Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of Blackberry & Wild Rose in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The Gist Blackberry & Wild Rose by Sonia Velton is a richly detailed journey into the heart of 18th-century Spitalfields, where silk weavers navigate a world of ambition, betrayal, and societal constraints. Velton’s prose brings the setting to life. It immerses readers in the intricacies of the silk trade and the lives of her compelling characters. The Details The strength of the novel lies in Velton’s meticulous research. It is evident in the vibrant descriptions of Spitalfields’ streets and the weaving…
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Anatomy – A Love Story
Anatomy – A Love Story by Dana Schwartz My rating: 1 of 5 stars The Gist Okay, so I have been absent from the book review world for a long time. Well, it feels long to me. With last year being the crap cherry on the crap sundae, I couldn’t focus on anything but making it through 2023 with that little shred of sanity intact. About halfway through last year, my insomnia took a lovely and intense turn for the worst, and I changed my entire sleep hygiene in an attempt to fall asleep before 4 am. This included making it a habit to read before bed to calm down…
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The Thread Collectors
The Thread Collectors by Shaunna J. Edwards & Alyson Richman My rating: 4 of 5 stars Thank you to the publisher, Graydon House and NetGalley, for providing me with an ARC of The Thread Collectors in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. This novel is a collaboration between award-winning Jewish author Alyson Richman, and black debut author Shaunna J. Edwards. The Gist It is written by a black and Jewish woman about a black and jewish woman during the Civil war. Gripping, captivating and it will not leave you for a long time. It is vivid and personal. There is no escape once you have started…
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Book Haul 2016
I’m trying something new and giving this book haul trend a go not only on my YouTube channel, but also on my blog. I noticed that I have a lot of books that I read in the past few years that never made it on this blog or even Goodreads. So, in order to clean up this mess, I’m doing a sort of book haul by the year. Turns out I have to go back six years. That a long time ago and so much has changed since then. Each book gets a paragraph or two in which I talk a little bit about the impressions the story has made…
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The Last of Seven
The Last of Seven by Steven Hartov My rating: 3 of 5 stars Thank you to the publisher, Hanover Square Press and NetGalley, for providing me with an ARC of The Last Of Seven in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The Gist Steven Hartov definitely knows what he is writing about. He joined the U.S. Merchant Marine Military Sealift Command in 1973 and has weaved his experiences into his novels. This story is bold, based on true events and a true male version of WWII. But it also held the hopes and heroic attempts of ordinary soldiers and for that I had to bow. The…
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The Codebreaker’s Secret
The Codebreaker’s Secret by Sara Ackerman My Rating: 5 of 5 stars Thank you to the publisher, MIRA and NetGalley, for providing me with an ARC of The Codebreaker’s Secret in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The Gist It is again written in the perspective of two women living in two different time periods but are still connected. The Details We have two female protagonists. Isabel Cooper works as a codebreaker at Station HYPO in Pearl Harbor, in 1943 and in her free time she retraces the last days of her brother who was killed during the attack on Pearl Harbour by Japanese flight fighters.…
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The Librarian Spy
The Librarian Spy: A Novel of World War II by Madeline Martin My rating: 1 of 5 stars Thank you to the publisher, Hanover Square Press, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of The Librarian Spy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The Gist Truth be told, I have not heard about the activities described in the book during World War II, but it was highly interesting and I did learn something new here. How much is fiction and how much is based on true events? Did the characters really exist or are they just figures representing the many people who did this,…
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The German Wife
The German Wife by Kelly Rimmer My rating: 5 of 5 stars Thank you to the publisher, Graydon House, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of The German Wife in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The Gist I grew up in Germany and am well informed about the time during the Nazy Regime in Germany as well as WWII. In the past I have read many books and stories taking place during this time frame and often have been slightly irritated about distorted or even just untrue reflections in said books. Kelly Rimmer has done her homework, though. I am delighted and impressed…
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Breaking Time
Breaking Time by Sasha Alsberg My rating: 1 of 5 stars Thank you to the publisher, Inkyard Press, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of Breaking Time in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The Gist I have been staring at my screen trying to find something to say about this story, but words aren’t coming easily today. Or perhaps there isn’t really anything to say. I don’t mean to sound nasty. And maybe I just don’t have that much patience lately, but it’s been hard finding a good story these days. Just look at my previous ratings of books. Mostly 2 stars. I…
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An Affair at Stonecliffe
An Affair at Stonecliffe by Candace Camp My rating: 2 of 5 stars Thank you to the publisher, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of An Affair at Stonecliffe in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The Gist Did somebody say historical fiction? Yes, please. Although I had some reservations, because An Affair at Stonecliffe is considered a romance novel, I was cautiously optimistic. Now, I’m sitting at my desk with a slight headache starting between my eyes, wondering how much tea I can drink before I get the jitters. I have said it before, it looks like I’m not cut…
