Source: Forever

#BookReview The Three Lives of Alix St. Pierre by Natasha Lester @HBGCanada @readforeverpub @grandcentralpub #ReadForever #ReadForever2022 #NatashaLester #TheThreeLivesofAlixStPierre #HBGCanada

#BookReview The Three Lives of Alix St. Pierre by Natasha Lester @HBGCanada @readforeverpub @grandcentralpub #ReadForever #ReadForever2022 #NatashaLester #TheThreeLivesofAlixStPierre #HBGCanada Title: The Three Lives of Alix St. Pierre

Author: Natasha Lester

Published by: Forever on Jan. 10, 2023

Genres: Historical Fiction

Pages: 432

Format: Hardcover

Source: Forever, HBG Canada

Book Rating: 10/10

New York Times bestselling author Natasha Lester delivers an unforgettable story of an orphan turned WWII spy turned fashion icon in Paris—perfect for fans of Kate Quinn and Fiona Davis.
 
Alix St. Pierre. An unforgettable name for an unforgettable woman. She grew up surrounded by Hollywood glamor, but, as an orphan, never truly felt part of that world. In 1943, with WWII raging and men headed overseas to fight, she lands a publicity job to recruit women into the workforce. Her skills—persuasion, daring, quick-witted under pressure—catch the attention of the U.S. government and she finds herself with an even bigger assignment: sent to Switzerland as a spy. Soon Alix is on the precipice of something big, very big. But how far can she trust her German informant…?
 
After an Allied victory that didn’t come nearly soon enough, Alix moves to Paris, ready to immerse herself in a new position as director of publicity for the yet-to-be-launched House of Dior. In the glamorous halls of the French fashion house, she can nearly forget everything she lost and the dangerous secret she carries. But when a figure from the war reappears and threatens to destroy her future, Alix realizes that only she can right the wrongs of the past …and finally find justice.

Review:

Sincere, vivid, and engaging!

The Three Lives of Alix St. Pierre is a gripping, heartfelt story set predominantly in Switzerland and France between 1942 and 1947 that takes you into the life of Alix St. Pierre, a young woman who spends the last few years of the war working for the OSS as a spy in Bern helping to create a secure courier line for the Italian partisans, and the next few years post WWII working as hard as she can to make the new Maison Christian Dior a worldwide phenomenon as his Directrice of the Service de la Presse while also using her spare time to hunt down the Nazi informant who shattered her world and left her responsible for the needless slaughtering of nine lives, two of whom she deeply cared for.

The prose is polished and eloquent. The characters are driven, tormented, and resilient. And the plot, including all the subplots, intertwine and unravel effortlessly into a sweeping saga of life, loss, heartbreak, betrayal, secrets, espionage, danger, survival, tragedy, friendship, and a touch of romance.

As a historical fiction lover for the past few years Natasha Lester’s books have been some of my all-time favourites, and even though I didn’t think it was possible to love another one of her books more than the ones I’ve already read, she proved me wrong. The Three Lives of Alix St. Pierre is an unbelievable story that captured me from the very first page, and not only did I devour it, I absolutely loved it!

This novel is available now.

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

            

 

 

Thank you to HBG Canada & Forever for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Natasha Lester

Natasha Lester is a USA Today, internationally best-selling author. Prior to writing, she worked as a marketing executive for L’Oreal, managing the Maybelline brand, before returning to university to study creative writing.

Her first historical novel, the bestselling A Kiss from Mr Fitzgerald, was published in 2016. This was followed by Her Mother’s Secret in 2017 and The Paris Seamstress in 2018. The French Photographer is her latest book (note: this will be published as The Paris Orphan in North America in September 2019).

Natasha's books have been published in the US, the UK, Australia and throughout Europe. She lives in Perth, Western Australia with her 3 children and loves travelling, Paris, vintage fashion and, of course, books.

Photograph courtesy of Goodreads Author Page.

#BookReview The Lost Children by Shirley Dickson @ReadForeverPub #ReadForever #ReadForever2022 #ShirleyDickson #TheLostChildren

#BookReview The Lost Children by Shirley Dickson @ReadForeverPub #ReadForever #ReadForever2022 #ShirleyDickson #TheLostChildren Title: The Lost Children

Author: Shirley Dickson

Published by: Forever on Jul. 26, 2022

Genres: Historical Fiction

Pages: 368

Format: Paperback

Source: Forever

Book Rating: 8.5/10

For readers of Natasha Lester and Pam Jenoff comes a poignant and heart-wrenching tale of two orphans in a world at war, with only each other to rely on—but can their bond survive the shocking truth of their past?
 
England, 1943: Home is no longer safe for eight-year-old twins Molly and Jacob. Night after night, wailing bombs and screeching planes skim the rooftops overhead. Their mother, Martha, has no choice but to evacuate them to the safety of the countryside, even if it means she might never see them again. At the train station, she gives Jacob a letter, telling him only to read it if they are in danger.

In the country, Molly and Jacob must adjust to life with strangers. But then the unimaginable happens. Martha is killed in an explosion, leaving the twins all alone in the world. Motherless and destitute, the siblings face the grim reality of life in an orphanage.

The time has finally come for Jacob to open the letter. What secret does it hold, and could it change the course of their tragic fate? Because if they are together, they can survive anything—but what if they are torn apart?


Review:

Immersive, heart-tugging, and sweet!

The Lost Children is a captivating, heartwrenching tale set in England during 1943 that takes you into the lives of eight-year-old twins Molly and Jacob who, after losing their grandmother and with their mother away working to make ends meet, are sent to the British countryside to live for the duration of the war, until tragedy strikes once again and more permanent lodgings, security, and love are required.

The prose is vivid and smooth. The characters are resilient, brave, and endearing. And the plot is a poignant tale about life, loss, family, secrets, separation, desperation, tragedy, grief, friendship, physical disabilities, and the horrors and hardships of war.

Overall, The Lost Children is a hopeful, heartwarming, moving tale by Dickson that is a wonderful choice for anyone who would love to be swept away into a well-written historical fiction novel told uniquely from the children’s perspectives.

 

This novel is available now.

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

         

 

 

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

 

About Shirley Dickson

Shirley Dickson lives under the big skies of Northumberland, United Kingdom with her husband, family, and lucky black cat. She wrote her first short story at the age of ten for a childrens’ magazine competition. She didn’t win but was hooked on writing for a lifetime. For many years she wrote poetry and short stories and got many rejection slips. Shirley decided to get serious about writing novels when she retired. The Orphan Sisters is her first published novel. Shirley says she is a prime example of “never give up on your dream.”

#BookReview Until We Meet by Camille Di Maio @readforeverpub @grandcentralpub #ReadForever #ReadForeverPub #ReadForever2022 #UntilWeMeet #CamilleDiMaio

#BookReview Until We Meet by Camille Di Maio @readforeverpub @grandcentralpub #ReadForever #ReadForeverPub #ReadForever2022 #UntilWeMeet #CamilleDiMaio Title: Until We Meet

Author: Camille Di Maio

Published by: Forever on Mar. 1, 2022

Genres: Historical Fiction

Pages: 384

Format: Paperback

Source: Forever

Book Rating: 8.5/10

A poignant and page-turning story of three women whose lives are forever changed by war.…

New York City, 1943

Can one small act change the course of a life? Margaret’s job at the Navy Yard brings her freedoms she never dared imagine, but she wants to do something more personal to help the war effort. Knitting socks for soldiers is a way to occupy her quiet nights and provide comfort to the boys abroad. But when a note she tucks inside one of her socks sparks a relationship with a long-distance pen pal, she finds herself drawn to a man she’s never even met.

Can a woman hold on to her independence if she gives away her heart? Gladys has been waiting her whole life for the kinds of opportunities available to her now that so many men are fighting overseas. She’s not going to waste a single one. And she’s not going to let her two best friends waste them either. Then she meets someone who values her opinions as much as she likes giving them, and suddenly she is questioning everything she once held dear.

Can an unwed mother survive on her own? Dottie is in a dire situation—she’s pregnant, her fiancé is off fighting the war, and if her parents find out about the baby, they’ll send her away and make her give up her child. Knitting helps take her mind off her uncertain future—until the worst happens and she must lean on her friends like never before.

With their worlds changing in unimaginable ways, Margaret, Gladys, and Dottie will learn that the unbreakable bond of friendship between them is what matters most of all.


Review:

Compelling, rich, and moving!

Until We Meet is an absorbing, touching tale set in NY during WWII that takes you into the lives of three main characters. Margaret, a practical young woman honoured to be working at the Brooklyn Shipyard on the USS Missouri, knitting socks for those overseas fighting, and corresponding back-and-forth with one of her brother’s fellow soldiers; Gladys, an independent gal determined to do whatever it takes to show that women are more than capable of doing anything that men can do; and Dottie, a sweet, pregnant young lady whose looking forward to her fiancé coming home from the war so they can finally get married and live the life they were meant to live.

The prose is fluid and expressive. The characters are spirited, hardworking, and brave. And the plot is an immersive tale of life, loss, love, hope, grief, family, sacrifices, war, new beginnings, friendship, and a touch of romance.

Overall, Until We Meet is a well-written, tender, lovely tale by Di Maio that does a wonderful job of reminding us just how much hope and joy can be reaped from the little things in life.

 

This novel is available now.

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

            

 

 

Thank you to Forever & Grand Central Publishing for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Camille Di Maio

Camille Di Maio left an award-winning real estate career to become a bestselling author. She has a bucket list that is never ending and uses her adventures to inspire her writing. She’s lived in Texas, Colorado, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and California, and spends enough time in Hawai‘i and Maine to feel like a local. She’s traveled to four continents (so far), and hopes to get to all of them someday. Camille studied political science in college. She loves to spend Saturdays at farmers’ markets and belts out Broadway tunes whenever the moment strikes. She lives with her husband of twenty-four years in coastal Virginia, has two kiddos grown and flown, and two still at home. Rescue pets have been a long-term passion for her, the most recent addition being a German shepherd puppy.

Photo credit: Christina Orosco

#BookReview Not Without My Sister by Marion Kummerow @ReadForeverPub #ReadForever #ReadForever2022 #MarionKummerow #NotWithoutMySister

#BookReview Not Without My Sister by Marion Kummerow @ReadForeverPub #ReadForever #ReadForever2022 #MarionKummerow #NotWithoutMySister Title: Not Without My Sister

Author: Marion Kummerow

Published by: Forever on Dec. 27, 2022

Genres: Historical Fiction

Pages: 272

Format: Paperback

Source: Forever

Book Rating: 9/10

In 1944, Germany, two sisters seek to overcome impossible odds in this unforgettable WWII novel about sisterhood, courage and survival.

All they had left was each other. Until the Nazis tore them apart.

After years of hiding from the Nazis, Rachel Epstein and her little sister Mindel are captured by the Gestapo and sent to the concentration camp at Bergen-Belsen. The only ray of light for either girl is that they are together.

But on arrival they are separated. As she’s seventeen and deemed an adult, Rachel is sent to work in a brutal factory while four‑year‑old Mindel is sent into the so‑called “star” camp for Jewish prisoners. Rachel knows her sister will have no chance of survival all on her own.
 
Working in the windowless, airless factory—filling munitions casings with chemicals that burn her fingers and make her eyes sting—the only thing that keeps Rachel going is the thought of her little sister. Because if there’s even a chance Mindel is alive, Rachel knows she must try to save her.

But, separated by barbed wire, and treated brutally by SS guards who do not even see them as human beings, can either of the orphaned sisters dare to hope that they’ll ever find their way back to each other? And to freedom?


Review:

Pensive, heart-wrenching, and evocative!

Not Without My Sister is a beautifully written, moving tale set during WWII that takes you into the lives of the Epstein sisters, two young Jewish girls from Bavaria who, due to a long-held promise and exceptional perseverance, manage to survive hell on earth, Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, and remarkably find each other and reunite upon liberation.

The prose is haunting and gritty. The characters are vulnerable, strong, and brave. And the plot is a poignant tale of life, loss, love, family, survival, sacrifice, courage, selflessness, the unimaginable horrors of war, and the special bond between sisters.

Overall, Not Without My Sister is a thought-provoking, immersive, touching tale by Kummerow that does a remarkable job of reminding us of the incredible ability of humanity to love and still be kind, compassionate, and resilient even in the face of unimaginable evil.

 

This novel is available December 27, 2022.

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

            

 

 

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

 

About Marion Kummerow

Marion Kummerow is a USA Today Bestselling author of historical fiction. Her books are filled with raw emotions, fierce loyalty and perpetual resilience. She loves to put her characters through the mangle, making them reach deep within to find the strength to face moral dilemma, make difficult decisions or fight for what is right. And she never forgets to include humor and undying love in her books, because ultimately love is what makes the world go round. Marion was born and raised in Germany, before she set out to "discover the world" and lived in various countries. In 1999 she returned to Germany and settled down in Munich where she's now living with her family.

#BookReview How to Win a Wallflower by Samara Parish @SamaraParish @readforeverpub @grandcentralpub #ReadForever #ReadForeverPub #ReadForever2022 #HowtoWinaWallflower #SamaraParish #RebelswithaCauseSeries

#BookReview How to Win a Wallflower by Samara Parish @SamaraParish @readforeverpub @grandcentralpub #ReadForever #ReadForeverPub #ReadForever2022 #HowtoWinaWallflower #SamaraParish #RebelswithaCauseSeries Title: How to Win a Wallflower

Author: Samara Parish

Series: Rebels with a Cause #3

Published by: Forever on Dec. 13, 2022

Genres: Historical Romance

Pages: 384

Format: Paperback

Source: Forever

Book Rating: 10/10

A wallflower will put everything on the line . . .

When John Barnesworth inherits unexpectedly, he abandons his solitude and returns to London to settle his brother’s affairs, only to discover his estates are crumbling and he is now betrothed to his brother’s unpleasant fiancée. Her dowry might save him from ruin, but at what cost? His only hope lies with the vivacious, charming Lady Charlotte Stirling, whose audacious solution to John’s troubles might actually work. If only he can keep his feelings for her out of the equation . . .

Lady Charlotte Stirling knows she can’t fall for John. He’s her brother’s best friend, he’s engaged to her mortal enemy, and he wants to return to America. Not to mention he’d never survive in her bustling social life. She can, however, try to solve his money problem. But the closer she gets to ensuring his freedom, the harder it is to let him go . . .


Review:

Seductive, scandalous, and entertaining!

How to Win a Wallflower is a playful, heartwarming tale that sweeps you away to London during 1825 and into the life of the shy, handsome, newly appointed Viscount Harrow, John Barnesworth who, after living a quiet life surrounded by his inventions in Boston, returns home to find his family’s estates in shatters and relying on the help of his best friend’s little sister, the beautiful Lady Charlotte Stirling who may have been secretly pining for him for years.

The prose is amusing and light. The characters are loyal, supportive, and endearing. And the plot is a delightfully enchanting tale full of friendship, family, societal expectations, scheming behaviour, tricky situations, desire, danger, and steamy romance.

Overall, How to Win a Wallflower is an addictive, charming, enticing tale by Parish that I absolutely devoured and which is another fantastic addition to what is hands down one of my all-time favourite historical romance series.

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from the following link.

              

 

 

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

 

About Samara Parish

Samara Parish has been escaping into fictional worlds since she was a child. When she picked up her first historical romance book, she found a fantasy universe she never wanted to leave and the inspiration to write her own stories. She lives in Australia with her own hero and their many fur-babies in a house with an obscenely large garden, despite historically being unable to keep a cactus alive. How to Survive a Scandal is her debut novel.

Photo by Amanda Hardwick.

#BookReview Something Blue by Heather McGovern @ReadForeverPub @GrandCentralPub #ReadForever #ReadForeverPub #ReadForever2022 #HeatherMcGovern #SomethingBlue #OrchardInn

#BookReview Something Blue by Heather McGovern @ReadForeverPub @GrandCentralPub #ReadForever #ReadForeverPub #ReadForever2022 #HeatherMcGovern #SomethingBlue #OrchardInn Title: Something Blue

Author: Heather McGovern

Series: Orchard Inn #1

Published by: Forever on Jun. 28, 2022

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 368

Format: Paperback

Source: Forever

Book Rating: 8/10

This wedding needs to be the event of the season. Unfortunately, the best man is doing everything he can to derail it . . .

Wedding planner Beth Shipley has seen it all: bridezillas, monster-in-laws, and last-minute jitters at the altar. But this wedding is different—and the stakes are much, much higher. Not only is her best friend the bride, but bookings at her family’s inn have been in free fall ever since an unfortunate food-poisoning incident. Beth’s got one chance to save her family’s business, and she knows she can do it. As long as she doesn’t let Sawyer Silva’s good looks and overprotective, overbearing older brother act distract her.

Sawyer learned firsthand that forever doesn’t last. So when his brother decides to race down the aisle with a woman he barely knows, Sawyer is determined to keep him from making the biggest mistake of his life. Yet the more time Sawyer spends around the passionate and hardworking Beth, the more trouble he has disentangling his feelings—about the wedding and the wedding planner. When Beth discovers Sawyer’s plans, can he convince her that his only real objection is to a future that doesn’t include her?


Review:

Amusing, sweet, and uplifting!

Something Blue is a charming, tenderhearted tale that transports you to the Texas Hill Country and into the life of the loyal, overworked Beth as she struggles to save her family’s inn, plan the perfect wedding for her best friend, and do whatever it takes to stop the groom’s older brother Garrett from ruining the upcoming nuptials with doubts, suspicions, and excessive pessimism.

The prose is smooth and light. The characters are fun-loving, hesitant, and protective. And the plot is a delightful blend of heart, humour, misunderstandings, family, friendship, tension, chemistry, awkward situations, taking chances, and finding the one.

Overall, Something Blue is an engaging, witty, cosy tale by McGovern that has just the right amount of emotion, passion, and drama to make this story a quick, easy, enjoyable read. 

 

This book is available now.

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

           

 

 

Thank you to Forever & Grand Central Publishing for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Heather McGovern

Heather McGovern writes contemporary romance in swoony settings. While her love of travel and adventure takes her far, there is no place like home. She lives in South Carolina with her husband and son, and one Maltipoo to rule them all. When she isn't writing, she enjoys hiking, scuba diving, going to Disney World, reading, and streaming her latest favorite on television.

#BookReview Daughters of War by Lizzie Page @ReadForeverPub #ReadForever #ReadForever2022 #LizziePage #DaughtersofWar #TheWarNurses

#BookReview Daughters of War by Lizzie Page @ReadForeverPub #ReadForever #ReadForever2022 #LizziePage #DaughtersofWar #TheWarNurses Title: Daughters of War

Author: Lizzie Page

Series: The War Nurses #2

Published by: Forever on Dec. 7, 2021

Genres: Historical Fiction

Pages: 384

Format: Paperback

Source: Forever

Book Rating: 8.5/10

USA Today bestselling author Lizzie Page delivers a gripping historical drama about a mother fighting for her daughters and her country in the midst of a World War, perfect for fans of Natasha Lester and Shirley Dickson.
 
As a teenager in Chicago, May always dreamed of traveling the world. So when she falls in love with George Turner, she can’t wait to return to London as his wife. Two beautiful daughters follow, but George isn’t the husband he promised to be. Ten years on, May is wondering if she’s made a terrible mistake.
 
The Great War has been declared in Europe, and all around, brave young men are being called up to serve. George, banned from conscription himself, has taken to the bottle, and May suspects he’s seeing other women too. He even sends her beloved daughters away to school. She misses them terribly every day. But then May meets veteran nurse Elsie, who persuades her to join the war effort. May knows nothing of nursing — it will be difficult, dangerous work, but her heart is telling her it’s the right thing to do and the only way to carve out a life for herself and her daughters away from George.
 
But when George does the unthinkable, May’s children are put at risk. Miles away on the front line and unable to reach them, will May be reunited with her little girls before it’s too late?

Review:

Intense, emotional, and immersive!

Daughters of War is a captivating, touching tale set predominantly in German-Occupied France during WWI that takes you into the life of May Turner, a young mother living a lonely existence in a loveless marriage who, after befriending a veteran nurse, decides to volunteer herself and head to France even with the threat that the world she knows and loves may be gone by the time she comes home.

The prose is seamless and vivid. The characters are driven, courageous, and dependable. And the plot is an insightful, moving tale of life, loss, heartbreak, secrets, self-discovery, determination, hope, loyalty, motherhood, survival, friendship, love, and war.

Overall, Daughters of War is an alluring, rich, compelling novel by Page that transports you to another time and place and immerses you so thoroughly into the feelings, lives, and personalities of the characters you can’t help but be enthralled and fully invested from start to finish.

 

This novel is available now.

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

           

 

 

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

 

About Lizzie Page

Lizzie Page lives in a seaside town in Essex, England where she grew up. After studying politics at University, she worked as an English teacher, first in Paris and then in Tokyo, for five years. Back in England, she tried and failed various jobs, before enjoying studying a masters in creative writing at Goldsmiths College. Lizzie loves reading historical and modern fiction, watching films, and travelling. Her husband Steve, three lovely children, and Lenny the cockapoo all conspire to stop her writing!

#BookReview The Lilac House by Barbara Josselsohn @ReadForeverPub @GrandCentralPub #ReadForever #ReadForeverPub #ReadForever2022 #BarbaraJosselsohn #TheLilacHouse #LakeSummers

#BookReview The Lilac House by Barbara Josselsohn @ReadForeverPub @GrandCentralPub #ReadForever #ReadForeverPub #ReadForever2022 #BarbaraJosselsohn #TheLilacHouse #LakeSummers Title: The Lilac House

Author: Barbara Josselsohn

Series: Lake Summers #1

Published by: Forever on Dec. 14, 2021

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 288

Format: Paperback

Source: Forever

Book Rating: 8/10

Summer brought Anna and Aidan together, but can she finally let go of the past for a chance at a new beginning?

Lilac House has always been a source of comfort for Anna Harris. Though things will never be the same since her husband’s death, she knows the cottage, nestled in Lake Summers in the heart of the Adirondack Mountains, will be the perfect place for her and her two children to build a new life.

The house is just as beautiful as Anna remembers, and soon she’s caught up in the rhythm of small-town life, helping her Aunt Hope run the little shop on Main Street and beginning to finally feel like herself again. Then she meets Aidan. Handsome, strong and quiet, he also knows what it’s like to lose someone. In each other they recognize something they’ve both been missing…and a spark of undeniable attraction.

But Aidan’s past holds a different set of complications. He’s hiding a secret about why he came to Lake Summers. And just as the Lilac House starts to feel like home, Anna learns something devastating about her husband’s death that will make her question everything she’s always known to be true.


Review:

Heartwarming, sweet, and uplifting!

The Lilac House is a heartfelt, tender story set in the idyllic Lake Summers that takes you into the life of Anna, a young mother of two juggling to come to grips with losing the love of her life, raising her children alone, and one last trip to the summer house to put the all the memories finally to rest, and Aidan, a young widower himself who has recently moved to this small, cosy town to keep his son and himself under the radar and away from the troubles waiting for him back in his hometown.

The prose is light and hopeful. The characters are lonely, helpful, and considerate. And the plot is a reflective, engaging tale about life, loss, love, marriage, parenthood, family, friendship, attraction, grief, happiness, community, self-discovery, mental illness, taking chances, new beginnings, and small-town living.

Overall, The Lilac House is a sentimental, charming, optimistic tale by Josselsohn that is definitely a lovely start to the Lake Summer series with its endearing characters and heartening storyline.

 

This book is available now.

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

         

 

 

Thank you to Forever & Grand Central Publishing for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Barbara Josselsohn

Barbara Josselsohn loves crafting stories about strong protagonists facing a fork in the road. She is the author of the Lake Summers series, which is set in the fictional town of Lake Summers, nestled in the Adirondack Mountains, and includes the books The Lilac House, The Bluebell Girls, The Lily Garden, and The Cranberry Inn. Her debut novel was The Last Dreamer, and she is also the author of hundreds of articles and essays in major and specialty publications about family, home, and relationships. She lives just north of New York City and enjoys escaping to the beach or the mountains whenever she can. Other than writing, her biggest passion is her husband and her three kids.

Photo Credit: Andrea Harnick Tuchman

#BookReview The Tuscan Secret by Angela Petch @ReadForeverPub #ReadForever #ReadForever2022 #AngelaPetch #TheTuscanSecret

#BookReview The Tuscan Secret by Angela Petch @ReadForeverPub #ReadForever #ReadForever2022 #AngelaPetch #TheTuscanSecret Title: The Tuscan Secret

Author: Angela Petch

Published by: Forever on Apr. 5, 2022

Genres: Historical Fiction

Pages: 368

Format: Paperback

Source: Forever

Book Rating: 9/10

This sweeping historical novel from a bestselling author follows the lives of two generations of women, the secrets they keep, their sacrifices for love, and the heartbreaking betrayals they encounter—perfect for fans of Kelly Rimmer and Natasha Lester.​

Il Mulino. An old crumbling mill, by a winding river, nestled in the Tuscan mountains. An empty home that holds memories of homemade pasta and Nonna’s stories by the fire, and later: the Nazi invasion, and a family torn apart by a heartbreaking betrayal.

Anna is distraught when her beloved mother, Ines, passes away. She inherits a box of papers, handwritten in Italian and yellowed with age, and a tantalizing promise that the truth about what happened during the war lies within. The diaries lead Anna to the small village of Rofelle, where she slowly starts to heal as she explores sun-kissed olive groves, and pieces together her mother’s past: memories of homemade pasta, Nonna’s stories by the fire, and happy days spent herding sheep across Tuscan meadows cruelly interrupted when World War II erupted and the Nazis arrived. Her mother fleeing her home to join the Resistenza and risking everything to protect an injured British soldier who captured her heart. But Anna is no closer to learning the truth . . . What sent Ines running from her adored homeland?

When she meets an elderly Italian gentleman living in a deserted hamlet, who flinches at her mother’s name and refuses to speak English, Anna is sure he knows more about the devastating secret that tore apart her mother’s family. But in this small Tuscan community, some wartime secrets were never meant to be uncovered . . .


Review:

Immersive, emotional, and vivid!

The Tuscan Secret is an absorbing, dual-timeline tale predominantly set in Tuscany during WWII, as well as the late 1990s that takes you into the life of Anna, a young woman who, after her own life seems to be in tatters, journeys to Italy after her mother’s death to unravel her family’s history and discovery the secrets of her mother’s past.

The prose is eloquent and expressive. The characters are feisty, brave, and determined. And the plot is an immersive, compelling tale about life, loss, family, secrets, desperation, tragedy, friendship, resistance, survival, first love, and the atrocities of war.

Overall, The Tuscan Secret is a moving, evocative, beautifully written tale by Petch inspired by real-familial events that I devoured from start to finish and is the perfect choice for anyone who enjoys a well-researched WWII time-slip story with a fresh perspective and a dab of romance.

 

This novel is available now.

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

         

 

 

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

 

About Angela Petch

Angela Petch is a USA Today bestselling author and an award-winning writer of fiction–and the occasional poem. Every summer she leaves her home in West Sussex, England to reside in the Tuscan Apennines for six months where she and her husband own a renovated watermill which they let out.

Photo Credit: Mairi Thomas

#BookReview Summer on Blackberry Beach by Belle Calhoune @ReadForeverPub @GrandCentralPub #ReadForever #ReadForeverPub #ReadForever2022 #BelleCalhoune #SummeronBlackberryBeach

#BookReview Summer on Blackberry Beach by Belle Calhoune @ReadForeverPub @GrandCentralPub #ReadForever #ReadForeverPub #ReadForever2022 #BelleCalhoune #SummeronBlackberryBeach Title: Summer on Blackberry Beach

Author: Belle Calhoune

Series: Mistletoe Maine #2

Published by: Forever on Jun. 28, 2022

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 336

Format: Paperback

Source: Forever

Book Rating: 8/10

A faux summer fling seemed like the perfect solution . . .  until they start falling in love for real.
 
Teacher Stella Marshall’s summer break has just began, but the gossip is already sizzling: Luke Keegan’s back in town! Stella’s high school crush is all grown up and smolderingly sexy. She might even consider a fling with the former Navy SEAL, if she hadn’t already sworn off all romantic entanglements. But there isn’t a single thing she can do to stop the rumor mill whispering about her and Luke being together—unless . . .

A showmance! Luke never thought he’d propose a fake relationship, but it’s the only way to stop the runaway speculation about their love lives. Pretending to date a woman as stunning as Stella is easy. Not actually falling for her is the hard part. Luke isn’t sure he deserves a hometown happy ending, when members of his SEAL team never made it back at all. But there’s real attraction buzzing between him and Stella . . . and he knows she feels it too. Could their faux summer romance lead to true love?


Review:

Lighthearted, cosy, and cute!

Summer on Blackberry Beach is a tender, feel-good tale that mixes the kind, caring, second-grade teacher Stella, who’s determined to do whatever it takes, even if it means fake dating her high school crush, to prove to the town she’s finally moving on from being jilted by her fiancé, and the sexy, wounded, former Navy Seal Luke who may, at last, have found that special someone that can help him heal from his guilt, grief, and injuries and discover there’s a lot more life still to be had.

The prose is smooth and easy. The characters are friendly, lovable, and sweet. And the plot is an engaging, push-pull tale of family, friendship, tricky situations, playful banter, heartfelt moments, humorous hijinks, self-discovery, happiness, romance, and love.

Overall, Summer on Blackberry Beach is another charming, touching, delightful tale by Calhoune that I thoroughly enjoyed and which, in my opinion, is the perfect choice for anyone who loves a good romcom that has a whole lot of hope, heart, and humour.

 

This book is available now.

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

            

 

 

Thank you to Forever & Grand Central Publishing for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Belle Calhoune

Belle Calhoune grew up in a small town in Massachusetts as one of five children. Although both her parents worked in the medical field, Belle never considered science as the pathway to her future. Growing up across the street from a public library was a huge influence on her life. Married to her college sweetheart, she is raising two lovely daughters in Connecticut. A dog lover, she has one mini poodle named Copper and a black lab, Beau. She is a Publishers Weekly bestselling author as well as a member of RWA’s Honor Roll. In 2019 her book “An Alaskan Christmas” was made into a movie (Love, Alaska) by Brain Power Studios and aired on UPTV. She is the author of more than 40 novels and published by Harlequin Love Inspired and Grand Central Forever Publishing.

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