Historical | Stacy Alesi's BookBitch.com™

NONE OF US THE SAME by Jeffrey K. Walker

August 5, 2021

Sweet Wine of Youth, Book 1

From the publisher:

Fiery Deirdre Brannigan had opinions on everything. She certainly hated the very idea of war in 1914. Childhood pals Jack Oakley and Will Parsons thought it a grand adventure with their friends. But the crushing weight of her guilty conscience pushes Deirdre to leave Ireland and land directly in the fray.

Meanwhile the five friends from Newfoundland blithely enlist. After all, the war couldn’t possibly last very long…They learn quickly how wrong they are and each is torn apart by the carnage in France.

What began with enthusiastic dreams of parades and dances with handsome young soldiers turned into long days and nights in the hospital wards desperately trying to save lives. And for the good and decent young men in fine new uniforms aching to prove themselves worthy on the field of battle, the horrors of war quickly descended. But it is also the war which brings them together.

Deirdre’s path crosses with Jack and Will when they’re brought to her field hospital the first day of the slaughter on the Somme. Their lives part, their journeys forward fraught with physical and emotional scars tossing them through unexpected and often painful twists and turns. But somehow, a sliver of hope, love and redemption emerges. And their paths cross again in St. John’s. When the guns finally fall silent, can Deirdre overcome her secret demons through a new life with battered Jack? Can shell-shocked Will confront his despotic father’s expectations to become the man his young family deserves?

One of the strongest antiwar books I have read. The author indicates that it was planned as the first of three books dealing with people caught up in the horrific battles of World War I. His incredible research is one of the many factors contributing to the draw of the situations confronting five characters that take part in the war and in so doing change their lives and outlooks forever.

The first part of the book deals with the entrance of the world into a war that all thought would not last very long and drawing into it characters that were residents of Newfoundland in Canada. Prior to their enlistment an Irish lay nurse (trainee) volunteered to work at a hospital directly serving the British front. Deirdre Brannigan starting her career at a hospital in Ireland wanted to do more in her chosen profession left to aid the wounded of the war.

The battles that the soldiers took part in were the landing at Gallipoli fighting the Turkish army with the accompaniment of mass slaughter and then against German troops at the Somme in France, with much more of the same death and horror. Deirdre, for her part, got her baptism of fire as men and sometimes parts of men that were victims of artillery and machine guns were brought into her hospital for treatment. She became emotionally traumatized at the sight of the human carnage that flowed through her workstation but was forced to carry on driven by the circumstances she found herself in. The men developed friendships that only the circumstances they found themselves in can cause to develop. One of them, seriously wounded met Deirdre and the two found love together.

At the war’s end all returning to home find a truism about war and combat. After battle, killing and fighting no one is ever the same again and it is almost impossible to return to the life lived prior to the war. It is almost the same as if many returning soldiers still have major wounds. Mr. Walker opens a description of men being “shell shocked” by exposure to constant killing and battle.

The attitude at the time was that officers that suffered from this disease were telling the truth and were allowed to rest while enlisted men were simply lying to get out of combat and punished. It wasn’t until later years that the condition was recognized as a genuine condition exacerbated by combat and treated as best as possible as PTSD (post traumatic stress disease).

It is sure that this novel will stay with any reader and is again, one that cannot be put down until finished.

8/2021 Paul Lane

NONE OF US THE SAME by Jeffrey K. Walker. Ballybur Publishing (May 16, 2017). ISBN: 978-1947108004. 285 pages.

Kindle

Audible

Comments Off on NONE OF US THE SAME by Jeffrey K. Walker | Book Reviews, Fiction | Tagged: Historical | Permalink
Posted by Stacy Alesi

DEVIL IN DISGUISE by Lisa Kleypas

July 31, 2021

The Ravenels, Book 7

From the publisher:

New York Times bestseller Lisa Kleypas returns with an enthralling and steaming romance between a Scot with a mysterious past and strong-willed lady looking for adventure—and love.

“The devil never tries to make people do the wrong thing by scaring them. He does it by tempting them.”

Lady Merritt Sterling, a strong-willed young widow who’s running her late husband’s shipping company, knows London society is dying to catch her in a scandal. So far, she’s been too smart to provide them with one. But then she meets Keir MacRae, a rough-and-rugged Scottish whisky distiller, and all her sensible plans vanish like smoke. They couldn’t be more different, but their attraction is powerful, raw and irresistible.

From the moment Keir MacRae arrives in London, he has two goals. One: don’t fall in love with the dazzling Lady Merritt Sterling. Two: avoid being killed.

So far, neither of those is going well.

Keir doesn’t know why someone wants him dead until fate reveals the secret of his mysterious past. His world is thrown into upheaval, and the only one he trusts is Merritt.

Their passion blazes with an intensity Merritt has never known before, making her long for the one thing she can’t have from Keir MacRae: forever. As danger draws closer, she’ll do whatever it takes to save the man she loves . . . even knowing he might be the devil in disguise.

Kleypas is one of my favorite writers, and I really love this series. I especially love how she tied together her Wallflowers series with the Ravenels, from one generation to the next. This book elucidates that beautifully, but no spoilers here so I’ll not say much more on the subject.

Instead, I’ll tell you about the main characters of this romance. Merritt is a young widow who has taken over running her husband’s shipping business, and doing quite well with it. When one of her clients, Keir MacRae, loses a cask of whiskey due to an accident, he comes storming into her office, soaked in the Scottish whiskey he distilled. She placates him and that is our meet-cute. Even in Victorian England, we have to have the meet-cute!

Merritt thinks he is the best looking man she has ever seen, and that’s with half his face covered by a beard. Not to mention that brogue! Keir thinks she is a beauty, but as they talk there is even more of a connection. Then someone tries to kill Keir as he is on his way to Merritt’s house for dinner. He arrives late, and bleeding, and she gets a doctor to stitch him up. Then she invites him to spend the night.

Merritt hasn’t been with a man since her husband five years earlier. This is not the time period where widows can do as they please, they still must follow the strict guidelines of polite society and Keir knows that. She seduces him anyway and their chemistry just leaps off the page.

A second attempt on his life forces them together for a longer period, but he has short term amnesia, having lost the previous week of his life and his time spent with Merritt. But he is still strongly attracted to her, and as he recuperates he finds out a lot about his background that he never knew.

This was a steamy romance with terrific characters who come to life for the reader. It was a pleasure seeing some of the characters from the Wallflowers and Ravenel series, but if you haven’t read the previous books, I think this book stands alone nicely. Another excellent read and a wonderful addition to the series.

7/2021 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

DEVIL IN DISGUISE by Lisa Kleypas. Avon (July 27, 2021). ISBN: 978-0063082168. 288 pages.

Kindle

Audible

Paperback (Note: this romance is published in hardcover and mass market paperback at the same time, so you can have your preference)

Comments Off on DEVIL IN DISGUISE by Lisa Kleypas | Book Reviews, Fiction, Romance | Tagged: Historical | Permalink
Posted by Stacy Alesi

SOMEDAY MY DUKE WILL COME by Christina Britton

July 18, 2021

Isle of Synne, Book 2

From the publisher:

A fake engagement becomes the real thing in this historical romance that New York Times bestselling author Grace Burrowes calls “first-rate Regency fun!” and is perfect for fans of Netflix’s Bridgerton series!

Lady Clara Ashford had no intention of ever getting married. A rogue took advantage of her innocence when she was young, and she’s spent her whole life trying to make sure no one finds out. But now that her sister is engaged, Clara’s well-meaning aunt has set her sights on Clara. Desperate to avoid the matchmaking schemes, Clara’s not sure what to do—until her neighbor, the new Duke of Reigate, shows up on her doorstep in need of her help.

Quincy Nesbitt reluctantly accepted the dukedom after his brother’s death, but he’ll be damned if he accepts his brother’s fiancée as well. The only polite way to decline is to become engaged to someone else—quickly. Lady Clara has the right connections and happens to need him as much as he needs her. But he soon discovers she’s also witty and selfless, and if he’s not careful, he just might lose his heart.

This was a really good historical romance with both a strong female protagonist as well as a strong male lead. Oftentimes one is more powerful than the other, but for some reason here it doesn’t feel that way despite the fact that the lead is a Duke. Lady Clara is just as strong, and in fact often rescues the Duke. That especially comes to bear when the Duke’s horrible mother decides he needs to marry his older brother’s fiancée.

The Duke of Reigate was the youngest son, and when his father passes away, he overhears his mother plotting to send him into the Navy. Instead, the 14-year-old gets a job on a ship to America. We don’t see his life there until he returns to England, having sold off his successful Boston business. When he finally screws up the courage to visit his mother, he is shocked to learn that all of his brothers are now dead, leaving him with the title he never wanted. His mother is as hateful as ever – in an aside, I didn’t really understand this. From all the reading I’ve done in this genre, it seems like he would have all the power and the control of the money, and if he so desired, he could send his mother off to live somewhere far, far away with no ill results. But that doesn’t happen here. Instead, she is conniving and controlling and a general pain in the butt.

But when she tries to force him into a marriage with the reticent young woman who had been promised to his brother, Lady Clara comes to the rescue by announcing she is engaged to the Duke, so he cannot marry the other woman. The fake engagement is a popular trope in romance and in this case, has the usual result of the fake couple falling in love. But Clara has some serious history and that lends more depth to this story.

This is a really good series. The first book, A Good Duke Is Hard to Find, was terrific and I am looking forward to the next.

7/2021 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

SOMEDAY MY DUKE WILL COME by Christina Britton. Forever (January 12, 2021). ISBN: 978-1538717509. 352 pages.

Kindle

Comments Off on SOMEDAY MY DUKE WILL COME by Christina Britton | Book Reviews, Fiction, Romance | Tagged: Historical | Permalink
Posted by Stacy Alesi

A SCOT TO THE HEART by Caroline Linden

July 8, 2021

Desperately Seeking Duke, Book 2

From the publisher:

The second book in the clever, sexy Desperately Seeking Duke series from USA Today bestselling and RITA award–winning author Caroline Linden.

An Officer and a Scotsman

Captain Andrew St. James always knew he came from a noble family, but his branch grew far from the wealth and status. Nothing shocks him more than learning that he now stands as heir presumptive to his distant cousin the Duke of Carlyle. There is much for Drew to learn and adjust to—but first he goes home to Edinburgh, to tell his mother and three sisters of their startling good fortune.

A Lady and a Temptress

Ilsa Ramsay yearns for some adventure and fun, not another husband. When she discovers the handsome soldier who sweeps her off her feet for a rollicking dance is her friend’s brother, soon to be an English duke, she tells herself he’s not for her, no matter how tempting he is. But one impulsive kiss, then another, and another… says otherwise.

An Irresistible Attraction

Drew means to marry a respectable, dignified Englishwoman—a very proper future duchess. The spirited Ilsa is none of that. Still, when she’s caught in a dangerous scandal, he leaps to her aid without hesitation. And neither family duty nor future obligation can make them ignore what’s in both their hearts.

Oh, Diana Gabaldon, you’ve set the bar too high! My first exposure to Scottish historical romance was the Outlander series, and as it takes years for each book in the series to come out, I’ve found other Scottish historical romances to fill the “droughtlander” (which I believe was first used about the Outlander TV series, but still applies!) I don’t expect these filler books to be comparable, and they are not, but they do fill a void. Especially today, because romance has gone through the #metoo movement as well, so the Scottish heroes may be misogynistic and dominant, but they treat their women well, especially in the bedroom. I can live with that.

I didn’t read the first book in this series (for a change) but I think it stands well on its own. From my research, it appears that this book includes an abbreviated synopsis of the first book, so we learn right away that the Captain is now the heir apparent to an English duchy, necessitating many changes in his life and that of his immediate family as well. In the beginning, he is in England, pretty much studying the role he will be filling with the Duchess and her manager. The Duke, we are told, is unable to procreate and is in failing health. Times being what they are, he could live for months or even years. Meanwhile, the Captain does ask the Duchess to help him find a wife, as the first requirement of being a Duke is ensuring an heir and a spare to avoid the situation they are now in.

After several weeks of Duke training, the Captain returns home to let his family know about their change in fortune. While out celebrating with his best pal, the Captain’s eye catches sight of a woman he describes as mesmerizing, a young widow named Ilsa. She impulsively kisses him, and both are surprised by the heat that little kiss ignites.

Ilsa is best friends with the Captain’s sister, so easy enough to see one another. But eventually a serious problem comes up, and the suspense takes over the second half of the book, moving it from light and frothy to a slightly darker place. I had some issues with this whole plot, it really pushed my boundaries of what I’m willing to believe to keep a story going. I didn’t believe a lot of it so that wasn’t as much fun for me.

All in all, despite my inability to suspend my disbelief, I still enjoyed reading this story, and I was very happy with the ending. Doubtful I’ll go back and read the first book though, and this is a trilogy (of sorts-there are apparently a couple of novellas as well) so I’m not sure I’ll read the next/last book. I have liked other books by this author, but none are at the top of my reading list.

7/2021 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

A SCOT TO THE HEART by Caroline Linden. Avon (June 29, 2021). ISBN: 978-0062913647. 384 pages.

Kindle

Audible

Comments Off on A SCOT TO THE HEART by Caroline Linden | Book Reviews, Fiction, Romance | Tagged: Historical, Scotland | Permalink
Posted by Stacy Alesi

THE WARSAW ORPHAN by Kelly Rimmer

July 5, 2021

From the publisher:

Inspired by the real-life heroine who saved thousands of Jewish children during WWII, The Warsaw Orphan is Kelly Rimmer’s most anticipated novel since her bestselling sensation, The Things We Cannot Say.

“Gripping… This one easily stands on its own.” —Publishers Weekly
“Heart-stopping.” – Lisa Wingate, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author
“A surefire hit.” – Kristin Harmel, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author

In the spring of 1942, young Elzbieta Rabinek is aware of the swiftly growing discord just beyond the courtyard of her comfortable Warsaw home. She has no fondness for the Germans who patrol her streets and impose their curfews, but has never given much thought to what goes on behind the walls that contain her Jewish neighbors. She knows all too well about German brutality–and that it’s the reason she must conceal her true identity. But in befriending Sara, a nurse who shares her apartment floor, Elzbieta makes a discovery that propels her into a dangerous world of deception and heroism.

Using Sara’s credentials to smuggle children out of the ghetto brings Elzbieta face-to-face with the reality of the war behind its walls, and to the plight of the Gorka family, who must make the impossible decision to give up their newborn daughter or watch her starve. For Roman Gorka, this final injustice stirs him to rebellion with a zeal not even his newfound love for Elzbieta can suppress. But his recklessness brings unwanted attention to Sara’s cause, unwittingly putting Elzbieta and her family in harm’s way until one violent act threatens to destroy their chance at freedom forever.

From Nazi occupation to the threat of a communist regime, The Warsaw Orphan is the unforgettable story of Elzbieta and Roman’s perilous attempt to reclaim the love and life they once knew.

To term Kelly Rimmer’s novel, “The Warsaw Orphan,” an emotional rollercoaster is both the truth and yet not sufficient a description to bring the prospective reader into the horrid world of Nazi oppression of Jews during World War II. The story is loosely based on the real life activities of the nurse Irena Sendler who managed to smuggle thousands of Jewish children out of the Warsaw Ghetto during the Nazi occupation with its organized murder of Jews and other “undesirables”

Two teenagers are the central characters of the story. Roman Gorka and Elzbieta Rabinek are dragged brutally out of any semblance of a normal childhood and hauled kicking and screaming into a life based on survival and terror during World War II. They come together in the Warsaw Ghetto and take part in the world shattering events that characterized Poland subjected to their Nazi conquerors. Roman joins a resistance group with the intent of fighting back against the Nazi oppression that exists while Elzbieta follows the actions of a friend that lives near her and uses that woman’s credentials to smuggle children away from Nazi oppression.

The two teens develop a love for each other but in the face of the oppression existing in their world cannot follow their hearts to be with each other. Roman takes part in the uprising that took place in Warsaw against the Nazi invaders and was surprisingly successful in terms of time held out. Elzbieta continues to use her “borrowed” credentials to bring more children to freedom. Between their obligations there is no time to develop a bond that would normally lead to marriage and family with each taking part in events that are not under their control.

In an afterward to the book, Rimmer confesses to the difficulty in writing about the strains undergone by the central figures she depicts. No surprise there; her handling of the raw emotion experienced by the people she writes about is an almost impossible handling of something never normally experienced. Her characters must face decisions daily of reacting to events that no group had faced before them and somehow evolve into a semblance of a normal life.

The Warsaw Orphan is not a book that will be forgotten easily. The characters are brought to life by the five star handling by the author and the raw emotions generated hit home under her excellent prose. An all nighter of course. Once started the novel cannot be put down until finished and Kelly Rimmer passing into a favorite author position. If the reader has not read any of her other books prior to this one you can be sure that will not be the case with anything she comes out with in the future. My final comment is simply that I feel privileged to have been introduced to Kelly Rimmer and am now an ardent reader of her books.

7/2021 Paul Lane

THE WARSAW ORPHAN by Kelly Rimmer. Graydon House; Original edition (June 1, 2021). ISBN: 978-1525895999. 416 pages.

Kindle

Audible

Comments Off on THE WARSAW ORPHAN by Kelly Rimmer | Book Reviews, Fiction | Tagged: Historical, Holocaust, WWII | Permalink
Posted by Stacy Alesi

HOW TO SURVIVE A SCANDAL by Samara Parish

June 23, 2021

Rebels with a Cause, Book 1

From the publisher:

In this whirlwind regency romance, perfect for fans of Netflix’s Bridgerton, a near-death experience leads to a marriage of convenience for two unsuspecting strangers, but will their unusual meeting lead them to true love?

Lady Amelia was raised to be the perfect duchess, accomplished in embroidery, floral arrangement, and managing a massive household. But when an innocent mistake forces her and the uncouth, untitled Benedict Asterly into a marriage of convenience, all her training appears to be for naught. Even worse, she finds herself inexplicably drawn to this man no finishing school could have prepared her for.

Benedict Asterly never dreamed saving Amelia’s life would lead to him exchanging vows with the hoity society miss. Benedict was taught to distrust the aristocracy at a young age, so when news of his marriage endangers a business deal, Benedict is wary of Amelia’s offer to help. But his quick-witted, elegant bride defies all his expectations . . . and if he’s not careful, she’ll break down the walls around his guarded heart.

Scandals in Regency England were a much more serious thing than they are now. So when Lady Amelia Crofton is found alone in a cabin with Benedict Asterly, she is in some trouble. Not only did her father walk in to find her half undressed in Benedict’s arms, but he was accompanied by her fiance, the very proper Duke of Wildeforde, and Lord Karstack, a terrible gossip. Things go from bad to worse when the Duke breaks off their engagement in hopes of avoiding a scandal besmirching his family name. So Benedict does the honorable thing and offers to marry Lady Ameila. Never mind that she was rescued by Benedict when he found her alone and unconscious in her broken down carriage during a snow storm, and he was only trying to warm her up.

Benedict doesn’t appear to be of the gentry, but Lady Amelia really has no choice. It turns out that although he is a footman’s son, he is also the grandson of the Marquess of Harrington but she doesn’t know that and he’s not especially forthcoming. The forced marriage is a popular trope in historical romances, and that is how we start this book.

Lady Amelia has been raised to become a duchess and that is all she knows. She does not know how to light a fire or boil water or cook anything. She is used to directing servants and comes across as very stuck up – Benedict thinks of her as the ice princess. But slowly she thaws, and more interestingly, Benedict starts to get over his aversion to the noble class and accept his own true status. That is a big help in bringing this couple together.

Eventually they consummate their marriage and realize they are in love, but it takes a lot of hurdles to get there. I enjoyed this first book of a new series, and I’m looking forward to the next,

6/2021 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

HOW TO SURVIVE A SCANDAL by Samara Parish. Forever (May 25, 2021). ISBN: 978-1538704486. 352 pages.

Kindle

Audible

Comments Off on HOW TO SURVIVE A SCANDAL by Samara Parish | Book Reviews, Fiction, Romance | Tagged: Historical | Permalink
Posted by Stacy Alesi

THE DEVIL’S OWN by Liana LeFey

June 15, 2021

The Wicked Waywards, Book 1

From the publisher:

Lord Devlin Wayward, gambler and dedicated rake, returns home for the first time in years, and lands himself and his identical twin, Daniel, the good reverend, in deep trouble. Devlin ends up with a broken leg and unable to travel to London, yet he must return. He’s got an important deal that will make or break his fortune. He persuades the reluctant reverend to take his place in London while he temporarily minds his brother’s flock.

Miss Mary Tomblin is taken with the devastatingly handsome reverend. He represents everything she desires in a husband, after narrowly evading a ruthless rake last Season. Mary knows she’ll make him an excellent wife, but the vicar rebuffs every advance – until he suddenly accepts her help with pastoral duties while his broken leg heals. Mary seizes the chance to show the good reverend what an excellent helpmeet she will be.

The devil takes on the role of village vicar and discovers it’s nowhere near as easy as he imagined—especially when he falls in love with an angel who mistakes him for a saint.

Identical twins pull a switcheroo in early 1800’s England and their lives are turned upside down. When Daniel, the local vicar, complains that a local young woman has been pursuing him, his twin, Devlin, decides to help his brother out. Donning the vicar’s garb, he pretends to be his saintly brother and tries to scare off Mary, but she is not scaring easily, and she’s awfully pretty. In making his escape, Devlin takes a tumble and breaks his leg. He needs to get back to London to close a business deal, but he really can’t travel. He talks his brother into taking his place, and he will take care of Daniel’s flock and get rid of Mary once and for all.

Try as he might, Devlin can’t seem to scare off Mary and every time he gets close, his pangs of guilt over making her feel bad kick in and they make up. Over and over again. For Devlin has fallen in love with Mary, although he fights it every step of the way. He knows she is too good for a rogue like him. He may have graduated from seminary school like his brother, but he never was ordained. Instead, he moved to London and ruthlessly built a fortune, while having fun with lightskirts.

When they are forced to face the truth, everything that could possibly go wrong does. It takes some finagling and begging and lots of apologies to set everything to rights, and for Devlin to get the girl.

This was a fun read. I liked the characters a lot, and the twins were an unusual storyline, at least for me. I loved Mary and was rooting for her to get her happy ending, and she did.

6/2021 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

THE DEVIL’S OWN by Liana LeFey. Entangled: Amara (June 14, 2021). ASIN: B0893QHX7F. 228 pages.

Comments Off on THE DEVIL’S OWN by Liana LeFey | Book Reviews, Fiction, Romance | Tagged: Historical | Permalink
Posted by Stacy Alesi

HIGHLAND HERO by Cynthia Breeding

June 14, 2021

Children of the Mist, Book 2

From the publisher:

If Juliana Caldwell said the sky was blue, Rory MacGregor would tell her it was gray with a storm due any minute. No man gets under her skin more than the arrogantly handsome Scot. When she is abducted by a rival clan, Rory is the last person she expects or wants to call her hero.

Rory is the best tracker the MacGregors have, so when his brother’s sister-by-marriage goes missing, he’s ordered to find her. But binding himself to the fiery English redhead with an opinion about everything is not how he saw this rescue going. To save her from the clutches of the villainous Cameron laird’s son, though, he must declare them handfasted.

When their escape goes horribly awry, Juliana and Rory are forced to take the long way home. Surviving blizzard conditions, meddling clanspeople, and a near-fatal ambush on the trail, nothing compares to the unexpected and unlikely passion that ignites between the rugged Highlander and his English warrior princess.

Each book in the Children of the Mist series is STANDALONE:
* Highland Renegade
* Highland Hero

Juliana was a wonderful heroine, feisty and strong. There is a warning at the beginning of this book that it deals with rape, and I have to say I found the way it was handled was with compassion and empathy. Nonetheless, I’m sure it is a trigger for some people and if that’s you, find another book.

Rory is determined to find his new sister-in-law, despite how they butt heads constantly. She’s been kidnapped by Neal, who’s in a rival clan, and he has a terrible reputation for cruelty, especially towards women. But the law in Scotland says he can force her to marry him if he so chooses, and he does.

Rory finds Juliana but the only way to convince Neal to let her go is by saying she is handfasted to him. Handfasting is sort of an engagement, except with all the rights and privileges of marriage. The only difference is that after a year has passed, they can end the relationship without a divorce or any kind of trouble. She agrees, and they make their escape. But Neal quickly learns he’s been duped, and he vows to get his bride back.

Meanwhile, Juliana comes to rely on Rory as they make their way home through blizzard conditions. And Rory can’t help but admire the strength Juliana exhibits, especially as she’s English, not Scottish. But when he kisses her, he can’t help but notice her reaction is one of fear, and he knows something is wrong there. He is so careful of her feelings and I just loved the way he treated her.

I really enjoyed this romance, and while there wasn’t a lot of sex what there was is pretty graphic so if you don’t like that, find another book. I liked these characters and their story, and I am always a sucker for anything Scotland.

6/2021 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

HIGHLAND HERO by Cynthia Breeding. Entangled: Amara (June 14, 2021). ASIN : B094GSXWNF. 264 pages.

Comments Off on HIGHLAND HERO by Cynthia Breeding | Book Reviews, Fiction, Romance | Tagged: Historical, Scotland | Permalink
Posted by Stacy Alesi

EAGLES OVER BRITAIN by Lee Jackson

June 9, 2021

The After Dunkirk Series, Book 2

From the publisher:

The Battle of Dunkirk might be finished, but the war isn’t over.

The saga of the Littlefield family continues with this rich and evocative second installment in the AFTER DUNKIRK series.

The German Luftwaffe attacks Britain from the skies.
With no allies, she stands alone.
Her fate hangs in the balance.

As the first Axis aircraft streak across English Channel airspace, so begins a battle for the ages; one that will determine the trajectory of the war. Braced for engagement on their individual fronts, the Littlefields plumb the depths of courage and ingenuity to defend their beloved Britain.

Fresh from the slaughter of Dunkirk, youngest brother Jeremy is called upon to create a French Resistance network composed of former naval officers.

At MI-9 headquarters, Claire Littlefield has devised an intelligence coup that could change the tide of the war. But will it work?

Lance, captured and far from home, puts his resiliency and resolve to the test.

And frustrated at being sidelined from active combat, Paul is unaware that he is being groomed for a role beyond his imagination.

A sweeping story of war filled with intimate, day-to-day details of those closest to danger, EAGLES OVER BRITAIN is a captivating tale of bravery, sacrifice, and one family’s fight to bring Britain to victory.

Utilizing persona from the Littlefield family, a group that had lived and prospered on one of the Channel Islands belonging to Great Britain, the author has taken his readers full tilt into the opening events of World War II. The first novel in the series leads the family into the retreat from France culminating in the saving of thousands of lives by many small boats picking up soldiers from Dunkirk and taking them across the English Channel to safety. In the current novel the events of the Battle of Britain are described and shown why it led to the famous declaration by than Prime Minister Churchill, “Never has so much been owed by so many to so few.”

The Littlefield family, both men and women, are all taking part in activities designed to fight the invaders coming to France, England and the Channel Islands as part of Hitler’s plans to become the leading power in Europe. Jackson brings the group into the defensive action against the Luftwaffe’s attacks on England. His research showcases groups of pilots that overcome shear exhaustion day after day to take off and repel the bombing runs of the German air force. Men that took off ,fought the invaders and if surviving returned to base, handed over often shot up planes to maintenance crews and then staggered into bed until the next sortie.

The power of the book is in its concentration on the courage of a nation that wouldn’t give up and stood up against the Nazi design to invade England once their air force had destroyed English air power. People heard alarms, ran to shelters. Upon ending the attack they came out and pitched in with the first responders to help those that were hurt and somehow comfort those people losing loved ones to the enemy bombs.

Love still finds a way and the book ends with members of the family forming attachments which we know will follow up into the next planned novel of the series. The ending also sets up the following book which will be positively received and enjoyed by faithful readers.

6/2021 Paul Lane

EAGLES OVER BRITAIN by Lee Jackson. Severn River Publishing (April 9, 2021). ISBN: 978-1648750717. 456 pages.

Kindle

Audible

Comments Off on EAGLES OVER BRITAIN by Lee Jackson | Book Reviews, Fiction | Tagged: Book Discussion, Historical | Permalink
Posted by Stacy Alesi

CHINA by Edward Rutherfurd

May 31, 2021

From the publisher:

The internationally bestselling author of Paris and New York takes on an exhilarating new world with his trademark epic style in China: The Novel

Edward Rutherfurd has enthralled millions of readers with his grand, sweeping historical sagas that tell the history of a famous place over multiple generations. Now, in China: The Novel, Rutherfurd takes readers into the rich and fascinating milieu of the Middle Kingdom.

The story begins in 1839, at the dawn of the First Opium War, and follows Chinese history through Mao’s Cultural Revolution and up to the present day. Rutherfurd chronicles the rising and falling fortunes of members of Chinese, British, and American families, as they negotiate the tides of history. Along the way, in his signature style, Rutherfurd provides a deeply researched portrait of Chinese history and society, its ancient traditions and great upheavals, and China’s emergence as a rising global power. As always, we are treated to romance and adventure, heroines and scoundrels, grinding struggle and incredible fortunes.

China: The Novel brings to life the rich terrain of this vast and constantly evolving country. From Shanghai to Nanking to the Great Wall, Rutherfurd chronicles the turbulent rise and fall of empires as the colonial West meets the opulent and complex East in a dramatic struggle between cultures and people.

Extraordinarily researched and majestically told, Edward Rutherfurd paints a thrilling portrait of one of the most singular and remarkable countries in the world.

This novel is a well researched venture into the period of about 1830 until the Boxer Revolution of 1900 in China. The author chooses several different families and individuals to frame his story on. These are characters that experience what was the Chinese culture during the time of their lives. Overall Rutherfurd utilizes the character of Cixi, the dowager empress, as the individual influencing events in the country both during her own lifetime and attempting to continue to do so after her death.

The story opens with what were the Opium wars of the early 1800s in which England carried on a lucrative trade of selling opium to China and buying tea from them. The Chinese realizing that they were getting generations of dope addicts as the price being paid to allow England to actually pay for tea attempted to keep the British from bringing the narcotic into their home ports. With fortunes riding on continuing the opium sales battles were fought between the modern weapons of the English and easily defeated Chinese troops.

Rutherfurd aptly shows a country with a rich history going back almost 5000 years with a population of a rich and also a destitute poor class. The path to wealth is mainly through entrance into some level of the ruling class and only minor possibilities through opening a successful business. One of the leading individuals is a man that faced with feeding his family decides to embark upon a path that would be impossible to conceive of by most men. He elects to become a eunuch in order to obtain work at the emperor’s palace where that condition is mandatory to hold a position. He consults his wife and his father getting their approval and goes ahead with the change. By a lucky occurrence he obtains the job of doing the nails of Cixi than the emperor’s concubine pleases her and continues on. He is dubbed “Lacquer Nail” the name that sticks with him permanently and is in a position to follow Cixi as she marries the emperor and in time assumes the role of dowager empress.

In 1900 a rebellion breaks out looking to stop the many groups of foreigners from continuing to bleed the country. The initiators of the insurrection are known as Boxers due to their interest in the martial arts. The foreigners centered in the city of Peking group together for mutual defense in the British legation using small groups of soldiers from the countries residing in China to defend them. Word is sent to a combined army of troops sent to restore the safety of the people working in China as part of their legations to come to their rescue. The section of the novel dealing with the rebellion and the subsequent arrival of the rescue force is a very well done portrait of people facing a situation that they are not attuned to contending with.

The book is a long one, but Rutherfurd’s ability to create a story and the people involved in it makes for one excellent read and a commanding portrait of a civilization not like that of most of the western world.

5/2021 Paul Lane

CHINA by Edward Rutherfurd. Doubleday (May 11, 2021). ISBN: 978-0385538930. 784 pages.