lies, obsession, friendship, misdirection, and unrequited love.

Overall, A Winter Memory is another atmospheric, rich, multi-generational family saga by Taylor that kept me engaged and entertained from the very first page and reminded me that life can be complicated, messy, challenging, too short, and often terribly heartbreaking.

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

         

 

 

Thank you to Publishers Group Canada for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Lulu Taylor

Lulu Taylor moved around the world as a child before her family settled in the Oxfordshire countryside. She studied English at Oxford University and had a successful career in publishing before becoming a writer. Her first novel, Heiresses was published in 2007 and nominated for the RNA Readers' Choice award. It was followed by Midnight Girls, Beautiful Creatures, Outrageous Fortune, The Winter Folly, The Snow Angel, The Winter Children, and The Snow Rose. She lives in Dorset, England, with her husband and two children.

Photograph by Alicia Clarke.

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#BookReview Neon Gods by Katee Robert @katee_robert @SourcebooksCasa #KateeRobert #NeonGods #DarkOlympus #SourcebooksCasa

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#BookReview Neon Gods by Katee Robert @katee_robert @SourcebooksCasa #KateeRobert #NeonGods #DarkOlympus #SourcebooksCasa Title: Neon Gods

Author: Katee Robert

Series: Dark Olympus #1

Published by: Sourcebooks Casablanca on Jun. 1, 2021

Genres: Contemporary Romance, Fantasy

Pages: 380

Format: Paperback

Source: Sourcebooks Casablanca

Book Rating: 8.5/10

He was supposed to be a myth. But from the moment I crossed the River Styx and fell under his dark spell… he was, quite simply, mine.

Society darling Persephone Dimitriou plans to flee the ultra-modern city of Olympus and start over far from the backstabbing politics of the Thirteen Houses. But all that’s ripped away when her mother ambushes her with an engagement to Zeus, the dangerous power behind their glittering city’s dark facade.

With no options left, Persephone flees to the forbidden undercity and makes a devil’s bargain with a man she once believed a myth… a man who awakens her to a world she never knew existed.

Hades has spent his life in the shadows, and he has no intention of stepping into the light. But when he finds that Persephone can offer a little slice of the revenge he’s spent years craving, it’s all the excuse he needs to help her—for a price. Yet every breathless night spent tangled together has given Hades a taste for Persephone, and he’ll go to war with Olympus itself to keep her close…

A modern retelling of Hades and Persephone that’s as sinful as it is sweet.

Review:

Titillating, edgy, and unique!

Neon Gods is a dramatic, spicy retelling that takes you on a journey into the life of Persephone Dimitriou, the dutiful, intelligent daughter of Demeter who, after finding out her marriage to the cruel, ancient Zeus has been arranged, flees to the only place she thinks she’ll be safe, across the River Styx, into the arms of the one man she never believed truly existed, the devilishly handsome, darkly sexy Hades.

The writing is sultry and smooth. The characters are intense, impulsive, and brazen. And the tantalizing, alluring plot is filled with desire, temptation, danger, deception, mystique, palpable attraction, sizzling chemistry, violence, and erotic sex scenes.

Overall, Neon Gods is an intriguing, seductive, mystical tale by Robert that had just the right amount of mystery, steam, mythology characters, and bad boy vibes to keep me engaged from start to finish. As most of you know, I don’t read a lot of fantasy, and I have never read a novel by Katee Robert before, but I have to tell you I really enjoyed this one, and I can’t wait to read what happens in Dark Olympus next.

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

         

 

Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Katee Robert

Katee Robert is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance and romantic suspense. Entertainment Weekly calls her writing “unspeakably hot.” Her books have sold over a million copies. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, children, a cat who thinks he’s a dog, and two Great Danes who think they’re lap dogs.

Photo courtesy of Author's Website.

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#BookReview The Lobotomist’s Wife by Samantha Greene Woodruff @wunderkindPR #TheLobotomistsWife #SamanthaGreeneWoodruff

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#BookReview The Lobotomist’s Wife by Samantha Greene Woodruff @wunderkindPR #TheLobotomistsWife #SamanthaGreeneWoodruff Title: The Lobotomist's Wife

Author: Samantha Greene Woodruff

Published by: Lake Union Publishing on Feb. 1, 2021

Genres: Historical Fiction

Pages: 298

Format: ARC, eBook

Source: Wunderkind PR

Book Rating: 8.5/10

An enthralling historical novel of a compassionate and relentless woman, a cutting-edge breakthrough in psychiatry, and a nightmare in the making.

Since her brother took his life after WWI, Ruth Emeraldine has had one goal: to help those suffering from mental illness. Then she falls in love with charismatic Robert Apter—a brilliant doctor championing a radical new treatment, the lobotomy. Ruth believes in it as a miracle treatment and in Robert as its genius pioneer. But as her husband spirals into deluded megalomania, Ruth can’t ignore her growing suspicions. Robert is operating on patients recklessly, often with horrific results. And a vulnerable young mother, Margaret Baxter, is poised to be his next victim.

Margaret can barely get out of bed, let alone care for her infant. When Dr. Apter diagnoses her with the baby blues and proposes a lobotomy, she believes the procedure is her only hope. Only Ruth can save her—and scores of others—from the harrowing consequences of Robert’s ambitions.

Inspired by a shocking chapter in medical history, The Lobotomist’s Wife is a galvanizing novel of a woman fighting against the most grievous odds, of ego, and of the best intentions gone horribly awry.

Review:

Detailed, fascinating, and alluring!

The Lobotomist’s Wife is an immersive tale that sweeps you away to mid-1900s New York and into the life of Ruth Emeraldine, an intelligent woman ahead of her time whose goal in life since her brother’s death is to ease the pain of those suffering from mental illness and whom after marrying the charismatic Robert Apter and being swept away by his enthusiasm and charm encourages and supports him in his work to relieve severe anxiety through the use of a new technique known as lobotomy.

The prose is descriptive and smooth. The characters are wealthy, driven, and complex. And the plot is a vivid, absorbing tale of life, loss, love, hope, family, greed, mental illness, and the unconscionable theory of lobotomy as a beneficial treatment.

Overall, The Lobotomist’s Wife is an insightful, well-written, shocking tale by Woodruff loosely based on real-life events that does an exceptional job of highlighting her considerable knowledge and impressive research into this barbaric practice used to, unbelievably, treat almost sixty thousand people in the US alone between 1936 and 1972.

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

         

 

 

Thank you to Wunderkind PR for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Samantha Greene Woodruff

Samantha Greene Woodruff has a BA in history from Wesleyan University and an MBA from the NYU Stern School of Business. She spent most of her career telling stories to executives at MTV Networks as the senior vice president of strategy and business development and, subsequently, audience research for the Nickelodeon Kids & Family Group. After leaving corporate life, she pursued her varied passions, teaching yoga, cooking, and taking classes at the Writing Institute at Sarah Lawrence College. It was here that she combined her multifaceted background with her wild imagination and passion for history, reading, and writing. The Lobotomist’s Wife is her first historical fiction novel, and she is already at work on her next book. Sam lives in southern Connecticut with her husband, two children, and two dogs.

Photo courtesy of Author's Goodreads Page.

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#BookReview Annie Stanley, All At Sea by Sue Teddern @PGCBooks @MantleBooks #AnnieStanleyAllAtSea #SueTeddern

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#BookReview Annie Stanley, All At Sea by Sue Teddern @PGCBooks @MantleBooks #AnnieStanleyAllAtSea #SueTeddern Title: Annie Stanley, All At Sea

Author: Sue Teddern

Published by: Mantle Books on Feb. 1, 2022

Genres: Women's Fiction

Pages: 368

Format: Hardcover

Source: Publishers Group Canada

Book Rating: 8.5/10

Will losing her dad be the thing that finally prompts Annie Stanley to find herself?

Only she could decide to say goodbye by stealing her father’s ashes and taking him on one last adventure . . .

Annie Stanley is single, unemployed and just a bit stuck when her beloved father dies unexpectedly. Furious at her stepmother’s plans to scatter his ashes somewhere of no emotional significance, Annie seizes the urn and, on a whim, decides to take it on a tour of the thirty-one sea areas that make up the shipping forecast, which her father used to love, despite spending his life in landlocked St Albans.

Travelling around the coastline of Britain searching for the perfect place to say goodbye, Annie meets a unique cast of characters and reconnects with various figures from her past. As she works through her grief and tries to fix her combative relationship with both her stepmother and her sister, she starts to wonder if it might be time to re-think some of the other decisions in her life – including breaking up with her ex . . . but is it too late for a second chance?

A novel about love, loss and the importance of living life to the full, Annie Stanley, All at Sea by Sue Teddern is proof that it’s often the most difficult moments in life that show us what really matters.

Review:

Charming, witty, and uplifting!

Annie Stanley, All At Sea is a sweet, hopeful, delightfully moving tale that takes you into the life of the lonely, grief-stricken Annie Stanley as she unexpectedly embarks on a journey with her father’s ashes to the coastal towns featured in the shipping forecast her father loved and where along the way she’ll end up confronting the past, facing some tough truths, finding peace and contentment, and ultimately discovering her true self.

The prose is smooth and light. The characters are quirky, endearing, and genuine. And the plot is a touching, adventurous tale about life, loss, family, friendship, independence, heartbreak, grief, self-discovery, and love.

Overall, Annie Stanley, All At Sea is one of those books that snuck up and caught me by surprise and was much better than I ever expected. It’s a lovely, emotive, absorbing read by Teddern that reminds us to always live life to the fullest and never be afraid to try something new.

 

This book is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

            

 

 

Thank you to PGC Books for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Sue Teddern

Sue Teddern has been a window dresser, a secretary, a feature writer and a university lecturer. She has over twenty years' scriptwriting experience from episodes of Birds of a Feather for TV and Cooking in a Bedsitter for radio. Annie Stanley, All At Sea is her first novel. She is married and lives in Hove.

Photo courtesy of panmacmillan.com

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#BookReview The Marvelous Monroe Girls by Shirley Jump @readforeverpub @grandcentralpub #ReadForever #ReadForeverPub #ReadForever2022 #TheMarvelousMonroeGirls #ShirleyJump

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#BookReview The Marvelous Monroe Girls by Shirley Jump @readforeverpub @grandcentralpub #ReadForever #ReadForeverPub #ReadForever2022 #TheMarvelousMonroeGirls #ShirleyJump Title: The Marvelous Monroe Girls

Author: Shirley Jump

Series: Harbor Cove #1

Published by: Forever on Jan. 11, 2022

Genres: Contemporary Romance, Women's Fiction

Pages: 336

Format: Paperback

Source: Forever

Book Rating: 8.5/10

A heartwarming story of sisterhood, second chances, and falling in love

Gabriella Monroe is doing her best to pretend that everything is fine, but her life is a mess. Sales are down at her vintage dress shop, her beloved grandmother isn’t her usual spunky self, and Gabby desperately misses the closeness she had with her sisters, Margaret and Emma—who were once so inseparable that their family called them the Monroe Musketeers.  

When the sisters stumble across a stash of letters that reveals their grandmother’s secret life, Gabby sees an opportunity to bring the sisters back together again and best of all, raise her grandmother’s spirits. And sure, this new project makes it easier to pretend her own life isn’t crashing around her, but concentrating on helping everyone else and ignoring her own feelings is what Gabby does best.

Except when it comes to Jake Maddox. Once the boy next door she crushed on—hard—he’s grown into an even more intriguing man, and her attraction to him isn’t so easy to hide. It’s clear he’s just as interested in her, but dating Jake would only muddy up her already complicated life. Or is it finally time to put herself first and risk it all for a chance at happiness?

Review:

Optimistic, warm, and sweet!

The Marvelous Monroe Girls is a winsome, compelling tale that takes us to the small town of Harbor Cove and into the life of the unsettled, troubled Gabriella Monroe as she meanders through all sorts of highs and lows from struggling to keep her vintage dress shop open and solvent, recovering from a disastrous love affair that shattered her self esteem, working on the strained relationships she seems to have with her sisters, secretly trying to help those in the community in order to raise her grandmother’s spirits, and navigating the new blossoming feelings she’s having for her handsome, best friend, Jake.

The writing is smooth and polished. The characterization is spot on with a whole slew of characters that are genuine, multi-layered and intriguing. And the plot unravels and intertwines effortlessly into a tender tale about life, love, loss, family, secrets, friendship, grief, sisterhood, romance, and finding happiness.

Overall, The Marvelous Monroe Girls is an uplifting, quaint, entertaining tale by Jump that is the first novel I’ve read by this author, but it certainly won’t be my last. It’s a wonderful start for this new Harbor Cove series with its well-developed characters and refreshing storyline, and I can’t wait to read what will happen next.

 

This novel is available now.

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Thank you to Forever and Grand Central Publishing for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Shirley Jump

When she's not writing books, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Shirley Jump competes in triathlons, mostly because all that training lets her justify mid-day naps and a second slice of chocolate cake. She's published more than 75 books in 24 languages, although she's too geographically challenged to find any of those countries on a map.

Photo courtesy of read-forever.com

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