When the World Fell Silent by Donna Jones Alward

A story of loss, hope and redemption against the most impossible odds. 1917. Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Nora Crowell wants more than her sister’s life as a wife and mother. As WWI rages across the Atlantic, she becomes a lieutenant in the Canadian Army Nursing Corp. But trouble is looming and it won’t be long before the truth comes to light.

Having lost her beloved husband in the trenches and with no-one else to turn to, Charlotte Campbell now lives with his haughty relations who treat her like the help. It is baby Aileen, the joy and light of her life, who spurs her to dream of a better life.

When tragedy strikes in Halifax Harbour, nothing for these two women will ever be the same again. Their paths will cross in the most unexpected way, trailing both heartbreak and joy its wake…

Paperback, 374 pages

Published August 1, 2024

 by One More Chapter

3/5 stars

I grabbed this book because of the Canadian setting, a debut Canadian author and that it revolves around real Canadian history.  It’s 1917 when the Halifax explosion rocks Canada.  Do you see the theme?  Yea I love reading about this great country.

I wanted to love this book.  The social media hype was high so maybe my expectations were way up there.  But for a number of reasons I was left wanting more.

I love that this story highlights an almost forgotten tragedy in our history but I wanted more details, like the how, why and who was responsible.  It almost seems that this was more a background story with Nora and Charlotte's story front and center.

Told from the point of view of these two young women, who I found similar and at times hard to distinguish.  They have both lost so much between the war and the explosion, and now they struggle to carry on afterwards.

This is falling between a 2.5 and a 3 star book for me. While I didn’t love it, I also didn’t hate it. It was a predictable story with a lot of inner dialogue and at times repetitive. 

It was just a so-so read that would have taken me longer to finish if it was not for the audio.

This book was part of my 2024 reading off my shelf challenge.

Coming Out of the Ice by Victor Herman

In 1931, a young American named Victor Herman accompanied his parents to the Soviet Union, where his father was to set up a Ford Motor Company plant. 

In 1938, he was inexplicably thrown into a Soviet prison.

 It was forty-five years before he was able to return to America. His was a common nightmare during the Stalin years. Those who survived imprisonment and torture were either sent north to hard labor in the icy forests and mines or into exile. Victor Herman was one of the few who survived. 

During his life in and out of Russian prisons, he fell in love with a Russian gymnast, who followed him into exile. She lived with him and their child for a year in Siberia in a cave chopped out of ice. Theirs was a romance destined to thrive even under desperate conditions.

Audiobook, 13 hrs and 48 mins

Published October 1, 2007 

by Blackstone Audiobooks

5/5 stars

The blurb on the print copy starts by saying this is an astonishing true story, I can think of other words to use instead, like heartbreaking, unbelievable and even cruel.

To be honest there are not words to describe this story. I went in listening to the audiobook, the reader was stellar, he brought the story to life.

Victor Herman is in his teens when his parents or rather his father decides to work for the Ford Motor Company in Russia, the year is 1931. Just knowing that part one can already feel the tension. Things don’t go as planned, in 1938 Victor is thrown in prison, this is a Russian prison with Siberia on the horizon,

Coming Out Of The Ice is a story of resilience, heartache, and injustice. It's a story of determination and sacrifice. Just by reading the blurb it wasn’t hard to visualize what would take place.

After listening to Victor's story, I think it's an injustice that Victor Herman is not more widely known and his story as he struggles to get back to his birthplace of Detroit Michigan. Yes, he is a US citizen.

This audio from free on Audible through member exclusives.

The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer

Inspired by C. S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia, this wild and wondrous novel is a fairy tale for grown-ups who still knock on the back of wardrobes—just in case—from the author of The Wishing Game.

As boys, best friends Jeremy Cox and Rafe Howell went missing in a vast West Virginia state forest, only to mysteriously reappear six months later with no explanation for where they’d gone or how they’d survived.

Fifteen years after their miraculous homecoming, Rafe is a reclusive artist who still bears scars inside and out but has no memory of what happened during those months. Meanwhile, Jeremy has become a famed missing persons’ investigator. With his uncanny abilities, he is the one person who can help vet tech Emilie Wendell find her sister, who vanished in the very same forest as Rafe and Jeremy.

Jeremy alone knows the fantastical truth about the disappearances, for while the rest of the world was searching for them, the two missing boys were in a magical realm filled with impossible beauty and terrible danger. He believes it is there that they will find Emilie’s sister. However, Jeremy has kept Rafe in the dark since their return for his own inscrutable reasons. But the time for burying secrets comes to an end as the quest for Emilie’s sister begins. The former lost boys must confront their shared past, no matter how traumatic the memories.

Alongside the headstrong Emilie, Rafe and Jeremy must return to the enchanted world they called home for six months—for only then can they get back everything and everyone they’ve lost.

Hardcover, 352 pages

Published July 16, 2024 

by Ballantine Books

5/5 stars

I loved Meg Shaffer's debut, The Wishing Game, my expectations for The Lost Story was pretty high. Was disappointed? Not at all. As with her previous book, I loved her writing, the witty banter between the characters (and maybe some non-human folks as well) and the whimsical storytelling.

The Lost Story is about Ralph and Jeremy how they went missing for 6 months, that was 15 years ago. Parting ways they are now reunited and ready to finish the story. This was such a unique plot and I’m not gonna give anything about it away. Suffice to say this is a magical story of friendship, family, and searching. The characters are likable and there is even another point of view from the storyteller.

This is a modern day fairytale, which has me yearning to read some of the classics of the past. It was  lighthearted and whimsical, but does have it's fair share of drama. The characters were likeable, except for the ones that weren't. The cover is one of my favorites.

If you are looking for something different, something that will make you smile at the dialogue as well as adding to your tbr, I highly recommend this read.

This book was part of my 2024 reading off my shelf challenge, it was one of my highly anticipated books of the year and I purchased it through book of the month.

This Summer Will Be Different by Carley Fortune

This summer they’ll keep their promise. This summer they won’t give into temptation. This summer will be different.

Lucy is the tourist vacationing at a beach house on Prince Edward Island. Felix is the local who shows her a very good time. The only problem: Lucy doesn’t know he’s her best friend’s younger brother. Lucy and Felix’s chemistry is unreal, but the list of reasons why they need to stay away from each other is long, and they vow to never repeat that electric night again.

It’s easier said than done.

Each year, Lucy escapes to PEI for a big breath of coastal air, fresh oysters and crisp vinho verde with her best friend, Bridget. Every visit begins with a long walk on the beach, beneath soaring red cliffs and a golden sun. And every visit, Lucy promises herself she won’t wind up in Felix’s bed. Again.

If Lucy can’t help being drawn to Felix, at least she’s always kept her heart out of it.

When Bridget suddenly flees Toronto a week before her wedding, Lucy drops everything to follow her to the island. Her mission is to help Bridget through her crisis and resist the one man she’s never been able to. But Felix’s sparkling eyes and flirty quips have been replaced with something new, and Lucy’s beginning to wonder just how safe her heart truly is.

Paperback, 320 pages

Published May 7, 2024

by Berkley

3.5/5 stars

Canadian author, Carly Fortune has written another summer read with a Canadian setting. I hope she continues her books within Canada, it’s refreshing to read about places that one is familiar with.

This story alternates between Toronto and PEI. When Lucy goes to visit, her friends family’s home in PEI she was given explicit instructions to stay away from the brother… but obviously we know how that’s gonna end up.

This Summer Will Be Different is the story of Lucy, still grieving the loss of a beloved aunt, it is also about her relationship with her friend Bridget and Bridget‘s brother Felix. It feels very much like a coming of age story for these adults. As I’ve come to expect with Fortune's writing, it is entertaining. 

Is this my favorite Fortune book, probably not, I loved the Canadian vibe. Having only ever visited PEI for a couple hours I am anxious to go back and get a good taste of the island.

This book was part of my 2024 reading off my shelf challenge.

The Paris Understudy by Aurelie Thiele

This powerful debut novel brings to life the hard choices Parisians made--or failed to make--under Nazi occupation, in the tradition of Pam Jenoff and Fiona Davis.

1938. Paris Opera legend Madeleine Moreau must keep newcomer Yvonne Chevallier, whose talent she fears, off the stage. As the long-standing star of the opera, she is nowhere near ready to give up her spotlight. The perfect enlist Yvonne as her understudy so she can never be upstaged. When Madeleine is invited to headline at Germany’s pre-eminent opera festival, she is sure this will cement her legacy. But war is looming, and when she learns that Adolf Hitler himself will be in attendance, she knows she’s made a grave error. As Madeleine makes a hurried escape back to France, Yvonne finds herself unexpectedly thrown into the limelight on the German stage.

When a newspaper photograph shows Hitler seemingly enraptured by Yvonne, Yvonne’s life is upended. While she is trying frantically to repair her reputation at home, Yvonne’s son is captured and held as a prisoner of war. Desperate to free her son, she makes an impossible turn to the enemy.

As the Nazis invade Paris, both women must decide what they are willing to do in pursuit of their art. They form an unlikely alliance, using their fame to protect themselves and the people they love from the maelstrom of history.

Painting an enrapturing portrait of resilient wartime women, The Paris Understudy is a love letter to the arts and a stark depiction of the choices we make to survive, for fans of Kate Quinn and Kristen Harmel.

Kindle Edition, 313 pages

Expected publication September 10, 2024 

by Alcove Press

4/5 stars

It’s 1938 and Yvonne Chevallier has dreams of the stage. For Madeline, her dream is to prevent Yvonne from outshining her. France is on the brink of war, but these 2 women only have eyes on themselves. They will be forced to make decisions with deathly repercussions. 

The Paris Understudy is a story of family, greed and ultimately sacrifice. This was a captivating read, it was well written and as much as it was entertaining it was also educational.  Loosely based on a real historical figure added to the heartache.  I actually didn’t realize the opera was still running during the war years, I kind of felt everything came (or should have) to a standstill during the war years.. However, when you have the attention of the Germans life is a little easier in terms of rations and accommodations. 

Told from the point of view of both women tells their struggles as well as their strength and lengths they will go to save those they love. It’s actually a story that will stay with me.

Debut author Aurelie Thiele has written a story that is well researched, can't wait to see what she comes up with next.

My thanks to Alcove Press (via Netgalley) for a digital arc in exchange for honest review.

A Noise Downstairs by Linwood Barclay

The New York Times bestselling author of No Time for Goodbye returns with a haunting psychological thriller that blends the twists and turns of Gillian Flynn with the driving suspense of Harlan Coben, in which a man is troubled by odd sounds for which there is no rational explanation.

College professor Paul Davis is a normal guy with a normal life. Until, driving along a deserted road late one night, he surprises a murderer disposing of a couple of bodies. That’s when Paul’s "normal" existence is turned upside down. After nearly losing his own life in that encounter, he finds himself battling PTSD, depression, and severe problems at work. His wife, Charlotte, desperate to cheer him up, brings home a vintage typewriter—complete with ink ribbons and heavy round keys—to encourage him to get started on that novel he’s always intended to write.

However, the typewriter itself is a problem. Paul swears it’s possessed and types by itself at night. But only Paul can hear the noise coming from downstairs; Charlotte doesn’t hear a thing. And she worries he’s going off the rails.

Paul believes the typewriter is somehow connected to the murderer he discovered nearly a year ago. The killer had made his victims type apologies to him before ending their lives. Has another sick twist of fate entwined his life with the killer—could this be the same machine? Increasingly tormented but determined to discover the truth and confront his nightmare, Paul begins investigating the deaths himself.

But that may not be the best thing to do. Maybe Paul should just take the typewriter back to where his wife found it. Maybe he should stop asking questions and simply walk away while he can. . .

Audiobook, Duration: 9 hours, 9 minutes

Published July 24, 2018

 by HarperAudio

4/5 stars

A Noise Downstairs is my next stop as I go through Linwood Barclay's backlist. This was mostly an audio read with George Newburn and Jared Zeus doing a great job.

Life changes for college professor Paul Davis, one dark night when he stumbles across someone disposing of a couple bodies. His life is threatened and as he battles PTSD and other issues he slowly begins to think he’s losing his mind. Things take a drastic turn after his wife surprises him with a vintage typewriter.

A Noise Downstairs is a story of paranoia, trust and the battle within yourself. As with other Barclay stories there were many twists and turns along the road as Paul struggles. Whether it be trust of his friends, his wife and even his therapist. There is mystery as to what is going on with the typewriter as it seemingly comes to life in the middle of the night. All reaching a conclusion that took me by surprise on one hand and not on the other.

An enjoyable read with a unique premise and flawed cast of characters.

I obtained the audiobook through  CloudLibrary.

The Bookstore Sisters by Alice Hoffman

From New York Times bestselling author Alice Hoffman comes a heartfelt short story about family, independence, and finding your place in the world.

Isabel Gibson has all but perfected the art of forgetting. She’s a New Yorker now, with nothing left to tie her to Brinkley’s Island, Maine. Her parents are gone, the family bookstore is all but bankrupt, and her sister, Sophie, will probably never speak to her again.

But when a mysterious letter arrives in her mailbox, Isabel feels herself drawn to the past. After years of fighting for her independence, she dreads the thought of going back to the island. What she finds there may forever alter her path—and change everything she thought she knew about her family, her home, and herself.

Kindle Edition, 36 pages

Published November 1, 2022

 by Amazon Original Stories

4/5 stars

A series of short stories, this being the 1st in the series  (the 3rd coming in the new year). My first thought is that this would make a nice full length novel. 

The Booksellers Sisters is the story of 2 sisters, a quick version of their separation and what brought them back together. It’s a story of grief, family and relationships. Figuring out what’s important with a sassy 12 year old and the dog - it’s always fun having a dog on scene.

I’m not sure how long this series will last, but I will be there for the ride.

My copy obtained through Kindle Unlimited

The Return of Ellie Black by Emiko Jean

Detective Chelsey Calhoun’s life is turned upside down when she gets the call Ellie Black, a girl who disappeared years earlier, has resurfaced in the woods of Washington state—but Ellie’s reappearance leaves Chelsey with more questions than answers.

It’s been twenty years since Detective Chelsey Calhoun’s sister vanished when they were teenagers, and ever since she’s been searching: for signs, for closure, for other missing girls. But happy endings are rare in Chelsey’s line of work.

Then a glimmer: local teenager Ellie Black, who disappeared without a trace two years earlier, has been found alive in the woods of Washington State.

But something is not right with Ellie. She won’t say where she’s been, or who she’s protecting, and it’s up to Chelsey to find the answers. She needs to get to the bottom of what happened to Ellie: for herself, and for the memory of her sister, but mostly for the next girl who could be taken—and who, unlike Ellie, might never return.

The debut thriller from New York Times bestselling author Emiko Jean, The Return of Ellie Black is both a feminist tour de force about the embers of hope that burn in the aftermath of tragedy and a twisty page-turner that will shock and surprise you right up until the final page.

Paperwork, 320 pages

Published May 7, 2024 by

by Simon & Schuster

4.5/5 stars

This is one of those books that was hyped up on social media and this reader did the only thing one can do and did an impulse purchase. The author is new to me, but the story sounded intriguing.

Eli Block disappeared when she was 17 years old and two years later she comes stumbling out of the forest.  As to where she was and what happened she is very tight lipped about. The story came from her point of view and also that of the detective assigned her case.

This was such a captivating story, it was frustrating not knowing what happened to Ellie, not just for this reader but the detective as well.  The story alternated with Ellie reliving her years in captivity and present day.  It is somewhat of a slow burn but that didn't hinder my reading at all.  The author had great pacing and the ending was something that threw me for a curve.  Well done Emiko Jean!!

This is the author's debut, I can't wait to see what she is working on next.

This book was part of my 2024 reading off my shelf challenge.

The Wren in the Holly Library by K.A. Linde

Can you love the dark when you know what it hides?

Some things aren’t supposed to exist outside of our imagination.

Thirteen years ago, monsters emerged from the shadows and plunged Kierse’s world into a cataclysmic war of near-total destruction. The New York City she knew so well collapsed practically overnight.

In the wake of that carnage, the Monster Treaty was created. A truce...of sorts.

But tonight, Kierse―a gifted and fearless thief―will break that treaty. She’ll enter the Holly Library...not knowing it’s the home of a monster.

He’s charming. Quietly alluring. Terrifying. But he knows talent when he sees it; it’s just a matter of finding her price.

Now she’s locked into a dangerous bargain with a creature unlike any other. She’ll sacrifice her freedom. She’ll offer her skills. Together, they’ll put their own futures at risk.

But he’s been playing a game across centuries―and once she joins in, there will be no escape...

Hardcover, 400 pages

Published June 4, 2024

 by Entangled: Red Tower Books

3.5/5 stars

This book grabbed me with the awesome cover, it has sprayed edges and an intriguing blurb - well done Red Tower Books.

Fantasy is slowly becoming a genre I read more of, especially when it has a bookish theme. Here we have a world where monsters have invaded.  With a Monster Treaty in place the world should feel safe and secure,  haha fat choice of that!  Kierse is a gifted thief, her latest job takes a turn when she enters the library of a monster.

The Wren in the Holly Library is a story of friendship, the lengths one will go to protect their friends. It’s a story of risks and what is worth fighting for. I enjoyed the worldbuilding, it wasn’t hard to follow, though it did remind me of other romantasy books I've read. This one seemed loosely to be based on Beauty and the Beast, which seems pretty common. They are parts of the story I would have liked to seen more of, mostly her friendship with Ethan and Gen. They have been through a lot, and I would have liked more interaction. But given the story thread I could see why not and maybe in the sequel they will have a bigger part.

I loved the dedication… "to the girls who fell for the library before the beast"’

I couldn’t give this book higher rating because I did feel that there was something missing. I can’t quite put my finger on what it was, but there was something, hopefully the sequel will fix that.

This book was part of my 2024 reading off my shelf challenge.

A Happier Life by Kristy Woodson Harvey

Present Day: Keaton Smith is desperate for a fresh start. So when her mother needs someone to put her childhood home in Beaufort, North Carolina, on the market—the home that Keaton didn’t know existed until now—she jumps at the chance to head south. But the moment she steps foot inside the abandoned house, she’s confronted with secrets about grandparents who died before she was born. And as she gets to know her charming next-door neighbor, his precocious ten-year-old son, and a flock of endearingly feisty town busybodies, she soon finds she has more questions than answers.

1976: Rebecca “Becks” Saint James has made a name for herself as the best hostess North Carolina has ever seen. Her annual summer suppers have become the stuff of legend, and locals and out-of-towners alike clamor for an invitation to her stunning historic home. But she’s struggling behind the façade. Becks strives to make the lives of those around her as easy as possible, but this summer she is facing a dilemma that even she can’t solve. And as the end of the season looms, she is brought to a decision she never wanted to make.

As both Keaton and Becks face new challenges and chapters, they are connected through time by the house on Sunset Lane, which has protected the secrets, hopes, and dreams of the women in their family for generations.

Softcover, 384 pages

Published June 25, 2024

 by Gallery Books

4.5/5 stars

Kristy Woodhouse Harvey has once again pinned a story with Southern charmed and family, makes for a perfect beach read, even though it is with some hard facts of life and a touch of mystery.

Keaton Smith needs something to do after suddenly facing unemployment. When the opportunity comes to put her mother’s childhood house in order she jumps at the chance. What she gets is what she needs most, new friends, a change and a 10-year-old boy that steals her heart.

This book alternates between present day and 1976 with Keaton‘s grandmother.  Some nice family history and what really happened that fateful summer.

A Happier Life was an entertaining read. A tight knit community, good food and maybe a bit of romance. There are some great characters with a great setting and a mystery to solve.. It’s a story of secrets and hope. 

Kristy Woodson Harvey has solidified herself into an auto read author for me. Her books are well written, refreshing with some good banter and I always walk away with a clear message.

Thanks to gallery books for print copy in exchange for honest review.

First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston

Evie Porter has everything a nice, Southern girl could want: a perfect, doting boyfriend, a house with a white picket fence and a garden, a fancy group of friends. The only catch: Evie Porter doesn’t exist.

The identity comes first: Evie Porter. Once she’s given a name and location by her mysterious boss Mr. Smith, she learns everything there is to know about the town and the people in it. Then the mark: Ryan Sumner. The last piece of the puzzle is the job.

Evie isn’t privy to Mr. Smith’s real identity, but she knows this job will be different. Ryan has gotten under her skin, and she’s starting to envision a different sort of life for herself. But Evie can’t make any mistakes—especially after what happened last time.

Because the one thing she’s worked her entire life to keep clean, the one identity she could always go back to—her real identity—just walked right into this town. Evie Porter must stay one step ahead of her past while making sure there’s still a future in front of her. The stakes couldn't be higher—but then, Evie has always liked a challenge...

Hardcover, 340 pages

Published January 2, 2024

 by Pamela Dorman Books

2.5/5 stars

I finished this book back in March, here we are in August and I can still remember this book and why I was disappointed. With all the media hype part of me wonders if my expectation level was elevated, but I don’t think so.

This book started out good, it was mysterious and even a little captivating, until it wasn't. I was not attached to the characters. In fact, I found part of the alternating story more interesting than the main one.  The story itself got a little much especially with all the new characters being introduced. To top it off, some of the scenarios were over the top (I’m looking at Devon here - he reminded me of Ethan Hunt's sidekick, with a few clicks on the keyboard he saves the world yet again).

I skimmed through to the end just to see what the fuss was about.  Since the vast majority loved this book, please take my thoughts with a grain of salt.

This book was part of my 2024 Reading Off My Shelf Challenge and purchased through BOTM.

What Does It Feel Like? by Sophie Kinsella

From #1 bestselling author Sophie Kinsella, an unforgettable story—by turns heartbreaking and life-affirming—of a renowned novelist facing a devastating diagnosis and learning to live and love anew.

Eve is a successful novelist who wakes up one day in a hospital bed with no memory of how she got there. Her husband, never far from her side, explains that she has had an operation to remove the large, malignant tumor growing in her brain.

As Eve learns to walk, talk, and write again—and as she wrestles with her diagnosis, and how and when to explain it to her beloved children—she begins to recall what’s most important to her: long walks with her husband’s hand clasped firmly around her own, family game nights, and always buying that dress when she sees it.

Recounted in brief anecdotes, each one is an attempt to answer the type of impossible questions recognizable to anyone navigating the labyrinth of grief. This short, extraordinary novel is a celebration of life, shot through with warmth and humor—it will both break your heart and put it back together again.

Kindle Edition, 140 pages

Expected publication October 8, 2024

 by The Dial Press

5/5 stars

This was a quick read coming in around 140 pages. I finished it in the morning and could not read anything else for the rest of the day. I went into it with the author's quote in mind.

“What Does It Feel Like? is fiction, 

but it is my most autobiographical work to date. 

Eve’s story is my story.”—Sophie Kinsella

Knowing this was an autobiographical story made it all the more personal, gripping and heartbreaking.

What Does It Feel Like? is a powerful story of resilience, love and patience. It’s one that has stayed with me over the past week. An insight into what the author has gone through with honesty and heart.

There aren't words to describe how I felt reading this book, Jodi Picoult sums it up perfectly.

“The bravest book you’ll read all year.”—Jodi Picoult

My thanks to The Dial Press for a digital arc in exchange for a honest review.

Funny Story by Emily Henry

It's a funny story. . . .

DAPHNE always loved the way her fiancé Peter, told their story. How they met (on a blustery day), fell in love (over an errant hat), and moved back to his lakeside hometown to begin their life together. He really was good at telling it . . . right up until the moment he realized he was actually in love with his childhood best friend Petra.

Which is how Daphne begins her new story: stranded in beautiful Waning Bay, Michigan, without friends or family but with a dream job as a children’s librarian (that barely pays the bills), and proposing to be roommates with the only person who could possibly understand her predicament: Petra’s ex, Miles Nowak.

Scruffy and chaotic—with a penchant for taking solace in the sounds of heart break love ballads—Miles is exactly the opposite of practical, buttoned-up Daphne, whose coworkers know so little about her they have a running bet that she’s either FBI or in witness protection. The roommates mainly avoid one another, until one day, while drowning their sorrows, they form a tenuous friendship and a plan. If said plan also involves posting deliberately misleading photos of their summer adventures together, well, who could blame them?

But it’s all just for show, of course, because there’s no way Daphne would actually start her new chapter by falling in love with her ex-fiancé’s new fiancée’s ex . . . right?

Hardcover, 400 pages

Published April 23, 2024

by Berkley

5/5 stars

I’ll confess I went into Funny Story a little bit apprehensive. Emily Henry’s previous book Happy Place was not a favourite of mine. I am happy to report that I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It had everything I love in a rom/com.

Funny Story is a funny story about Daphne and Miles.  Left practically at the altar when her fiancé Peter says he is in love with his childhood best friend Petra. Petra leaves her boyfriend Miles when she declares her loves for Peter. What follows is Daphne with no place else to go and ends up being Mile's roommate. There is no romantic entanglement, but Daphne just needed to find a new place to live.

Funny Story has great banter. It had fake dating and what it didn't have was insta love or even insta lust (thank goodness). Rather it was two individuals working through their heartache, getting to know each other and knowing what the other was going through.  But it also had deeper issues for Daphne to deal with.

Like I said, great banter, great storyline and characters to root for. Definitely five stars from me.

This book was part of my 2024 reading off my shelf challenge.

Maria: A Novel of Maria von Trapp by Michelle Moran

Maria von Trapp. You know the name and the iconic songs, but do you know her real story? This dramatic novel, based on the woman glamorized in The Sound of Music, brings Maria to life as never before.

In the 1950s, Oscar Hammerstein is asked to write the lyrics to a musical based on the life of a woman named Maria von Trapp. He’s intrigued to learn that she was once a novice who hoped to live quietly as an Austrian nun before her abbey sent her away to teach a widowed baron’s sickly child. What should have been a ten-month assignment, however, unexpectedly turned into a marriage proposal. And when the family was forced to flee their home to escape the Nazis, it was Maria who instructed them on how to survive using nothing but the power of their voices.

It’s an inspirational story, to be sure, and as half of the famous duo Rodgers & Hammerstein, Hammerstein knows it has big Broadway potential. Yet much of Maria’s life will have to be reinvented for the stage, and with the horrors of war still fresh in people’s minds, Hammerstein can’t let audiences see just how close the von Trapps came to losing their lives.

But when Maria sees the script that is supposedly based on her life, she becomes so incensed that she sets off to confront Hammerstein in person. Told that he’s busy, she is asked to express her concerns to his secretary, Fran, instead. The pair strike up an unlikely friendship as Maria tells Fran about her life, contradicting much of what will eventually appear in The Sound of Music.

A tale of love, loss, and the difficult choices that we are often forced to make, Maria is a powerful reminder that the truth is usually more complicated—and certainly more compelling—than the stories immortalized by Hollywood.

Paperback, 310 pages

Published July 30, 2024

 by Dell

4/5 stars

This was one of my highly anticipated books of 2024. Michelle Moran has solidified her place as one of my auto reads, her books about off the beaten track. I mean with stories about those figures of history that get little attention. I knew I was in for a treat with Maria.

Maria did not disappoint. Told from two timelines, that of Maria and during the production of the Broadway play.  This included glimpse of Hammerstein and his struggles with a persistent Maria wanting him to get the story right. An entertaining read.  It was great to get to know the real Maria, her upbringing and relationship with the von Trapp kids as well as her husband. Their escape from Austria and the little glimpses of life in USA.

The author notes at the end were just as enjoyable to read, to see the accuracy in history that played out here.  A nice finishing touch was seeing what became of each of the children and see what life had instore for them.

Though I did not buy this book for my shelf, one day I will. My copy was obtained through my local public library.

The Night We Lost Him by Laura Dave

Estranged siblings discover their father has been keeping a secret for over fifty years, one that may have been fatal...

Liam Noone was many things to many people. To the public, he was an exacting, self-made hotel magnate fleeing his past. To his three ex-wives, he was a loving albeit distant family man who kept his finances flush and his families carefully separated. To Nora, he was a father who often loved her from afar – notably a cliffside cottage perched on the California coast from which he fell to his death.

The authorities rule the death accidental, but Nora and her estranged brother Sam have other ideas. As Nora and Sam form an uneasy alliance to unravel the mystery, they start putting together the pieces of their father’s past—and uncover a family secret that changes everything.

With Laura Dave’s trademark combination of soulful suspense and evocative family drama, The Night We Lost Him is a riveting page-turner with a heartbreaking final twist you’ll never see coming.

Kindle Edition, 320 pages

Expected publication Sept 17, 2024

 by S&S/ Marysue Rucci Books

3.5 stars

From the author of The Last Thing He Told Me, Laura Dave has written another story that sends estranged siblings on a journey.  The recent passing of their father has them questioning whether it was a fall or was he met by foul play.

I’m conflicted with my feelings on this one. On one hand I found it a captivating read and one that I read in a matter of days.  My curiosity was peeked and the number of players keep me wondering. On the other hand I found it slow paced and not as suspenseful, but the author does take her time unravelling this mystery to its satisfying conclusion.

The Night We Lost Him is told from the POV of daughter Nora along with her father‘s past playing out over the past 50 years. It is more a family drama with some romance.

As much as I enjoyed this book, I think I enjoyed The Last Thing He Told me more in the sense that there was more suspense, mystery, and danger.

My thanks to the publisher (via Netgalley) for a digital arc. 

This book is available for pre-order now and publishes in September 2024.

The Honeymoon Crashers by Christina Lauren

A perfectionist maid of honor and a carefree, surfer-bro best man team up to plan a wedding and end up finding a spark of their own in the first audio original from author duo Christina Lauren, a full-cast sequel to their New York Times bestseller The Unhoneymooners.

Ami is determined to break the Torres family wedding curse. Her own disaster of a reception ended with all the guests getting food poisoning, and she left her cheating husband soon after. But even though she’s still processing her own divorce, Ami won’t let her twin sister Olive’s day be anything but perfect. Olive may think she wants a private ceremony in Maui, where she and her fiancé Ethan first fell in love, but Ami knows better and secretly flies the whole Torres family out to surprise the couple. Now she and her meticulously organized binder have less than two weeks to get everything together for the big day, thousands of miles from home.

Enter Brody, Ethan’s best man, who happens to be living in Maui and insists on helping with the preparations. His playfully elaborate schemes and happy-go-lucky attitude are the last thing Ami needs. When sparks start to fly, could it derail all her carefully laid plans?

Equal parts hilarious and swoon-worthy, this full-cast production is your ticket to the ultimate destination wedding, bringing to life both a captivating couple and an unforgettable family. The Honeymoon Crashers is Christina Lauren at their charming, hilarious best.

 Audiobook, 4 hours, 47 minutes

Published August 1, 2023

 by Simon & Schuster Audio Originals

3/5 stars

A cute follow-up to The Unhoneymooners, that takes place in Hawaii.  This novella/short story is one I would have preferred to read vs listen to.  It was different from any audiobook I've listened to before, with sound effects and more dramatization.

The story itself was fun, predictable and a nice addition to its predecessor. Though it would have been nice to have been a little longer, maybe see more of Ami's life after her divorce, amongst other things (possible spoiler).

I listened to this audio via CloudLibrary.

What Have You Done? by Shari Lapena

Nothing ever happens in sleepy little Fairhill, Vermont. But this morning that will change. And one innocent question could be deadly. What have you done?

The teenagers get their kicks telling ghost stories in the old graveyard. The parents trust their kids will arrive home safe from school. Everyone knows everyone. Curtains rarely twitch. Front doors are left unlocked.

But Diana Brewer isn’t lying safely in her bed where she belongs. Instead she lies in a hayfield, circled by vultures, discovered by a local farmer.

How quickly a girl becomes a ghost. How quickly a town of friendly, familiar faces becomes a town of suspects, a place of fear and paranoia.

Someone in Fairhill did this. Everyone wants answers.

Kindle Edition, 304 pages

Published July 30th 2024

 by Pamela Dorman Books

5/5 stars

They say nothing happens in this little sleepy town in Vermont, but the discovery of Diana Brewer's body changes everything. This book grabbed me right from the beginning.  It was the discovery of the local teen's brutal murder.

Told from a number of different points of view, including Diana’s voice from the grave (it was a neat addition). It doesn’t take long to know this is a town full of secrets and many suspects. This was a addictive read, being familiar with Shari Lapena I knew this would be tension filled, intricately written with twists and turns to keep me on my toes.  I managed to read it in a couple of days.

What Have You Done? is a story with many layers, it is a story of grief - for Diane’s parents, her friends and a town struggling for closure. It is a story of suspicion with finger pointing and it is a story with many trigger warnings, but alas, to lay them out would be along the lines of a spoiler.

Suffice to say if you are looking for a fast paced, captivating read then grab this one.

My thanks to Random House CA (via Netgalley) for a digital ARC in exchange for a honest review.

Just Playing House by Farah Heron

Stylist Marley Kamal has waited years for the chance to be a private shopper for a major celebrity. But finding out that her first big client is the guy she went to prom with - and was promptly ghosted by - seems like the universe is mocking her. Because now Nikhil Shamdasani is back in her life, about to star in a major movie, and is more drop-dead hot than ever . . . at the worst possible time. 

Marley's weeks away from an elective double mastectomy and breast reconstruction that's supposed to save her life. But this surgery is going to change things in more ways than she can possibly imagine. 

For one, Nik is so eager to have her as his stylist that he's offered to stay in her home and take care of her while she recovers. 

Now Marley is about to learn that as the door to her old life closes, something - or rather someone - else will enter . . . if she's ready to let him in.

Kindle Edition, 382 pages

Published June 18, 2024 

by Forever

3/5 stars

Canadian author, Farah Heron is one of my go-to-authors ever since reading Accidentally Engaged. I love that her settings are usually in Toronto and that her books revolve around food.

Marley is a fashion sales association and aspires to become more. She also has a gene that increases her chances of developing breast cancer, as she prepares for surgery she is given a professional opportunity that could forward career. Enter Nikhil, an actor and also former heartthrob.

Just Playing House is a story of friendship, finding one self and a second chance for romance. While, I didn’t get all the feels that I was hoping for this was a solid and entertaining read.

My thanks to read Forever Pub (via Netgalley) for a digital arc in exchange for a honest review. 

Sleep Like Death by Kalynn Bayron

Cinderella is dead, but Snow White fights on . . .

New York Times bestselling author Kalynn Bayron makes her highly anticipated return to the realm of fairy tales with this thrilling twist on the classic story of Snow White.Princess Eve was raised with one to destroy the Knight, an evil sorcerer who terrorizes Queens Bridge with his wicked magic. Her own unique magic--the ability to conjure weapons from nature--makes her a worthy adversary. Far too many of subjects of Queens Bridge have been devastated by the Knight's trickery.As she approaches her seventeenth birthday, Eve is ready to battle. But her mother, Queen Regina, has been acting bizarrely, talking to a strange mirror alone every night. Then a young man claiming to be the Knight's messenger appears and shares a shocking truth about Eve's past. Unsure of who to trust or what to do next, Eve must find the courage to do what she's always fight. But will it be enough to save her family and her queendom?

Kindle Edition, 349 pages

Published June 25, 2024

 by Bloomsbury YA

4/5 stars

My first Kalynn Bayron book was This Poison Heart, which I loved.  This her new book is a loosely based retelling of Snow White.

Sleep Like Death was an entertaining read.  I was sucked in right away with a character I could root for, Eve is brave, devoted to her family and kingdom.  The world building was interesting and unexpected (really one can't always know what to expect in a fantasy read).  There might have been hints to her previous Cinderella retelling but not enough to leave me confused, but enough to bump it up on my tbr.  Though it took a bit to feel the Snow White vibe, the build up was action packed, heartbreaking and unique.

Kalynn Bayron is a talented author, her books are fun, engaging and entertaining.  An author I recommend for those that like YA fantasy without the spice but can handle some death and violence.

My thanks to Bloomsbury YA (via Netgalley) for the digital ARC in exchange for a honest review.

 

The Briar Club by Kate Quinn

A haunting and powerful story of female friendships and secrets in a Washington, D.C. boardinghouse during the McCarthy era.

Washington, D.C., 1950. Everyone keeps to themselves at Briarwood House, a down-at-the-heels all-female boardinghouse in the heart of the nation’s capital, where secrets hide behind white picket fences. But when the lovely, mysterious widow Grace March moves into the attic, she draws her oddball collection of neighbors into unlikely friendship: poised English beauty Fliss whose facade of perfect wife and mother covers gaping inner wounds; police officer’s daughter Nora, who is entangled with a shadowy gangster; frustrated baseball star Bea, whose career has ended along with the women’s baseball league of WWII; and poisonous, gung-ho Arlene, who has thrown herself into McCarthy’s Red Scare.

Grace’s weekly attic-room dinner parties and window-brewed sun tea become a healing balm on all their lives, but she hides a terrible secret of her own. When a shocking act of violence tears apart the house, the Briar Club women must decide once and for all: Who is the true enemy in their midst?

Paperback, 432 pages

First published July 9, 2024

by William Morrow

3.5/5 stars

Kate Quinn‘s new book is a departure to her usual writing style. Taking place in 1950 Washington DC is the story of a boarding house and its occupants. With extremely long chapters, each one reads like a short story until everything comes together in the last quarter of the book

I found the first 50/60 pages a little bit hard to get into but then once I caught on to what Quinn was doing, it wasn’t hard to be captivated. The prologue from the point of the view of the house was such a unique perspective, knowing what transpired did keep me wondering what happened and who was all involved.  

The Briar Club is a story of friendship and secrets.  Quinn touched on a number of issues relevant today - depression, women's role in the home and control of their own bodies...and more.  Known for her spot on research and knowledge of the times showed up here. A character driven story that revolved around real historical events and characters that came together in a unexpected way that highlighted the importance of friendship and loyalty.  

The author notes at the end were wonderful and I love how Quinn talked about motivation, history and brought unknown pieces of history to light. A nice way to finish off the story

This book was part of my 2024 Reading Off My Shelf Challenge

PS - get the print copy, lots of yummy looking recipes

Shark Heart by Emily Habeck

For Lewis and Wren, their first year of marriage is also their last. A few weeks after their wedding, Lewis receives a rare diagnosis: He will retain most of his consciousness, memories, and intellect, but his physical body will gradually turn into a great white shark. As Lewis develops the features and impulses of one of the most predatory creatures in the ocean, his complicated artist’s heart struggles to make peace with his unfulfilled dreams.

At first, Wren internally resists her husband’s fate. Is there a way for them to be together after Lewis changes? Then, a glimpse of Lewis’s developing carnivorous nature activates long-repressed memories for Wren, whose story vacillates between her childhood living on a houseboat in Oklahoma, her time with her college ex-girlfriend, and her unusual friendship with a woman pregnant with twin birds.

Hardcover, 416 pages

Published August 8, 2023

by S&S/ Marysue Rucci Books

4.5/5 stars

I’ll be honest and say that I missed all the hype for this on social media and truthfully, if I’ve read the blurb it would not have appealed to me. Since it was a freebie from Book of the Month, I had it sitting on my TBR shelf. A quick glance through the pages made me realize it would be a quick read, even though it comes in at 400 pages. Some pages contain a sentence or a paragraph or two. So it wasn’t hard to flip through the chapters. I also had the audiobook from CloudLibrary to spur me on.

Shark Heart is the story of Wren and Lewis, it’s the relationship, his diagnosis and transformation into a great white shark, yes that is rather unique. The book itself stays current with Wren and Lewis, but it also travels back in time to get their history, There were many quotes to highlight and parts of the book  will stay with me.

Shark Heart is a story of grief, relationship, friendship, and family. Yes, you have to suspend your belief that turning into a critter is a thing in this world, but somehow it works.

This is the authors debut, it was unique and well written, it will have me on the lookout for her next book. 

This book was part of my 2024 reading off my shelf challenge and obtained through block of the month.

The Paris Widow by Kimberly Belle

A dream vacation turns deadly when secrets from the past catch up to a married couple in Paris in this new edge-of-your-seat thriller from USA Today bestselling author, Kimberly Belle.

When Stella met Adam, she thought she had finally found a nice, normal guy—a welcome change from her previous boyfriend and her precarious jetsetter lifestyle with him. But her secure world comes crashing down when Adam goes missing after an explosion in the city square. Unable to reach him, she panics.

As the French police investigate, it’s revealed that Adam was on their radar as a dealer of rare and stolen antiquities with a long roster of criminal clients. Reeling from this news, Stella is determined not to leave Paris until she has the full story. Was Adam a random victim or the target of the explosion? And why is someone following her through the streets of Paris?

An irresistible, fast-paced read set in some of Europe’s most inviting locales, The Paris Widow explores how sinister secrets of the past stay with us—no matter how far we travel.

Audiobook, 10 hours, 23 minutes

Published June 11, 2024 

by Harlequin Audio

3/5 stars

Kimberly Bell's latest took this reader to different countries in Europe.  There were 2 different points of view, that of Stella and her husband Adam.  Their dream vacation takes a drastic turn when a bomb goes of in a Paris square leaving Stella searching for Adam 

It was an intriguing plot that took me into the black market of stolen art and antiquities. This was very much a telling story that was entertaining, but not as suspenseful and thrilling as I had hoped it to be.

It was mysterious and kept me guessing but it wasn't without issues. Had I read this book vs the audio maybe my thoughts would be different.  But I found the narrators not in tune with the characters personalities. Stella came off as hysterical and gullible with a very whiny and loud voice.  Adam's point of view came in at a slower speed, therefore I was constantly upping and slowing the speed down. Thankfully he didn't get as much time as Stella did.

Like I said, I wish I'd gone the book/ebook route and recommend that way to go.

My audiobook was obtained through Hoopla via local public library.

The Last Light Over Oslo by Alix Rickloff

A gripping historical novel set in Norway and Sweden in 1940, based on true events, which follows one of the first female US Ministers, Daisy Harriman, and her fictional niece as the two are unexpectedly caught up in the German invasion of Norway.

Cleo Jaffray was an American. A war in Europe had nothing to do with her. She told herself that right up until the man she loved went missing in Poland and Cleo was forced to turn to the only person who might be able to help—her aunt Daisy, the US Minister to Norway.

Daisy Harriman has never shied away from a challenge, be it canvassing for women’s suffrage or driving Red Cross ambulances in WWI, so as only the second woman ambassador, she is determined to prove the naysayers wrong and succeed in her post. When her disgraced niece Cleo lands on her doorstep, penniless and demanding help to find her lost lover, Daisy must balance her responsibilities as a diplomat with her desire to help her family.

Their search for answers is interrupted when Germany invades Norway and the two of them find themselves on the run in a countryside that is quickly becoming a battleground. Then as Daisy is given the task of escorting the Norwegian Crown Princess and her young children to America, Cleo’s lover resurfaces with a story that doesn’t add up and dangerous enemies on his trail.

This riveting historical novel, based on the astounding life of Daisy Harriman and a real-life royal rescue, vividly captures a desperate time and a fearless heroine.

Paperback, 384 pages

Expected publication August 6, 2024

 by William Morrow Paperbacks

4/5 stars

This is my second time reading an Alix Rickloff book.  Though I have been shying away from WW2 fiction these days, I jumped at the opportunity to review this one.  This has a unique setting that I don't see much of, Norway and Sweden.

As Germany begins it’s invasion of Norway, real life US ambassador Daisy Herriman is showcased. Told with two points of view, that of Daisy and her niece Cleo. Daisy gives us the historical aspect of what took place before and during the invasion, while Cleo is clinging to hopes that her lost lover is still alive and not dead like the Nazis say he is. I loved the historical aspect from a country that we hear a little about comes a strong woman, ahead of her time.

I'm not going to say much of what happens here as Daisy and Cleo journey to protect the Royal family.  The Last Light Over Oslo is a well written story of bravery, resilience and hope.  For those that like strong women in history and books off the beaten track, then check this one out.

I have a couple of Rickloff's backlist on my TBR shelf, will be moving them higher.

My thanks to William Morrow for a print ARC in exchange for a honest review.