She paid a terrible price to keep her sister’s secret…
Florrie and Edith, two devoted sisters, have lived in their little house with threadbare carpets in the East End of London since they were children in the war. But while their neighbours know Florrie as a bright-eyed, kind elderly lady, they always wonder why Edith never leaves the house.
Years later, Kate, their great niece, comes to sort out their things. Kate is running from a broken relationship, and as she sits amongst the dusty furniture, looking at old photos of Florrie during the war, she recognises the change in her aunt – from a carefree young girl laughing with her friends to a young woman with dark sad eyes, always by herself.
Desperate to find out more about Florrie and Edith, Kate is shocked to discover an untouched wedding dress wrapped in tissue paper in a bottom drawer and a locked room at the end of a passage upstairs without a key. What could her aunts have been hiding?
And as she reads entries from her great-aunt’s diaries she is transported back to a time where the German bombs rained down on London and a seventeen-year-old girl was forced to give up everything to keep her sister’s secret. Can Kate ever understand the darkness that has bound her family together? And if she does, will she be able to move on from it?
A heartbreaking historical novel of war, tragedy and the sacrifices we make for those we love. Fans of Fiona Valpy, Kristin Hannah and Victoria Hislop will be hooked by The Shut-Away Sisters.
The Shut-Away Sisters by Suzanne Goldring is my first read by this author.
It is absolutely a heart-breaking read and leaves you questioning why life can be so unfair sometimes.
A dual timeline, we find ourselves spending time with Kate in modern times, she has just gotten out of a bad relationship and taking a break from a workhorse of a boss to clear out her recently deceased aunt Florrie's house for her father.
In past times her father grew up as the youngest child with two older sisters, that are seven years apart. When Florrie was fifteen years old her older sister Evie's beau Frank goes off to fight in WWI leaving her sad, lonely and waiting for him. The waiting turns into years and Evie becomes reclusive, rarely leaving her room, eating little while writing letters to her beau and poetry.
Years go by the parents pass away, the brother goes off to fight in the war and Florrie becomes the caretaker of Evie who has become an invalid. Florrie has a chance at marriage but feels obligated to care for her older sister as they spend the rest of their days together in this house.
It is an intriguing book to read as we see Kate discover a locked door in her aunt's house. What secrets will she uncover upon entering the unknown room. Very suspenseful book, the more I read the more I discovered and the more my heart broke.
I need more books by this author, NOW. All the rest of her books are on my wish list.
Pub Date 29 Jun 2021
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.
About The Author
Following an eventful career as a public relations consultant, specialising in business and travel, Suzanne Goldring turned to writing the kind of novels she likes to read, about the extraordinary lives of ordinary people. Her debut novel MY NAME IS EVA draws on her experience of volunteering in a care home and was partially inspired by a cache of wartime love letters which were saved from the flames. Her second novel, BURNING ISLAND, is set in Corfu, a place of fun and beauty but also tremendous tragedy.
I hope your day is great. Thank you for visiting today.
A perfect mother. A loving daughter. A secret that could destroy them both.
New mother Eve is overwhelmed with love for her baby son, Kai. As she swaddles him in a fluffy white blanket, she shudders at a memory of her own childhood. She hasn’t seen her heartless mother Lydia in years, and she hasn’t told a soul about what really happened the night her baby brother died in the squalid little house she grew up in…
When the phone rings in the dead of night, Eve’s heart pounds as she hears the voice at the other end. ‘Hello Mother’, she replies, an ice-cold chill creeping down her spine. She grips her son’s tiny frame close to her trembling chest as she reluctantly agrees to let her mother visit.
But when Eve has to make an emergency call from Kai’s bedroom early one morning, she curses herself for allowing her mother back into her perfect little family.
‘Kai was fine when I checked on him a few hours ago.’ Her mother says, breathlessly as she watches her daughter’s face change from fear to rage.
Why was Lydia in Kai’s bedroom during the night? And as Lydia pleads her innocence, could it be that she’s not the most dangerous mother in this family?
Fans of The Girl on the Train, Gone Girl and The Wife, will absolutely love this gripping and addictive thriller. Her First Child will have you hooked from the very first page!
My Thoughts
I am a new reader of psychological thrillers. As a new reader of this genre, I am drawn to the synopsis of the books, and I have enjoyed the ones I have read. The pace of this one is fast; you never really know what to expect. This is my first read by this author and I am open to reading more by her. The story was very suspenseful, I thought I understood what was going on but then it flowed into another scenario, another possibility. Who can you trust when relationships are based on neediness and lies. Oh, so many lies. What is good in this life, what is bad? You think you know, but you don’t. Betrayal, abuse, neglect, despair, tension, you will find this and more. A mother unable to do the one thing she was made to do, protect her children. As her daughter grows into a woman will she inherit her mother’s mannerisms, her silence, the madness, the inability to cope with reality? In this dual timeline, there is a lot of covering up, hiding the bad, the secrets must never see the light of day. Twists and turns with a very unexpected ending.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Participating Blogs
Author Bio
Author Bio:
Bestselling Author, Sheryl Browne, writes taut, twisty psychological thriller. A member of the Crime Writers’ Association, Sheryl has several books published and two short stories in Birmingham City University anthologies where she completed her MA in Creative Writing. Sheryl has also obtained a Certificate of Achievement in Forensic Science and – according to readers – she makes an excellent psychopath. Sheryl’s latest psychological thriller HER FIRST CHILD comes to you from BOOKOUTURE. Her previous works include the DI Matthew Adams Crime Thriller series, along with contemporary fiction novels, The Rest of My Life and Learning to Love.To find out more about Sheryl, go to www.sherylbrowne.com https://twitter.com/sherylbrowne
She forgot about her childhood friend… until his body is found under her garden. Can she prove she didn’t commit the decades-old murder?
Lucy Freeman struggles to find satisfaction in life. Trapped in the shadow of her rock star brother, the thirty-two-year-old craves more than her days at home caring for her terminally ill mother. But her routine takes a turn for the horrifying when a giant sinkhole collapses the earth outside their house and reveals a skeleton.
Shocked to discover the bones belong to a former member of her sibling’s band, Lucy’s worst nightmare comes alive when police suspect her of the killing. And as she turns to her dying parent’s diaries in a desperate search for vindication, she’s entangled in a dark and complicated truth.
Will unearthing long-buried wrongs prove lethal?
Lies at Her Door is a heavy-hitting psychological thriller novel. If you like strong character growth, overcoming dysfunctional relationships, and revealing unexpected secrets, then you’ll love AA Abbott’s chilling whodunnit.
Buy Lies at Her Door to excavate the facts from the rubble today!
My Thoughts
All should be merry and bright as the sound of Christmas carols float in the air in this posh neighborhood in Bristol but that’s not quite how it’s playing out. This gripping psychological thriller had me reeled in from the start. There are many characters, some a minor blip but the author takes us inside the mind of some as we get to know their thinking or at least we think we get to but there are psychological mind games at play here. A skillfully plotted thriller, we have our main character a 32-year-old dowdy woman living at home taking care of her terminally ill nonverbal mother. When a skeleton is found in a sinkhole in her backyard she is blamed, and she must try to clear her name. Believable dialogue and actions. As the investigation is off to a running start sinister secrets surface that may have been best to been left unearthed. A tightly woven plot that will have you convinced you’ve solved it when your thought process will suddenly need to take another direction. The pace really picks up in the last quarter of the book as the mind games are front and center with an unseen surprise ending. Will be reading more of this new to me author.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
British crime thriller writer A.A. Abbott (also known as Helen Blenkinsop) enjoys escaping with an exciting and emotional read, and that’s what she aims to write. She also sets her fiction in the cities where she’s lived and worked: London, Bristol and Birmingham. Currently based in Bristol, she’s set her latest psychological thriller in the city’s swanky Clifton district. Inspiration for the story came when a sinkhole appeared in Clifton on Christmas Day 2020, revealing a collapsed cellar under a park. In real life, no-one was singing carols there at the time and no skeleton was discovered, but writers often stretch the boundaries of truth!
Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by thatartsyreadergirl with a new topic every week. This week is a freebie so I’m choosing Christmas books that I still haven’t read from last year or before. Let’s not even talk about the ones still on my list from this year 😉 Ready for Christmas book reviews in March? Christmas books are great to read any time of the year though in my opinion .
I have tried reading this because everyone should read this classic, right? It’s just can’t get into the writing style.
A Christmas Carol was first published in London by Chapman & Hall in 1843. It has become a Christmas classic and has been continuously in print since its first release, as well as being made into numerous plays and movies. It tells the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, an elderly miser who is visited by the ghost of his former business partner Jacob Marley and the spirits of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come. After their visits, Scrooge is transformed into a kinder, gentler man. It explores themes about the treatment of the poor and the ability of people to reform themselves. It is worth reading every Christmas.
Twenty tales for the holiday season selected for their spiritual value and literary quality.
They are some of the warmest childhood memories, those unhurried evenings around the fireplace, Christmas tree, or dinner table, when there was time for a story… Now, with this collection, you can keep the story-telling tradition alive in your family, and pass it on to your children or grandchildren.
Home for Christmas includes twenty time-honored tales. Several are by world-famous authors; others are little-known treasures translated from other languages. Selected for their literary quality and spiritual integrity, they will resonate with readers of all ages, year after year.
With original woodcuts by David Klein
Tucked away inside an old lighthouse in Beacon Harbor, Michigan, bakeshop café owner Lindsey Bakewell is ready to make her first Christmas in town shine bright. But her merry plans crumble fast when murder appears under the mistletoe…
With the spirit of the holidays wafting through the Beacon Bakeshop, Lindsey thinks she has the recipe for the sweetest Christmas ever—winning the town-wide cookie bake-off. Unfortunately, striving for a picture-perfect December in Beacon Harbor is a lot like biting into stale shortbread. Low on staff and bombarded by visits from family, Lindsey can barely meet demands at work, let alone summon the confidence to face fierce competition…
Self-appointed Christmas know-it-all Felicity Stewart is determined to take the top spot in the bake‑off, and she’s not afraid to dump a little coal in everyone’s stocking to do it. Just as the competition heats up, everything falls apart when the judge is found dead—and covered in crumbs from Lindsey’s signature cookie!
Solving a murder was never on Lindsey’s wish list. But with her reputation on the line during the happiest time of the year, she’ll need to bring her best talents to the table in order to sift out the true Christmas Cookie culprit.
I like the simplistic cover, but I’ve heard this one is a bit of a downer. Anyone have any thoughts on this one?
Every December, Josie posts a letter from her home in London to the parents she lost on Christmas night many years ago. Each year, she writes the same three words: Missing you, always. But this year, her annual trip to the postbox is knocked off course by a bicycle collision with a handsome stranger–a stranger who will change the course of Josie’s life.
Josie always thought she was the only one who avoided the Christmas season, but this year, Max has his own reasons for doing the same—and coincidence leads them to spending the holiday together. Aglow with new love, Josie thinks this might be the start of something special.
Only for Max to disappear without saying goodbye.
Over the course of the next year, Max and Josie will find that fate continues to bring them together in places they’d never expect. New York City. Edinburgh. The quiet English countryside. And it turns out, Max had every reason to leave and every reason to stay. But what does fate hold for Josie and Max as Christmas approaches again?
A devastating, romantic, life-affirming love story, Always, in December will stay with readers long after they’ve finished the last page.
The brand new romantic Christmas read from Alex Brown –the Queen of Feel Good Fiction and #1 bestseller!
Bridget smiled to herself, certain she could see one of the stars twinkling extra brightly in that moment as if to acknowledge her wish and convince her that, yes, Mulberry-On-Sea was just the place they all needed to be. Surrounded by those happy memories of holidays and special times where nothing bad ever happened…
Finding yourself without a home in the weeks before Christmas would break most people, but for Bridget Carrington it’s a chance to start again. Mulberry-On-Sea has always been her happy place and she’s hoping it can work its magic this festive season and heal her family after a difficult year.
Now, as the community wraps Bridget and her children in its warm embrace, she starts to feel like herself again. With a new business, kids who are starting to smile, and the promise of a second chance at love, Bridget’s holiday season might just be a happy ever after…
He’s willing to risk his life to save others. Is she willing to risk her heart on him?
Morgan’s late husband was a daredevil…and now she’s a widowed single mom. All she wants now is to set up a stable life for herself and her son in the small town of Pine Hill, Kentucky.
Andrew’s a firefighter who thrives on the rush of saving others. His secret dream is to become a smokejumper and fight raging wildfires across the country. But it’ll mean leaving his hometown and the people who rely on him.
Morgan and Andrew are drawn together as they both volunteer to make quilts for veterans at the local quilt shop. Morgan’s son looks up to Andrew, and Morgan can’t help but notice how good Andrew is with him. Meanwhile, Andrew’s torn between his ambition and his growing attraction to Morgan. They both have choices to make about their future…and about each other.
Christmas has come early to the beautiful Poconos resort that’s the setting for the American Baking Battle’s holiday special, where chef Courtney Archer is on hand to sample festive fare—and lift the lid off a killer…
Six ambitious bakers are competing for glory and a grand prize, showcasing their most delicious candies, cookies, and desserts. Courtney detects some on-set grinchiness from her coworkers, especially judge Shannon Collins, but she’s hoping the sweet treats will restore everyone’s festive spirits. That Christmas wish swiftly fizzles when assistant director Kinzy Hummel is found strangled—with an apron from Shannon’s new product line…
Shannon insists she’s innocent. Meanwhile, Kinzy had been under pressure from a disgruntled attorney to settle her late grandfather’s estate. But could that be a motive for murder? The show must go on even as Courtney sifts through competitors and crew for likely suspects. But unless she can quickly get to the truth, there’ll be another helping of homicide amid the pinwheel cookies and fruitcakes…
In The First Christmas, Stephen Mitchell brings the Nativity story to vivid life as never before. A narrative that is only sketched out in two Gospels becomes fully realized here with nuanced characters and a setting that reflects the culture of the time. Mitchell has suffused the birth of Jesus with a sense of beauty that will delight and astonish readers.
In this version, we see the world through the eyes of a Whitmanesque ox and a visionary donkey, starry-eyed shepherds and Zen-like wise men, each of them providing a unique perspective on a scene that is, in Western culture, the central symbol for good tidings of great joy. Rather than superimposing later Christian concepts onto the Annunciation and Nativity scenes, he imagines Mary and Joseph experiencing the angelic message as a young Jewish woman and man living in the year 4 bce might have experienced it, with terror, dismay, and ultimate acceptance. In this context, their yes becomes an act of great moral courage.
Readers of every background will be enchanted by this startlingly beautiful reimagining of the Christmas tale.
The brand new seasonal romance from the author of Duvet Day. Escape to the Arctic Circle and fall in love under the Northern Lights . . .
All it takes is one moment to change your life . . .
When a cleverly edited video of radio host Lucy Fairweather goes viral, she knows she needs an escape. And preferably somewhere far away.
Where better than Wild Zone – a destination for people who want to experience the Arctic Circle? Owned by the gorgeous but brooding Tommi, Lucy agrees to help with the guests in return for her stay. But getting to grips with her skis is proving harder than it looks.
Far from home and in a winter wonderland, will an encounter with the breathtaking Northern Lights change her luck, in both life and love?
Can neighbours become more than just good friends this Christmas?
Bella Moore is excitedly counting down the days to Christmas. That is until she arrives home one evening to find her boyfriend leaving her for another woman. Completely heartbroken, Bella is left wondering if Christmas can still be the same this year.
Next door, Bella’s neighbour Nick is facing his first Christmas as a single dad and doubting whether he can make it the magical time his son Freddie deserves.
Determined to fix both Christmas and their broken hearts, Bella comes up with an idea: a Christmas giving tree for the whole village, where the community can unite and secretly give each other the Christmas presents they truly need.
As Bella becomes chief elf, taking donations and delivering gifts with much-needed help from Nick and Freddie, the two neighbours grow closer and start seeing each other in a whole new light.
But when Nick’s estranged wife returns just before Christmas, is their budding romance over before it’s begun? Or will love be Nick and Bella’s perfect gift this Christmas?
Have you read any of these or plan to? What are your thoughts on them?
Freelance photographer and Yeast of Eden bakery assistant Ivy Culpepper has just scored the job of a lifetime shooting the Dickensian dress-up X-mas party thrown by It Girl film actress Eliza Fox . . . until an unwanted guest appears. A holiday costume party in the sleepy coastal town of Santa Sofia could be just the boost Ivy needs for her fledgling photography business. At the party, Ivy enters a Victorian fantasy come to life, all courtesy of the fabulous Ms. Fox. Ivy gets to play shutterbug while hanging with Scrooge, Marley, the Cratchits, and more classic Dickens characters. But what begins as the best of times turns out to be the very worst for one of the party guests—a tabloid journalist with more enemies than Ebenezer himself.
When the man’s body is found sprawled across the jagged rocks below the house, the fingers begin pointing at Eliza. Meanwhile, Ivy gets roped into helping prove the starlet’s innocence. Her festive photos are now official evidence—and the Ghosts of Christmas Present could mean the party for Eliza is over, once and for all.
A Murder Yule Regret is the seventh book in the A Bread Shop Mystery series and also my first read in this series. I enjoyed the descriptions of the different types of bread baking in this book and how it was made. It made me hungry for delicious fresh, hot bread with butter melted on it. Santa Sofia bakery, Yeast of Eden is overflowing with business even off peak. Bakery assistant Ivy Culpepper may be up to her elbows in dough early every a.m. but she’s got a wonderful chance to get her startup photography business off the ground as the photographer shooting the Dickensian dress-up X-mas party thrown by It Girl film actress Eliza Fox. I enjoyed the characters, and we get an in-depth backstory for some of them here which really explains their behavior. One character I was completely off the mark with my thinking, they surely took me by surprise. When some of Ivy’s photographs may contain photographic evidence in a murder, she and her Pug are in feet first sleuthing. Fast paced with red herrings thrown in, I was surprised how this turned out and just did not see this ending playing out as a possibility. I enjoyed the plot and will be reading more of this series. Delicious recipes included to try.
Pub Date 30 Nov 2021 I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
About The Author
The indefatigable Winnie Archer is a former middle school teacher and now full time writer. Born in a beach town in California, she now lives in an inspiring lake house in North Carolina where she practices yoga, hikes, and loves on her 3 rescue dogs. She fantasizes about spending summers writing in quaint, cozy locales, has a love/hate relationship with both yoga and chocolate, adores pumpkin spice lattes, is devoted to her five kids and husband, and can’t believe she’s lucky enough to be living the life of her dreams.
Winnie Archer is the pseudonym for national bestselling author Melissa Bourbon. Learn more at http://melissabourbon.com.
Can she find the strength to heal the wounds of her past–and open her heart again?
A widow at just thirty years of age, Rose Finlay is determined to put all ideas of marriage and family behind her and pursue an independent life. But when she notices a young woman about to be led astray by a roguish aristocrat, bitter memories from her past arise, and she feels compelled to intervene. The unintended consequences of her efforts will ultimately force Rose to reexamine her life in a new light.
As the guardian of his two widowed sisters’ financial and domestic affairs, John Milburn carries heavy responsibilities for a single man. But he’s faced with his biggest challenge when his headstrong niece falls prey to the attentions of a powerful man who could ruin both her and her family.
When Rose and John join forces to protect his niece, they put everything they hold dear–including their growing attraction–in jeopardy.
Alice McNeil resolved at a young age to travel through life unencumbered by love or marriage, free to make her own decisions. A seasoned telegrapher, she’s recently acquired a coveted position at an important trading firm, but when the company’s ambitious junior director returns to London, things begin to change in ways Alice could never have imagined.
For Douglas Shaw, years of hard work and ingenuity enabled him to escape a life of grinding poverty. He’s also determined to marry into high society–a step that will ensure he never returns to the conditions of his past.
He and Alice form a friendly relationship based on mutual respect, but anything deeper is not in their plans. However, when Alice accidentally raises the ire of a jealous and vindictive coworker who’s intent on ruining her life, Alice and Douglas is forced to confront what is truly important in their lives. Will their growing bond give them the courage to risk finding a better way?
My Thoughts
Holding The Line is the third book in the Love Along the Wires series and the final book in this series. While I have enjoyed them all this one may be my favorite of them. I loved seeing Rose, a minor character in the other books have her own story. While this can be read as a standalone in my opinion, you’ll enjoy it more if you read the series as there is some character crossover from book to book. Rose and John are my favorite characters. Rose, a young widow has been hurt by her late husband, is not looking for any romantic entanglement and is happy to be an independent woman now. She works at the post office and is looking to progress with her job quickly. I enjoyed seeing how John helps his widowed sister and sisters-in-law families, he feels the responsibility for them since his brother’s death. We see a lot of twists and turns in the story as he and Rose work together to try to keep his niece from an aristocratic rake who sweet talks her into believing he is interested in this sweet young naive miss when it’s only her dowry he’s interested in. A slow burn romance may be developing between Rose and John, but caution will not be thrown to the wind. Intriguing plot kept me reading.
Pub Date: 06 Dec 2022 I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
About The Author
Jennifer Delamere writes tales of the past…and new beginnings. Her novels have won numerous accolades, including Romance Writers of America RITA® award finalist, a starred review from Publishers Weekly, and the Maggie Award for Excellence from Georgia Romance Writers. Jennifer holds a B.A. in English from McGill University in Montreal, Canada, where she became fluent in French and developed an abiding passion for winter sports. She’s been an editor of nonfiction and educational materials for two decades. She loves reading classics and histories, which she mines for the vivid details to bring to life the people and places in her books.
Have you read this book or plan on reading this book. Let me know your thoughts when you’ve read it.
May your day be blessed. Thank you for stopping in today.
Eight heartwarming classic tales for the Christmas season—illustrated by Bernadette Watts–in one beautiful volume.
A beautiful Christmas collection that includes The Smallest Snowflake, The Little Drummer Boy, Shoemaker Martin, The Star Child, The Snow Queen, The Little Donkey, The Christmas Story, and Varenka, this collection of stories will get you in the Christmas spirit.
“Watts’ watercolors overlaid with crayon-like texture are appealing and rustic.”—School Library Journal
Praise for Little Red Riding Hood (illustrated by Bernadette Watts) “My what big talent she has! The old is new again here, and this is a welcome addition to the fairy-tale shelf.”—Kirkus Reviews
“A master in choosing a palette to fit each story.”—Eric Carle
Eight heartwarming classic tales for the Christmas season—illustrated by Bernadette Watts–in one beautiful volume. Though these are labeled as children’s stories I think many adults would enjoy them as well. Stunningly illustrated in watercolors, the art style is rustic, old-fashioned and nostalgic. The fairy tale like collection is sure to bring a smile to your face as you read about the animals and people of days gone by. The stories are filled with kindness and empathy and would be perfect as a gift for children. I enjoyed this very much!
Pub Date 14 Sep 2021 I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
The Author
Bernadette Watts, known throughout Europe simply as Bernadette, has illustrated many dozens of folk- and fairy tales. Born in England, she loved to draw from childhood. She studied at the Maidstone Art School in Kent, UK, and for some time was taught by Brian Wildsmith and David Hockney. Bernadette’s many beautiful books include The Snow Queen and The Little Drummer Boy. Bernadette finds her inspiration in nature. Today she lives and works in Kent. She has been illustrating for NorthSouth Books and NordSüd Verlag since the beginning of her career fifty years ago.
Thank you for stopping in today to read my post. Have a wonderful day.
Do you have a favorite Children’s book you’ll look at from time to time?
In this humorous and heartwarming romance, sparks fly between a woman who can’t wait to leave a wintry New England island, and a widower who would do anything to stay.
Travel magazine writer Celeste Bell is in a terrible mood. Not only was her flight to the Caribbean diverted to a Massachusetts island, now it looks like she’ll have to spend Christmas there. Single and still mourning the loss of her mother a year earlier, Celeste is desperate to avoid any emotional entanglements and all holiday festivities. She just doesn’t feel like celebrating.
But that’s exactly what community center director Nathan White and his young daughter Abigail want to do. Nathan is entirely focused on making sure that his daughter has a happy Christmas, especially with the knowledge that if he can’t raise money for the community center soon, it will close and they’ll have to leave the island. When he meets Celeste, Nathan begins to feel a connection and wonders if he’s brave enough to risk his heart once more.
Thawing their frozen hearts, and saving the community center will require a Christmas miracle. But tis’ the season…
Celebration at Christmas Cove takes place on a Massachusetts island, imagine being single, having to travel for work and being stranded there at Christmas time. The description of this New England Island sounds delightful, the islanders are in full Christmas spirit with decorating and baking and eagerly welcome in Travel magazine writer Celeste Bell . Her travel plans were not what she expected after she missed her flight and had to be diverted to the island. There are some humorous moments as one thing after another prevents her from getting off the island and traveling to the sun-drenched Caribbean, from terrible weather to the pilot getting food poisoning the delays just keep stacking up. The longer she’s there the more she starts enjoying herself and getting acclimated to her surroundings, especially community center director Nathan White and his young daughter Abigail. They just seem to turn up everywhere. Throw in her very unreasonable boss who is not the least bit interested in why she’s being delayed from her job, he just needs her there now! Will there be a Merry and Bright Christmas when this charming and scenic New England Island sees more than its fair share of snow with a travel agent seeming to be enjoying her island delay more than she wants to admit? Fun premise for a holiday book.
Pub Date 26 Oct 2021 I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
The Author
Carrie Jansen earned an MFA in creative writing and published many poems and short stories before becoming a novelist. An avid bodyboarder and beach walker, she spends as much of the year as she can on Cape Cod, where she draws inspiration for her contemporary romances. She also writes Amish romance novels under her pseudonym, Carrie Lighte.
May your day be joy filled. Thank you for stopping in today.
When all of Venice is unmasked, one man’s identity remains a mystery . . .
1807 When a baby is discovered floating in a basket along the quiet canals of Venice, a guild of artisans takes him in and raises him as a son, skilled in each of their trades. Although the boy, Sebastien Trovato, has wrestled with questions of his origins, it isn’t until a woman washes ashore on his lagoon island that answers begin to emerge. In hunting down his story, Sebastien must make a choice that could alter not just his own future, but also that of the beloved floating city.
1904 Daniel Goodman is given a fresh start in life as the century turns. Hoping to redeem a past laden with regrets, he is sent on an assignment from California to Venice to procure and translate a rare book. There, he discovers a city of colliding hope and decay, much like his own life, and a mystery wrapped in the pages of that filigree-covered volume. With the help of Vittoria, a bookshop keeper, Daniel finds himself in a web of shadows, secrets, and discoveries carefully kept within the stones and canals of the ancient city . . . and in the mystery of the man whose story the book does not finish: Sebastien Trovato.
My Thoughts
This book deserves many more than five stars.
I am not sure I have ever read a book quite like this one before.
Some books come into your life, are read and quickly forgotten.
Not so with this one It will be remembered by myself and many other readers for quite some time.
I feel spiritually fulfilled after reading this.
The descriptions are so vivid that I feel as though I was experiencing this with all the characters in the time periods portrayed.
The book is a real gem, the words are clear, concise and fluid.
I am really looking forward to reading more by this author.
I was given a complimentary copy by Interviews and Reviews and Bethany House Publishers. All opinions expressed are my own.
Amanda Dykes is a drinker of tea, dweller of redemption, and spinner of hope-filled tales who spends most days chasing wonder and words with her family. She’s the winner of the 2020 Christy Award Book of the Year, a Booklist 2019 Top Ten title, and the winner of an INSPY award for her debut novel, Whose Waves These Are. She’s also the author of Set the Stars Alight (a Christy Award finalist), Yours is the Night (recipient of the Kipp Award, Christy Award finalist), All the Lost Places (starred reviews from Booklist, Library Journal, and Foreword), and three novellas. Find her online at amandadykes.com
Thank you for visiting today. I hope your day is wonderful.
Vegan Book Blogger 