The Nature of Fragile Things

When I was newly married, there was a restaurant we would go to where there were several courses served as part of your meal.  Between courses, they would serve a palate cleanser so that you'd be ready for the incredible flavors of the next course. It was one of my favorite places to go out to eat.  When I read a book like The Nature of Fragile Things, I have to read something that is mindless while I mull over what I've read in the heavier/meatier book.  

This book is described as the story of the growing friendships of three disparate women, but it's also the tale of a serial killer involved in all of their lives.  If we look at the serial killer component, we see a man who takes on false identities, marries women who have some wealth that he wants, and then kills them off when they are of no more use to him.  

The women  populating this novel are strong in their own ways.  Sophie has immigrated from Ireland, but has the love to mother Martin Hocking's daughter, Kat, which is what Martin needs from her most.  Martin tells her that Kat's mother has died and that he travels for work so he needs her to care for Kat.  

Sophie and Martin have been married a little more than a year when Belinda shows up eight months pregnant on the eve of the Great San Francisco Earthquake in 1906.  This is where they find out they are married to the same man, and Sophie decides to get to the bottom of the issue.  With a couple of hair pins, the two women break into Martin's desk and find that, in fact, Kat's mother, Candace,  is still very much alive, but in a sanitarium in Arizona. So now, Martin has three wives, and from the information in the files they found, Candace is not his first wife.  

Martin shows up just as the earthquake begins and seeing that he's been found out begins advancing on the women as they are trying to leave with all of the incriminating evidence they need to turn him over to the police. At this point, Belinda's waters break and the shaking of the ground makes Martin unsteady on the stairs. He falls and Sophie moves him to the kitchen so that Belinda, Kat, and she can leave to get Belinda help in delivering her baby.  

Once the baby is born, the women are evacuated to refugee centers, but Belinda and Sophie are separated and it takes several days for them to find their ways back to each other.  At this point, Belinda makes the offer to Sophie and Kat to come live with her at the Inn she runs in San Rafaelo.  After a few days of settling in, Sophie takes Kat to see her mother in Arizona. 

Susan Meissner is the kind of author that once you read one of her books, you want to read everything she writes.  She is also the kind of author that writes meaty fiction that requires a palate cleanser before moving on to your next serious book.  Her characters are easy to  connect with, the settings in this book are historically accurate and easy to picture.  The ending of this book was especially satisfying with no loose ends to tie up.   Five Stars. 

Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are my own. 

Dreams Rekindled

 

Amanda Cabot is usually fun to read if you don't want a heavy, thought-provoking novel.  I remember being in a now-defunct bookstore chain looking for a new author to read because I had read all of the books available by my favorite authors.  Amanda was one of the ones I picked up and thoroughly enjoyed.  It was because of her previous novels I decided to read her newest offering, Dreams Rekindled. 

As I looked back on other books by Amanda that I have read and reviewed before, I found that I had enjoyed her previous books much more than I enjoyed this one.  According to the author's notes at the end of the book, there will be one more book in this series in Mesquite Springs, Texas, which I will gladly read when it becomes available.  

The problem I found with this book is that there is a level of predictability I had not encountered previously.  From the very beginning, the bad guy is set up and takes a lot of the reading real estate in the story.  There is a satisfying conclusion to him, which redeems some of the difficulties I had with him early on in the novel.  

Dorothy is running Polly's Place, the restaurant her sister-in-law owns, but really wants to be able to write.  Brandon Holloway has moved to town to set up a newspaper and Dorothy offers to help him with finding information for the articles to go in the paper.  What she delivers to him are not just notes, but finished articles that require very little editing.  

Phil Blakeslee is in town trying to find land for his boss to buy.  Why his boss wants the land is unknown, except for the vague reference to a development.  But his boss wants no newspaper in town to report on his activities.  Phil makes it his mission to run Brandon out of town.  He does things like destroy the type, and brings in a charlatan preacher to bilk people out of their money and stir up trouble for Brandon and his paper. 

Brandon is falling for Dorothy who appears to be the perfect helpmeet for him, but as much as Dorothy likes Brandon, she is reluctant to marry because of the depression her mother went into after her father died.  Dorothy is not a risk-taker where matters of the heart are concerned.  It takes the intervention of her brother, her mother, and her best friend to change her mind. 

This was an enjoyable read, albeit a bit too predictable for me.  This could be a matter of my own mood, as I have been reading some heavier themed novels lately and the contrast was not as satisfying.  Amanda writes well and presents a complete story for the enjoyment of her readers. I would give this four stars. 

Revell Publishing and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own. 

Chasing Shadows

I still remember the first Lynn Austin book I ever read, primarily because I reread it recently and it still resonated with me.  So when a Lynn Austin book becomes available I have to read it, well, most of the time.  There are a few of her books I still haven't delved into, but that's a story for another day.  Today's review is on Chasing Shadows, a World War II era book that takes place in the Netherlands. While there are some books about World War II that deal with the battles and their aftermath, this one deals with the lives of people who are subject to the whims and impulses of a conquering government.  

Imperialism and domination were the keystones of the two major Axis players of the war.  The German National Socialists were also seeking racial purity and elimination of a race of people they deemed evil and corrupting.  While many people did not hold with the government's ideologies and did what they could to protect the Jews, they were still subject to the rules and laws of those people in power.  Some people put on their courageousness and did what they could to help these marginalized citizens. 

Chasing Shadows is a book about the bravery of ordinary people who disagreed with those in power, especially those who let their power go to their heads. The plot is dark with the clouds of evil hovering over the daily lives of the characters, and it deals with not only the history of the era, but also the fallout of the war on individual lives.  There are two intersecting stories that were common to the times.   On the one hand, there are the lives of farmers--ordinary citizens, as it were--and their families who have their food confiscated by the soldiers, but they also provide a safe haven and what little food they can for the Jews who would otherwise be sent to the camps.  On the other hand, there are the families of the Jews themselves who live in great fear every moment of the day.  Lynn has focused on one farmer's family and one Jewish family in this book and these narratives are based on real people and real events. 

I've never read a book of the World War II era that showcased the daily life of people and their hardships. I do enjoy reading WWII era books because my father served, two of his brothers served, and several of my uncles on my mother's side of the family also served. It is not as though I was unaware of the events, but to read it in a novelization where the emotions and the thoughts of the characters are displayed, the true meaning of the events drives home.  This is a five star book that will last in the reader's mind for a long time after the last pages are read. 

Tyndale House and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are my own. 

Bookshop By the Sea

 

I was a bookseller for fifteen years, and therefore, I will pick up any book that has to do with books, bookshops, and reading.  Reading has been a habit of mine since I was six years old.  The only reason I went to school was to learn to read, and I came home in tears when I didn't learn it on the first day of school.  

Bookshop by the Sea opens with Sophie being maid of honor for her sister's wedding.  But maid of honor is not the only role she filled, she was wedding planner, peacemaker, mother of the bride, and general factotum for the event.  The only monkey-wrench in the plans was that the best man was a man who had run out on her years before.  While Sophie is helping her sister, Jenny, have the wedding of her dreams, she is also trying to open her bookshop in Piper's Cove.  When a hurricane comes in on the heels of the wedding and puts Sophie behind schedule, best man Aiden, stays and helps Sophie get the shop ready to open.  

Sophie has been mother and father to her twin brother, Seth, and her sister, Jenny, since their mother died and their father skipped out on them a few years earlier. Now Seth, Jenny, and their father look to Sophie to solve their problems while forgetting that Sophie wants a life of her own.  Sophie had to grow up early and fast, giving up many of her dreams so that her siblings have the opportunities they deserve.  

In the meantime, Aiden has never forgotten Sophie and still loves her even after leaving years ago, but he has let fear control his ability to connect with her. 

Denise Hunter wrote a great series called Bluebell Inn and it figures into this story in a small way, but this is a stand-alone book that will give the reader a few hours of enjoyment.  It is a quick read and thoroughly delightful.  The setting of a small seaside town that comes together to help out its residents is charming.  The main characters are believable, and for the most part, likable.  The supporting cast is fantastic.  Four Strong Stars. 

Thomas Nelson and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are my own. 

Facing the Dawn

I am not sure what I was expecting when I decided I wanted to read this book.  It is one of the most depressing books I've ever read.  The story begins with Mara being called in to the principal's office of her youngest son's school, her daughter's profligate ways, and her oldest son's drug addiction and arrests.  On the heels of all of that, she is being asked to work double shifts at the cheese factory sales room, the sump pump in the basement has quit working, the dishwasher needs some help, and her husband is in Africa working with a company to provide clean water for remote villages.  Mara is not a very pleasant person to be around due to her reactions to her situation.  When word comes that her husband has been killed due to a rather unfortunate accident, Mara's world falls apart at the seams.  A month later, her youngest son dies of a drug overdose.  The rest of the book is filled with Mara's dealing with her overwhelming grief and trying to hold body and soul together for her remaining two children.  

Cynthia Ruchti writes about the hard things in life. I've read several of her books and truly enjoyed them, but this one left me cold.  There are redeeming parts to the tale, Mara reconnects with her two oldest children and her forever friend, and she comes to resolve some of her issues--especially her issues with God.   Three stars. 

Revell Publishing and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own. 

 

To Sir, With Love

 

When I looked at the title of this book, I got a totally different picture in my mind of the music that would go with this story.  I wasn't expecting Frank Sinatra, instead, I was reminded of Sidney Poitier. 

When I got into the book, I found that Frank Sinatra was the author's chosen soundtrack.  Gracie Cooper is running the family's champagne store after her father passed away and left the store to Gracie, her sister and her brother.  Gracie even gave up her dreams of studying art to run the store.  The owner of the property where the store sits wants to release Gracie's family from their lease and develop the property. Sebastian Andrews comes to the store to submit his latest offer and to be told to his face that his offer was unwelcome. In fact, she shredded it while he was still in the store.  

Her business life isn't going all that well, but she is willing to pull out all of the stops to keep the store afloat.  She schedules a video conference with her brother and sister to brainstorm some ideas to generate income. 

Her personal life is circling the drain and going down fast, with the exception of a mystery man she met on a dating app.  The premise of the app is that no names or pictures are exchanged until the mutual decision to meet.  Gracie's man of her dreams is dark haired, dark eyed, with a dad-bod, but she has no idea what her mystery man looks like.  The one thing about this mystery man is that she can bare her soul to him without judgment. 

Lauren Layne has populated this book with characters who are real characters.  Keva, the caterer/neighbor/friend; May, her father's extraordinarily flamboyant friend and employee of the store; Robyn, the dour sommelier for the store; Lily, Gracie's sister; Caleb, Gracie's brother; and, of course, Sebastian.  The book is loaded with a lot of lighthearted laughs, but there are poignant moments that will bring tears to the reader's eyes.  Four Strong Stars.

Gallery Books and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are my own. 

A Tapestry of Light

 

Kimberly Duffy writes historical fiction that grabs her readers and makes them think.  A Tapestry of Light is no exception to that.  Most of the time I won't take the time to read the author's notes, because I am more interested in the story being told.  This time I did take the time to read it and I find that Kimberly has opened up her inner self in the notes and put herself into the book.  

Ottilie is the orphaned daughter of a British scientist and an Indian woman, and she also is the guardian of her little brother, Thaddeus.  Just a few short months after her mother dies, someone comes looking for her brother to take him back to England to inherit his title. Because of her parentage and her looks, she is not accepted in the English world or in the Indian world.  The only place she feels she belongs is with her brother and her grandmother. Now this interloper named Everett has upset the calm order of Ottilie's world. When her grandmother dies from the sudden onset of cholera, Ottilie decides that she will go back to England with her brother because there is nothing left in India for her. 

When Ottilie finally arrives in England, she finds just how unaccepted she is in her own family's home. Because of her coloring and her resemblance to her mother, she is looked down upon as less than.  When her father's mother and her aunt decide to send Thaddeus to school, she decides to go to London to be nearer to her brother and find work as an embroiderer for a modiste.  Ottilie's talent lies in using beetle wings in her embroidery and it is becoming quite the rage in London.  She is the only one with a source and the talent to use the wings. 

With the unrest among the races that is current in today's world, Kimberly has brought out the unrest that has been prevalent for generations.  She has also brought out the struggle to make faith something personal and something worth pursuing.  This is one of those books that won't be forgotten soon.  The other thing Kimberly does and does well is her descriptive settings that come alive in the reader's mind. If books could share the sights and scents of a setting, this one certainly could. 

This is a five-star book with two thumbs up and a beautifully embroidered dress for your next ball. 

Bethany House and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are my own. 

If You Choose Me

This novel goes back to Post World War II era, and finds Shirley Stephens taking a job as a nanny to a family of five children.  Rosie and Vincent are adopting street children who have had no family to speak of but have become a family among themselves. Shirley is an unwed mother who takes on the guise of being a war widow to take the job as nanny.  Who she truly is and who her family wants her to be is what she's running from.  As she arrives in Sugar Maple, Tennessee, a man arrives at the same time, Wayne Bishop, who is a journalist writing a "feel good" story for the newspaper in Detroit. 

Ciara Knight takes the reader on a rather comedic journey to the happiness she's trying to portray in this novel.  The people who populate the town make for some fun reading.  Mrs Slaughter runs the boarding house and is a not-so-subtle matchmaker.  Rosie builds furniture, Vincent runs a general store, Wayne is trying to write a story for the Valentine's Day paper, but trying to keep his real purposes for being in town under his hat.  Shirley is hiding her daughter and herself from her New York Society family.  Shirley's two year old daughter, Beth, falls for Wayne in a big way, calling him "Daddy" in spite of Shirley's attempts to teach her otherwise.  

The sweetness of the name of the town portrays the sweetness of the novel.  Wayne goes out of his way to figure out what the hold-up is in the oldest child, Davey, being able to be adopted.  When he does that, he exposes Shirley's secrets and puts her in an untenable situation where she feels she has to leave to protect Rosie, Vincent, and Beth.  

This is an enjoyable read that earns four strong stars. 

Author Collective 20 and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are my own. 

 

My Dear Miss Dupre

 

I have to admit that I have watched a few seasons of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, and I still don't understand how someone can meet the love of his or her life through such a convoluted method.  

Willow Dupre has been running her father's sugar empire since he had a heart attack, but she has been thwarted at every turn by the board of directors who believe a woman can't have a good business mind.  So her parents put together a New Year's Eve party different from any other they've ever thrown before.  They have invited thirty-one bachelors from the New York Four Hundred families setting up a Bachelorette season to end all seasons.  Instead of a rose, Willow gives out laurel crowns to the contestants she wants to know better.  She has to winnow out the ones who are just in the "game" for her money and not for her.  There are a few keepers in the group.  

Willow's parents have set it up so that the men she chooses stay in their mansion until the list is pared down to the final two.  While there are too many similarities to The Bachelorette to ignore, there are some compelling reasons to read the book.  One of the contestants, Cullen Dempsey, has connections to a man who is for all intents and purposes a mob boss, Heathcliff Wellington.  Wellington wants the sugar company and will go to any lengths to insure the cooperation of his "man inside."  In a fit of conscience, Cullen goes to the Pinkerton detective agency to let them know what he knew about Wellington's practices and feeds the Pinkertons information about Wellington, but at the same time he feeds Wellington information about Dupre Sucre. When Willow finds out, she feels betrayed, but it takes several people to help her figure out what the truth is.  

This is my first Grace Hitchcock book to read, and while My Dear Miss Dupre has its moments, it's not one I truly enjoyed.  Three stars. 

Bethany House and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are my own. 

Destined For You

Tracie Peterson is a well-known author with many books to her credit, for one reason alone--she's good at what she does.  She knows how to pull together a plot that engages her readers from the beginning until the very end.  

Gloriana is the daughter of a fishing captain and is helping her father raise her younger brother.  Sally and Scott are the renters in the cottage next door and are expecting their first baby, and Scott works for Gloriana's father.  Lucas is Scott's brother and is working for Jay Cooke--a railroad magnate. 

Lucas' boss wants to run a railroad through Duluth so that it can connect to the Pacific Northwest and sends Lucas to oversee the project.  Lucas arrives in Duluth as Sally finds out that Scott has drowned in a storm that also took Gloriana's father and all the men on the boat.  Lucas is there when Sally asks Gloriana and him to raise the baby she's having.  Now Lucas has some hard things to do:  contact his father about the grandchild, find a way to adopt the baby, and do something about his growing feelings for Gloriana.  

Tracie adds conflict and suspense in the book by the addition of one significant character--Theodore, a man who embezzled money from Lucas' father's bank years ago.  Lucas is the one who caught the discrepancies in the books.  Theodore blamed Lucas for ruining his life.  He has decided he wants to ruin Lucas one way or another, even if it means taking Lucas' life. 

The characters in this book grow through hardship, faith, and love.  They are empathetic, believable, honest, and mostly likable.  This is a solid four star book.  

Bethany House and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this book. 

Braced for Love

 

When I started reading this book, I felt like I was watching a train wreck, I didn't know where to look next.  There are so many characters populating this book that I needed a play-book to keep them all straight.  First, there are three brothers: Falcon, Kevin, and Wyatt Hunt who have all inherited one-third of their father's ranch.  The problem is that none of the brothers knew the others existed.  On the way to Wyoming to receive their inheritance, Falcon and Wyatt were subjects of attempts on their lives by men who wanted to keep them from getting the land.  

The Hunt Brother's father, Clovis, is described as a coyote, a sidewinder, and most accurately a bigamist. He used the law to his advantage to take control of Wyatt's mother's land.  Wyatt and his sister, Cheyenne, were supposed to be the ones to inherit the land but Clovis stole two-thirds of it from under their noses and nothing could be done about it.  

Wyatt resented the two other brothers from the get-go and they were not exactly happy with him either. In spite of all the misgivings the brothers had, they still came together when the attempts to harm Falcon and Kevin continued. 

Mary Connealy writes Western style romances with a heavy dose of humor mixed in.  While I normally truly enjoy her books, I didn't like this one as much as some of her others.  I did not experience the entertainment I usually get.  Others may like this book more than I did, but this just wasn't the book I needed to read right now.   Three Stars. 

Bethany House and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are my own.