Tuesday, November 29, 2022

THE LINDBERGH NANNY by Mariah Fredericks

 

MY THOUGHTS

I learned a lot while reading this book. I didn't know a lot about the Lindberghs and nothing about the nanny/nurse Betty Gow. This is her story. Told from her about the events of her employment, the kidnapping of the baby Charlie and her life after this tragedy. It's a heartbreaking story so be prepared.

Betty Gow comes to America from Scotland following her first love. She thought they had something special. She found out that it was not to be. She becomes the Nanny/Nurse to little Charlie Lindbergh and he becomes her life. She would do anything for that baby. I really did like Betty. I think she was a genuine, caring, loving, lovable woman. I think she was good for Charlie. When he calls her Beddy I admit I had to laugh a bit. I could picture he doing that. Also I could picture him on the lawn. In that closet too. Betty tells this story and it's filled with heart and soul. A lot of tears will be shed reading it. They were for me anyway. 

I didn't like the Lindbergh parents very much at all. Charles Lindbergh comes across as very cold to me. Very controlling and he also thought Hitler was doing the right thing. I believe Charles Lindbergh may have been a Nazi sympathizer. He had strange ways. He didn't interact much with little Charlie and he had big expectations of his wife. I didn't like her very much either. She didn't seem to have a mind of her own at all. She wanted whatever Charles wanted and followed him for months at a time, leaving little Charlie alone with the nanny and two other employees. How can a mother leave her baby for months at a time? They change so much from day to day. I know most good moms could not do that. Charlie's parents were not really hands on parents. They just had strange ways of thinking when it came to raising a child. He was just a baby. He needed lots of love and cuddles. All babies do.

This book is very well researched. Do not miss reading the end THE REAL BETTY GOW and THE LINDBERGH NANNY: FACT VS. FICTION. Both tell a lot and show how much heart went into this story. It's a fiction book based on lots of facts. Much of it is actual and did really happen. It's a part of history that I didn't know a lot about so I learned quite a bit reading this one.

Thank you #NetGalley, #MariaFredericks, #StMartinsPressMinotaur for this ARC. This is my own true thoughts about this book.

4.5 stars and I highly recommend it. It's very good. Very emotional. 

SYNOPSIS

Mariah Fredericks's The Lindbergh Nanny is powerful, propulsive novel about America’s most notorious kidnapping through the eyes of the woman who found herself at the heart of this deadly crime.

"A masterful blending of fact and fiction that is as compelling as it is entertaining."—Nelson DeMille

When the most famous toddler in America, Charles Lindbergh, Jr., is kidnapped from his family home in New Jersey in 1932, the case makes international headlines. Already celebrated for his flight across the Atlantic, his father, Charles, Sr., is the country’s golden boy, with his wealthy, lovely wife, Anne Morrow Lindbergh, by his side. But there’s someone else in their household—Betty Gow, a formerly obscure young woman, now known around the world by another name: the Lindbergh Nanny.

A Scottish immigrant deciphering the rules of her new homeland and its East Coast elite, Betty finds Colonel Lindbergh eccentric and often odd, Mrs. Lindbergh kind yet nervous, and Charlie simply a darling. Far from home and bruised from a love affair gone horribly wrong, Betty finds comfort in caring for the child, and warms to the attentions of handsome sailor Henrik, sometimes known as Red. Then, Charlie disappears.

Suddenly a suspect in the eyes of both the media and the public, Betty must find the truth about what really happened that night, in order to clear her own name—and to find justice for the child she loves.

"Gripping and elegant, The Lindbergh Nanny brings readers into the interior of the twentieth century’s most infamous crime."—Nina de Gramont, New York Times bestselling author of The Christie Affair



Monday, November 28, 2022

Mailbox Monday

Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week.

Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles, and humongous wish lists!!
Mailbox Monday, created by Marcia @ A Girl and Her Books, has a permanent home now at Mailbox Monday.
 ************
Here’s a shout out to the administrators:
Emma @ Words And peace
************
                THANKS to everyone for keeping Mailbox Monday alive.

1: THE OPPORTUNIST by Elyse Friedman
    Courtesy of Publisher via NetGalley
2: YOU MUST REMEMBER THIS by Kat Rosenfield
    Courtesy of Publisher via NetGalley
3: NIGHT FLIGHT TO PARIS by Cara Black
    Courtesy of Publisher via NetGalley
4: THE LIGHT AT THE END OF THE WORLD by Siddhartha Deb
    Courtesy of Publisher via NetGalley
5: THE SECRET SOCIET OF SALZBURG by Renee Ryan
    Courtesy of Publisher via NetGalley


Friday, November 25, 2022

A MATTER OF HAPPINESS by Tori Whitaker

 

MY THOUGHTS

I always enjoy a dual timeline and this is no exception. It is told from two eras and two people. Violet in the early 1920s and Melanie in 2018. It's one you definitely do not want to miss. The second book by this author. 

My favorite line from this book: THOUGH CANDY BARS MAY RAIN FROM THE SKY, LIFE WILL NOT ALWAYS BE SWEET. GO ON NEW ADVENTURES. LOVE AND BE LOVED. YOU CAN CHOOSE YOUR HAPPINESS..
If you read this book you will understand that.. If not then maybe you should read this one.

We start out in Detroit, Michigan in August 1923. Violet is on a date and it's during Prohibition. Violet is a young woman who wants to be independent. She wants to earn her way in the world. In that day and time she certainly had her work cut out for her. But Violet is very strong and resilient. She knows what she wants and she goes for it. She's a hard working young woman. She has one sister who she's very close too. Her father died so it's just her mother who she feels she has to constantly prove herself too. Her mother wants her to be happy and to live her life though. 

Then we meet Melanie. Melanie is Violet's great great niece and they are very close. Violet leaves her beloved car, a 1923 Jordan, to Melanie. She also leaves her journal in the trunk in a safe place so Melanie will find it and see what kind of life she had as a young woman. Melanie is working hard to get a better position in her job. To make more money and hopefully make her mother proud of her. She also feels she has to prove herself to her mother. Both her and Violet have that in common. Both are very strong and independent females who want more out of life than just a home and children. They want careers too. Why could they not have both? Maybe they could. Or at least Melanie since she is living in a much more modern era. It's 2018 after all. 

What happens in this book is nothing short of beautiful and sad. It is beautifully written and it's also filled with several sad things. But not so you won't want to read it. It's just the way life happened. Things do have to feel somewhat realistic in a story and it definitely does in this one. I absolutely adored Violet. In ways she reminded me of my grandmother. Not that my grandmother ever drove a vehicle but she was a strong woman and I loved her dearly. This book brings out many emotions and has all the feels that I love in a book. I laughed and cried reading it. I rooted for a certain couple but that was not meant to be either. 

This is a very good book. I promise you don't want to miss this one. You'll learn some things about whiskey and cars too. So it's a plus.

Thank you #NetGalley, #ToriWhitaker, #LakeUnionPublishing for this ARC. This is my own true thoughts about this book.

5 huge stars. Grab it. I highly recommend it.

SYNOPSIS

A cherished heirloom opens up a century of secrets in a bittersweet novel about family, hard truths, and self-discovery by the author of Millicent Glenn’s Last Wish.

Melanie Barnett thinks she has it all together. With an ex-fiancĂ© and a pending promotion at a Kentucky bourbon distillery, Melanie has figured out that love and career don’t mix. Until she makes a discovery while cleaning her Jordan MX car, a scarlet-red symbol of the Jazz Age’s independent women that she inherited from her great-great-great-aunt Violet. Its secret compartment holds Violet’s weathered journal—within it an intriguing message: Take from this story what you will, Melanie, and you can bury the rest. Melanie wonders what more there is to learn from Violet’s past.

In 1921 Violet Bond defers to no one. Hers is a life of adventure in Detroit, the hub of the motorcar boom and the fastest growing city in America. But in an era of speakeasies, financial windfalls, free-spirited friends, and unexpected romance, it’s easy to spin out of control.

Now, as Melanie’s own world takes unexpected turns, her life and Violet’s life intersect. Generations apart, they’re coming into their own and questioning what modern womanhood—and happiness—really means.




Tuesday, November 22, 2022

THE QUARRY GIRLS by Jess Lourey

 

MY THOUGHTS

First let me say that this author is one of my favorites. When I know she has a book coming out I get very excited. This one is great. It should definitely come with a trigger warning though. It's about youngish teens and assault by grown men. Men of importance in the small town. Also kidnapping and murder. It's a very intense and touchy one. It will make you have many emotions. Mainly fear and tears.

This story is set in the summer of 1977. 

There are three good friends Maureen, Heather, and Brenda. Heather's younger sister Junie plays a big part in this story also. And another older teen, Beth. These girls are the best of friends and are in an all girl band. The three that is. One night their worlds are turned upside down. Nothing will ever be the same again. Heather and Brenda see something that makes them see life in a whole new way. The men in the town are not what they seem. Not the ones that they can count on to keep them safe. 

This story is told by Heather. She has a lot going on in her life. Her mother is suffering from a mental problem and it's hard for Heather and her little sister Junie. Though Heather does step up and takes care of her sister. She cooks and makes sure Junie is ok. She also takes care of the house and her dad. She thinks her dad is the best. Heather wants more than anything for their mother to be ok and to approve of things she does to help. There is a story there that you will read about. What happened to Heather's ear. There is even a bit of a hoarder in this town. But I liked her. I felt bad for her too. She made a mistake and is paying for it. Also every so many chapters you hear about Beth and what is going on with her. I really admired Beth at the end. 

The tunnels under the town are very interesting to read about. How these kids could run around under the town. But it's also very scary. Anything could have happened. Anyone could have come to your house and possibly done horrible things to the ones living there. That part was a big disconcerting for me. Made me wonder why all the basement doors leading out to the tunnels were not boarded up. Locked up tight. Even in a small town where people feel safe you have to be smart. 

I enjoyed this book even though it made my skin crawl in places. Made me cry in places and made me think about stopping it in places. I almost didn't keep reading because of the subject matter. Not the serial killer parts. The sexual abuse parts. They were bad. But not so explicit that you can't continue. Unless maybe if you experienced this type of abuse. Then you might find it hard to read. But keep going. It's a story that is worth reading. 

Be sure and read the parts at the beginning. Before the actual story starts. The part about serial killers that existed back then. In the early to mid and late seventies. The young girls who were murdered and no one ever brought to justice for it in many cases. 

This was my Amazon First reads for October book and a NetGalley.

5 stars 

SYNOPSIS

Killers hiding in plain sight. Small-town secrets. A girl who knows too much. From the Amazon Charts bestselling author of Unspeakable Things and Bloodline comes a nerve-twisting novel inspired by a shocking true crime.

Minnesota, 1977. For the teens of one close-knit community, summer means late-night swimming parties at the quarry, the county fair, and venturing into the tunnels beneath the city. But for two best friends, it’s not all fun and games.

Heather and Brenda have a secret. Something they saw in the dark. Something they can’t forget. They’ve decided to never tell a soul. But their vow is tested when their friend disappears—the second girl to vanish in a week. And yet the authorities are reluctant to investigate.

Heather is terrified that the missing girls are connected to what she and Brenda stumbled upon that night. Desperately searching for answers on her own, she learns that no one in her community is who they seem to be. Not the police, not the boys she met at the quarry, not even her parents. But she can’t stop digging because she knows those girls are in danger.

She also knows she’s next.




A MEASURE OF SERENITY by Bryan Prosek


 

Book Details:

​Book Title:  A Measure of Serenity by Bryan Prosek
Category:  YA Fiction (Ages 13-17),  368 pages
Genre: YA Science Fiction 
Publisher:  CamCat Books 
Release date:  November 2022
Content Rating: PG. There aren't any graphic scenes, and no strong language.
Book Description:

A million thoughts, but only one right thing to do.

Eighteen-year-old Serenity Ashdown has a brilliant mind: she counts, calculates, and analyzes everything, all the time. Awkward. When her father suddenly disappears, Serenity follows his trail to a parallel dimension. The feds on the other side claim to want to help her go home, if she helps them reconstruct the right codes for the portal between worlds. But it’s soon clear they want something more: a gateway for invasion, because this version of Earth is dying.

​When Serenity learns that her alter-ego was killed in battle, she assumes “the other Serenity’s” identity and uses her unique abilities to lead the resistance in a mortal fight against the tyrannical super-government that is poised to invade her universe. Serenity has no idea how to be someone she’s not, but she has to try—or she may not have a home to return to.


Meet the Author:

Bryan Prosek is a science fiction writer and business attorney. Along with his debut The Brighter the Stars and the forthcoming A Measure of Serenity, he has published books and articles in legal trade journals and magazines. When he isn’t writing or practicing law, you can probably find him watching science fiction movies or television shows. He loves the big screen and the small screen. There’s a good chance that he’ll be watching one of the numerous Star Trek movies or series, but he could be watching anything from Guardians of the Galaxy to The Conjuring.

connect with the author: website twitter facebook instagram goodreads

Enter the Giveaway:
THE MEASURE OF SERENITY Book Tour Giveaway






 

Monday, November 21, 2022

Mailbox Monday

Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week.

Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles, and humongous wish lists!!
Mailbox Monday, created by Marcia @ A Girl and Her Books, has a permanent home now at Mailbox Monday.
 ************
Here’s a shout out to the administrators:
Emma @ Words And peace
************
                THANKS to everyone for keeping Mailbox Monday alive.

1: WHAT REMAINS by Wendy Walker
courtesy of Publisher via NetGalley 
2: THE POISONER'S RING by Kelly Armstrong
courtesy of Publisher via NetGalley



A Spying Eye, A Henrietta and Inspector Howard novel by Michelle Cox



Book Details:

Book Title A Spying Eye: A Henrietta and Inspector Howard Novel by Michelle Cox
Category:  Adult Fiction (18+), 256 pages
Genre Historical Mystery
Publisher She Writes Press
Release dates:   Oct 25, 2022
Content Rating: R:
 There are some swear words peppered throughout (not many) and 2 explicit sex scenes (tasteful, but more than a PG-13 scene)


Book Description:

In A Spying Eye, Clive and Henrietta return to Europe in an attempt to resurrect their failed honeymoon. While in London, they are approached by their old friend, Inspector John Hartle, who convinces them to search for the missing panel of the Ghent Altarpiece, a famous Renaissance painting, of which Hitler’s top men are also in pursuit.

Meanwhile, back in Chicago, Oldrich Exley threatens to cut off financial support for the entire Von Harmon brood if Elsie continues with her plan to marry Gunther―a situation made worse by the sudden appearance of one Heinrich Meyer, who claims to be little Anna’s father and threatens to take her away. Desperate, Elsie seeks the help of Clive’s sister, Julia, who is herself the victim of domestic abuse and who has fallen under the spell of a handsome Texas millionaire bent on acquiring a rare painting from the Howard collection.

​Clive and Henrietta’s search takes them to Chateau du Freudeneck in Strasbourg, France―the ancient seat of the Von Harmons and home to three eccentric distant relatives. What begins as a wild goose chase turns decidedly more deadly when several Nazi officers also arrive at the chateau in search of a “valuable item.” When Henrietta and Clive attempt to flee after Henrietta uncovers a shocking truth, they are forced to trust themselves to a suspicious French servant who seems all-too willing to help . . .

Buy the Book:
Amazon ~ Apple B&N
BookBub
add to goodreads



Meet the Author:

Michelle Cox is the author of the Henrietta and Inspector Howard series as well as “Novel Notes of Local Lore,” a weekly blog dedicated to Chicago’s forgotten residents. Her books have won over 50 international awards and have been praised by Kirkus, Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, Booklist, Foreword, Elle, Redbook, Brit&Co., POPSUGAR, Buzzfeed, and many others.

Unbeknownst to most, Michelle hoards board games she doesn’t have time to play and is, not surprisingly, addicted to period dramas and big band music. Also marmalade. She lives in Chicago with her husband, three children, and one naughty Goldendoodle and is hard at work on her latest novel. 

Connect with the Author:  website ~ facebook ~ twitter ~ instagram ~ tiktok ~ goodreads ~ bookbub


Enter the Giveaway:

A Spying Eye Book Tour Giveaway




 

Friday, November 18, 2022

WHEN WE HAD WINGS by Ariel Lawhon; Kristina McMorris; Susan Meissner

 

MY THOUGHTS

Another great historical book written by not one but three awesome authors. Ariel Lawhon, Kristina McMorris, and Susan Meissner. All of these authors are good and together they are great. 

This book is set in the Philippines, 1941, during WW2. Three nurses met and become the very best of friends. They endure a lot and this book takes you into each of their lives. Eleanor Lindstrom is a US Navy nurse. Penny Franklin is a US Army nurse. Filipina nurse Lita Capel. They are all trying to escape something in their pasts. They feel as though they are in paradise. Until it's not longer that. When the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor they know it's just a matter of time before the US strikes back and then their paradise will become a war zone. 

There is a lot to learn in this novel. A lot that I had no idea about. What these women go through is horrible. They help each other and the other nurses too. Each is strong in ways they didn't know they could be. There is not a lot about this part of the war so this book really brought to life things that needed to be written about. Things that I had no idea existed. The story pulls you in and keeps you wanting more. You will cringe and shed tears. It's so realistic and heartbreaking. The way these three authors pulled together to tell this is amazing. They are all such good authors alone yet together they have written a book that was a long time coming. History is something we all need to keep on the forefront of our minds so it can't be repeated. 

Thank you #NetGalley, #ArielLawhon, #KristinaMcMorris, #SusanMeissner and #HarperMuse for this ARC. This is my own true thoughts about this book.

5 huge stars and the highest recommendation. You have to read this one.

SYNOPSIS

From three bestselling authors comes an interwoven tale about a trio of World War II nurses stationed in the South Pacific who wage their own battle for freedom and survival.

The Philippines, 1941. When U.S. Navy nurse Eleanor Lindstrom, U.S. Army nurse Penny Franklin, and Filipina nurse Lita Capel forge a friendship at the Army Navy Club in Manila, they believe they’re living a paradise assignment. All three are seeking a way to escape their pasts, but soon the beauty and promise of their surroundings give way to the heavy mantle of war.

Caught in the crosshairs of a fight between the U.S. military and the Imperial Japanese Army for control of the Philippine Islands, the nurses are forced to serve under combat conditions and, ultimately, endure captivity as the first female prisoners of the Second World War. As their resiliency is tested in the face of squalid living arrangements, food shortages, and the enemy’s blatant disregard for the articles of the Geneva Convention, the women strive to keep their hope— and their fellow inmates—alive, though not without great cost.

In this sweeping story based on the true experiences of nurses dubbed “the Angels of Bataan,” three women shift in and out of each other’s lives through the darkest days of the war, buoyed by their unwavering friendship and distant dreams of liberation.

“Three of the biggest powerhouses in historical fiction come together to pen this breathtaking story of three nurses serving in the Philippines during the Second World War.” —PAM JENOFFNew York Times bestselling author of The Woman with the Blue Star

  • World War II historical fiction
  • Stand-alone novel
  • Book length: approximately 128,000 words
  • Includes discussion questions for book clubs



Tuesday, November 15, 2022

BEFORE YOU WERE MINE Jacqueline Bublitz

 

MY THOUGHTS

It's very hard for me to believe this is a debut novel. This author did such a beautiful job of writing this story. It's very heartbreaking and will have you weeping so much in parts. A few chuckles but mostly it's just sad. But the way it is written you just can't look away. You have to know who and why. You have to know. Why did this young lady have to go through this? Why did this happen to her?

Alice Lee and Ruby Jones arrive in New York on the same day. Their paths are destine to cross and neither knows yet why or how. Or even that it will happen. Both are fleeing bad relationships. Men have not been kind to either of these woman. Alice Lee just barely eighteen and Ruby Jones thirty six. 

Alice left her hometown to find a new life. She is getting away from an older man. One that use to be her high school teacher. A very controlling man who loves young girls it seems. He set his eyes on Alice and knowing her story knew it would not be hard. He could offer her a type of security that she hasn't had since her mom's death. But he also introduced her to a life that was not so good. Photos and videos of a personal sense. She trusted him completely and of course he let her down. She was deceiving him in that she was not quite eighteen yet. But when she does turn legal he kicks her out. She takes a camera and some cash and a but to New York. Her young life will end in a month. 

Ruby is madly in love with Ash. Ash is engaged to someone else. She's known this from the start of their relationship and thought she could handle it. Her heart says she can't. She leaves Australia and goes all the way to New York. To the US to get away and maybe clear her head. Maybe start a new life. Ash is a very controlling man also. He is only using Ruby and keeps her a secret. Of course he does. Ruby stays in for a week. Barely getting out of bed. Then she decides that she needs more out of life. She decides to go for a jog. Everyday for so many days she is out jogging and taking in New York. Her life is going ok but still she misses Ash. Then one rainy morning while she is out she finds a young woman floating facedown in the Hudson River. Now her life is going to change and never be the same. In many ways it will get better.

Alice is telling this story. An eighteen year old girl who finally has almost everything. A home. A friend. A life. A future school to learn photography. A happy life. Given to her by a very kind man. Noah does not want anything from Alice except to help her. He has so much and she has nothing. He is a very kind old man who lost his child so long ago and wants to give Alice a new chance at life. Help her in ways that she has never had before. 

This book is truly written in a beautiful way. It draws you in and holds on to your heart from start to finish. You will keep guessing at who killed Alice but you won't guess. It's not an obvious one by any means. While I thought I had it figured out I was so wrong. The why of it was horrible. The cold blooded murder and rape of this kind young woman is so senseless and sad. She was just getting started with her life. When Ruby finds her Alice knows she will need help solving her murder. She tries hard to reach out to Ruby. To make Ruby see her. To warn Ruby in places also. 

This book is one that will stick with you. It will make it way into your heart and won't let go. The story that Alice Lee tells is sad yes it is. It's much more than that though. It's about things that happen to women in life. Things that are horrible and even a few good things too. Finding love. Dealing with controlling men. Learning to love yourself just as you are. This book is beautiful but in a sad way. Beautifully written. The way this story unfolds. The way the sentences flow. It's just hard to believe it's a debut novel. But it is. This author has done such a good job with this one and I can't wait to see what comes next.

Thank you #NetGalley, #JacquelineBublitz, #Atria for this ARC. This is my own true thoughts about this book. 

5 huge stars and I highly recommend it. Grab this one. Just have some tissues handy.

SYNOPSIS

Winner of Crime Debut and Readers’ Choice Awards—Sisters in Crime

“A brave and timely novel.” —Clare Mackintosh, internationally bestselling author of Hostage

This is not just another novel about a dead girl. Two women—one alive, one dead—are brought together in the dark underbelly of New York City to solve a tragic murder.

When she arrived in New York on her eighteenth birthday carrying nothing but $600 cash and a stolen camera, Alice Lee was looking for a fresh start. Now, just one month later, she is the city’s latest Jane Doe. She may be dead but that doesn’t mean her story is over.

Meanwhile, Ruby Jones is also trying to reinvent herself. After travelling halfway around the world, she’s lonelier than ever in the Big Apple. Until she stumbles upon a woman’s body by the Hudson River, and suddenly finds herself unbreakably tied to the unknown dead woman.

Alice is sure Ruby is the key to solving the mystery of her short life and tragic death. Ruby just wants to forget what she saw…but she can’t seem to stop thinking about the young woman she found. If she keeps looking, can she give this unidentified Jane Doe the ending and closure she deserves?

A “heartbreaking, beautiful, and hugely important novel” (Rosie Walsh, 
New York Times bestselling author), Before You Knew My Name doesn’t just wonder whodunnit—it also asks who was she? And what did she leave behind?



Listen For The Lie by Amy Tintera

  My thoughts This was probably the most aggravating book I've read in like forever. It was interesting but a bit on the dramatic side a...