Daniel Mason presents a truly monumental book about a great love affair amidst the horrors of war. It is set during the period of World War I and along the eastern front in which Austria was fighting Russia.
There are two main protagonists involved in the story. The first is a young man named Lucius who was a medical student in Vienna when war broke out. His father had been an Austrian officer in previous conflicts and glorified the tradition of war urging Lucius to enter the military.
Lucius, on the other hand, offered his credentials as a medical student in order to work at a field hospital attending to war wounded. He is accepted, but much to his chagrin ends up at a commandeered church situated in a remote valley in the Carpathian mountains. It is there that he meets sister Margarete who is the only other qualified medical person since the other doctors stationed there have deserted. Lucius has never operated on anyone but finds that he can allow himself to be guided by Margarete who has assisted in almost all situations. She helps him in many ways allowing him to function as he should without either an actual medical degree nor real experience. It is no surprise that the two develop feelings for each other.. The romance is slowed by the fact that Margarete has taken vows. While slowed at first their love grows and soon becomes all consuming.
Mason is a medical doctor and explains quite clearly the state of medicine existing at military hospitals near the front lines during that period He also very aptly describes Lucius’ growth into his work. Lucius logically finds ways to treat grievous wounds normally not seen outside of battle casualties. He is introduced to the little known problem of what is called combat fatigue and how it can destroy men without the appearance of any physical wound. Lucius tries many medicines and treatments in working with these mentally wounded individuals and this alone is quite an experience for any reader.
As the love grows between our two central characters they get into the habit of leaving the hospital for short periods in order to be together. During one long walk they split up and Lucius arrives back at the hospital first. When Margarete does not return in a normal period Lucius sets out again in order to find her. Walking for quite a while he suddenly finds himself in the midst of a battle and has to run and hide in order not to be killed. The turning tide of war develops into other assignments with no return to his hospital and Margarete.
The absolute strength of this novel is the powerful depiction of Lucius and Margarete. They live and breathe, face real conflicts and are beset with the doubts that must be present in periods of constant stress. The resolution of their story is one that would be a reality in view of their experiences during a war and the battles fought in that war. The novel will stay with readers for a long time after finishing it. The only way to describe it is to indicate that I was very moved and finished with the feeling that I had taken part in a great work through reading Mason’s book.
9/18 Paul Lane
THE WINTER SOLDIER by Daniel Mason. Little, Brown and Company (September 11, 2018). ISBN 978-0316477604. 336p.
She’s never had a no-strings fling. He’s never had anything else. But maybe this time will be an exception?
After a year of mourning her fiancé, Alexis Parker has worked hard to rediscover what she wants out of life. Fresh out of the military and back stateside, her brother offers her a marketing job at the Stag Distillery. Ready for a new challenge, Alexis agrees to accompany her new co-worker Jake Cooper on a Stag cross-country promotional tour. He may have an infamous playboy reputation, but Alexis is surprised to find out that there is more to him than meets the eye. And she likes what she sees. . .
Jake promised Alexis’s brother that he’d be an absolute gentleman. Of course, that was before he and Alexis hit the road, and they both agree that what Alexis’s big brother doesn’t know won’t hurt him. The plan: to keep their fling confined to the RV, and everything will go back to normal once they head home. Things progress in ways neither of them could have imagined, and Jake realizes that he and Alexis make a perfect mix. Can he convince her that he’s ready to shake things up and give true love a shot in Maybe for You?
This was a sweet romance that really tugs at the heartstrings. Almost a widow, Alexis lost her fiance which leaves her feeling bereft for many reasons. A year later, she is starting to come back to the land of the living.
Jake also has some baggage, and a real self-esteem problem. It was a nice change to see a man with that issue. These two damaged characters come together slowly, and have many ups and downs before they get to their happy ending. A most enjoyable read.
9/18 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
MAYBE FOR YOU by Nicole McLaughlin. St. Martin’s Paperbacks (August 28, 2018). ISBN 978-1250140029. 320p.
Philip Rochester is a bully, a despot and the epitome of a man that terrorizes a woman once she makes the mistake of marrying him. Not a very savory character and a lot different from the norm of leading characters in a novel. But Jakeman has succeeded in bringing him to life in a book featuring him vis-à-vis three women that have formed important parts of his life; his ex wife, his present wife currently being divorced by Philip and his girlfriend whom he is working towards making his third wife.
We are exposed to the feelings of his current wife who has endured being ridiculed, made to feel inadequate and wondering what she has done wrong as Philip has increased his overbearing treatment of her.
The story begins at Philip’s funeral with succeeding chapters listed as so many days or years prior to the funeral. Imogene, the current wife has had a child, a boy with Philip, and is desperate once she finds out what he is to keep her son away from him. His work as a policeman allows him contacts that Imogene fears will help him gain custody of Alistair, their son, with official lies backed up by the power of the police.
The ex-wife and his girl friend come into play in the story as it develops. Each has become enamored of Philip and only begins seeing what he is as the three women face his conniving to gain control of his son as well as the house that he and Imogene live in.
The book is Jakeman’s first and certainly allow an emerging literary talent to create a following that will enjoy this one and look forward to future novels from this author.
9/18 Paul Lane
THE EXES’ REVENGE by Jo Jakeman. Berkley (September 11, 2018). ISBN 978-0440000341. 352p.
A novel that tells the story of marriage infidelity from the husband’s side. It begins rapidly with Joe Lynch, the husband of his beloved Melissa (Mel) driving home from work via a route he has taken countless times after picking up his son. By chance he spots Mel meeting another man and entering a hotel with him.
Melissa has been his love interest starting when they were in their mid teens in high school. He eventually married her and considers himself the luckiest of men. And after eleven happy years and the arrival of a beautiful child he still looks upon himself as very fortunate. Joe makes the decision to confront the man Melissa met and does so. They quickly disintegrate into a physical match with Joe knocking the other man down. The man is actually an acquaintance of theirs with his own wife friendly with Mel.
Worried that he has hurt Ben, the other man, Joe turns back and decides to help him when his son experiences an asthma attack and must be attended to quickly. When he later returns to the hotel Ben is gone. In confronting Melissa about the meeting she finally admits that she has been having an affair for the past few months with Ben but swears up and down that it is now over and never to be repeated.
The problem is that Ben makes no appearance and the police enter the scene to make sure that Ben has not suffered foul play. A very well handled plot ensues with Joe trying to determine if he can bring himself to again be with Mel at the same time that the police appear to be more and more centered on Ben being killed. The fact that Joe caught him with Melissa is credible evidence that he did something to Ben.
The unfolding story is told in a very sure manner and the reader is caught up with what is seeming to transpire with Joe. Is he going to somehow come out of the predicament together with his beloved wife, or is he going to finally be arrested for murder? The mitigating factor in preventing an early arrest is that there is no body to be found. An all night read – certainly and also one that is guaranteed to assure that the next novel by this author will find it’s way into the reader’s hands as soon as published.
9/18 Paul Lane
LIES by T.M. Logan. St. Martin’s Press (September 11, 2018). ISBN 978-1250182265. 432p.
The author brings us a carefully contrived story about the CIA. It is not a normal novel utilizing distinctively good and bad characters but framed in a context that shows real life shades of gray.
Anna is the only child of the marriage of Lulu and Noel and early on was subjected to the disappearance of her mother who deserted her husband as well as Anna. Noel was a dynamic individual working as a banker who mysteriously dies in a skiing accident in Switzerland on the day before Anna was to be married. Later, on her honeymoon she meets, apparently by chance, a stranger who had somehow worked with Noel in the past and had information about him. Later Anna receives a mysterious package that contains recordings and videos that show Noel in the midst of a brutal interrogation. Everything that Anna thought she knew about her father’s life and death is now called into question.
Carpenter’s style of moving back and forth between people in her narrative lend an almost stream of consciousness aspect to the novel which draws the reader into the apparent inner workings of the CIA, its good and bad, and the fact that there are different motivations involved. A China operation goes wrong and blame for it winds through the layers of management and personnel.
The book draws in the reader who easily follows the shifts in events and people. While Carpenter, in an afterward, tells us that she received no information from the CIA, the style of the book and the way it unfolds would seem to belie this. Basically it is because the novel tells the story as it would possibly occur in real life where not everything is black and white. A very fascinating read done in a style that is unique creating a novel that is a draw to most of its readers.
9/18 Paul Lane
RED WHITE BLUE by Lea Carpenter. Knopf; First Edition edition (August 21, 2018). ISBN 978-1524732141. 320p.
Anna Drezen & Todd Dakotah Briscoe present A PRAYER FOR OWEN MEANEY | Last Minute Book Report
After reading A PRAYER FOR OWEN MEANEY in 10 minutes, Anna Drezen & Todd Dakotah Briscoe (co-authors of HOW MAY WE HATE YOU?) stumble their way through a book report on John Irving’s classic.
All I can say is they need to read the book in its entirety as it is one of my favorite books ever. EVERYONE needs to read this book!
Also, do not ever watch the movie. It was so bad Irving made them change the name of the main character from Owen Meany. The movie is called Simon Birch, and has a 44% on the Tomatometer. The audience score is higher but obviously those people never read the book. Rant over.
A PBS Great American Read Top 100 Pick
Click book cover to purchase
I am doomed to remember a boy with a wrecked voice—not because of his voice, or because he was the smallest person I ever knew, or even because he was the instrument of my mother’s death, but because he is the reason I believe in God; I am a Christian because of Owen Meany.
In the summer of 1953, two eleven-year-old boys—best friends—are playing in a Little League baseball game in Gravesend, New Hampshire. One of the boys hits a foul ball that kills the other boy’s mother. The boy who hits the ball doesn’t believe in accidents; Owen Meany believes he is God’s instrument. What happens to Owen after that 1953 foul ball is extraordinary.
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A delightful novel about two headstrong sisters, a small town’s efforts to do right by the community, and the power of a lost dog to summon true love
Nora, the owner of the Miss Guthrie Diner, is perfectly happy serving up apple cider donuts, coffee, and eggs-any-way-you-like-em to her regulars, and she takes great pleasure in knowing exactly what’s “the usual.” But her life is soon shaken when she discovers she and her free-spirited, younger sister Kit stand to inherit the home and land of the town’s beloved cake lady, Peggy Johnson.
Kit, an aspiring–and broke–filmmaker thinks her problems are solved when she and Nora find out Peggy was in the process of selling the land to a big-box developer before her death. The people of Guthrie are divided–some want the opportunities the development will bring, while others are staunchly against any change–and they aren’t afraid to leave their opinions with their tips.
Time is running out, and the sisters need to make a decision soon. But Nora isn’t quite ready to let go of the land, complete with a charming farmhouse, an ancient apple orchard and the clues to a secret life that no one knew Peggy had. Troubled by the conflicting needs of the town, and confused by her growing feelings towards Elliot, the big-box developer’s rep, Nora throws herself into solving the one problem that everyone in town can agree on–finding Peggy’s missing dog, Freckles.
When a disaster strikes the diner, the community of Guthrie bands together to help her, and Nora discovers that doing the right thing doesn’t always mean giving up your dreams.
There are a couple of editors that I read regularly, and Pamela Dorman is one of them. Some of her authors are Jojo Moyes, Shari Lepena, Gail Honeyman, Nicci French, J. Ryan Stradal, all of whom I enjoy. Louise Miller is another. I loved her first book, The City Baker’s Guide to Country Living, and this is another charmer. Plus there is a recipe in the back of the book that I am definitely going to make (Burnt Sugar Cake with Maple Icing!) despite the havoc that cake causes in the story.
I loved these characters, from the taciturn Nora to her free spirit sister Kit, Kit’s boyfriend, the zen-master Max, and all the townsfolk of this quirky, alluring town. If only small town life were so! We see this world through somewhat rose colored glasses, and that is not a bad thing. Miller really knows how to bring her characters and her setting to life, and I loved spending time with them all.
It is easy to see why People Magazine picked it for their “best new books” feature. If you are looking for an entrancing, entertaining and easy read, this is your book – it was certainly mine.
9/18 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
LATE BLOOMERS’ CLUB by Louise Miller. Pamela Dorman Books (July 17, 2018). ISBN 978-1101981238. 336p.
From the author of the critically acclaimed “lively and engrossing parable for women of all generations” (Harper’s Bazaar) The Regulars comes a deeply funny and thoughtful tale of a young woman who, after discovering she has the breast cancer gene, embarks on an unforgettable bucket list adventure.
Twenty-five-old Lacey Whitman is blindsided when she’s diagnosed with the BCRA1 gene mutation: the “breast cancer” gene. Her high hereditary risk forces a decision: increased surveillance or the more radical step of a preventative double mastectomy. Lacey doesn’t want to lose her breasts. For one, she’s juggling two career paths; her work with the prestigious New York trend forecaster Hoffman House, and her role on the founding team of a sustainable fashion app with friend/mentor, Vivian Chang. Secondly, small-town Lacey’s not so in touch with her sexuality: she doesn’t want to sacrifice her breasts before she’s had the chance to give them their hey-day. To help her make her choice, she (and her friends) creates a “boob bucket list”: everything she wants do with and for her boobs before a possible surgery.
This kicks off a year of sensual exploration and sexual entertainment for the quick-witted Lacey Whitman. The Bucket List cleverly and compassionately explores Lacey’s relationship to her body and her future. Both are things Lacey thought she could control through hard work and sacrifice. But the future, it turns out, is more complicated than she could ever imagine.
Featuring the pitch-perfect “compulsively delicious” (Redbook) prose of The Regulars, The Bucket List is perfect for fans of Amy Poeppel and Sophie Kinsella.
This is one of those books that I picked up because of the imprint – it’s published by Emily Bestler, Atria Books and I generally like her books. Forgive me if you’ve heard my spiel before but when you are looking for a new book, a new author really, a good way to find one is to look at the imprint.
Emily Bestler founded her eponymous imprint, Emily Bestler Books, in 2011 with one guiding principle: to find the very best commercial fiction and nonfiction across a wide range of categories and put these books into the hands of as many readers as possible. In her words, “We are passionate about our mission of finding a book for everyone. You’ll find that our list is as varied as our readers.
It’s a varied list of authors for sure, like John Connolly, Brad Thor, Amy Poeppel, and of course, Georgia Clark, all authors I like. So here I am.
The Bucket List takes a very serious subject, a 25 year old woman testing positive for the BRCA1 gene, meaning she is very likely to get breast cancer, and provides a sweet, funny, sexual romp. Lacey’s mother died from the disease when she was 31 years old so really she shouldn’t be shocked that she also is a good candidate for cancer. Yet she is. Her sister, who pretty much raised her, is furious that she took the test but her closest friends support her. It comes down to a decision: a preventative full mastectomy à la Angelina Jolie, or wait it out and hope for the best.
Meanwhile, Lacey comes up with a bucket list to complete before she makes her final decision. Most of the items on the list are of a sexual nature, so this is a pretty erotic book. If you don’t like explicit sex, skip it. On the other hand, I really liked how this young woman chose to live her life knowing that it may be shortened. It took guts for sure.
While tackling a serious subject, Clark injects quite a bit of humor here, making this a fun, sexy read. I enjoyed it.
8/18 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™
THE BUCKET LIST by Georgia Clark. Atria/Emily Bestler Books (August 7, 2018). ISBN 978-1501173028. 352p.
Most men can’t handle Hazel. But her best friend Josh isn’t most men. Don’t miss New York Times bestselling author Christina Lauren’s new novel about two people who are definitely not dating…no matter how often they end up in bed together.
Hazel Camille Bradford knows she’s a lot to take—and frankly, most men aren’t up to the challenge. If her army of pets and thrill for the absurd don’t send them running, her lack of filter means she’ll say exactly the wrong thing in a delicate moment. Their loss. She’s a good soul in search of honest fun.
Josh Im has known Hazel since college, where her zany playfulness proved completely incompatible with his mellow restraint. From the first night they met—when she gracelessly threw up on his shoes—to when she sent him an unintelligible email while in a post-surgical haze, Josh has always thought of Hazel more as a spectacle than a peer. But now, ten years later, after a cheating girlfriend has turned his life upside down, going out with Hazel is a breath of fresh air.
Not that Josh and Hazel date. At least, not each other. Because setting each other up on progressively terrible double blind dates means there’s nothing between them…right?
Christina Lauren is the pen name of two women who write together, and they are quickly becoming one of my go-to authors. Two of my go-to authors? Either way, I’ve read their last three books and loved them, and that includes this one.
This is a smart, funny and completely irresistible romance. These characters are brought to life with such impact that I feel like I could run into either of them tomorrow. And wish that I would! Hazel is larger than life, a joy to be around unless, perhaps, you are on the receiving end of her lack of filter. Even then, she is so kind and so honest I don’t see how anyone could get angry with her. When she decides that Josh should be her best friend, he has no choice but to be swept into her orbit.
Josh is Korean, and his heritage is brought into the story in a gentle manner that really adds to the story. Their dual blind dates lead from one catastrophe to another, until they finally realize that they are meant to be together. But it’s the journey to get to that point that is a wonder to read.
I laughed out loud quite a bit and just couldn’t wait for their happy ending. There are some explicit sex scenes which work with the story but it is the sweet romance that really is the draw here. Another excellent read from the Christina Lauren duo and one of my favorite reads this year.
9/18 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™
JOSH AND HAZEL’S GUIDE TO NOT DATING by Christina Lauren. Gallery Books (September 4, 2018). ISBN 978-1501165856. 320p.
Welcome to The Wedding from Hell Part 3: Exclusive Excerpt of Consumed!
A free downloadable e-book! If you haven’t read J.R. Ward yet, now is your chance.
Available: August 28, 2018
Gallery Books | E-book Original
ISBN: 9781982105389 | Free
The Wedding from Hell, Part 3: Exclusive Excerpt of Consumed is the final part of J.R. Ward’s The Wedding From Hell ebook serialization. Don’t miss this exclusive teaser to her upcoming standalone romantic suspense, CONSUMED (available in October 2, 2018). See why “Consumed takes it to a whole new level” (Lisa Gardner, #1 New York Times bestselling author).
About the Book:
From the creator of the #1 New York Times bestselling Black Dagger Brotherhood series, get ready for a new band of brothers. And a firestorm.
Anne Ashburn is a woman consumed…
By her bitter family legacy, by her scorched career as a firefighter, by her obsession with department bad-boy Danny McGuire, and by a new case that pits her against a fiery killer.
Strong-willed Anne was fearless and loved the thrill of fighting fires, pushing herself to be the best. But when one risky decision at a warehouse blaze changes her life forever, Anne must reinvent not only her job, but her whole self.
Shattered and demoralized, Anne finds her new career as an arson investigator a pale substitute for the adrenaline-fueled life she left behind. She doesn’t believe she will ever feel that same all-consuming passion for her job again—until she encounters a string of suspicious fires setting her beloved city ablaze.
Danny McGuire is a premiere fireman, best in the commonwealth, but in the midst of a personal meltdown. Danny is taking risks like never before and seems to have a death wish until he teams up with Anne to find the fire starter. But Danny may be more than a distraction, and as Anne narrows in on her target, the arsonist begins to target her.
About the Author:
J.R. Ward is the author of more than thirty novels, including those in her #1 New York Times bestselling Black Dagger Brotherhood series. There are more than fifteen million copies of her novels in print worldwide, and they have been published in twenty-six different countries around the world. She lives in the South with her family.
Harbor Street and Eighteenth Avenue
Old Downtown, New Brunswick, Massachusetts
Box alarm. One-niner-four-seven. Two engines and a ladder from the 499, responding.
Or, put another way, Anne Ashburn’s Friday night date had showed up on time and was taking her to a show. Granted, “on time” was the precise moment she had sat down for a meal at the stationhouse with her crew, and the “show” was a warehouse fire they were going to have to chorus-line for. But if you judged the health of a relationship on its constancy and whether it brought purpose and meaning to your life?
Then this firefighting gig was the best damn partner a woman could ask for.
As Engine Co. 17 turned the corner onto Harbor with siren and lights going, Anne glanced around the shallow seating area of the apparatus. There were four jump seats behind the cab, two forward- facing, two rear-, the pairs separated by an aisle of gear. Emilio “Amy” Chavez and Patrick “Duff” Duffy were on one side. She and Daniel “Dannyboy” Maguire were on the other. Up in front, Deshaun “Doc” Lewis, the engineer, was behind the wheel, and Captain Christopher “Chip” Baker, the incident commander, was shotgun.
Her nickname was “Sister.” Which was what happened when you were the sibling of the great Fire Chief Thomas Ashburn Jr., and the daughter of the revered—falsely as it turned out— Thomas Ashburn, Sr.
Not everybody called her that, though.
She focused on Danny. He was staring out the open window, the cold November wind blowing his black hair back, his exhausted blue eyes focused on nothing. In their bulky turnouts, their knees brushed every time the engine bumped over sewer access panels, potholes, manholes, intersections.
Okay, okay, she wanted to say to fate. I know he’s there. You don’t have to keep reminding me.
The hardheaded bastard was a lot of things, most of which carried terms you couldn’t use around your grandmother, but he knew she hated the “Sister” thing, so to him, she was Ashburn.
He’d also called her Anne—once. Late at night about three weeks ago.
Yes, they had been naked at the time. Oh, God . . . had they finally done that?
“I’m gonna beat you at pong,” he said without looking at her. “Soon as we get back.”
“No chance.” She hated that he knew she’d been staring at him. “All talk, Dannyboy.”
“Fine.” He turned to face her. “I’ll let you win, how about that?”
His smile was slow, knowing, evil. And her temper answered the phone on the first ring.
“The hell you will.” Anne leaned forward. “I won’t play with you if you cheat.”
“Even if it benefits you?”
“That’s not winning.”
“Huh. Well, you’ll have to explain to me the ins and outs of it when we’re back at the house. While I’m beating you.”
Anne shook her head and glared out the open window.
The first tap on her leg she ascribed to a bump in the road.
The second, third, and fourth were obviously—
She looked back at Danny. “Stop it.”
“What?”
“Are you twelve?”
As he started to smile, she knew exactly where his mind had gone. “Not inches. Age.”
“I’m pretty sure I peak more like at sixteen.” He lowered his voice. “What do you think?”
Between the sirens and the open windows, no one else could hear them—and Danny never pulled the double entendre if there was a risk of that. But yes, Anne now knew intimately all of his heavily muscled and tattooed anatomy. Granted, it had been only that once.
Then again, unforgettable only had to happen one time.
“I think you’re out of your mind,” she muttered.
And then they were at the scene. The old 1900s-era warehouse was a shell of its former useful self, sixty-five thousand square feet of broken glass panes, rotting beams, and blown-off roof panels. The outer walls were brick, but based on the age, the floors and any room dividers inside were going to be wood. The blaze was in the northeast corner on the second floor, billowing smoke wafting up into the forty-degree night air before being carried away by a southerly wind.
As Anne’s boots hit the ground, she pulled the top half of her turnouts closed. Her ponytail was up high on the back of her head, and she stripped out the band, reorganized the shoulder length, and cranked things tight at her nape. The brown was still streaked with blond from the summer, but she needed to get it trimmed—so all that lightness was on the chopping block.
Of course, if she were a woman “who took care of herself,” she’d get it highlighted through the winter months. Or so her mother liked to tell her. But who the hell had time for that?
“Sister, you sweep the place with Amy for addicts,” Captain Baker commanded. “Stay away from that corner. Danny and Duff, run those lines!”
As Captain Baker continued to bark orders out, she turned away. She had her assignment. Until she completed it, or there was an insurmountable obstacle or change of order, she was required to execute that directive and no other.
“Be safe in there, Ashburn.”
The words were soft and low, meant for her ears alone. And as she glanced over her shoulder, Danny’s Irish eyes were not smiling.
A ripple of premonition made her rub the back of her neck. “Yeah, you, too, Maguire.”
“Piece’a cake. We’ll be back at pong before ten.”
They walked away from each other at the same time, Danny going around to the stacks of hoses in the back, her linking up with Chavez…
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