Tag: historcial fiction

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Night Falls on Predicament Avenue: (A Dual-Time Murder Mystery and Suspense Fiction Book with Clean Romance) 

344 pages Bethany House publisher April 9, 2024 publish date

ABOUT THE BOOK

As the walls of the house at Predicament Avenue reveal their hidden truths, two women–generations apart–discover that fear and foreboding are no respecters of time.

In 1910, Effie James is committed to doing anything to save her younger sister, who witnessed a shocking murder, leaving her mute and in danger of the killer’s retribution. Effie must prove what her sister saw, but when a British gentleman arrives, he disrupts Effie’s quest with his attempts to locate his wife, Isabelle Addington, who was last seen at the supposed crime scene in the abandoned house at 322 Predicament Avenue. Just as Effie discovers what she seeks, she finds that the blood staining the walls will forever link her to a scandal she couldn’t imagine, and to a woman whose secrets promise to curse any who would expose them.

A century later, Norah Richman grapples with social anxiety and grief as she runs her late great-aunt’s bed-and-breakfast on Predicament Avenue. But Norah has little affection for the house and is committed only to carrying out her murdered sister’s dreams until crime historian and podcaster Sebastian Blaine arrives to investigate the ghostly legacy of the house’s claim to fame–the murder of Isabelle Addington. When a guest is found dead, the incident is linked to Isabelle’s murder, and Norah and Sebastian must work together to uncover the century-old curse that has wrapped 322 Predicament Avenue in its clutches and threatens far more than death.

MY THOUGHTS

 I think the reason this author’s books are so popular are because they are based on fear. A childhood fear, that we still have a fascination with though we may not admit it to ourselves. In reading these books we can explore this fear in a way but through a safe medium, a book. It’s a book we can completely get lost in as we enter this world of creepiness and whatever the author wants to convey to us but safely at any time, we can leave it.


With a dual timeline we find ourselves volleying between 1910 and modern times. Rumors can destroy or accentuate something. With rumors still running amuck about the house on Predicament Avenue that started over one hundred years ago the curious among us still gather. Rumors are usually started by something being true and adding on to it, an embellishment of sorts until it gets out of hand and can become dangerous.

A purported murder of a woman taking place long ago has the curious gathering. Is Predicament Avenue haunted or is it just the eerie descriptions messing with our mind?

The characters were exactly as the author wanted them set up to be, The unknown is in full force in this book and if you listen closely, you will hear the dead whispering a message to you.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jaime Jo Wright, multi award-winning author–including the Christy and Daphne du Maurier awards–is a coffee-fueled and cat-fancier extraordinaire. She has entwined her life with the legendary Captain Hook, residing serenely in Wisconsin’s rural woodlands. Her literary vocation involves penning chilling Gothic tales, a baffling change from that of Austenites, with a strong preference to the master of dark, Edgar Allan Poe. Two mischievous urchins adorn their family, who keep their mother on her toes – providing an exhilarating amount chaos.

Visit her at: http://www.jaimewrightbooks.com and listen to her podcast MadLit Musings on your favorite podcast player or at http://www.madlitmusings.com

Enjoy your weekend. Thanks for stopping in.

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Publication Day review for Cherishing the Cowgirl: A Sweet Historical Romance (Colorado Cowgirls Book 2) by Jody Hedlund

238 pages Publisher Northern Lights Press July 25,2023 publish date

About The Book

Charity Courtney is at her wit’s end trying to save her boardinghouse from a bank foreclosure. Short of money but not short of marriage proposals, she dreads putting aside her fairy tale dreams of love and having to settle for a marriage of convenience. But with the need to provide for her two younger sisters, she doesn’t have any other options.

While visiting Fairplay, wealthy railroad magnet Hudson Vanderwater hears of Charity’s plight. Although he comes across as cold and calloused, he is drawn to helping women in need because of a tragedy that destroyed his sister. He concocts a plan that will save Charity—he’ll employ her and rent her boardinghouse for the month and in doing so alleviate her debt.

With a grumpy and demanding new boarder who is now her boss, Charity determines to hold the handsome Hudson at arm’s length. But she’s the sunshine for his stormy soul, and he can’t resist being drawn to her. As danger closes in and threatens to destroy Charity, he’ll stop at nothing to save her.

  • Grumpy-sunshine
  • Cranky billionaire
  • Crusty boss
  • Rags-to-riches
  • Fairytale
  • Class differences

My Thoughts

I am really enjoying the Colorado Cowgirl series Jody Hedlund has written. This is the second in the series but can easily be read as a standalone.
Charity Courtney is the eldest Courtney sister. She takes on the responsibility of her two younger sisters. They’ve inherited a home from their uncle, but money is owed on it, and they are in financial straits while desperately trying to pay it off.


I loved the meeting of grumpy and sunshine. What a powerful connection they have. Charity is a sweet young miss, rather naive just trying to pay off the home loan and taking care of her sisters.


Hudson Vanderwater is a wealthy railroad magnet, buttoned up, straightlaced he hears of Charity’s plight and wants to help her. How they meet is hilarious, he is being chased by an animal and she saves him. He is used to having women fall all over him trying to impress him, she doesn’t and treats him like any other guy, not like anyone important and he’s intrigued.


How can Hudson help her pay off her debt and keep Charity and her sisters in their home? Will Charity have to accept a marriage of convenience with a local banker who has been hounding her for marriage. When a scandal is almost caused will Charity be able to recover her dignity and upstanding name? Clean sweet, western romance and I loved it. Greatly looking forward to more in this series.

Pub date July 25,2023
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

About The Author

Jody Hedlund is the best-selling author of over forty books and is the winner of numerous awards. She writes sweet historical romances with plenty of sizzle. Find out more at jodyhedlund.com.

Grab A Copy of the book here

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Bookouture Blog Tour for The Forgotten Children by Ann Bennett

About The Book

Paris, 1941. As we drive down the cobbled street, I take in the red banners with swastikas covering every building. Suddenly a group of guards appears. I duck beneath the window of the car, and my heart thumps as my hand jumps to my chest. But I’m not wearing my yellow star now, I left it with my sister. Tears well in my eyes. Will I ever see her again?

1939. Standing in front of the orphanage’s imposing stone walls, eleven-year-old Jewish twins Helga and Ruth shiver with fear. The war has taken their mother and father, their home in Berlin has been turned to rubble, but their soft, dark eyes meet and Helga gives Ruth a reassuring smile. They should be safe here together.

Yet every day bombs fly overhead. And when Ruth becomes desperately unwell, the girls are torn apart. As war rages on, will they ever find each other?

Paris, 1990. When Naomi moves to Paris, she hopes the city will help her find herself again. But whilst exploring the antique markets in the early morning sun, she is shocked to discover a duplicate of a photograph her mother Helga has on her mantelpiece back in London of a magnificent vine-covered villa on the outskirts of the city. Naomi soon discovers it was used as an orphanage during the Second World War. But why was the photo so precious to her mother?

When Naomi tells her mother what she’s found, Helga is furious. She begs Naomi to leave the orphanage alone. But Naomi is already desperate to discover the truth about her mother and the secrets of the other forgotten children of Montmorency. If Naomi learns the heart-shattering mistake her mother made, it will change their lives forever. But if she leaves the secrets in the past, Helga will never find out what happened to her sister…

Breathtaking and unputdownable, this story is about courage, hope and the resilience of the human spirit, perfect for fans of Before We Were Yours, Sold on a Monday and The Orphan’s Tale.

My Thoughts

The Forgotten Children by Ann Bennett captivated me as I read it. It is a gripping and heartbreaking story. Such an excellent story! Swirled amongst the dual timeline you'll find a historical fiction story filled with sadness as you feel empathy for our young Helga in the earlier timeline. A very trying, scary and confusing time for a young person to have to experience during the war.

 Due to circumstances she had to move around a lot and didn't have the security of a good home environment.
In a later time frame, we meet her daughter, who would really love to know about her mother's past and her experiences. Helga, due to her tragedies will not share her story with her daughter and it's causing such a tension in their relationship.

 Many secrets are being kept; can this mother daughter bond be broken by omission of truths? I very much enjoyed reading Helga's backstory, it's so tragic but yet I could see why she wanted this kept secret and to not bring it to mind again. We get a harsh insight into the darker side of war and how it affected the innocent children. Will her daughter make a breakthrough with her mother?

 The ending was superb, the light shines through in such a beautiful way! I loved this book!

Pub Date 18 May 2023
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

Buy link: https://geni.us/B0BW4C5W7Wsocial

Visit other blogs on the tour

About the author

Ann Bennett is the author of several historical novels about the second world war in South East Asia, inspired by her father’s experience as a prisoner of the Japanese on the Thai-Burma railway. She has a Law degree and works full time as a lawyer, but is fascinated by India and South East Asia. Since her early twenties she has spent as much time as possible travelling in the region. She’s married with three sons and lives in Surrey.

Author social media:

Website

https://www.bambooheart.co.uk/

Facebook URL

https://www.facebook.com/ann.bennett.104

Instagram URL

https://www.instagram.com/annbennettrann

Twitter URL

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Ann Bennett email sign-up

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Sisters of Night and Fog: A WWII Novel by Erika Robuck

475 pages Berkley Publisher March 1, 2022 publish date

Named a Most Anticipated Book of 2022 by Buzzfeed · Bookbub · BookTrib · and more!

Two women, two countries. Nothing in common but a call to fight.

A heart-stopping new novel based on the extraordinary true stories of an American socialite and a British secret agent whose stunning acts of courage collide in the darkest hours of World War II.

About The Book

1940. In a world newly burning with war, andin spite of her American family’s wishes, Virginia d’Albert-Lake decides to stay in occupied France with her French husband. She’s sure that if they keep their heads down, they’ll survive. But is surviving enough?
 
Nineteen-year-old Violette Szabo has seen the Nazis’ evil up close and is desperate to fight them. But when she meets the man who’ll change her life only for tragedy to strike, Violette’s adrift. Until she enters the radar of Britain’s secret war organization—the Special Operations Executive—and a new fire is lit in her as she decides just how much she’s willing to risk to enlist.
 
As Virginia and Violette navigate resistance, their clandestine deeds come to a staggering halt when they are brought together at Ravensbrück concentration camp.
 
The decisions they make will change their lives, and the world, forever.

Grab A Copy Here

My Thoughts

Powerful and heart pounding! The author tells the tale of two women, women whose bravery is beyond compare.
This story based on true events and people shows the bravery these women displayed despite the cost to themselves. Their actions and bravery helped to defeat the Nazis.
Based upon the experiences of renowned WWII SOE agents Violette Szabo and Virginia d’Albert-Lake this book has been meticulously researched. Compelling read, you won’t soon forget the sacrifices these women made.

Published March 1, 2022
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

The Author

Erika Robuck is the national bestselling author of Sisters of Night and Fog, The Invisible Woman, Hemingway’s Girl, Call Me Zelda, and more. In 2014, Robuck was named Annapolis’ Author of the Year, and she resides there with her family.

Have you read this book or plan to? I’d love to know your thoughts.

Have a fabulous day.

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First Line Friday

Happy Friday & welcome to First Line Friday hosted by Reading Is MY Superpower! It’s time to grab the book nearest to you and leave a comment with the first line. Today I’m featuring a first line from The Laws of Attraction by Mary Connealy. I really enjoy this author’s books. Have you read many by her?

And the First Line is………

May 1871

Pine Valley, Wyoming

Near the Wind River Mountains

“If I have to make one more pair of chaps……..”

About The Book

Pub Date 20 Jun 2023 

Can they risk giving in to the attraction between them while their lives are on the line?

If widowed seamstress Nell Armstrong has to make one more pair of boring chaps for the cowboys in her tiny Wyoming town, she might just quit the business altogether! So meeting Brand Nolte, a widower struggling to raise three girls on his own, seems like her dream come true. Brand has no idea how to dress the girls properly, and Nell finally has a chance to create beautiful outfits while also teaching the girls to sew.

But Nell is much more than a seamstress, and the investigative skills and knowledge she picked up alongside her late lawman husband soon become critical when a wounded stagecoach-robbery survivor is brought to town. As danger closes in from all sides, Nell and Brand must discover who has a target trained on them before it’s too late.

Grab A Copy Here

About The Author

Mary Connealy writes romantic comedy with cowboys. She is independently publishing a contemporary romantic suspense series called Garrison’s Law, book one is Loving the Texas Lawman. Her new historical series, High Sierra Sweethearts begins with The Accidental Guardian. She is also the author of these series: Kincaid Brides, Trouble in Texas, Wild at Heart, Cimarron Legacy, Lassoed in Texas, Montana Marriages and Sophie’s daughters, and has man other books.

She is a two-time Carol Award winner and has been a finalist for the Rita and Christy Awards. She’s a lifelong Nebraskan and lives with her very own romantic cowboy hero. She’s got four grown daughters and four spectacular grandchildren.

Find Mary online at:

Her website: maryconnealy.com

Her blog for aspiring writers: Seekerville

Her blog for lovers of western romance: Petticoats & Pistols

Sign up for her newsletter at maryconnealy.com/newsletter

Mary is on Facebook at facebook.com/maryconnealy

And Twitter at twitter.com/maryconnealy

Have a wonderful day and I’d love to see what your first line is in the book closest to you.

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Bookouture Blog Tour for Code Name Elodie by Anna Stuart

“Inspired by the brave women of Bletchley Park, this is a totally gripping World War Two novel of friendship, heartbreak and hope.”@Bookouture

About The Book

1943, Bletchley Park: In the dark of night, my heart is pumping with adrenalin as I wait for news of the secret agent operating under the code name Elodie. She has a dangerous part to play in the Normandy landings and so many lives are at stake. But I couldn’t bear to lose her…

Inspired by the brave women of Bletchley Park, this is a totally gripping World War Two novel of friendship, heartbreak and hope. Perfect for fans of The Rose Code, The Alice Network and The Nightingale.

Valerie Rousseau is burning with determination to help free her beloved France from the Nazi regime. Working at the mysterious Bletchley Park, she strikes up an unexpected bond with smart, fiercely loyal Fran Morgan as they spend long days together with their heads bent over maps of France in preparation for the Allied invasion.

Their friendship grows increasingly important as they distract themselves from the dark days of war with afternoons skating across the icy pond at the heart of Bletchley Park and evenings talking late into the night. But Valerie’s wartime role is shrouded in secrecy and there are things that she can’t even tell Fran.

When Valerie volunteers for a dangerous mission linked to the D-Day landings in Normandy, Fran is devastated. Valerie has knowingly put her life on the line and Fran is terrified that she will never see her again.

Soon, Fran hears about the bravery of the agent operating under the code name Elodie. She’s certain it’s Valerie and she knows the work she is doing in her little office, overlooking the green fields of England, could be the difference between life and death for this secret agent…

Can both women secure victory for their country? Or will the fight for freedom cost them their love – and their lives?

My Thoughts

Code Name Elodie is book 2 in the Bletchley Park Girls series.
I find it fascinating that it’s based on a true story. I love reading a historical novel that I learn from.
The characters all have depth, with believable back stories that helps me to envision them in my mind which makes them more relatable.
The book is heartbreaking and gripping, I had to read one more chapter, then one more and before I knew it, I was done.


Starting off in 1943, Bletchley Park with bombs dropping all around you can feel the women’s fear and it pulls you into the story. The 3 main characters are women, and we follow their journey as they seek freedom for their country. We still often think of men when we think of war but so many women bravely sacrificed for their country during war time as well.


War is devastating but these women had a strong friendship, displayed bravery and had determination. Through it all war doesn’t stand in the way of love though. Despite the war raging though there is hope through it all.
I have really enjoyed this series and will be reading more by this author.

Published March 29,2023
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

Author Bio

Anna Stuart lives in Derbyshire with her campervan-mad husband, two hungry teenagers and a slightly loopy dog. She was hooked on books from the moment she first opened one in her cot so is thrilled to now have several of her own to her name. Having studied English literature at Cambridge university, she took an enjoyable temporary trip into the ‘real world’ as a factory planner, before returning to her first love and becoming an author. History has also always fascinated her. Living in an old house with a stone fireplace, she often wonders who sat around it before her and is intrigued by how actively the past is woven into the present, something she likes to explore in her novels. Anna loves the way that writing lets her ‘try on’ so many different lives, but her favourite part of the job is undoubtedly hearing from readers. You can reach her on Facebook @annastuartauthor or Twitter @annastuartbooks.

Sign up to be the first to hear about new releases from Anna Stuart here:  https://www.bookouture.com/anna-stuart

Buy Link:

Amazon: https://geni.us/B0BSH4BFX6social

You can sign up for all the best Bookouture deals you’ll love at: http://ow.ly/Fkiz30lnzdo

Have a wonderful day and thanks for stopping in today.

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Top Ten Tuesday-Traveling Through Books

Top Ten Tuesday used to be a weekly post hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, but was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl. “It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.” This is definitely something I can understand and want to participate in.

This week’s topic is if you like X let me recommend …………….. to you.

This week If you love to travel, I’m going to recommend some wonderful books you can dream of as you armchair travel.

The Cornish Coast

The English Channel

The Irish Coast

Paducah Kentucky

Vienna

Virginia

Paris

Calcutta, India

 Afghanistan

Moscow, Vienna, Washington, DC

I hope this finds you well today. Thank you for stopping in today, it’s been a pleasure. Please leave a comment. Where would you like to travel and have you ever done so through a book?

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Only The Beautiful by Susan Meissner is Heartbreaking but Inspirational

400 pages Berkley publisher April 18,2023 publish date

A heartrending story about a young mother’s fight to keep her daughter, and the winds of fortune that tear them apart by the USA Today bestselling author of The Nature of Fragile Things and The Last Year of the War.

About The Book

California, 1938—When she loses her parents in an accident, sixteen-year-old Rosanne is taken in by the owners of the vineyard where she has lived her whole life as the vinedresser’s daughter. She moves into Celine and Truman Calvert’s spacious house with a secret, however—Rosie sees colors when she hears sound. She promised her mother she’d never reveal her little-understood ability to anyone, but the weight of her isolation and grief prove too much for her. Driven by her loneliness she not only breaks the vow to her mother, but in a desperate moment lets down her guard and ends up pregnant. Banished by the Calverts, Rosanne believes she is bound for a home for unwed mothers, and having lost her family she treasures her pregnancy as the chance for a future one. But she soon finds out she is not going to a home of any kind, but to a place far worse than anything she could have imagined. 

Austria, 1947—After witnessing firsthand Adolf Hitler’s brutal pursuit of hereditary purity—especially with regard to “different children”—Helen Calvert, Truman’s sister, is ready to return to America for good. But when she arrives at her brother’s peaceful vineyard after decades working abroad, she is shocked to learn what really happened nine years earlier to the vinedresser’s daughter, a girl whom Helen had long ago befriended. In her determination to find Rosanne, Helen discovers that while the war had been won in Europe, there are still terrifying battles to be fought at home.

Grab A Copy Here

My Thoughts

Only The Beautiful is absolutely heartbreaking.


California 1938, When Rosie is sixteen years old there is a tragic accident that takes her parents and brother’s life. Rosie has nowhere to go and the owners of the vineyard who her parents worked for reluctantly have taken her in. No compassion is shown to her by The Calvert’s, and she is a maid there. When she falls pregnant through no fault of her own, she is sent to an institution. Her Mama told her to never tell her secret, she has Synesthesia, (When you hear music and see shapes or see a color when you hear a word.) Because this is not an understood thing at that time this is why she was sent to an institution.
The institution practices eugenics, after her giving birth, this is forced on her.

Austria, 1947, Helen is the sister of Truman Calvert and has nannied out of the country for decades. Helen has seen many injustices including eugenics and the death of disabled people being ordered. When the children she cares for no longer need her she returns to the USA and is determined to meet and help Rosie who has aged out of the institution.

Its absolutely heartbreaking to read what has happened during the eugenics movement which began during the Progressive Era and remained active through 1940. It began in England then moved to the US and other countries.

I did enjoy Rosie’s and Helen’s characters a lot. They were kind and gracious people despite what they had endured and experienced.
I have always enjoyed reading this author’s books as she brings to light subjects that should not be forgotten. This is historical fiction at it’s best!

Pub Date 18 Apr 2023
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

The Author

Susan Meissner is the USA Today bestselling author of historical fiction with more than three-quarters of a million books in print in eighteen languages. Her novels include The Nature of Fragile Things, starred review Publishers Weekly; The Last Year of the War, a Library Reads and Real Simple top pick; As Bright as Heaven, starred review from Library Journal; Secrets of a Charmed Life, a 2015 Goodreads Choice award finalist; and A Fall of Marigolds, named to Booklist’s Top Ten women’s fiction titles for 2014. She is also RITA finalist and Christy Award and Carol Award winner. A California native, she attended Point Loma Nazarene University and is also a writing workshop volunteer for Words Alive, a San Diego non-profit dedicated to helping at-risk youth foster a love for reading and writing.

Visit Susan at her website: https://susanmeissnerauthor.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/susanmeissnerauthor/ on Twitter at @SusanMeissner or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/susan.meissner

Enjoy your weekend and thanks for stopping in.

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The London Girls are motorcycle dispatch riders. Book by Soraya M. Lane

324 pages Lake Union Publishing November 8,2022 publication date

About The Book

From the bestselling author of The Last Correspondent comes a remarkable story of three young women who defy the bombs to do their bit for Britain. Will they survive the dark streets of London to see the Allies win the war?

London, 1941. The Blitz. When a Royal Navy memo arrives at head office, requesting female recruits to sign up as motorcycle dispatch riders, delivering highly classified orders across the country, three women jump at the chance to sign up for the most dangerous jobs in London.

Olivia grew up riding motorcycles with her brothers, and with them fighting abroad she feels it is her duty to join up. The thrill of adventure draws Ava, but with more enthusiasm than skill, will she learn to navigate the treacherous London streets safely? Having lost her family during one of the first air attacks, Florence knows how important it is to have help arrive on the scene—fast—and so she steps up, outmanoeuvring the men behind the wheel of an ambulance. When Olivia, Ava and Florence meet for the first time they know they have found something all of them need—family.

As bombs fall, decimating the city they love, these three brave women build a sisterhood amid the rubble, facing down anyone—even their own families—who objects to their service. And while romances bloom and fade, their connection grows ever stronger. But none of them dare consider the terrifying reality that one night Florence’s ambulance may be rescuing someone she loves…

My Thoughts

Once again, another fabulous book based on real people and events which I find so interesting and informative. This type of historical fiction always draws me in. 3 women who didn’t know each other before they joined the WRENS .

The Women’s Royal Naval Service (WRNS), also known as the Wrens, was formed in 1917 during the First World War, as a branch of the Royal Navy.

The initial intention behind the Wrens was that the service would free up men for frontline action by serving in roles such as cooks, dispatch riders and sail-makers.

Olivia, Ava, and Florence come from different backgrounds and home lives but after joining the WRENS they wanted to do all they could for their country and signed up to be motorcycle dispatch riders. Navy dispatch riders, all women who deliver urgent orders and messages between headquarters and military units. These women performed bravely and heroically in London. The women willingly risk life and limb for their country.

Pub Date 08 Nov 2022

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.

All opinions expressed are my own.

About The Author

Soraya M. Lane graduated with a law degree before realizing that law wasn’t the career for her and that her future was in writing. She is the author of historical and contemporary women’s fiction, and her novel Wives of War was an Amazon Charts bestseller.

Soraya lives on a small farm in her native New Zealand with her husband, their two young sons and a collection of four legged friends. When she’s not writing, she loves to be outside playing make-believe with her children or snuggled up inside reading.

For more information about Soraya and her books, visit http://www.sorayalane.com or http://www.facebook.com/SorayaLaneAuthor, or follow her on Twitter @Soraya_Lane

What interests you about The London Girls? Would you read this title?

Enjoy your day and thanks for stopping in.

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The Metropolitan Affair (On Central Park Book #1)Historical fiction, thriller, Egyptian Art forgery- By Jocelyn Green

393 pages March 14, 2023 publish date Bethany House Publishers

Grab A Copy Here

About The Book

Bestselling author Jocelyn Green sweeps you away in a dazzling novel of secrets, betrayal, and romance within one of New York City’s most esteemed museums.

For years her explorer father promised Dr. Lauren Westlake she’d accompany him on one of his Egyptian expeditions. But as the empty promises mounted, Lauren determined to earn her own way. Now the assistant curator of Egyptology for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Lauren receives two unexpected invitations.

The first is her repentant father’s offer to finally bring her to Egypt as his colleague on a new expedition. The second is a chance to enter the world of New York’s wealthiest patrons who have been victims of art fraud.

With Egyptomania sweeping the city after the discovery of King Tut’s tomb, Detective Joe Caravello is on the hunt for a notorious forger preying on the open wallets of New York’s high society. Dr. Westlake is just the expert he needs to help him track the criminal. Together they search for the truth, and the closer Lauren and Joe get to discovering the forger’s identity, the more entangled they become in a web of deception and crime.

My Thoughts

THE METROPOLITAN AFFAIR is the first book in the On Central Park series.
Now let me just say, I have read and loved ALL of Jocelyn Greens’ books but in this one she’s taken it to a new level of writing.
I would classify the book as a historical fiction novel as it takes place in Manhattan, New York City in mid 1920’s but with the action and suspense and its rich layers I would also classify it as a thriller.
Exquisitely researched, I found the book not only fascinating but informative as well.
I have never read about ancient Egyptian art forgery before, and I really learned a lot.
I learned you check for forgery by weight, material used, a scratch test and more, I’m sure.
The book was pretty intensive as a police detective and the assistant curator of Egyptian art at the Metropolitain Museum of Art are trying to figure out who is the head of and its members of the Egyptian forgery ring. These two characters knew each other during childhood but life had taken them their separate ways. Now they are back together working professionally and as these characters try to solve the crime will they see each other on a more personal level as well?
After hardly being around her father growing up Lauren is not close to him, but this is not of her choosing. Her heart was crying out for his companionship, but he was always traveling for his Egyptian work he did. Never being there for her and her mother. She also has a deep interest in Egyptian things as well, first as a way to get close to him but it’s a genuine interest now. Now that her father needs her help with some work-related things, she wonders, should she involve herself in it? There was a pretty big twist in the last part of the book that I just didn’t see coming, really took me by surprise. I also found it fascinating that many of the characters are based on real life people. Make sure to read the author’s notes at the back of the book, very informative.
I highly recommend this book.

Pub Date 14 Mar 2023
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

About The Author

Jocelyn Green is a former journalist who puts her investigative skills to work in writing both nonfiction and historical fiction to inspire faith and courage.

The honors her books have received include the Christy Award in historical fiction, and gold medals from the Military Writers Society of America and the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association.

Complex and nuanced characters, rich historical detail and twisting plots make her novels immersive experiences. Her fiction has been praised by Historical Novel Society, Romantic Times, Library Journal, historians specializing in her novels’ time periods, as well as popular and acclaimed authors Laura Frantz, Lori Benton, Jody Hedlund, Sarah Sundin, Joanne Bischof, Julie Lessman, and more.

Jocelyn loves Broadway musicals, the color red, strawberry-rhubarb pie, Mexican food, and well-done documentaries. She lives in Iowa with her husband, two children, and two cats she should have named Catticus Finch and Purrman Meowville.

Visit her at jocelyngreen.com.

Have you read any book by this author? What were your thoughts?

Have a wonderful day and thanks for stopping in.