THEN SHE WAS GONE by Lisa Jewell

April 29, 2018
THEN SHE WAS GONE by Lisa Jewell

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Laurel Mack had the worse thing that can occur to a parent happen to her ten years earlier. Her perfect daughter Ellie, her youngest, disappeared suddenly. Laurel and her husband Paul went through every attempt to find her: the police, ads, word of mouth, and looking around their area. When Ellie didn’t appear, the event devastated both parents and drove them apart.

The hardest hit for the couple was when the police ceased their efforts with the verdict that Ellie had run away. This decision broke any semblance of a bond between the couple with the result that Paul left Laurel.

Seven years after the breakup, Laurel meets a man while having coffee. After so much time alone Laurel makes the decision that she needs companionship in her life and enters into a romance with Floyd. The relationship proceeds normally until it is time for Laurel to meet her new boyfriend’s family. The surprise is Floyd’s daughter Poppy. The girl bears an uncanny resemblance to Ellie and awakens memories and reactions for Laurel that were buried deeply.

Jewell has written a fascinating novel touching on the psychological reactions and motivations of the principal characters in the book. There is first and foremost those of Laurel, then of course Ellie. In addition there is a tutor that had been working with Ellie just prior to her disappearance. Memories are dredged up and once again the question of what happened is examined. The resolution of the question: what happened to Ellie and those involved with her is a masterpiece of psychological narrative and marks Lisa Jewell as quite adept at the genre. An all nighter and one allowing the reader to begin awaiting Jewell’s next book.

4/18 Paul Lane

THEN SHE WAS GONE by Lisa Jewell. Atria Books (April 17, 2018). ISBN 978-1501154645. 368p.

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Posted by Stacy Alesi

THE PERFECT DUCHESS by Erica Taylor

April 28, 2018

PERFECT DUCHESS by Erica TaylorThe Macalisters, Book 2

Lady Clara Masson badly wants to attend the Mcallister birthday ball. Her brother is her guardian, and he has been spreading vicious rumors about her ever since her twin sister jilted the Duke at the altar and disappeared. The ton enjoys nothing more than good gossip, so Lady Clara hasn’t been receiving many invitations. But off to the ball she goes, where she rekindles her friendship with Andrew, the jilted Duke of Bradstone.

When her reputation is further compromised, Andrew feels obligated to offer for her. Although they both have feelings for one another, neither is willing to believe it until circumstances force them to find their happily ever after.

This is a good Regency romance, witty with a bit of sensuality as well, and a very enjoyable read.

4/18 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

THE PERFECT DUCHESS by Erica Taylor. Amberjack Publishing (April 17, 2018). ISBN 978-1944995577. 392p.

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THE SOUL OF A THIEF by Steven Hartov

April 27, 2018

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A really well done book dealing with war is generally anti-war in the final analysis. Certainly “The Soul of a Thief” is well done by any measure.

It is set during the final years of the Second World War and deals with a soldier serving with a unit of the German SS, a particularly crack unit with much glory attached to it’s record. Shtefan Brandt has been forced into the unit by circumstances beyond his control but is in no way enamored with becoming a hero and bringing glory upon himself. By chance Shtefan becomes the adjutant to the colonel commanding and eventually feels himself lucky to have this position. Shtefan by then current German law should not have been allowed to serve in the army since his grandmother was Jewish. His commander may or may not be aware of this but Erich Himmel not only brings Shtefan into the prominent position he holds but also treats him as he would a relative.

The unit sees action throughout Germany and France but also on the Russian front. They comport themselves as brave and loyal soldiers should with Himmel setting the pace with his solid leadership. While stationed in a town that has French citizens living there Col. Himmel discovers a nurse working at the hospital treating German wounded. Gabrielle Belmont is a beautiful girl and a good nurse. She is also Jewish and supposed to be beneath the attention of a German officer. But Himmel finds her very attractive and forces Gabrielle into a relationship with him. She must submit to his attentions or he will kill a group of Jewish orphans held in the area. In getting his colonel and Gabrielle together for evenings of love Shtefan and Gabrielle fall in love; a love that could have both of them executed if Himmel finds out.

The final complication is reached when Himmel receives information that a certain train carrying Nazi treasure will be traveling through the area that Allied soldiers will be marching through after their successful invasion of Normandy. Himmel makes the decision to desert a war effort that certainly looks like a losing fight for Germany. He plans to hijack the train take the treasure and desert the army and his German wife taking Gabrielle with him to a refuge planned for South America. Shtefan finds out what his colonel is planning and obviously wants the exact same thing for himself and Gabrielle.

A beautifully written book with extremely well done characterizations will not disappoint readers that will certainly be unable to set the novel down without finishing it. An extremely well done adventure into a bygone period of total war and a novel that left me with a warm feeling of having experienced something beyond the normal in its reading.

4/18 Paul Lane

THE SOUL OF A THIEF by Steven Hartov. Hanover Square Press (April 17, 2018).  ISBN 978-1335144577. 304p.

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Posted by Stacy Alesi

DOCKSIDE by Susan Wiggs

April 26, 2018

DOCKSIDE by Susan WiggsThe Lakeshore Chronicles, Book 3

This third entry into this wonderful series centers around the town mayor, Nina Romano. A teenage mother, her own daughter is now a teenager and off to college and Nina is a bit at loose ends. That combined with a town scandal, she decides she’s had enough of being mayor and is determined to follow her dream of restoring and running the Inn at Willow Lake.

The bank makes her a deal; they will put her in charge of the project and once it is up and running, she will qualify for a small business loan and the bank will sell her the inn. Except right before this is all going to happen, someone else buys the inn out from under her. Greg Bellamy, newly single dad to two kids who also happens to be Nina’s teenage crush. Nina is furious and feels she’s been double-crossed, but Greg doesn’t understand. He just knows he needs her to run the place and wants to renegotiate her contract.

Once Nina gets past her anger, she realizes the increase in salary will make her life easier, plus she now has the home she’s always wanted, the apartment above the boat house with the fabulous views – which include the house where Greg and his children are now living. Romance is in the air but they both are fighting it every step of the way.

I’m enjoying this series but one thing is sort of bugging me – it seems like every one of these romances in these first three books of the series are about first loves coming full circle back to happily ever after. I know there is something special about a first love, but I also think it is rare that it is the only way to happily ever after. But not in these books – it’s the only way. I’m curious to see if the next few books follow this same pattern.

4/18 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

DOCKSIDE by Susan Wiggs. MIRA; Reissue edition (June 22, 2010). ISBN 978-0778329640. 400p.

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THE WINTER LODGE by Susan Wiggs

April 26, 2018

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The Lakeshore Chronicles, Book 2

Jenny Majesky runs the  family bakery since her grandparents died. Her mother disappeared when she was a toddler and was never heard from again. Jenny has accepted it but still always wonders why. In the first book in the series, she finds out who her father is and then in this book, she starts to get to know him and her sister, but that’s only a small part of the story. This is a romance, after all.

The local police chief, Rourke McKnight, has some sort of relationship with Jenny that slowly unfurls as the book moves between their childhood meeting and their present day. They don’t really speak to one another, in fact, they avoid each other. But then there is a horrific fire in the middle of the night – Jenny’s house burns to the ground and Rourke is frantic that she may still be inside. It turns out she was at the bakery, and is now homeless. Rourke insists she move in with him and their relationship starts moving forward, in a very rocky way.

The mystery of the missing mother lends another layer to this story, and it is an excellent sequel to Summer at Willow Lake.

4/18 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

THE WINTER LODGE by Susan Wiggs. MIRA; a edition (December 22, 2009). ISBN 978-0778328919.  416p.

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DISTURBING HIS PEACE by Tessa Bailey

April 25, 2018

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The Academy, Book 3

Lt. Greer Burns runs a tough training program at the police academy, earning him the nickname “Lieutenant Hard-Ass” and no one would argue it. His younger brother is in his class, as are his roommates, including the very beautiful Danika Silva.

When Danika messes up, Greer puts her on probabtion, which involves him keeping tight reins on her life, both in and out of the academy. She has to check in with him regularly, ride along with him when he tells her to, and that is causing a problem. The heat between them is undeniable, but his work ethics won’t let him make a move and they are both getting very frustrated – until they take it to the next level.

I’m really enjoying this series and they don’t need to be read in order (but it doesn’t hurt.) I couldn’t help but be pulled into the world that these characters inhabit, and got emotionally involved with them. Plus there is a lot of very hot sex. So maybe this is romance bordering on erotica? I’m not sure where that line is anymore, but I do know that this is a hot, fun read.

4/18 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

DISTURBING HIS PEACE by Tessa Bailey.  Avon (April 24, 2018). ISBN  978-0062467126. 368p.

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A SCANDALOUS DEAL by Joanna Shupe

April 24, 2018

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The Four Hundred Series, Book 2

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, A Daring Arrangement, and this one was just as good. This is historical but unlike the Regencies I usually read, this one is set during the Gilded Age in New York City, and the cover is refreshingly modern. I’m pretty sure my husband has that shirt…

Lady Eva Hyde is sailing from England to America when she meets Phillip, a gorgeous man on board the ship. Due to inclement weather, they are the last two standing on the final night at sea and enjoy dinner together along with quite a bit of champagne, followed by a rather clandestine meeting in his room. Eva has never felt the kind of attraction she has for this man, and he is rather swept away as well. Much to his chagrin, Eva disappears before he awakens and he cannot find her nor anyone with the name she gave him on board.

Eva is in New York to work. Her father is a world famous architect who has succumbed to an Alzheimer’s type disease. Eva has studied with him for most of her life, and when this job came in – to design the finest hotel in New York City, she leapt at it. Her father had made many bad investments, leaving them penniless and she was desperate to earn some money. But women are not welcome on a construction site as she well knows, so she is going to pass herself off as a representative of her father, who she claims has fallen ill but should be in NY in a matter of weeks. Plus there is the problem of Eva’s romantic past – her father had arranged a marriage for her three times, but one after another of her fiances met an untimely death, earning her the nickname “Lady Unlucky.” She had nothing to do with their deaths but still…

To her horror, the man who is building the hotel is, of course, Phillip. The attraction is still there, stronger than ever, but the work must come first and that is not going to be easy. I loved the whole feminist angle of this story almost as much as the romance, especially when I read the author’s note that explained the impetus for the book came when she found out that a woman architect, Julia Morgan, had designed Hearst Castle in the early part of the twentieth century.

The passion felt real, the odds of this couple getting together were almost insurmountable, and the characters rang true. The tidbits about the history of New York were just an added bonus. This was a terrific one night read for me, I really loved it.

4/18 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

A SCANDALOUS DEAL by Joanna Shupe. Avon (April 24, 2018). ISBN 978-0062678911.  384p.

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BETTING THE SCOT by Jennifer Trethewey

April 23, 2018

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I finally found a terrific romance in my quest to find a Scottish romance that I could enjoy despite it not being written by Diana Gabaldon, It’s only available as an ebook or audiobook though.

Declan Sinclair is a Highlander who has always had strong dreams about his future, and believes his dreams never lie. He has been dreaming about a blonde woman that he is convinced is his future wife. He is at a tavern with his friends when he sees a woman who looks just like his dream woman. She is at a table with a man, but Declan can’t help staring at her and she apparently can’t help staring back at him.

Eventually he learns that the man is her brother and a bit of a snob. When they end up in a card game, Declan takes all his money until he finally bets his sister – and Declan wins. He is uncomfortable with the idea of winning his bride, but also determined to marry her.

Caya is beautiful, and the reason she is even in Scotland is because her brother sold her to an Irish fisherman to pay off his debts. She is supposed to marry this fisherman, so when her brother tells her instead she is to marry the Highlander, she is happy to switch. At least he is good looking and she is attracted to him, trading one arranged marriage for another is not a big deal apparently.

Except when the fisherman appears looking for his wife, all sorts of trouble ensues. Then when Declan brings his bride home, his uncle, the laird, absolutely forbids him to marry a woman he won in a card game. Lots of obstacles get in the way but true love always finds its happily ever after.

This was a sweet read despite some violence, a minimum of sex but a really nice love story.

4/18 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

BETTING THE SCOT by Jennifer Trethewey. Entangled: Amara (April 23, 2018).  ASIN B07C9Y4JNW.

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MANHATTAN BEACH by Jennifer Egan

April 22, 2018

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I confess that I never read the Pulitzer Prize winning A Visit from the Goon Squad by Egan. Its desription as a novel of interlocking stories just didn’t appeal so I came to this book with an open mind. It has won numerous awards and accolades, including the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction, was a New York Times and Washington Post Notable book and it made many of the best books lists in 2017. So I had high expectations, and it mostly met them.

Manhattan Beach is a neighborhood in Brooklyn, and this book is a historical look at the area. Anna Kerrigan is a young girl when her father takes to a business meeting at the home of Dexter Styles, who lives in a large house on the beach. Anna is mesmerized by the sand and sea, and Styles enjoys her pleasure in it.

Anna’s father had been ruined in the Great Depression, and the family lives in a small apartment. Anna enjoys spending time with her father, but he stops taking her to business meetings and then disappears a short time later, leaving her with her mother and sister. Her sister suffers from some sort of paralysis and brain damage, but Anna and her mother lovingly take care of her.

Years later, Anna gets a job at the Brooklyn Naval Yard during the war, when women are allowed to hold the jobs that only men once held. She sees men diving in the water off the yard and wants to learn to do that, but that is one line women cannot cross. Nonetheless, her boss gets her an interview but the man in charge is more interested in humiliating Anna than hiring her. Much to his surprise, she passes the tests for divers but he still doesn’t want her. She persists, and eventually becomes the first woman diver, repairing ships to help win the war.

Anna’s personal life is a bit of a mess. She lives with a friend’s family, and rarely dates. But one night she goes to a nightclub and finds out that Dexter Styles is the owner. He becomes intrigued with her and their relationship turns the story on its head.

This is a fascinating look at the roles of women during the Depression and the war, and the lives of sailors, politicians, and gangsters and how their lives intertwine. Anna is a terrific character and moves the story along. A very interesting and enjoyable read, especially for book groups.

4/18 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

MANHATTAN BEACH by Jennifer Egan. Scribner; First Edition edition (October 3, 2017).  ISBN  978-1476716732. 448p.

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IN PRIOR’S WOOD by G. M. Malliet

April 21, 2018

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A Max Tudor Mystery, Book 7 

Malliet presents the 7th book written featuring Max Tudor, the Vicar of his church in the village of Nether Monkslip, situated in a charming rural section of England. Max is quite happy in his chosen role after a career with British Intelligence as an agent for MI5. He is married to a lovely lady, has a young son and is very content with his role in life.

Unfortunately, Max seems to attract murder like a fly to honey and has proven quite a help to DCI Cotton of the local police in solving these cases.

Just returning from a trip with Cotton to help with a case in another town, Max wants nothing more than to relax and concentrate on a sermon he plans to give about the ancient Israeli King David and his lust for Bathsheba. David had committed the sin of sending Bathsheba’s husband to die during a war so that she could be his wife.

Just getting involved in the sermon, the town is confronted with the apparent murder and attempted suicide pact of the wife of the local manor lord. Max is plunged into helping to solve the crime and away we go. It is probably not appropriate to use the term “charming” about a case of murder, but Malliet’s prose brings this adjective to mind. There are no grisly murder scenes depicted, merely statements that these occurred. Life in Nether Monkslip is modern; computers are used, e-books are read and the people are affected when bad things happen.

The novel is a fun read, certainly not deep nor devious, quite satisfying and certainly sure to whet the reader’s appetite for more of these books.

4/18 Paul Lane

IN PRIOR’S WOOD by G. M. Malliet. Minotaur Books (April 17, 2018).  ISBN 978-1250092809. 304p.

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