Every once in awhile, amid the psych thrillers and historical fiction, you just need a book vacation. I have the perfect recommendation for you. Reading this was like taking a sunny vacation to Greece.
Anna has had a rough few months. After finding some documents that are memoirs from her dad’s time in Greece, she decides to follow in his footsteps, grabs her Dad’s neighbor Demi, and takes off on an adventure. How fortunate for us that we get to go along with her.
This book was pure escapism. There are no great lessons to learn or issues to overcome. Sure Anna has to make some tough decisions by the end, but isn’t that the way with any good vacation? Anybody who has had a lovely time somewhere feels that tug between wanting to stay and feeling the need to get back to real life.
I love this author’s writing style. It flows along, allowing the reader to be drawn into the story. Her descriptions of Italy and Greece were especially resonant because those are two of my favorite places in the world. The author captures them perfectly.
As I mentioned, there are no great mysteries here…just a very pleasant read with fun characters and beautiful scenery.
Sometimes that’s all a book needs to be a winner.
Author Bio:
Sue Roberts lives in Lancashire with her long term partner Derek and has had a lifelong love of writing, encouraged by winning a school writing competition at the age of 11.
She always assumed that ‘one day’ she would write a book, always having a busy household and a job, the idea remained firmly on the back burner but never forgotten.
The inspiration for her first novel came to her on a holiday to a Greek village. Her daughters had left home and suddenly the time had come to write that book! Twitter: https://twitter.com/suerobertsautho
What could have been a run-of-the-mill, enemies to lovers/workplace romance story was made much more enjoyable by the author’s perfect capturing of a unique lifestyle and attitude that belongs to one group of people.
Every major city has its quirks, and life-long residents grow up incorporating them (often unknowingly) into their own characters. There is no place where this is truer than New York City.
People from there have a style and persona that is identifiable as “strictly NYC.” That even carries into the Boroughs, and further into neighborhoods. I lived in the city, so I’m very familiar with most of them.
I think that’s why I enjoyed this book so much. The author did a fantastic job of capturing that certain something New Yorkers have. From the lexicon to the clothing styles, it all felt familiar and a little bit comforting.
I especially liked Julia. She reminded me of a Dominican I once worked with in Midtown. Big and bold, but at times unsure in new situations. I also enjoyed Julia’s mom’s attitudes toward her daughter living in Texas. That’s another NYC thing…nothing is as good as what you can get in the city (even down to hand lotion).
I thought Rocco was an interesting character. He was working class Queens (also familiar) but painted as the bad guy in Julia’s eyes. I enjoyed watching the two of them slowly grow to understand each other and realize how much they actually had in common. It showed the importance of looking beyond the surface of people.
I got the feeling that this was written for a younger set of readers. Due to my teenage son, I’m pretty up on slang and current phrases, but don’t use them myself. The characters in this book used them consistently, especially when the NYC transplants were together. It made the book very contemporary.
I would highly recommend this well-written and “current” book. I think a lot of people will be able to identify with the characters and their situations.
About Adriana Herrera
Adriana was born and raised in the Caribbean, but for the last fifteen years has let her job (and her spouse) take her all over the world. She loves writing stories about people who look and sound like her people, getting unapologetic happy endings.
When she’s not dreaming up love stories, planning logistically complex vacations with her family or hunting for discount Broadway tickets, she’s a trauma therapist in New York City, working with survivors of domestic and sexual violence. Her Dreamers series has received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Booklist and has been featured in The TODAY Show on NBC, Entertainment Weekly, NPR, Library Journal and The WashingtonPost. Her debut, American Dreamer, was selected as one of Booklist’s ‘Best Romance Debuts of 2019’, and one of the ‘Top 10 Romances of 2019’ by Entertainment Weekly. Her third novel, American LoveStory, was one of the winners in the first annual Ripped Bodice Award for Excellence in Romantic Fiction. Adriana is an outspoken advocate for diversity in romance and has written for Remezcla and Bustle about Own Voices in the genre. She’s one of the co-creators of the Queer Romance PoC Collective. Represented by Taylor Haggerty at Root Literary.
Atmospheric doesn’t even begin to describe this book. Gothic comes a little closer. Epic Gothic? Gothic Epic? Page-turning?
All of the above.
Spanning the lives of three women and three different wars, the author has created a story that spans time while pulling out the common threads of each of the women. Echo Hall, the house, binds them together – and that’s not necessarily a good thing.
I thought the author did a great job of making sure that each woman’s story was told succinctly. That was important because it was easier to see where the parallels were as the story proceeded. There wasn’t any guesswork involved, as sometimes happens with historical novels (especially ones that undertake the time span this one did).
I liked how the house was a character unto itself. It had almost as much to do with the life trajectories of the women as their personal choices did. I know that sounds a little bit odd, but there is nothing magical about it – the house just “is.” What I do believe, and what this author captured was that misery and sorrow can remain in a location and affect people who visit or live in the place.
I remember when my husband and I were house hunting a few years ago, there was one place that we walked through that just felt sad. Like there was no joy to be found. It was decorated nicely and looked homey, but there was just a bad feeling about it. We asked the realtor, and found out that the wife had nursed the husband in his final days of an illness, and he had died in the house. Sad, to be sure, but it was like it had gotten into the walls.
This is what came to mind as I read Echo Hall. But I digress.
Not only were the women ultimately unhappy, but the stresses of war played a part in each of their lives. It was just a whole lot of sad and kind of eerie, but all expertly woven together.
It’s hard to say whether someone would enjoy this book because it is definitely Gothic (that word again) in feeling (and by definition, I don’t think Gothic can be joyful in the traditional sense). But I would certainly recommend it.
About the author: Virginia Moffatt was born in London, one of eight children, several of whom are writers. ‘The Wave’ is her second novel. Her previous publications are ‘Echo Hall’ (Unbound) and ‘Rapture and what comes after’ (Flash fiction collection published by Gumbo Press). She also writes non fiction. Virginia is married to Chris Cole, Director of Drone Wars UK. They have two daughters at University and a son still living with them in Oxford.
I’ve read a lot of historical fiction, mostly centered around WWII and I am always interested to learn something new (yes, I know I’ve mentioned that before). This one however was truly unique, because it was more of a mystery set in the era instead of a straight historical fiction novel. And I truly enjoyed it.
To be perfectly honest, the author had me at crossword puzzles and wordplay.
That both Fen and Arthur were fans of cryptic word puzzles was an excellent background to the mystery of Arthur’s whereabouts. It was unique to have the initial clues in his letter and it highlighted the connection that the two of them had in spite of the shortness of their actual relationship.
I liked how the author didn’t get bogged down in the post-war dread. We know that it was a horrible time, and there were still terrible things going on, but that wasn’t the concern of the characters in this book. There’s a time and a place for such things, and it would have been VERY out of place here.
Instead, it was almost light-hearted. That’s not exactly the right word for it, because it was still post-WWII France. I guess a better way to put it was that it the author chose to let the spy/intrigue/mystery take care of the “drama” aspect of the story.
And there was plenty of spy intrigue. I thought it was all well-done. (I really don’t want to say a lot, because I don’t want to give anything away).
Suffice to say that I thought Fen was tenacious and quick-witted – a real heroine to get behind. I loved this mystery, and look forward to more of her cases! I just hope that the clever wordplay and puzzles continue….
Author Bio: Fliss Chester lives in Surrey with her husband and writes historical cozy crime. When she is not killing people off in her 1940s whodunnits, she helps her husband, who is a wine merchant, run their business. Never far from a decent glass of something, Fliss also loves cooking (and writing up her favourite recipes on her blog), enjoying the beautiful Surrey and West Sussex countryside and having a good natter.
In a city covered in ice and ruin, a group of magicians face off in a daring game of magical feats to find the next headliner of the Conquering Circus, only to find themselves under the threat of an unseen danger striking behind the scenes.
As each act becomes more and more risky and the number of missing magicians piles up, three are forced to reckon with their secrets before the darkness comes for them next.
The Star: Kallia, a powerful showgirl out to prove she’s the best no matter the cost
The Master: Jack, the enigmatic keeper of the club, and more than one lie told
The Magician: Demarco, the brooding judge with a dark past he can no longer hide
Where Dreams Descend is the startling and romantic first book in Janella Angeles’ debut Kingdom of Cards fantasy duology where magic is both celebrated and feared, and no heart is left unscathed.
Never come to Hellfire House without wearing a mask.
It was one of the rare rules in a joint without any. The only rule the master of the club did not mind following. He blended in with the sea of suits and white masks that arrived every other night, switching appearances from crowd to crowd. A bartender one moment, a dealer at the card tables the next.
Only his face remained the same, half-masked and haunting. Like a prince who relished the bloody crown on his head, and the ghosts that came with it. A face almost hardened by beauty, though glints of youth ran deep beneath soft black eyes. It always shocked new guests, to see him. The master of the House was rumored to be a dragon of a man. A monster. A magician who had no mercy for fools.
Only those who dared slur the word boy in his face understood how true those rumors were.
To the rest, he played the devil on all shoulders, leading patrons to his bar and game tables, guiding them toward his enchanted smoke lounge to drown in curated memories. The warmth of first love, the heady rush of triumph, the immense joy of dreams come true. The master kept a selection of sensations, and one hit of the pipes delivered magic the people came crawling to his house to taste.
They had no idea the show that was in store for them.
The master of the House sipped his short glass of scarlet whiskey in peace, tapping along the wide black strip over his brass knuckles. He’d long since manipulated his attire, sitting casually at a card table and savoring the mayhem. Raucous cheers erupted from the next table as dice rolled out across the surface. Smiling Hellfire girls in black blazers and masks of lace denied patrons begging for a dance. Loudest of all, the dealer’s crisp shuffling of the black cards with teeth-white numbers before she doled out hands to players at the table.
“No, no more,” one moaned. “I can’t.”
“Sure you can, chap.” A young man in a white thorn-edged mask cheerfully pressed him back in his seat. “We can’t leave. Haven’t even finished your drink, yet.”
His drunken friend’s mouth puckered under another gulp. “Think it’s true, the drink? Magician’s Blood, the menu said.”
“Think you have power, now?” Thorn Mask laughed, leaning back to appraise the club. “Here, you take your magic where you can get it. You wear a mask. You flip a card, smoke a memory. Or you look up . . . at her.”
The master’s fingers tightened around his glass, just as the lights dimmed. Dancers cleared the floor under the hush of music, shifting from smooth, steady beats to a racing rhythm loud as thunderous applause.
Right on cue.
The band’s worth of instruments he’d charmed for the night started up a wild entry tune of drums, the thick trill of trumpets. Chatter ceased and backs straightened as a beam of light speared toward the ceiling. A panel slid open over the dance floor.
And the chandelier descended.
Strings of crystals dangled along tiered rims of rose gold, cutting sharply into a jewel-set swing where a masked showgirl sat. A throne of glittering jewels, casting luminous lace across the walls and the ground and the audience taking her in. Her brown skin glowed against her corset, red as her gem-studded mask. Arms stretched out, she crossed and extended her legs in smooth lines all the way down, until her heels touched the lacquered black dancefloor. With the hint of a smile, she rose from her throne and stalked forward, thrusting a hand up with a snap.
Darkness engulfed the room.
Hoots and hollers rang at the drop of the beat, before a glimmer of her form reappeared in the shadows. The room pulsed at her command, matching the spike of heartbeats the master sensed throughout the club.
The smirk on his lips matched the girl’s as she arched her back to the raw stretch of the melody. She thrived under the attention, like a wildflower under the sun. A star finding the night.
His star.
“I’ll be damned.” The drunk at the card table breathed in awe, as the girl’s palms began brightening with a molten glow. “Nothing like an academy girl.”
“Worth the trip, right?” His friend clapped a hand on his shoulder.
“I didn’t know they could be magicians like . . . this.”
The master smothered a dark scoff under a sip of whiskey. The girl showed off good tricks—improvised and bettered from his basic crowd-pleasers. Treating the ceiling like a sky and showering comets from it, casting an elaborate shadow show of dancing shades over the floor, shifting every candlelight in the room to different colors to the beat of the music.
But always the performer, she preferred to be front and center. Teasing her power just enough to make the audience want more of her magic, more of her.
He wet his lips as flames shot from her hands, arcing over her head and around her body. The fire’s melody bent to her every movement, and she gave everything to it. If she wasn’t careful, she’d overexert herself like she did most nights, never knowing when to stop. How to pull back.
Careful never was her strongest suit.
Sparks fell before her, sizzling on the ground. Unafraid, she sauntered down her stage of flames with slow swaying hips and a firelit smile.
“Magicians like this are best kept a secret,” Thorn Mask went on. “And besides, the work is far too scandalous for a lady. Only clubs will take them.”
“What a shame. Imagine going up against the likes of her at the competition.”
The master paused, drawing his gaze back to his glass.
“Not this again. That flyer was nothing but a joke.” Thorn Mask slapped the table with a groaning laugh. “A prank.”
The drunk sloppily patted around his coat, pulling from his breast pocket a dirty, scrunched ball of paper. “It’s real. They’re all over the academies, in Deque and New Crown and—”
“A prank,” repeated Thorn Mask, unfolding the flyer anyway. “It has to be. No one’s been to that city in ages, it would never open itself to such games.”
“That makes it all the more interesting, don’t you think?” As another roar of cheers erupted around them, the friend sipped his drink smugly. “Imagine if she entered, the city might implode.”
“Right. As if that would ever happen.” Thorn Mask leered. “Competition would eat a creature like her alive.”
“Because she’s . . . ?”
With an impish lift of his brow, the man in the thorny mask flicked the flyer off the table and returned to his forgotten spread of cards. “Let’s get on with the game, shall we?”
Before he could gesture at the dealer, the master suddenly appeared at their table, snatching the young man’s wrist in a biting grip. The man yelped as the force knocked over his drink, and sent a stream of hidden cards spilling out from his sleeves.
“What’s this?” The master bent toward the ground and picked up a couple, entirely too calm. “Cheating in my house?”
The man froze, recognition dawning at the brass knuckles alone. “Where did you—I-I mean,” he sputtered, patting frantically at his sleeve. “That’s impossible. Those aren’t mine, I swear.”
“Then where did they come from?”
Sweat dripped from his temple, his face paler than the white of his mask. “I emptied my pockets at the door. Honest.”
Honest. That was the best he could do? The master almost laughed.
“You want to know the price cheaters pay in my joint?” His question offered no mercy. Only deliverance, served on ice. “Memories.”
“No, please!” The man’s lip trembled. “I didn’t, I-I’ll do whatever you want!”
“This is what I want.” The master rose from the table with the jerk of his wrist. The cheat flew to the ground in a gasp as he gripped at the invisible chain-like weight around his neck. Sharp, staccato breaths followed the master as he dragged his prisoner toward the smoke dens.
The man screamed, but no one heard him. No one saw, no one cared. All eyes fell on the star of the show as she searched for a dance partner to join her. The drunken friend, noticing nothing amiss, raised his half-full glass of Magician’s Blood to his lips before waving his hand high like the others. The man thrashed harder, only to feel his cries smothered and deeper in his throat. His form, invisible at the sweep of the master’s hand.
With a disdainful glance, the master chuckled. “You’re only making this more difficult for yourself. One memory won’t kill you.”
At once, he paused. The lights blinked around them, the air grown still. Dim and hazy, as though locked in a dream.
He thought nothing of it until he caught the movements of the patrons—their arms raised and waving slowly, increment by increment. Their cheers dulled and stretched into low, gravelly roars, as if the sound were wading through heavier air. Against time itself.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
The sound of her voice slithered around him, stopping the master in his tracks. The man quieted. Sweat soaked his pale face, his chest heaving. The showgirl stood in their path, every stare in the room still locked on the spotlit floor where she’d been. As though she’d never left.
Impressive.
Her red corset glinted as she cocked her hip and pointed at the man on the floor. “I choose him.”
She could never let things be easy.
“Kallia,” he growled, warning.
She smiled. “Jack.”
“Pick another. He’s a cheater.”
Her lips pursed into a dubious line. “Then let me teach him a lesson. He’ll no doubt prefer it more.” She swung a leg over the man’s prone form so she stood directly above him. Invitation dripped from the crook of her fingers. “The music calls, darling. Let’s have ourselves a grand time.”
The man’s terror turned swiftly into awe, and he looked at her as if ready to kiss the ground she walked on. As soon as he took her beckoning hand, the room resumed its lively rhythm—a song snapped back in full swing. The cheers and hollers returned to their normal speed, exploding in delight as patrons found their lovely entertainer in their midst, her chosen dance partner in tow.
She bypassed the master, pressing a casual hand on his chest to move him. It lingered, he noticed. Unafraid, unlike most. Their gazes locked for a moment, their masked faces inches apart.
No one ever dared to get this close. To him, to her.
Only each other.
At the next round of cheers and whistles, she pushed him away, smug as a cat. Tugging the man close behind her, she sent fires onto the ground that illuminated her path and warded others from trying to follow them to the stage. Never once looking back at the master, even as he watched on after her.
His fist tightened, full of the cards from his earlier trick. They disappeared into mist, having served their purpose. Along with the flyer he managed to grab.
He didn’t even bother giving it a read. It died in the fire caged by his palm. Tendrils of smoke rose between his brass knuckles, and when he opened his fingers, nothing but ash fell to the ground.
Author Bio: JANELLA ANGELES is a Filipino-American author who got her start in writing through consuming glorious amounts of fanfiction at a young age—which eventually led to penning a few of her own, and later on, creating original stories from her imagination. A lifelong lover of books, she’s lucky enough to be working in the business of publishing them on top of writing them. She currently resides in Massachusetts, where she’s most likely to be found listening to musicals on repeat and daydreaming too much for her own good. Where Dreams Descend is her first book.
I loved this author’s Cougar; it was one of the most emotional, epic love stories I have ever read and still remains one of my favorite books. It would be hard to outdo Emerson and Cam’s story, but Liam and Vanessa come pretty close.
One of the things that I like most about this author is that she writes in a more narrative style than others. What do I mean by that? I am not exactly sure – it makes sense the way I think of it but is hard to explain. I’ll give it a shot.
With other stories, it is easy to recount a plot in terms of plot points: boy meets girl, boy does something dumb and loses girl, boy regrets it, boy gets girl back…that sort of thing. You know that there is going to be stupidity and tears, and worrying about making the right choices before everyone ends up where they are supposed to be.
I suppose you could pigeonhole Baller into this framework, but that would be to do it an injustice because there is nothing formulaic about the author’s storytelling. She creates whole worlds with fully realized characters who have complex relationships and connections. Her stuff is just…real. That being said, you can get book report reviews elsewhere; I’m going to talk about what I liked about the book.
I loved the story arc, and how it overlapped with past books before moving forward. That’s another thing that I like about this author. Her stories aren’t exactly linear (as in book one happens, and then book two happens). It’s more like watching a tv show from different points of view; the holistic approach is another thing that lends realism to her plots.
I thought that Vanessa was an interesting character. She was stubborn, even when she knew she might be wrong. Thank goodness her friends were there for her from the beginning. I really enjoyed the scenes with the four of them, because it was straight-talk from real women – not just the “my tribe will always agree with me.” We could all use friends like that.
I also liked how the author captures male camaraderie, which isn’t always easy. One particular scene in a restaurant bathroom had me literally laughing out loud because I know people who would say the exact things that the guys said.
If I had any complaints about this story, and this is being nitpicky, is that everything seemed to go a little bit fast at the end. I kind of expected a little bit more angst or drama. But how it all played out didn’t bother me (if that makes sense).
This is also the only author who, in addition to the detailed character lists she shares, I also need to keep my own notes. But that’s okay, because I enjoy active reading much more – it keeps me engaged.
I love this author’s style, I love Heritage Bay, and I’ve become attached to the characters. I can’t wait to see who gets the next story!
I am of the opinion that when a series reaches past five books, the author has a challenge to meet: either they can keep things essentially the same and comfortable, so that the readers know what will happen or they can allow their characters to grow and experience new things, thereby allowing them to have a different perspective on events.
Neither approach is wrong. They both have their place in literature, and I don’t have a preference for either – it all depends on the mood that I am in at the time I choose a book. I would say that for Josie Quinn, the author has chosen the latter.
That is what really struck me about this book. After the events that touched her so personally in Find Her Alive, there’s a new vulnerability to Josie which plays a big part in the events of this book. I have enjoyed Josie’s personality, but think this new addition is very welcome.
The plot starts with a gasp-worthy scene involving a rescue in raging flood waters. However, Josie gets more than she expected when she sees something else in break away from a house that is ripped off its foundations. We soon find out that once again, Josie may have a personal connection to the case.
What follows is a taut crime investigation with occasional visits to Josie’s past as she tries to reconcile the clues with events that happened many years prior. Sometimes bouncing back and forth in time can be jarring, but the author does a great job of continuing the flow throughout the narrative.
I also liked the way that town politics had a bearing on the case. Details like that make a story more real. Everyone has been caught up in something similar at one point or another, so it’s instantly relatable.
As always, the author includes members of Josie’s team and secondary characters in a holistic investigation. Nobody gets short shrift and everyone’s contributions are recognized.
This is another winning entry in the series, and I look forward to watching Josie continue to grow emotionally (and in her crime-solving abilities).
Author Bio
Lisa Regan is a USA Today, Wall Street Journal bestselling author and Amazon bestselling crime novelist. She has a bachelor’s degree in English and Master of Education Degree from Bloomsburg University. She is a member of Sisters In Crime, Mystery Writers of America and International Thriller Writers. She lives in Philadelphia with her husband and daughter. Find out more at her website: www.lisaregan.com
I loved this author’s Charleston Heat series. Nobody can do swoony southern men and strong women like she can. It’s been nearly a year since the last one in the series was released, because the author had her own life events going on (shocking, right?) The break was much needed and inspirational, I think, because this book was personal to the core.
One thing that always stands out about her books is the honesty. Her characters are raw and real. While the endings are sometimes fairy tale-ish, the romances are something to dream about and aspire to. They also provide an escape to old married women like me. It’s fun to live vicariously.
For this first book in her new North Carolina Highlands series, we get the story of Annabel and Beau, best friends for nearly 20 years. I’m not going to go into too many details about the plot of this book (those can be found elsewhere) but I’m going to tell you what struck me personally about this friends-to-lovers story.
I think that Bel came from a very personal place for the author. The descriptions of the feelings and emotions that Bel felt as a new mom could only be put on paper by someone who had lived them herself. I imagine that other moms to newborns will identify, which makes the book so much more relatable.
I, personally, wouldn’t know. But what the author managed to do was make me realize what I will never feel. Sometimes you don’t know what you miss until it hits you in the face that you won’t have it.
What I did feel deep down, however, was the emotion that Beau’s fear brought out in me.
[SPOILER ALERT] SCROLL DOWN TO BELOW THE BOOK COVER NOW if you don’t want to see a major plot point.
My father had a condition very similar to Beau’s dad, and the descriptions of his behavior (as well as that of Beau’s) brought the last few years of his life screaming back at me. Where other readers will relate to the PPD and find strength, I related to the memories of the dementia and bursts of outrage that Beau remembers of his father.
I’m not going to lie. I had to put the book down a few times after his descriptions of temper, or forgetfulness, or just failing…those were real and raw emotions, and they were hard to deal with. Since the author’s perspective of PPD was so accurate, it led me to wonder if she also had experience with the kind of brain trauma she wrote about. The passages were difficult, but I was able to relate to Beau more in those moments. He became more real to me than just the best friend studmuffin character.
It was a heavy dose of reality in a beautiful romance.
OKAY I’M BACK
Anyway, this author also has the slow-burn romance thing down to perfection. She’s fantastic at creating scenes that give the reader that little swoop in the belly and the “oh my” seduction. Who doesn’t love a character who can seduce both the female lead and the reader at the same time!
I loved the entire Beauregard family, and their resort is one I wish existed in real life because I would love to vacation there. I know that it is based on real-life places, but I want the whole Beauregard experience. I’m excited that it’s a big family and that we’ll (hopefully) get stories for each of them.
This is probably one of the most personal reviews I have ever written. I hope you love the book as much as I did.
I love the setting (small town), I love the characters (family-oriented and real), and I love flowers. Those are really the three requirements. This time out, we skip the third Anderson sister and get Annie’s (Luke’s sister) instead).
Annie has been a force to be reckoned with through the first two books. Her demeanor and zeal for making people happy is apparent and flows from the pages. In this book (the third of the series), we get to know her better, and it turns out there’s a lot more than she wants people to see.
Annie is a people-pleaser. She wants to make sure that everything is perfect for the people she loves. Her professional “career” as a social influencer is indicative of that need to be picture perfect. She lives by that because she knows that her followers will pick apart every single detail.
However, as she sees her brother get married (no spoiler, it literally starts the book) she realizes that her life is all surface and very little depth.
That’s exactly what George sees. He’s a reporter for the local Hillsboro paper, and a total throwback to the news journalists of the 30s (I could practically see him working in a smoky newsroom, suspenders and fedora, hollering “Stop the presses!”). Pretty sure that’s how he sees himself as well.
He’s convinced that Annie is nothing but shine and gloss with no depth of character. As they wind up working together on a project (not telling you how that happens!) he can’t figure her out. He’s set in his ways and perspectives. But as he sees more of Annie’s interactions with people, he starts to realize there might be more there than he originally thought.
The author always does an excellent job of creating the environment of Hillsboro, so that it feels natural to be moving throughout it with the characters. It’s a tad on the idyllic side, but (then again) many small towns do still have that feel.
Underneath the bucolic nature, though, the author also addresses a current theme. Through Annie, we get a cutting commentary (wrapped in the sweet romance of opposites attracting) regarding the obsession with social media and the need for the approval of strangers that is so prevalent in today’s society.
Annie’s constant need to be liked by everyone (evidenced several times, but particularly starkly with George’s assistant Mynette), covers for the unhappiness she feels deep down. The author addresses this subtly, and it gives great insight into the depth of her characters. I love this series, and I can’t wait for Rose’s story. That has to be next, right?
Author Bio Alys Murray is an author who writes for the romantic in all of us. Though she graduated with a degree in Drama from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and a Master’s in Film Studies from King’s College London, her irrepressible love of romance led her to a career as an author, and she couldn’t be happier to write these stories! Currently splitting time between her home state of Louisiana and London, she enjoys kissing books, Star Wars, and creating original pie recipes for all of her books. Tobey Maguire is her Spider-Man. https://alysmurray.com/ https://www.facebook.com/alysmurrayauthor
Hands down, one of the biggest mind twist books I have ever read. Twist isn’t a strong enough word, but I try not to swear (too much) in this blog. You know which word I am talking about. I don’t even know where to start with this book because it would be so easy to give something away.
And this is a book that definitely needs to be experienced by the reader “as is” without hints or spoilers. I’ll try to be careful.
To say that it is a convoluted plot isn’t fair, because it is actually fairly straightforward. The confusion comes from whether or not the narrator is reliable. And that, my readers, is the million-dollar question.
Is Sarah really mentally ill? Is her twin, Evie, as compassionate as she seems? What part does Lewis play? Is anyone telling the truth in this book at all?
Again, you’ll have to read it to find out. I will say that the author did an admirable job of handling mental illness and exploring the nature of people – does anyone know what is truly in the hearts of the people they love the most? (Hint: they don’t).
I did think that the story started out a bit slow because there was a LOT of detail, including a lot of inner monologues. When you have an unreliable narrator, that can be difficult to wade through. But it is essential, because once you reach a certain point in the plot, you will be glad that you have all of that information.
In spite of the slower set-up, the book really takes off and the last third is filled with all kinds of twists and revelations and “OMG” moments. I guarantee you will be questioning what you thought over the first part of the book.
Okay, I’m going to dig myself into a hole here so I’m going to stop. If you like being off-balance for an entire book, let yourself be absorbed by this one. Sometimes it’s necessary to be immersed in something else, no matter how many tricks it plays on your mind.
As a child, Jane spent a lot of time in elaborate Lego worlds populated by tiny plastic animals and people. Crime levels were high, especially after the Dragon brothers set themselves up as vets and started murdering the animals in their ‘care’. (They got away with it by propping the victims up with Plasticine and pretending they were still alive…)
As an adult, she is still playing in imaginary worlds and putting her characters through hell – but now she can call it ‘writing’ and convince herself that she is doing something sensible. In real life, she has a PhD in genetics and copy-edits scientific and medical journals. Jane is the author of Watch Over Me. THE CHILD WHO NEVER WAS will be her second novel published with Inkubator Books.
