Review: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4 out of 5 stars - If you ask me, I'll tell you to read it.

This is an entire book written in the form of letters and telegrams and notes. The upside to this is that you can get the perspective of several characters. The downside of this is the remembering the dates of all the items and determining the timing of items.

I really liked the main character, Juliet, and her relationships with the various other characters. The various love stories (or lack thereof) that created the tension in the book. I was happy to see how the story played out and to see a strong heroine at the end. Who needs the man to ask for marriage??

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Review: Station Eleven

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4 out of 5 stars - If you ask me, I'll tell you to read it (if it sounds interesting to you)

I think this book would have been completely different had I read it when it was first released. Reading a book about a flu pandemic after having lived through a flu pandemic is a little weird. It makes you grateful that the world didn't end up like it did in this book.

I enjoyed the characters, but I wasn't a huge fan of the way the story jumped around. I know that it was necessary in order to make more things come to be understood as the "present day" progressed, but I still found it a little confusing (as I nearly always do when timelines jump around).

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Review: The One and Only Ruby

The One and Only Ruby by Katherine Applegate
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4 out of 5 stars - If you ask me, I'll tell you to read it.

Book three in the "One and Only" series follows Ruby the Elephant. We are introduced to her back story and the belief that you can be no one without your circle of family and friends.

I enjoyed hearing Ruby's story, but I wasn't sure it was quite as good as the other two. I would still recommend reading it in order to get the whole story of the three characters. It's good to read them in order, too, since the present time story lines build on each other.

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Review: The One and Only Bob

The One and Only Bob by Katherine Applegate
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

5 out of 5 stars - I'll tell you to read it, even if you don't ask me.

An adorable follow up to "The One and Only Ivan" following the life of Bob the dog as he joins a family and becomes 'domesticated'. We learn a little more about how Bob came to be in Ivan's cage at the mall. We then get to see how their friendship has progressed through their moves out of the mall.

Bob shows that even someone who believes that you need to put yourself first at all times can learn quickly why there can be a reason to be selfless. A great story, quick read, and amazing illustrations.

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Review: The Woman at the Front

The Woman at the Front by Lecia Cornwall
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4 out of 5 stars - If you ask me, I'll tell you to read it.

This book, like many others lately, is set during WWI. Eleanor Atherton is the daughter of an English doctor. She attends medical school at a time when many think that women cannot and should not be practicing medicine. Wanting to help in the war effort, she tries to volunteer at a local estate turned hospital. When turned away, an unexpected opportunity is presented to be the personal physician to the heir of the estate.

This book is an amazing story of one of the strong women in history who stood up for what they believed through all those standing in her way. She proves that women can do anything men can do, and they can do it with grace under fire.

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Review: Fifth Avenue Glamour Girl

Fifth Avenue Glamour Girl by Renée Rosen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4 out of 5 stars - If you ask me, I'll tell you to read it

This is the story of Estée Lauder and how she got started in the beauty and skin care industry. It is told from the perspective of a friend of hers, Gloria Downing. They both have secrets to keep, and yet they stay friends throughout it all. Gloria is running from a white collar crime scandal her father committed, while Estée is hiding her true family background. Estée claims to be from European aristocracy, yet we come to find out that she is actually the daughter of Hungarian Jewish immigrants to New York.

The drive shown by Estée throughout the book, as well as the support of her friend and husband, shows that you truly can become something from nothing with enough effort and help.

I really enjoyed this book. I've read others by this author and will continue to follow her.

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Review: The Bone Hacker

The Bone Hacker by Kathy Reichs
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4 out of 5 stars - If you ask me, I'll tell you to read it.

Yet another great book in the "Bones" series! In this installment, Tempe is headed to Turks and Caicos to help out with an investigation that may be tied to an investigation she is working on in Montreal. I enjoyed reading about a new, exotic location that I have never been to. This one kept me on my toes with the end being mostly a surprise! I always love it when the ending is something I can't figure out right away.

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Review: The Women of Chateau Lafayette

The Women of Chateau Lafayette by Stephanie Dray
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4 out of 5 stars - If you ask me, I'll tell you to read it

This was the story of 3 women at different points in history, all with a tie to Château de Chavaniac (aka Château Lafayette). Adrienne Lafayette was Marquis de Lafayette’s wife and lived at the Château in the 1770s. Beatrice Chanler was a New York socialite who purchased the Château during WWI to use as an orphanage and school. Marthe Simone grew up and then taught at the Château during WWII. The three women were all brave and amazing women.

I had no idea what Lafayette and his wife endured during the French Revolution and after. It was interesting to learn more in this book.

As always, I was excited to get to the end of the book and learn what was real and what was fictionalized. It amazed me that Beatrice was a real person. Marthe was not a real person, but she embodied many of the women living through WWII in France.

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Review: Famous for a Living

Famous for a Living by Melissa Ferguson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4 out of 5 stars - If you ask me, I'll tell you to read it

This was an interesting story of two polar opposites when it comes to social media... the influencer and the guy who doesn't even have a smart phone! Cat is a social media maven who has a fall from grace and needs to find a way to get her life back together. Zaiah is a park ranger at Kannery National Park in Montana where Cat's uncle works and has invited Cat to come and get away from it all.

It was extremely interesting seeing behind the scenes information about how the influencer life goes while it's on it's highs and it's lows. I had absolutely no way to relate to it, but it was kind of fun to learn about.

Cat spends time working at Kannery National Park with her uncle and a rag tag bunch of employees and volunteers. Her job? Figuring out how to make Kannery National Park relevant and a place that people want to visit. Little does she know that her uncle is hoping she can save the jobs of all who work there.

Throughout her stay she and Zaiah get to know each other and start falling for each other. Do opposites really attract? Why does Zaiah really hate social media so much? It was a fun read and I will be looking for others by Melissa Ferguson.

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Review: The House in the Orchard

The House in the Orchard by Elizabeth Brooks
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3 out of 5 stars - It was ok

This was a very weird book that I honestly couldn't figure out the story for. Set in 2 different time periods, with the earlier time period mostly being put together based on a childhood diary from the home's previous owner. I read the whole thing and then got to the end and just felt like scratching my head in confusion. It was well written and interesting, I just couldn't figure out the point.

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Review: Nonna Maria and the Case of the Missing Bride: A Novel

Nonna Maria and the Case of the Missing Bride: A Novel by Lorenzo Carcaterra
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4 out of 5 stars - If you ask me, I'll tell you to read it.

I have to say, I absolutely LOVED Nonna Maria. Who wouldn't love a little old Italian grandma who solves mysteries and knows how to get everything done in her little island??

This was a great little mystery story with both a "stranger" to uncover and a murder in the midst. There were twists and turns that I definitely did not expect. I hope to be able to read more books featuring Nonna Maria!

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Review: Long Story Short

Long Story Short by Serena Kaylor
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4 out of 5 stars - If you ask me, I'll tell you to read it.

While I had a little bit of a hard time relating to the main character, due to the differences in personality, I was completely engrossed in her story. She was expected to come completely out of her comfort zone and attend a theater camp (totally also not my cup of tea). She is expected to make friends at this camp (also a difficult task for me sometimes). She needs to prove to her parents that she can handle going away to a college on the other side of the world at a young age and she won't just bury herself in books and school. A social life is also necessary to be a well rounded person.

I enjoyed the story and I enjoyed figuring out how she would complete each task on the list of "normal teenager" actions that her parents gave her.

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Review: A Tempest at Sea

A Tempest at Sea by Sherry Thomas
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4 out of 5 stars - If you ask me, I'll tell you to read it.

I enjoyed the intrigue of this book and I was honestly surprised by the twists at the end. Not only was the murder mystery solved, but there was an extra little twist at the end.

I liked getting to see how the identity of Charlotte and Mrs Watson would be kept secret while also still digging for the truth. Having more people they had to keep their identity from, including Charlotte's own family members, was an extra wrinkle in the disguise game.

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Review: All That Is Hidden

All That Is Hidden by Rhys Bowen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4 out of 5 stars - If you ask me, I'll tell you to read it

This was a great fluff mystery. You don't have to read the whole series to understand the 19th book, but it could be helpful for context. I was able to guess a lot of the twists before they were revealed, but that didn't lessen the enjoyment.

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Review: A Girl Called Samson

A Girl Called Samson by Amy Harmon
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3 out of 5 stars - It was ok

This is the (seriously fiction) story of Deborah Samson, a real woman who dressed as a boy and fought in the Revolutionary War.

The story was nice and interesting. It was well written. I was engrossed in "what happens next". I, however, was NOT a fan of the fact that the entire second half of the book was complete fiction. The author has her marrying the wrong person and how the love and marriage came about was completely fictionalized too. If you're going to write a book based on a real person, stick to the story as best you can or just make it about a completely fictionalized person. While I thoroughly enjoyed the story, it most definitely was not the story of Deborah Samson.

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Review: Off the Map

Off the Map by Trish Doller
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4 out of 5 stars - If you ask me, I'll tell you to read it

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the free advanced copy I received. All opinions given are my own.

When I first heard there was going to be a third book in the "Beck Sisters" series, I wondered where the author would take it.... since there are only two Beck sisters. Turns out, they decided to follow one of their good friends! I liked the way the story between Carla and Eamon developed, even if I can't really relate to Carla's life philosophy of "here for a good time, not for a long time". I fully admit I had Google Maps pulled up on my computer following their route around Ireland. Having never been there, I was curious about the distances they traveled and what some of the areas looked like.

I really hope the series may continue on following other family members of the Sullivans (Eamon from this book and Keane from the first book in the series).

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Review: The Nanny

The Nanny by Lana Ferguson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4 out of 5 stars - If you ask me, I'll tell you to read it.

This is the story of Cassie, a struggling student who used to have an OnlyFans account, and Aiden, a chef who suddenly became a single dad in need of a nanny. Cassie applies for the job and Aiden is only too happy to hire her, considering her amazing resume and his desperation. The only problem? They've met before... through cameras, disguises, and videos.... they just don't realize it right away.

I really enjoyed getting to know the characters, the interactions between them all, and how the struggles they face are overcome in the end. Being a romance novel, you just know they're going to end up together, you just don't know how it will all shake out. I fully admit that I stayed up way too late on a weeknight just to find out the end of the story.

I hadn't read anything about the author before reading this book, so I was a little taken aback at the graphic nature of some of the scenes (I'm not offended, it just surprised me). If anyone is offended by sex scenes, please avoid this book! I love that the author describes herself as a "sex-positive nerd".

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