October Read: The Ghost Illusion by Kat Martin

 I switched from magic and witches to paranormal. It is October, after all. I love that it's getting darker earlier and I've broken out my fall candle.  Made pumpkin bread. Chili is on the horizon. I've also started watching my ghosty shows on Discovery. I'm all in!

I haven't read Kat Martin before, but in my years of bookselling and librarianship I've seen her name oodles of times and have ordered her books for the library. She's consistently popular and I'd say she's romantic suspense. This book definitely reminded me of Heather Graham and her Krewe of Hunters series. I'd love to see more with this group of ghost hunters. 

Eve St. Clair has recently moved to England to live in a family home she's inherited. She spent many summers there as a child and loves the home. Only problem is she's terrified. Every night there are running footsteps, cold spells, and voices arguing. She reaches out in desperation to Paranormal Investigations, an American group that travel the world helping people with paranormal issues. To her relief, Ran King, owner (and darn good looking, and rich) agrees to bring his team to Sunderland, England to help out Eve. 

Of course sparks fly between Ran and Eve. They both fight it, knowing this is just a short term meet and Ran will eventually return to Seattle once the ghost issue is resolved. But the pull is irresistible. 

Meanwhile, the ghostly phenomenon happening in Eve's home ramps up and is putting the team in harm's way. Eve seems to be the only one who can connect with the spirits, especially a young boy named Wally. The evil spirit that's keeping Wally and others trapped is bent on keeping the spirits there forever, and it will destroy anyone who tries to send them to the light. Can Ran and his team stay safe and solve the ghostly happenings? Is there a happy ending for Ran and Eve?

This was what I classify in my mind as a comfort read for me. I'm always up for a ghost story that involves a bit of history and the romance was a nice touch. Nothing surprising at all, and that was just fine with me. There was enough action moving forward that kept me reading and enjoying the plot and the characters. 

I'd read more of Kat Martin and probably will look into her other novels--she has a lot! But I really do hope she writes more involving the Paranormal Investigations team. 

Rating: 4/6 for an interesting ghost story, hot romance, and enough character building that keeps you invested but leaves the door open for *hopefully* more novels with this team. Fans of Heather Graham will enjoy this novel. 

Available in hardcover, ebook and audio book. 

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October Read: The Ghost Illusion by Kat Martin

The Moon, the Stars, and Madame Burova by Ruth Hogan

 

In keeping with my magical, mysterious reads for October, I grabbed Ruth Hogan's latest novel featuring a fortune telling woman who keeps everyone's secrets, no matter what. 

This story bounces back and forth between present day and 1973 in the English seaside town of Brighton. Imelda Burova is young and full of life. She's taking over her mother's fortune telling business on the pier, and she's very, very good at it. Imelda spends her whole life reading fortunes, and after decades of business, she decides its time to retire. 

Only retirement and Imelda just don't quite go together. As a keeper of promises and secrets, Imelda has one whopper of a secret she just can't share. She can, however, do some digging and make contact with the woman who was left as an infant in front of Imelda's storefront on the pier. 

Enter Billie, who has just sold her parent's home and laid her father to rest. Newly divorced and without a job, she is at a crossroads in life. Two letters turn her life upside down. One is from her father, telling her she was adopted, and the second is from Imelda, inviting her to tea in Brighton so she can talk to Billie. Shocked her parents never told her she was adopted, Billie decides that yes, she does want to know where she came from, and maybe Madam Burova has some of the answers she is seeking. 

As Billie and Imelda meet and get to know each other, Billie has more questions than answers. The cast of characters in Brighton are all charming, and all have ties to Imelda's past, and ties to what was once a wildly popular entertainment venue, the Larkin Holiday Park. Are Billie's parents entertainers from the park? 

This was a charming story full of characters who all made some great and not so great choices in their youth. Now, they all have chances to try again. Billie has a chance to start completely over in life; will she remain in Brighton or return to London? Will Imelda finally get the answers her broken heart needs after almost fifty years of heartache? 

This is a great read for an afternoon in front of the fireplace, sipping tea. It took me a bit to click into the story; I confess I was a bit confused at the beginning--mostly because I stopped and started a lot. But once I sat down and read for a bit, it all clicked and I was curious how everything would play out. 

Rating: 3/6 for a charming novel about second chances, secrets, and love. 

Available in paperback, ebook, and audio. 

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The Moon, the Stars, and Madame Burova by Ruth Hogan

The Woman in the Mirror by Rebecca James

I'll admit it was a bit odd finishing this book on a warm, sunny May day, because it's all about the Cornish coast, chill winds, a cold mansion, and a curse. 

I've been reading this book for weeks, and not because I didn't like it--actually, I really enjoyed all the elements of this novel. Gothic to the core-a windswept coast, a family curse, a witch, a handsome tormented owner, and love gone awry. The story bounces back and forth between 1947 and the present day; the link that binds the two timelines is slowly revealed and makes for a fascinating tale. 

1947: Alice is hired to be a nanny to twins Constance and Edmund at the Winterbourne estate on the coast of Cornwall. Their father, Jonathan de Grey is a wounded vet from World War 2, and his wife Laura died a few years before, after he returned from the war. Alice sees this as a chance to escape her miserable life in London, as well as her troubled past and awful secret. 

Alice immediately is drawn to Captain de Grey, and the children love her. But the  kids are a little weird, I'll admit. They seem innocent and loving, but tend to also be cruel and play malicious games on Alice. She's so desperate for a loving home she soon falls for the idea that she will be the children's mother, and Captain de Grey loves her, too. Alice is a bit unstable, to be sure. But there's dark, terrible things swirling around Winterbourne that are helping her along the road to madness. 

Present day: Rachel Wright lives in New York, and has just opened a successful art gallery. She's single, alone, and has no family. She receives a letter from a solicitor in England, telling her she is the sole heir to the Winterbourne estate. Knowing nothing about her birth parents, she's been driven her whole life by the feeling of being unloved and unwanted. This is her chance to find out who her parents were, and why she was put up for adoption. Winterbourne is the key to her mysterious past. Off she goes to Cornwall, to stay at Winterbourne, find out who her parents were, and prepare the estate for sale. 

Alice and Rachel are two women who have some similarities, but definitely Rachel is more of a solid, no nonsense person. Alice was hard to connect with because she definitely has some problems, and it wasn't much to tip her over the edge. I had a hard time feeling bad for her because she was so ready to believe her fantasy life. She was helped along by the evil that permeated the estate. That evil destroyed every woman who hoped to find happiness at Winterbourne. 

Rachel slowly digs away at the secrets of Winterbourne. She's also had a few weird experiences there, and while she is a bit freaked out by it all, she's also determined to stay and figure out her home-it's the only thing she can call her own, and the only link to her past. Will she be able to uncover the dark past and lift the curse from the de Grey family? Or will she succumb to the madness and death that has followed all the women who dared make their home at Winterbourne? 

This was definitely a thriller, and a bit creepy, too. I was a bit put off by Rachel at first, but she eventually defrosted and became more likable-and she was smart enough to dig and investigate. Alice, however, I had a hard time connecting with-mostly because she just wasn't a good person. Molded by an unhappy childhood and a cruel father, she was desperate to be loved and that was her undoing. She was also a bit unstable from the get-go. Oh, the house loved to torment her. 

This was a great read--so many people trapped by the past, and bound to suffer for it. A family curse that did, indeed, live on for generations. Will Rachel break the curse?

Rating: 5/6 for an atmospheric, dark, and creepy tale of love spurned, a family curse, and looking for identity. The last 50 pages or so really kicked in, and answered a lot of questions. 

Available in hardcover, ebook, and audio. 

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The Woman in the Mirror by Rebecca James

The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow

If the beautiful cover art of this novel doesn't grab you, the story inside will certainly do the trick. I've had my ins and outs with this novel, but I've finally finished it, and it was worth the struggle. 

I know, and yet I do it probably every month: spend weeks reading a book that I really should read in a matter of days. Taking too long to read a novel ensures my interest will wane, even if it's a wonderful story. That's what happened with Ten Thousand Doors. Yet somehow, a Thanksgiving miracle happened at the last moment and turned it all around. 

I've been pecking at this novel since early November. I'd read glowing reviews, blurbs, and of course saw the cover, so I was prepared to be wowed from the get go and not be able to put it down. 

I was wrong-partly. I got about 100 pages in, and was stuck. Knowing it was my last book to read and review this month was weighing on me, and I knew I had to dive in and finish it. I dove back in the other night, and got a little farther. Okay, it was growing on me. Then last night, I had the chance to just lay on my couch and read for a few hours. So I did, but those few hours had me reading until after 11 PM, when I reluctantly put it down because my eyes were bugging out! I had a chance to read again today, on a gloomy Tuesday when I wasn't feeling so hot and was needing some distraction from a nagging headache. 

I'm happy to say I finished it today, and it was superbly written. Wow, Alix Harrow is a master storyteller, and this is one imaginative story. January Scaller is a young teenager, living with her guardian, Mr. Locke, in a mansion in Vermont filled with museum quality pieces from around the world. The man responsible for collecting those pieces is January's father, Julian. He travels the world, and January doesn't see him very much. She's awful alone, and her skin-tone--a dusky red/brown, ensures she's only treated kindly because she's under the care of Mr. Locke. She's pretty secluded, and all she wants to do is be with her father on her travels. 

One day, January finds a strange little book tucked away in a special spot. That book is the gateway to January's grandest adventures, full of dangers, death, far away worlds, and men who will stop at nothing to grab January and keep her under lock and key. January, you see, is unlike most other teenage girls. She's got some serious gifts, and as she reads the journal, she slowly begins to understand her yearning for other places and adventures. She begins to find her way home. 

I'm woefully inadequate telling you the plot of this book, but I don't want to give anything away. I did have a bit of trouble understanding what was going on and why this journal was plopped down in the middle of the story, but oh, after spending some time diving into the story, it all became clear. It's a story within a story for sure, just like there are doors within doors, and worlds within worlds. 

I thought of my sad attempt at NaNoWriMo this month (I happily stopped writing after 10 days and no inspiration), and was blown away by the talent Alix Harrow has for crafting such an imaginative and outstanding novel. Pure magic. I was reading in bed last night, and I actually stopped and said out loud "A ha! This is where it kicks into high gear!"

I'd gift this book to any YA readers; folks who like fantasy, or adventure novels; people who enjoy a well crafted story. It would make, in the best hands, an amazing movie. I don't want a sequel--this novel finishes as it should, and I'm content. 

Rating: 6/6 for an inventive, magical, outstanding novel about stories, worlds, families, love, and healing. Finding your place. Embracing your gifts. I highly recommend this novel!

Available in hardcover, ebook, and audio. 

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The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow

The Lying Game by Ruth Ware

I read this novel a week ago and discussed it with my book group last Tuesday. Even time away from it, and our group discussion, doesn't help my "meh" opinion about this thriller. 

Some readers absolutely do not like to read novels where they can't find a character likable, and that certainly was the case for a few of my fellow book group members. I prefer to like characters; but I've also found that disliking one or more (or in this case, all) of the characters can make for an interesting read. Or not. I was really hoping this would be a good thriller, but it was full of holes, characters that didn't learn a darn thing from previous screw ups, and left a very unsatisfying ending. 

Four women are brought together after many years apart when a body is unearthed on a beach near the English seaside village of Salten. Seventeen years before, the women, then young teens, had become fast friends while attending boarding school. Kate, Thea, Fatima, and Freya had a game-the 'lying game' they played on their fellow classmates, villagers, and anyone they could fool. They had rules, too: tell a lie, stick to your story, don't get caught, never lie to each other, and know when to stop lying. Some lies were pretty innocent, but others were damaging. The girls quickly gained a reputation around school that they were distrustful and mean. Kate's father, Ambrose, was a beloved art teacher at the school, and her stepbrother Luc attended a school for boys in a nearby village. Living at the Mill, a rundown building next to the water, Kate often had the girls sneak out of school at night and come to the Mill to hang out, swim, and spend time. Her father, Ambrose, was delighted to have Kate's friends there, and they in turn adored him. Freya, who narrates the story, is deeply in crush with Luc. All seems well...

Until one night Kate insists the girls come to the Mill. Ambrose is dead; a suicide note is left behind. What to do? Kate is only fifteen, and she can't take the risk of being sent to a foster home. She'll be sixteen in just a few months...

Well. The actions the girls take that night come back to haunt them, and as the reader, you're pulled along while they try to figure out just what to do all these years later. Do they keep lying? And who knows what they've lied about?

So. Sounds good, right? Well, as I said before, with the exception of Fatima, the main characters aren't very likable. Even Freya, who is a new mom, is unlikeable. They're all kind of pathetic. Fatima is the only one who has actually moved on the best-she's a happily married mother and doctor, and has returned to her faith. She's the most solid of the ladies. Kate is a mess; still living in the Mill--which is slowly falling into the sea and seems to be held together by spit and a wish. Thea is a drunk, never eats and smokes like a chimney. None of them have learned their lesson regarding lying and the toll it takes. 

I'll not tell you more of the plot. Even though it's pretty thin, it does have a few twists (you'll figure out the major twist all on your own) that will have you hoping maybe, just maybe, there is a chance the women will learn something from this whole disaster! I was disappointed in the end...Freya...ugh. 

I've read two Ruth Ware novels, and been disappointed by both. Thin plots, not so surprising thrillers. I feel that with some effort, they could have been good, meaty reads, but fell short. Do I expect too much? I don't think so. I have another Ruth Ware novel at home, and I'm going to give it a try sometime this year. We'll have to see if it breaks free of the ho-hum thrillers I've already read. 

Rating: 3/6 for a thriller that wasn't much of one at all. Some plot devices just fell flat, the characters weren't memorable, and the only interesting thing about the whole dang story was the decrepit Mill that was slowly falling into the sea. 

Available in paperback, large print, audio, and ebook. 

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The Lying Game by Ruth Ware

The Library of Lost and Found by Phaedra Patrick

I was pretty excited to get my hands on this novel. I'm always geared up to read about libraries, bookstores...anything to do with books. This was a gentle novel that I'm glad I read before I dip into The Trial of Lizzie Borden. I needed a little light before I hit the heavy. 

Martha is a middle-aged librarian in a small English town near the sea. She lives alone after caring for her aging parents for years. In caring for them, she lost her chance at marriage and having a family of her own. She's always saying yes to people who ask her for favors. So much so that her home is filled with all sorts of projects she's taken on  and never seems to complete: hemming pants, fixing a paper mache dragon; and yes, even doing someone's laundry. Add to that all the boxes of her parent's belongings that she still needs to sort through. All that clutter has cluttered her mind. The man who runs her library (from an office in a neighboring town) has turned her down multiple times for a full-time position at the library, saying she just doesn't have the drive and skills a younger person could bring to the library. No matter that she's passionate about the people, the library, and it's her absolute love. She's got oodles of ideas to make improvements, but she never gets the chance. 

Martha thinks her Nana died in 1982, but she finds a book on the steps of the library that changes her entire life. It's a book of fairy tales-her fairy tales. She wrote most of them (others were stories her Mother told her) as a young girl, yet here they are in a book, with a note to her from her Nana dated 1985. How can that be, if her Nana died in 1982? And why does her sister Lilly tell her to leave it alone and forget about it?

Martha digs a bit deeper, and in doing so, her life changes dramatically. There are some big growing pains, some truths to absorb, and some anger to work through. All of this forces Martha to take a look at her life, and decide she needs to focus on herself, and what she wants. No more saying yes to everyone else. 

I don't want to give any of the story away, so you can discover for yourself the secrets Martha uncovers. It was a pleasure to watch Martha's character grow a spine, get pissed, and take some action. It is never too late to change your life, live for yourself, and do what makes you happy. And if you're a person who feels like you have to say yes to everyone, STOP IT. 

Rating: 4/6 for an entertaining novel about a woman who finally stops putting others before herself, discovers a few truths that change her perspective, and redefines what family means. Anyone who loves stories that focus on books, libraries, and the absolute joy of reading will connect with this sweet tale. 

Available in hardcover, large print, audio, and ebook. 

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The Library of Lost and Found by Phaedra Patrick

Flowers and Foul Play: A Magic Garden Mystery by Amanda Flower

The theme for January's book club is Mystery.  We can read any mystery we want, and when you think about it, there's an overwhelming amount of mysteries to choose from, and it can be hard to decide. Do you go classic, with Agatha Christie, or Sherlock Holmes? Do you go with historical, or contemporary? Cozy, noir, or police procedural? What if you just want to read a stand alone mystery? Do they even exist anymore, in a genre that is mostly built on series? 

Phew. A lot to think about. I started reading the second in Louise Penny's series, after reading Still Life last year and falling in deep like with everything about her writing and storyline. Then I was perusing through my stacks of books, and found a few cozy mysteries that I had received from a publisher last year and hadn't read yet. So I read Bad Neighbors by Maia Chance and it got me on the cozy mystery bandwagon. I've read them before, but mysteries have never been a huge part of my reading life. I've attempted over the years to dig in, and I always get distracted. 

I have discovered that I do love a good cozy mystery. And yes, it is weird to think of a novel that involves someone being murdered as cozy, but essentially they are pretty cozy. They usually involve a main character who isn't a detective; but generally a female who runs a cafe, a bakery, a quilting shop, a bookstore, an antique shop...you get the picture. They're usually set in a small town or village, and there isn't any graphic violence; there's just a dead body that appears to throw a wrench into the everyday happenings of the main character. I find myself gravitating towards cozy mysteries that involve a bit of magic, and that's how I picked up Flowers and Foul Play. I was checking in returned books at the library one day, and thought it looked intriguing AND it met my mystery requirement for January. 

So, a quick synopsis: Fiona Knox has come to Scotland to claim her inheritance from her godfather, who was killed in an overseas military battle. Duncreigan is a little stone cottage and one interesting garden, a few miles from the village of Bellewick, near the coast of Scotland. Running from a failed flower shop, and an ex-fiancee who ditched her for another woman, Fiona is heartbroken at her Uncle Ian's death, but welcomes the chance to get away from Tennessee for awhile. She's only arrived at Duncreigan and greeted Hamish, the elderly groundskeeper, when she stumbles upon a dead body in the garden. Not the welcome she was expecting!

What follows is a mystery revolving around Alastair Croft, the village lawyer who  was murdered by someone in Bellewick, but who? Chief Inspector Neil Craig has everyone on the suspect list, including Hamish. Can Fiona clear Hamish's name, and find out who killed Alastair and left him in her garden?

Oh--the garden is magical, by the way. As soon as Fiona arrives, what was a garden full of dead plants, trees, and ivy begins to transform into a beautiful, blooming wonder. Fiona is confused, and a letter explaining all sent by her Uncle Ian never arrived, so she's clueless about the magical garden. What's in that letter?

Aside from a few editing boo-boos, this was an entertaining read over the weekend. I will definitely read the second in the series, Death and Daisies. 

I can't wait to see what else unfolds for Fiona at Duncreigan. I've found a delightful series that will keep me exploring cozy mysteries all year long. 

Rating:  4/6 for a fun cozy that was a quick read. The setting, the potential romance between Fiona and  Chief Inspector Neil Craig, and the characters who populate the village of Bellewick all make this a series I'll continue to enjoy. 

Available in hardcover, ebook, and audio.

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Flowers and Foul Play: A Magic Garden Mystery by Amanda Flower

Christmas Under a Cranberry Sky by Holly Martin

Still on my holiday reading groove! I have to admit I've begun reading a few non-holiday novels just to balance out the sweet. I found this author at my local Barnes & Noble and I must confess I immediately bought every book of hers they had on the shelf, and ordered a few more. I know most of her novels are available as ebooks, but since my e-reader is out of commission, that's not an option. 

Holly Martin is a British author, in the genre of Jenny Colgan chick-lit type novels. I was astounded at everything she's written! Needless to say, she doesn't just cover the Christmas season, but you've got a chance to enjoy her novels all year round. Check out her extensive title list on Goodreads. Some are available in paperback in the U.S., but many more are available as ebooks. 

Christmas Under a Cranberry Sky is a full on holiday experience. Set on Juniper Island, a island north of Scotland, the folks of that tiny island have partnered with the owner of the Stardust Lake Hotel to create a winter wonderland for tourists. They're pretty isolated, so it's either create a place where they can earn a living and live, or move off the island and away from their homes. Piper Chesterfield is on her way to the island to review Stardust Lake Hotel. She's a traveling hotel reviewer and hasn't had a place to call home in years. After this assignment, she's taking a 6 month break, renting an apartment in London, and figuring out where she wants life to take her. Traveling non-stop, living out of a suitcase has become weary, and she needs a change. 

Everything about Juniper Island and the hotel is magical. Most importantly, to Piper's surprise, the owner of the hotel is none other than her teenage love, Gabe Whitaker. They haven't seen each other for twelve years, after the tragic accident that changed both of their lives and drove them apart. Shocked to see each other, the spark is still there, but now Gabe has a little girl-Wren-and the heartbreak Piper caused is battling with his desire to begin a new relationship with Piper. And there's the sticky situation of Gabe not knowing Piper is there to review his hotel...

Juniper Island and the hotel are places I'd like to go, if they existed. A winter wonderland full of wild ponies, epic scenery, ocean views, and igloos designed for overnight guests to experience the Northern Lights from a warm, cozy bed; a town with shops, friendly people, and everything decorated for the Christmas season. It's hard not to want to stay there; even in the warm months, it remains a popular tourist destination. This is Gabe's big project, and while he owns other hotels in big cities, this is closest to his heart. Will his rekindled love for Piper win out over years of distrust, hurt, and angst?

You'll meet a supporting cast of characters that will round out the whole experience of Juniper Island, and I certainly had a very clear vision in my head of everyone and everything. Some of Gabe and Piper's angst got a little old for me, but other than that, it was a fun novel to read, and I can't wait to read more of Holly's novels in 2019. Maybe I'll squeeze another one in before the end of 2018--who knows?

Rating:  3/6 for a magical setting, where the author thought of every detail, but leaves enough to your imagination to help you create your own Juniper Island. Cast of characters are solid; romance is steamy, and it's a fun read for December. 

Available in paperback and ebook.

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Christmas Under a Cranberry Sky by Holly Martin

The Lost for Words Bookshop by Stephanie Butland

I'm always a sucker for a book that takes place in a bookshop or a library. Words like "witty" and "charming" were used to describe this novel, and I thought I was in for a lovely, summery, light read.  

It wasn't quite like that, although I did like the novel. It was certainly slower in pace and more solemn that I expected. Loveday Cardew is a young woman working in a second-hand bookshop. It is her refuge from a past that left her living in foster homes and being on her own for most of her life. She's very private, and no one knows her past as a happy little girl with two loving parents, before it all went horribly wrong when she was ten years old. Now 25, she's found her small slice of contentment, and a family with the shop's owner, Archie, a delightfully charming man who seems to know everyone and has done everything. 

Enter Nathan, who stops in the bookshop after losing his book of poetry near the bus stop. Loveday found it, and posted a note about it on the community board in the bookshop. Nathan is a magician, a poet, and knows how to give Loveday her space, while at the same time edging her towards a relationship. Rob, an ex-boyfriend of Loveday's, is a creep. He's stalking her, and won't leave her alone. As the story progresses, Loveday's relationship with Nathan slowly moves forward, as we get the history of her short relationship with Rob, and the background of her life in Whitby, a seaside town where she lived happily with her parents.  Until happily ever after came crashing down in a horribly tragic moment.

I wasn't sure what to make of this novel. Loveday is pretty prickly and withdrawn, and Nathan really is a gem: he knows when to push, and when to stand back. He's exactly what Loveday needs, and I was so relieved that she had enough sense to realize that, even if she felt she wasn't worthy of a good relationship. Her growing confidence in reading her poetry during poetry nights at the local pub, along with her unfolding relationship with Nathan, are the two plot points that keep the story moving forward. Also, I was curious as to what exactly happened to Loveday's family. It wasn't hard to figure out, but I had to wait until 3/4 of the way through the novel to finally get the full story. I also appreciated Loveday standing up to Rob, after realizing she played right into his hands. Jerk. Physical abuse is a big part of the novel; and Loveday's thoughtful insight into her experience with it explains the mindset of women who don't always leave at the first slap, and find a way to explain it away. But is also shows that sometimes, that abuser won't leave, even when a woman does stand up to them and take back their power. 

I can't say this was a charming novel. It wasn't. It was thoughtful, and a bit dark, and, for me, a bit sad. I'll leave it to you to read and discover Loveday's journey, and the role books play in her life. The ending will satisfy all who are cheering Loveday on in her journey. 

Rating: 4/6 for a novel that surprised me with themes of domestic abuse, stalking, and bullying; what they do to us as adults, and how we cope. The power of books to provide comfort, and remind us of the best things in life, are the backbone of this novel. I liked the story, but had hoped for a frothier read! Not the fault of the author, but of my expectations. Would make a good book club selection. 

Available in hardcover, ebook, and audio

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The Lost for Words Bookshop by Stephanie Butland

Where the Wild Cherries Grow by Laura Madeleine

This novel came into my reading life in a roundabout way.  I had purchased The Confectioner's Tale by the same author, and started reading it.  Not quite 100 pages in, I got restless (my usual MO). I looked to see if she had written anything else, and Where the Wild Cherries Grow popped up, and not only that, my library had it available.  Bingo! And thus began my summer reading with a lovely novel and a new author. 

Sometimes an unexpected book comes along that is a delightful surprise. That's how I feel about this novel, and author Laura Madeleine. It was a refreshing read full of crisp smells, the tang of the ocean, the heat of the sun, and oh! the food!  

Where the Wild Cherries Grow is the story of a young woman who runs away from home to the South of France, and 50 years later, the young legal clerk who is assigned the task of finding out what happened to her. It's 1919, Emeline Vane has suffered too much loss in her short life: two older brothers have died in World War I; her mother, unable to recover from the loss, has died. Emeline, suffering overwhelming grief, is unable to cope and her Uncle Andrew pushes her to sell the family home and send her young brother Timothy off to relatives to live. Emeline is sent to France, on her way to a psychiatric hospital in Switzerland, when she has a brief moment of realization, and jumps off the train. Where does she go, and is she still alive in 1969?

Forward to 1969, and London. Bill Perch, a young solicitor still living with his parents and working for a cheesy law firm, is given the task of confirming that Emeline is dead. Her relatives want to sell the family home to a development company, and since her mother left the home equally to Emeline and Timothy, she must be declared dead for the deal to move forward. Timothy has been ill, unable to communicate with his children, and in the hospital. He is convinced Emeline is still alive, and refuses to declare her dead. 

Bill Perch is a character that I just grew to like more and more. A young man in 1969, he's unsure of himself, awkward, and seems removed from the tumultuous time he lives in.  His transformation to a determined, living by the seat of his pants kind of person is one of the best parts of the novel. I kept cheering him on every time he took a chance and went with what he felt was right. He becomes Emeline's champion against those who would dismiss her. Both Bill and Emeline change from sheltered young people, restricted by family expectations, into who they are both meant to be.  The setting in the small seaside town of Cerebre felt magical and timeless. Bill's experience at Emeline's family home is another magical place, another timeless place that of course would generate change in anyone who was restless and ready for new experiences. 

I loved both Bill and Emeline's stories, and they dovetail together nicely.  Oh, so good!  This novel engages all your senses, and while it had a bit of sadness, I think of it as a bright, happy novel about finding your true self, and in doing so, finding happiness.  Sometimes taking chances can lead to wonderful people, places, and opportunities. 

This is a perfect armchair travel novel, and one you'll want to read while sipping a refreshing drink and nibbling on bread, cheese, and fruit. 

Rating:  5/6 for a delightful historical novel that captured me from the first chapter. Loved everything about it!

Available in hardcover and ebook. 

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Where the Wild Cherries Grow by Laura Madeleine

Christmas at Little Beach Street Bakery by Jenny Colgan

In this, the third and final novel of the Little Beach Street Bakery, Christmas is coming to the village of Mount Polbearne.  Mount Polbearne is an unusual village set on the coast of Cornwall; when the tide comes in, the only road leading to and from the village is covered by the sea, and it becomes a little island.  Windy, cold, and oftentimes isolated, it's a village where generations of fishing families have lived, and tourists visit during the summer.  Polly's bakery is still in full swing, and as popular as ever.  She's living with Huckle, her beekeeping boyfriend in the lighthouse she bought earlier in the year.  They're engaged.  Life is good. 

But we all know that when life seems at its most stable, we're often thrown a curve, and that's just what happens to Polly.  Huckle wants to get married and have kids; Polly's fatherless childhood preys on her mind, and makes her hesitate.  Her best friend Kerensa, married to the mogul Reuben, finds out she's pregnant, but instead of being happy about it, she's terrified it will expose a secret only she and Polly know about.  Forbidden to tell Huckle the secret, the added stress on Polly creates even more tension between Polly and Huckle.  

While Polly's life in Mount Polbearne is the happiest she's ever been, it certainly has a few bumps in the road.  Can she find a way to make everyone happy, and keep herself from going crazy?  Add to that Reuben's request for Polly to cater his whole Christmas celebration (which is multiple parties), when all she wants is to spend Christmas Day lounging around with Huckle and not baking one thing.  But the money Reuben is offering is more than Polly can even comprehend, and would go a long way towards making life easier.  What's a baker to do?

This was a good conclusion to the Little Beach Street Bakery trilogy, although it did seem a bit gloomy at times.  I'll certainly miss the people I've come to know reading these books, and I'll always be hoping Jenny Colgan sends out an unexpected, yet very welcome, update on Polly, Huckle, Kerensa, and Reuben.  Polly's journey to happiness comes to a satisfactory conclusion, and the ending is sweet and perfect.  

If you haven't read the first two books in this trilogy: Little Beach Street Bakery, and Summer at Little Beach Street Bakery,  please do before you read this--you'll understand the dynamics of the characters much better, and  Polly's journey to happiness as the beloved baker of Mount Polbearne is worth the read.  

Rating:  4/6 for a satisfying conclusion to the trilogy.  Polly and Huckle, while happy, still have growing pains (as do all relationships).  I appreciate the author's understanding that happily ever after takes constant work!

Available in paperback and ebook.

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Christmas at Little Beach Street Bakery by Jenny Colgan

Black Rabbit Hall by Eve Chase

Black Rabbit Hall was a spur of the moment reading choice for me, and I buzzed through it in a few days (even though I've had it checked out of the library for almost 3 weeks).  My "due back" notification had everything to do with my rush to read this, but I'm so glad I didn't just return it unread to the library.  It was just what I needed to read this week.  

This is a novel told in two voices:  Amber Alton, a fifteen year old girl in 1968; and Lorna Dunaway, over thirty years later. Amber's family owns Black Rabbit Hall in Cornwall, and the family spends holidays there.  Amber's parents are madly in love, and she has a twin brother Toby, a younger brother Barney, and a little sister named Kitty.  They are a very happy family, and the heart of the family is Amber's mother, Nancy.  
 There's something about Black Rabbit Hall that speaks to Amber and her whole family.  It's wild, it's crumbling; it's full of creaks and groans and sits near the sea, surrounded by woods and the mystery of Cornwall.  It is a world away from their life in London, where they go to school and have a perfectly beautiful home.  

All that changes the summer of 1968, when a horrible tragedy takes place one dark, stormy night.  It changes the family dynamics, and drapes Black Rabbit Hall in sadness.  What happens to the family in the following year will tear them apart.  And for you, the reader, it will leave a heck of a lot of unanswered questions that will keep you reading!

Lorna is traveling to Black Rabbit Hall to check it out as a possible wedding venue.  She remembers visiting the place with her mother as a child (vaguely) and feels drawn to it the moment they drive up the lane.  It's still crumbling, and badly needs renovations.  Her fiance Jon isn't thrilled with the place, but Lorna meets Caroline Alton, the lone resident.  She's old, cranky, and desperate to have the income generated by hosting weddings.  She asks Lorna to return and stay for a weekend to get a feel for the place. Lorna returns without Jon, and finds a whole lot more about the history of the house, the Alton children, and Caroline.  Where does Lorna fit into the story of Black Rabbit Hall?

I haven't read a book in a while that had me sitting for chunks of time turning the pages.  This book did that for me, which is a sign that the characters, plot, and writing are running on all cylinders at full tilt.  You may think the cover evokes a chilling, gothic type tale.  I got that feeling more from the scenes with Caroline than I did anywhere else.  Instead, it's a story about a happy family that is torn apart and never heals back into itself.  It's the story of one woman's desire to know her history in order to move forward with her life.  Mostly, it's the story of how we can experience tragedy and still step away from it to live happy lives. The past can haunt us, or it can simply be a part of us. 

There may be a few surprises for the reader; I didn't really have any as I was just patient and let the story unfold instead of trying to guess what was going to happen next.  I'll be reading Eve's next novel, The Wilding Sisters.  

Rating:  4/6 for a satisfying story that incorporates the wilds of Cornwall, a family tragedy, and interesting characters that keep you engaged until the satisfying ending.  

Available in hardcover, ebook, and audio.  The paperback will be out in the U.S. in July, 2017.
 

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Black Rabbit Hall by Eve Chase

Happy People Read and Drink Coffee by Agnes Martin-Lugand

I'm a sucker for a book title that marries coffee and reading.  This novel, translated from French, was completely not what I was expecting; it was an excellent read that packed an emotional wallop.

Diane lives in Paris.  She smokes cigarettes, drinks wine, and doesn't leave her apartment.  Her husband and young daughter were killed in a car accident the year before, and since then she has been incapable of doing anything.  Her literary cafe, Happy People Read and Drink Coffee is suffering in her absence and under the terrible management of her best friend, Felix.  She is simply not functioning at all and pretty much lives in her pajamas.  Life has no meaning to her and she simply doesn't care.  

Felix's announcement that they are going to take a trip somewhere, anywhere to help reset her life spurs Diane into deciding that she will take a trip, but not with Felix.  His idea of a trip involves lots of parties, drinking, and people.  Diane settles on Ireland, and a small town where nothing happens.  Her husband had wanted to go to Ireland, and so that's where she will move for the next few months.  To be alone, to mourn, and to try and move out of her grief.  She packs her possessions, says goodbye to her apartment and life in Paris, and flies to Ireland.  

In Ireland, Diane settles into a small cottage near the beach.  There's another cottage right next door, and an incredibly grumpy and unfriendly photographer lives there.  Edward is pretty pissed there's a neighbor.  Like Diane, he wants nothing to do with anyone else.  The two of them dislike each other the first time they meet.  Edward has no idea why Diane is there, and she's not willing to share her story with anyone.  She truly is in the depths of the worst grief that I've ever read about or experienced.  This is a woman who will sit in a chair and stare out the window for hours.  She smokes like a chimney and barely eats.  

Slowly, Diane and Edward work towards a friendship.  That is the bulk of this novel.  It may not seem like much happens, but so much does!  It's not an action-packed story, but emotionally it is so full.  Your heart just aches for Diane, but at the same time you just want to shake her.  And in the end, she makes a decision that just kills you, but you know it's the best one she can make.  

Good news, though.  There is a sequel coming out next year.  It's already out in French, but the U.S. version Don't Worry, Life is Easy isn't slated to be published until 2017.  I will be first in line to read it.  This was a short novel, but really touched me and is one of my top reads so far for 2016.  I guess because grief has been a constant companion in my life for the past 4 years that it hit home:  we all grieve in different ways, and there is no time limit on it.  But there comes a time where you have to start living and stop feeling guilty and regretful.  The best thing you can do is live a happy, full life in memory of those you've lost.  

Available in hardcover and e-book.  

Rating:  8/10 for a book that has just a few characters and is simply told, but is unforgettable.  You will not soon forget Diane and Edward. 



 

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Happy People Read and Drink Coffee by Agnes Martin-Lugand

The Ship of Brides by Jojo Moyes

Jojo Moyes has been popular in England for years, and we are finally getting to see her previous novels here in the United States.  The Ship of Brides was first published in England in 2005, but the story is still fresh in 2015.  Jojo's inspiration for this novel was her grandmother, who was a war bride that traveled to England to meet her soldier husband after World War 2.  

This novel has a cast of characters:  Margaret, a young woman leaving her father and brothers on their ranch in Australia; Jean, the youngest bride--a little too eager to party and a bit immature; Frances, a nurse who worked in the Pacific during the war, and Avice, the well-to-do young woman who imagines a picture perfect life in England.  All of these women have one thing in common:  they have married British soliders who were stationed in Australia, and they're finally traveling to England to meet their husbands.  They're on no ordinary cruise ship--they are traveling on the British aircraft carrier HMS Victoria, which has a full compliment of crew making their way home at war's end.  It has all the makings of a potential disaster.  How can anyone think all those men and all those brides will behave for six weeks at sea?

I did enjoy this book, but I felt it dragged on a bit.  There were times I felt like I was on a six week trip.  I did come to enjoy the women very much and felt for them when not-so-great stuff happened. The slow addition of the male characters (who have their own stories to tell) rounded out a picture of people returning home changed by war, and not quite sure what to do or what to expect once they return to civilian life.  

Can you imagine sailing into the unknown, hoping when you got to the other side your husband was waiting with open arms?  What if you got a "do not come" letter halfway into your journey?  The homesickness must have been unbearable.  What brave women.  

Fans of Jojo Moyes will read this, and don't think that I didn't enjoy it, because I did, and I was sad to say goodbye to the women.  I just felt some parts were a bit slow, and it could have been shortened up a bit.  And the mystery of Frances was very slow in being revealed.  This is historical fiction that will probably peak your interest in war brides.  It is a subject worth exploring.

Rating:  6/10 for a story that has a large cast of characters, but dragged a bit in places.  An interesting look at war brides.  

Available in paperback and e-book.
Thank you to Penguin for a review copy!

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The Ship of Brides by Jojo Moyes

A Week in Winter by Maeve Binchy

I've come late to the Maeve Binchy party, but I say better late than never.  This was Maeve's last novel; she died shortly after finishing it in 2012.  Lucky for me and for everyone else she left us many wonderful novels about life and all its ups and downs--and they take place in that magical place called Ireland.  

A Week in Winter was a perfect read for a January that has seen below zero temps pretty much every day, snow storms that have just enough snow to make you shovel, and lots of snow melting/turning into ice to make driving difficult and full of anxiety.  Maeve Binchy took me away for a few days and she'll do the same for you.

This novel centers around Chicky Starr, who leaves her family to move to New York City with a young man who promises her the world.  Instead, he leaves her after a few months, and she stays in America, spinning a tale of a wonderful marriage and life for her family back in Stoneybridge.   They never know Chicky actually lives in a boardinghouse and works all the time, with no man in her life.  

Chicky returns to Ireland every year to visit her family, and on her last visit decides to make a change and buy Stone House, a lovely but crumbling home on the coast of Ireland owned by Miss Queenie, the last of three sisters who lived their whole lives there.  Miss Queenie knows Chicky will save the home from developers and turn it into a place for people to escape for a vacation by the sea.  

Chicky is a bit magical herself; she knows just what to say and do to get people involved in renovating Stone House, coming to work for her, and knowing just what to do to make it a welcoming place for troubled souls.  

Chicky's first week in business has a full roster of people from around the world who find themselves at Stone House carrying secrets and scars from their lives. Can a week in winter help rejuvenate and revive their lives?  

I am so glad I read this Maeve Binchy novel first.  It will be hard to beat.  What a sweet, gentle, engaging novel about the power of nature, rest, and kind people.  It shows that sometimes we all need to remove ourselves from the crazy in our lives and be quiet and still.  Amazing things can come out of it.

And it makes me want to go back to Ireland.  It truly is a magical place.  

Rating:  8/10 for a great strong character in Chicky; a magical place in Stone House, and a story that moves along and explains each visitor's backstory.  

Available in paperback and e-book.

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A Week in Winter by Maeve Binchy