WET WORK by Mark A. Hewitt

February 16, 2020

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Duncan Hunter Thriller, Book 5

From the publisher:

Law enforcement agencies have chosen to ignore rather than investigate dozens of political figures and defectors who have died under mysterious circumstances. When a Democratic National Committee staff member is murdered before the presidential election, Washington, D.C. police is also uninterested in investigating the crime.

The President is well behind in the polls. Some powerful people want assurances that the President will never take the oath of office if he unexpectedly wins.

On Election Day, the Central Intelligence Agency Director uncovers treachery at the highest levels of his organization. A rogue group of senior intelligence officers may have exposed themselves for who they really are before disappearing with a secret experimental weapon. Mounting evidence suggests the President may be in peril but the Secret Service isn’t interested in conspiracy theories or implausible weapons with impossible capabilities.

Will CIA pilot Duncan Hunter save the President from a group of assassins?

Mark Hewitt presents the 5th book in his series headlining Duncan Hunter, a pilot for the CIA. The book opens at a point where Hunter destroys a field of marijuana via the use of computer-aided weapons. And as in previous books, he jumps right into more action.

A plot is discovered by the CIA director in which it appears likely that a rogue group of high-level government officials have stolen and fled with a secret weapon. The weapon is unknown to most people and involves a gun that can be aimed, fired, and effective up to 10 miles from the target. The fleeing rogue officials are feared to want to assassinate the new, recently elected president of the United States and claim a reward for doing so from the Soviet Union.

Hunter goes right into the pursuit of the officials aided by his wife, and also his daughter from a previous marriage who is coincidentally working for the CIA. Their hunt for the rogue group is hampered by the inability of the CIA to understand that a weapon unknown to them would have a feasible killing range of up to 10 miles and not be more than a weapon carried by one person.
The action takes place over a complicated mix of politics, tradecraft, political realities and normal government functions giving the reader a very solid conspiracy theory novel and a couple of all-night reads. The ending finds Hunter and his family on vacation but called upon by his supervisor to drop everything and get back to headquarters to move into another sequence of battle against America’s enemies. No rest for the weary, but good reading material.

2/2020 Paul Lane

WET WORK by Mark A. Hewitt. Black Rose Writing (January 2, 2020). ASIN: B07YR2GLVT. 669p.

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ADAM by Chris Keniston

February 15, 2020

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Farraday Country, Book 1

From the publisher:

Welcome to Farraday Country, a twist on the popular 7 brides for 7 brothers set in cattle-ranching west Texas, with all the friends, family and fun that fans have come to expect from USA TODAY Bestselling author Chris Keniston.

On a barren road in the pre-dawn hours, Adam Farraday, the oldest of seven siblings, happens upon a disabled sports car and an angel in white searching for a disappearing dog. What is it about this secretive redheaded beauty that intrigues him as no woman has before?

After learning her fiancé’s true nature minutes before her wedding, Meg O’Brien drives as fast and as far away from her world as she can. Stranded with no money, and nowhere to go, the city girl must learn to fit in to small town life and all its quirky trappings. Too bad falling in love with her handsome rescuer is not an option.

This was a free ebook I got through BookBub. I know I’ve mentioned this before, so feel free to skip ahead to the review. If you are not familiar or if you haven’t heard about this site, check it out. If you like inexpensive or free ebooks, it is definitely worth a visit. I think the most expensive book I’ve seen on there is about $3.99, many are $1.99 or free. You can specify the genres you like and that’s what they will send you. It’s one of the best emails I get every day.

I have noticed many of the free books are self-published, which as long as they are edited, is fine with me. I always check the reviews, and this book had over 1700 reviews with a 4.5-star rating. It is well deserved! Have you ever looked at some of the 1-star reviews? They are often rants about late arrivals, authors’ notes they don’t like, or other silly things that have literally nothing to do with the book they are reviewing. But I am digressing again, mea culpa.

This is a very short book, probably a novella, so it lacked some of the depth of character that I like. That said, it is the first book of a series, and it is well written and a good story, so I am not going to complain too much. I really liked the premise of the book, and admired Meg for taking off the way she did. That could not have been easy, from a physical standpoint (no money) or an emotional one. The Farraday family is a good one, and I am looking forward to reading more of their stories.

It looks like the Kindle book is still free, so if you like sweet love stories and fast reads with some humor, grab it. I’m very glad I did.

2/2020 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

ADAM by Chris Keniston. Indie House Publishing (October 13, 2016). ISBN 978-1942561095. 162p.

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THE WORST BEST MAN by Mia Sosa

February 14, 2020

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From the publisher:

One of Oprah Magazine’s 21 Romance Novels That Are Set to Be the Best of 2020, EW’s 20 New Books to Read in February, and PopSugar’s 25 Brilliant New Books Hitting Shelves. A LibraryReads Pick for February and Amazon Best Romance of the Month!

Mia Sosa delivers a sassy, steamy #ownvoices enemies-to-lovers novel, perfect for fans of Jasmine Guillory, Helen Hoang, and Sally Thorne!

A wedding planner left at the altar? Yeah, the irony isn’t lost on Carolina Santos, either. But despite that embarrassing blip from her past, Lina’s offered an opportunity that could change her life. There’s just one hitch… she has to collaborate with the best (make that worst) man from her own failed nuptials.

Marketing expert Max Hartley is determined to make his mark with a coveted hotel client looking to expand its brand. Then he learns he’ll be working with his brother’s whip-smart, stunning—absolutely off-limits—ex-fiancée. And she loathes him.

If they can nail their presentation without killing each other, they’ll both come out ahead. Except Max has been public enemy number one ever since he encouraged his brother to jilt the bride, and Lina’s ready to dish out a little payback of her own.

Soon Lina and Max discover animosity may not be the only emotion creating sparks between them. Still, this star-crossed couple can never be more than temporary playmates because Lina isn’t interested in falling in love and Max refuses to play runner-up to his brother ever again…

Imagine you are a wedding planner, a job you love. Imagine you are at one of your most spectacular weddings, and one of the guests turns out to be looking for a wedding planner. Not for her own wedding, but for the high-end hotel she manages. Imagine she invites you to compete for the job against one other wedding planner. Then imagine you are forced to work with her marketing team, one of which is the man who left you at the altar, and the other his brother/best man, who convinced him to do it.

Not an auspicious beginning, but it sets into motion a series of events that conspire to make a terrific romance. Lina panics when she sees who she has to work with, and pretends she doesn’t know them, thinking how would this woman hire a wedding planner who was jilted at her own wedding! The men, surprised, go along with it and that leads to a lot of trouble and a lot of fun.

I also loved the multi-cultural aspects of the story. Sosa brings you into her world in the most gentle and comforting way, yet it is also the root of some revenge fun. I learned about some Brazilian foods, the Capoeira, and the dancing. There is some Portuguese sprinkled throughout the book, and while it isn’t translated, it is easily understandable in the context it is used.

Sosa has a deft touch with love and sex and humor, all of which combine here to make a magical mixture. These characters feel like real people and you can’t help but root for them to resolve their issues and get to their happily ever after. I understand that some people may not like the fact that these men are brothers, and Lina goes from being dumped by one to falling in love with the other. It is an unusual situation, but I thought Sosa made it work.

2/2020 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

THE WORST BEST MAN by Mia Sosa. Avon (February 4, 2020). ISBN 978-0062909879. 368p.

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KEEP ME WANTING by Angela Addams

February 13, 2020

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From the publisher:

All I’ve ever tried to do is keep the people in my life safe. That’s gotten me into hot water more times than I can count. Hell, the last time got me four years behind bars.

So when my favorite barista tells her mom that I’m her boyfriend to stop the woman’s endless criticism, I can’t stop myself from helping her out. But she’s too innocent and I’m too damaged for this to ever be the real deal.

I can’t allow myself to touch her, not when making her mine will drag her into my world and drown her in my messed up life. What I really need to do is stay away.

Except every touch and every accidental kiss breaks my control. I want her.

Then I find out her dad is the detective who put me away…and he’s trying to take down my family.

I don’t blame him. The secrets I’m keeping are big enough to destroy everything.

This is a quick read of the fake date trope, which is time-tested and works beautifully here. To add to the tension, Liam is an ex-con, and Maggie’s dad is the police detective who put him away.

Liam has been coming into the coffee shop where Maggie works for months. He doesn’t flirt or anything, and neither does she, but both are very much aware of the other. Eventually, Maggie finds herself in the position of having to attend a big family reunion, and if she doesn’t have a date, her mother will be all over her. Cornered, she asks Liam if he could just pretend to be her boyfriend for a few minutes, as her mother is stopping by the coffee shop. Maggie figures she’ll introduce her fake boyfriend, then make excuses why he can’t attend the family reunion. Problem solved.

It doesn’t quite work out the way she planned, and Liam comes to the reunion, determined to give Maggie a good time but keep sex off the table. Ha! Needless to say, that doesn’t work and there is plenty of steamy sex all weekend long. There are also some very funny moments, and some really serious ones as well.

I really liked these characters, and that surprised me for such a short book. Maybe it helped that the story was told in alternating voices from Maggie & Liam. All the characters worked, the plotline while simple, was effective, and I couldn’t wait for them to get their happily ever after. This is a fun, sexy read and I really liked it. I will have to see what else I can find by this author.

2/2020 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

KEEP ME WANTING by Angela Addams. Entangled: Embrace (February 10, 2020). ASIN B082GRQVQQ. 252p.

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WINNING THE BOSS’S HEART by Hayson Manning

February 12, 2020

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From the publisher:

Mason Christian has twelve weeks to flip something old into something new, and then he’s getting the hell out of Footsteps Bay – a tiny New Zealand coastal town. Not even his temporary secretary and personal assistant–the feisty, luscious Billie McLeod–will deter him, but there’s no denying she makes him feel alive. More alive than he’s felt in three years…

Billie has one dream: save enough money to finish her degree. That’s why she’s agreed to work for hard ass, all-business-no-pleasure Mason Christian–a man who has every intention of destroying through modernization the town’s most cherished historical home. Before she can say ‘see ya’ she’s signed on the dotted line and is contractually bound to be Mason’s forty-second assistant. But working with male perfection every day is awesome with a capital A–as long as they can stick to a hands-off policy that gets harder every day…

Entangled Publishing is on to something. I’m not exactly sure how this all works, but it seems like most of the books I’ve read from them have been written by authors on the other side of the world. They specialize in ebooks that are set in Australia or New Zealand or I’m not even sure where (I am somewhat geographically challenged) but the stories, the characters work just as well over here. I know that American authors often have their books sold to other countries, translated to other languages, but I never really thought about the reverse so much. Every now and then I read a translated book that was originally published in some other country, and I invariably enjoy them. I like learning about other cultures and reading translated books really gives an insider’s perspective that I really like, rather than an American who took a vacation somewhere and decided to set their book there. That works, too, but in a different way.

From what I can tell from my reading, and from my husband’s working in Australia back in the early 80’s, it is very much like America. Liane Moriarity (and her writing sisters) spring to mind – I love her books, and it was always sort of secondary that they were set in Australia. For TV, they moved Big Little Lies to Malibu and it worked perfectly.

So this book was sent to me by the publisher as a “second look,” which means it came out a while back. I didn’t care, if I haven’t read a book then it is new to me. This is a contemporary romance of the rich boss & his assistant variety and that worked for me.

Mason has some secrets he just doesn’t share. He has kept himself closed off, is basically punishing himself, and avoiding relationships. He is a tough taskmaster and expects his assistant to live, work and breathe whatever project is currently underway. In this case, it is a house flip in the small oceanside town. He goes through assistants so frequently that he doesn’t bother to learn their names; in this case, he calls Bilie “42”. Yep, there have been 41 assistants before her. He has her sign a tough contract, and off to work they go. But Billie, even though she really needs the money, is no pushover. And her pushing back causes sparks to fly.

This was a very quick read, I would have like to know more about what they were doing in the renovation – rooms just were magically done. But that’s me and my HGTV mentality, I guess. It probably wasn’t such a big thing back in 2013 when this book was first published. It was an entertaining read, and that works for me.

2/2020 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

WINNING THE BOSS’S HEART by Hayson Manning. Entangled: Indulgence (September 9, 2013). ASIN B00EBRKWEC. 220p.

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BEEN THERE, MARRIED THAT by Gigi Levangie

February 11, 2020

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From the publisher:

A hilarious novel full of Hollywood glitz, glamour, and scandal from New York Times bestselling author Gigi Levangie.

When he changes the locks, she changes the rules.

Agnes Murphy Nash is the perfect Hollywood wife – she has the right friends, the right clothes, and even a side career of her own as a writer. Her husband Trevor is a bigshot producer, and from the outside it looks like they’re living a picture-perfect celebrity life, complete with tennis tournaments and lavish parties.

But the job description of a Hollywood wife doesn’t cover divorce, which is the way Agnes’ life is headed after she comes home one day to find her credit cards cancelled and the security passwords to get into her enormous LA home changed. Oh, and there’s a guy there whose job it is to tase her if she tries to enter…which she does.

Needless to say, Agnes’ husband is dead set on making sure she loses big time, but Agnes isn’t the type to just lie down and take it. In a world of fremenies and hot nannies, personal psychics and “skinny” jello shots, Agnes may be losing her husband, but could that mean getting her own life back?

Been There, Married That is a drop-dead hilarious battle of wills that will make you laugh out loud, cringe, and keep turning the pages to see what crazy disaster will happen to Agnes next…and how she’ll rise from the ashes.

Agnes Murphy Nash comes from humble beginnings but has managed to turn herself into the perfect Hollywood wife; the world revolves around her husband, and every single decision she makes, from the sheets on the bed to who she lunches with, is in service to his ego.

The level of Hollywood narcissism shown here is astounding and makes it hard to empathize with or even believe the characters in this marital farce. Trevor Nash is the Oscar-winning producer who wants to divorce Agnes, because he is no longer happy, whatever that means. Together they have a daughter, and she is the unlikely pawn, also known as “leverage,” in this divorce.

Agnes is more self-aware than many of her contemporaries, realizes she is living in a bubble but likes it there. We get to read her every thought, and she has them at a dizzying pace making this a quick read, at times humorous, but mostly just exhausting.

Verdict: For fans of the Kardashians, the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, and the latest celebrity memoirs. Buy for demand only.

©Library Journal, 2020

2/2020 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

BEEN THERE, MARRIED THAT by Gigi Levangie. St. Martin’s Press (February 11, 2020). ISBN 978-1250166814. 336p.

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THE KISS LIST by Sonya Weiss

February 10, 2020

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From the publisher:

All Haley Bowman has ever wanted was her One True Love. But now, with her cousin getting married and Haley back in her small town, the pressure is on. Good thing she’s got a foolproof Kiss List, full of potential OTLs. Her parents knew they were soul mates at their first kiss, so surely Haley will know the same. All she needs to do is…well, kiss each of these guys…

Enter Max Gallagher: bane of Haley’s existence, her nemesis since childhood, and, unfortunately, as a local, her way in with all the guys on the Kiss List. Max wants nothing to do with love and certainly nothing to do with Haley, but he can clear the way for her to get to know the guys on the list. Of course, he wants something in return: to be made a partner in Haley’s family’s business. One kiss for relinquishing her hold-out vote on Max.

But the more time Max and Haley spend together, the clearer it is that there’s a paper-thin line between love and hate. Max will have to decide between the job he’s always dreamed of or the girl of his dreams before his fate is sealed with someone else’s kiss.

This book sounded so cute but it didn’t quite live up to my expectations. I found the characters incredibly immature and silly, especially Haley. Max was better, and how often do you get to say a man is more mature than a woman? (Please don’t send me hate mail, stereotypes become stereotypes because they are often based in truth.) But I pushed past that because I liked the rest of the characters. The storyline was broadcast from the first page so there is not even a hint of suspense about what the ending will be, and that didn’t bother me either. It was a silly, escapist read and sometimes that is enough.

2/2020 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

THE KISS LIST by Sonya Weiss. Independently published (January 20, 2020). ISBN 979-8601908962. 220p.

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THE APOLLO DECEPTION by Mitch Silver

February 9, 2020

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From the publisher:

Gary Stephens is brought into a government-sanctioned cover-up when he discovers that his father helped fake the Apollo 11 moon landing in the 1960s.

After China announce a space mission to place their own flag next to the one US astronauts planted during the Apollo 11 mission, few people bat an eyelid. Shortly after this statement Charlie Stephens, a 81-year-old former filmmaker, is murdered. The incident is made to look like an accident, but why?

Going through his father’s effects, Gary Stephens – a director of beer and yogurt ads – discovers seven cans of old 35mm film. Dated before the landing, they’re identical to the footage NASA claims was shot by the Apollo 11 crew. The US flag is not and has never been in the Sea of Tranquillity, and only Tricky Dick and a handful of others knew it.

Why was the real nature of the Apollo 11 mission kept hidden? And what measures will be taken to keep the secret buried?

The United States, according to the history books, successfully landed men on the moon in the 1960s. They left many items and successfully set up an American flag in the general area of their arrival. They then left and were retrieved in the capsule designed for the reentry in the midst of the ocean. Going on to the eternal glory attached to their mission the astronauts making the trip left future moon shots to others. And there, of course, were other trips into space, including unmanned voyages around Mars, and others through our solar system and beyond.

For some reason, not readily apparent, a small group of people have always thought that the first Moon landing was staged, done for the publicity involved and perhaps to bring apparent obedience to the promise of John F. Kennedy, who resolved that the U.S. would land men on the moon before the end of the decade of the 1960s.

Mitch Silver, in an afterward of the novel, indicates that he is not one of the doubters involved with debunking the landing, but brings his readers a seat-of-the-pants novel outlining the possible consequences of a faked trip.

Gary Stephens, a filmmaker, is the son of one man that worked on the Moon Landing team. His father is killed in a boating accident and Gary begins to go through his Dad’s things. He discovers several tapes showing that the landing was staged. At the same time, China announces that they are ready to launch an expedition to the moon and plan to land in the same area as the U.S. did and plant their flag with the American banner showing solidarity, at least in the world of space travel.

Gary decides to take the tapes made by his father to the government and expose the farce. The novel does a very creditable job of describing the reactions of the U.S. to the news and their plans to launch another trip as quickly as possible to rectify the non-existence of material where it should be.

Research is evident in Silver’s descriptions of the process and events, and the creation of a definite all-nighter for his readers.

2/2020 Paul Lane

THE APOLLO DECEPTION by Mitch Silver. Severn House Publishers; First World Publication edition (February 4, 2020). ISBN 978-0727889751. 224p.

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LOVE HER OR LOSE HER by Tessa Bailey

February 8, 2020

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Hot and Hammered, Book 2

From the publisher:

One of Oprah Magazine’s 21 Romance Novels That Are Set to Be the Best of 2020 + Marie Claire’s Best New Books of 2020

New York Times bestselling author Tessa Bailey returns with a unique, sexy romantic comedy about a young married couple whose rocky relationship needs a serious renovation…

Rosie and Dominic Vega are the perfect couple: high school sweethearts, best friends, madly in love. Well, they used to be anyway. Now Rosie’s lucky to get a caveman grunt from the ex-soldier every time she walks in the door. Dom is faithful and a great provider, but the man she fell in love with ten years ago is nowhere to be found. When her girlfriends encourage Rosie to demand more out of life and pursue her dream of opening a restaurant, she decides to demand more out of love, too. Three words: marriage boot camp.

Never in a million years did Rosie believe her stoic, too-manly-to-emote husband would actually agree to relationship rehab with a weed-smoking hippie. Dom talking about feelings? Sitting on pillows? Communing with nature? Learning love languages? Nope. But to her surprise, he’s all in, and it forces her to admit her own role in their cracked foundation. As they complete one ridiculous—yet surprisingly helpful—assignment after another, their remodeled relationship gets stronger than ever. Except just as they’re getting back on track, Rosie discovers Dom has a secret… and it could demolish everything.

It’s not often that you find a fresh approach to romance, but that is the case here and I loved it. Or maybe I just haven’t stumbled on any other marriage romances? The story centers around a couple that were high school sweethearts, got married, and were happy. But Dom changed while he served his country, like so many men do. I loved that he was still madly in love with his wife, but the problems in their marriage are like so many marriages, no communication. He for sure isn’t talking, and she’s afraid to so she keeps everything in. That is never good, and it basically implodes the marriage.

Rosie & Dom still have a passionate, albeit scheduled, love life and it just isn’t working so much for Rosie on an emotional level. But it takes Rosie moving out to wake up Dom to all the problems in their marriage, and it actually takes Rosie a little longer to see that she also contributed to their problems. Marriage counseling doesn’t always help, but it does here, and it also adds a lot of humor to the story.

Bailey is a terrific storyteller and writer – it’s not easy to put passion on the page without making it feel banal or hackneyed. The sex is definitely steamy, it works in the story and even has some funny moments thrown in, just like real life. Putting a marriage on display is always interesting, and this story and these characters really drew me in. I couldn’t help but root for them and their happy ending. Another excellent addition to what is becoming one of my favorite series. I can’t wait for the next book!

2/2020 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

LOVE HER OR LOSE HER by Tessa Bailey. Avon (January 14, 2020). ISBN 978-0062872852. 352p.

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A LONG PETAL OF THE SEA by Isabel Allende

February 7, 2020

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From the publisher:

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the author of The House of the Spirits, this epic novel spanning decades and crossing continents follows two young people as they flee the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War in search of a place to call home.

“One of the most richly imagined portrayals of the Spanish Civil War to date, and one of the strongest and most affecting works in [Isabel Allende’s] long career.”—The New York Times Book Review

In the late 1930s, civil war grips Spain. When General Franco and his Fascists succeed in overthrowing the government, hundreds of thousands are forced to flee in a treacherous journey over the mountains to the French border. Among them is Roser, a pregnant young widow, who finds her life intertwined with that of Victor Dalmau, an army doctor and the brother of her deceased love. In order to survive, the two must unite in a marriage neither of them desires.

Together with two thousand other refugees, they embark on the SS Winnipeg, a ship chartered by the poet Pablo Neruda, to Chile: “the long petal of sea and wine and snow.” As unlikely partners, they embrace exile as the rest of Europe erupts in world war. Starting over on a new continent, their trials are just beginning, and over the course of their lives, they will face trial after trial. But they will also find joy as they patiently await the day when they will be exiles no more. Through it all, their hope of returning to Spain keeps them going. Destined to witness the battle between freedom and repression as it plays out across the world, Roser and Victor will find that home might have been closer than they thought all along.

A masterful work of historical fiction about hope, exile, and belonging, A Long Petal of the Sea shows Isabel Allende at the height of her powers.

Isabel Allende presents her readers with what may very well be her masterpiece; an epic story of people caught up in world events and living through tumultuous times. Moving through the Spanish civil war and then events in Chile as they occur in the twentieth century the author takes hold of her readers and does not ease up until the book ends.

Roser, a young lady coming of age, and Victor Dalmau, who is an army doctor and the brother of Roser’s sweetheart, are the central protagonists of the story. Events occurring during the civil war breaking out in Spain in 1936 first throw the two together. Francisco Franco and his fascists lead Spain away from its government with a revolution establishing the long term rule of a dictatorship. The author captures the essence of what the uprising was with descriptions of the horrors and excesses of war and the depravity of Franco as he assumes total power in the country. It then becomes necessary for thousands to flee Spain if they are not to be killed. Roser, who is pregnant with her lover’s baby, and Victor travel away from Europe together with their destination the Latin American country of Chile. En route, they learn that Chilean immigrant visas are most likely to be given to families and decide to marry to ensure their entrance to Chile. They do so vowing to divorce as soon as feasible and of course when Victor’s brother, Roser’s lover arrives from Spain.

The second part of the book deals with changes in Chile during most of the twentieth century starting with the second world war taking place in Europe and Africa and then the country’s development going forward. Roser and Victor’s characters are very well fleshed out as are many of the other people taking part in the story. The rule by Salvador Allende is outlined and due to the fact that Isabel’s father was a first cousin to him his treatment is favorable. His overthrow and assassination are not blamed on his dictatorial conduct but on other malevolent factors. This is the author’s opinion and does nothing to harm the overall story.

The growth and development of Roser and Victor and their personal changes during this period are brilliantly described by Allende. The reader will easily follow and understand the reasoning behind their actions and capture the shifts as time and events go forward. Totally a five-star book and a milestone for Isabel Allende.

2/2020 Paul Lane

A LONG PETAL OF THE SEA by Isabel Allende. Ballantine Books (January 21, 2020). ISBN 978-1984820150. 336p.

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