Every so often, amid psych thrillers and crime procedurals, I need a brain break. You know, the equivalent of watching reality television. That’s what I got with Temporary Wife Temptation (and that’s a good thing).
Honestly, there is nothing profound to talk about here. There are the usual tropes (business associates, opposites, etc.). But everything is described in a way that makes it easy to understand where the characters are coming from – there is no guesswork needed.
I liked Natalie’s motivation, as that was slightly unusual. It showed the depth of her caring and gave her some dimension. I also liked how Garrett was a little torn between Korean traditions and his life. It was like he knew what was expected, and wanted to comply, but also wanted to pave his way.
In fact, that was one thing that made this book different from many others of the same genre; I thoroughly enjoyed learning some Korean customs and expectations.
This was a quick read for me and gave me exactly what I needed when I needed it. I’d recommend picking it up.
As I mentioned a few reviews ago, I have been on a bit of a historical fiction kick lately. I have learned a lot about little-known events, and I find the stories to be a nice break from crime procedurals and psychological thrillers. Most of the ones I have read so far are WWII, but I don’t think I could ever get tired of that setting.
I was excited to come across The Italian Villa because (according to the cover) it contained both Italy and WWII. While the first half of that is undoubtedly right, I feel like the WWII historical romance claim is a bit misleading.
That’s not to say that the story wasn’t appealing. Who couldn’t root for an orphan who discovers a whole different life in a small Italian town? The events that led to this skimmed along and served their purpose. I did feel that it happened a little bit fast, so I didn’t get a good grip on Callie from the very start – only that she was an orphan. I did get to know her better once she was in Italy, though, and her journey was heartwarming.
The contemporary scenes far outweigh the WWII scenes, which is why I have a little bit of an issue with this being called a WWII historical romance. That’s not to say that there isn’t any, because there is. It just takes the form of diary entries that Callie reads when she needs a break from the issues at hand.
For this reason, I didn’t get the full scope of Elisa’s romance/story. It is difficult to get caught up in diary entries because they are very static. I think the author did a fine job of trying to convey Elisa’s story, and there were times when I felt her emotion. But if the author was trying to parallel Elisa’s story with Callie’s, that didn’t work for me.
The other thing I found interesting was that it doesn’t appear that Montevino exists in Italy. A caveat: I am a history-lover, and have studied multiple periods extensively. If I read about something, it is my nature to look it up to find more information. So, this next part might just be unique to me.
In my Google searches, I did not find anything historic about Montevino. The only mention I could find was a vineyard in the Sierra Foothills of California. I understand that the author was possibly trying to be representative of what happened in many small Italian towns during the rise of Mussolini, but it was odd not to have an actual event or location to build the story around.
I did think that the author did a good job of illustrating the evils of fascism, especially as evidenced by Elisa’s parents’ attitudes. They were accurate and astute in their observations.
For what the book actually was, I thought it was a good read. However, if you are looking for an honest to goodness historical romance, diary entries might not be enough for you.
Author Bio
Daniela Sacerdoti is a phenomenon. Over one million copies of her novels have been sold in eBook, her debut novel Watch Over Me was the eighth bestselling Kindle book of all time in 2015 and she was also ranked as the eleventh top-selling Kindle author.
Daniela writes beautiful, haunting and bestselling fiction for adults (the Glen Avich series), young adults (the Sarah Midnight trilogy) and children. Her novels have been translated in twelve languages.
Daniela was born and raised in Italy. She studied Classics, then lived in Scotland for fourteen years, where she married and taught in a primary school. Daniela’s children’s book Really WeirdRemovals.Com was shortlisted for the Scottish Children’s Book Awards. She has also written for the BBC.
It has been a long time since I literally laughed out loud at a book, but this one had me giggling at the most inopportune times. Believe me; it was much needed and much-warranted laughter.
I thoroughly related to Meg, as I think that every woman of a certain age will. It is so easy to get caught up with life and forget about the essential things (like keeping up relations with your hubby). Meg gets a wake-up call in the most hilarious (and somewhat shocking way) when something…let’s say, “unique,” is delivered to her house.
Seriously, this is one time that I am NOT going to give up this spoiler because I about died during this scene, and I would hate to ruin it for anyone else.
Suffice to say that this event kicks off a series of events that make Meg realize how much she has neglected over time. Some of the scenes work, and some seemed a little bit forced, but they all felt natural (although a little bit on the crazy side at times).
I thought that Danny was a sympathetic character as well. I could also relate to having the responsibility of one job while having a talent and desire to pursue something else. I think that is what actually made all of the scenarios work for me; both characters were relatable, and I couldn’t help but root for them to figure it all out.
I also have to mention their kids who are well-detailed and real characters (not just caricatures of kids), with a special shout-out to Eve who has some of THE best lines in the entire book.
A fun read with relatable characters is sometimes hard to find but that’s precisely what you’ll find with this book. Don’t miss it.
Author Bio
Mother-of-four, gin-drinker, binge-watcher, receipt hoarder, enthusiastic but terrible cook. Kristen also writes. She has had short fiction published in several publications including Mslexia & Riptide. Her first two novels, Souper Mum and Second Helpings were published in 2016. In 2019, she was long listed in the Comedy Women in Print Prize and has since joined the Bookouture family. She hopes her novels have fresh and funny things to say about modern life, love and family.
You can find out more about her at her website: www.kristenbaileywrites.com. You can also find her on Twitter (@mrsbaileywrites), Instagram (@kristenbaileywrites) and Facebook.
As far as epic WWII stories go, this one ranks right up there. A lot of ground is covered as the story winds its way through the waning days of WWII, London, and contemporary Spain. Sound disparate? Don’t worry, it does all link together.
The 1944-ish London segments focus on Elaine, a typist who gets caught up in a whirlwind romance with the “it” photographer of the period, Robert Capa (a real-life person). The Spain segments deal with a family who may (or may not) be descendants of Elaine and Robert (or Pinky and Bobby as they refer to each other).
I thought that the WWII portions were exceptionally well-done. The author did a phenomenal job of portraying the hardship felt by many Londoners but also captured the excess and frivolity of the artistic/journalistic segment of society. This was a compelling juxtaposition of attitudes, even more so because Elaine straddled the line between the two.
I also liked how the author did the necessary research to weave real events from Capa’s life into the narrative – this added a dash of realism into the narrative and was very effective.
I found the Spain segments to be less exciting and read those faster to get back to the 1944 action. I understand why the author used these segments, and the “mystery” of the family ties did link the two plot lines together. But I did not think that the Jenny/Paul problem, and Jenny’s contentious relationship with her mother, really did the story much justice.
Regardless, I did learn a lot about the clerical girls and found their jobs to be fascinating. I can only imagine how difficult their jobs would have been. In fact, I found myself thinking that the title referred more to them than to the two little girls on the cover.
That was definitely one thing that stood out about this book; the author took special care to highlight the unsung heroes and heroines of WWII London – those who had no choice but to “Keep Calm and Carry On” even in the face of the Blitz, Doodlebugs, and ongoing uncertainty.
And I thoroughly got caught up in Elaine and Robert Capa’s romance. I would recommend this book for that storyline alone.
Author Bio
Lizzie loves reading ALL the books and has always loved reading the adventures of women in the past so it seemed natural to her to write historical fiction.
She lives with her family by the sea in South East England. And with her dog. She enjoys traveling and lived in Japan for several years. Lizzie has had lots of different jobs from waitressing and teaching to admin and bingo-calling – but being a writer is her absolute favourite.
She’d love to hear what you think of her books – feel free to send her a message on twitter @LizziePagewrite or on FB or leave a review on amazon.
You probably could not pick a more timely subject than disease control and the reach of big pharma. With the coronavirus in the daily news and reports of the efforts to combat the spread of it, a medical thriller with those themes should be a no-brainer.
Toxic Deception has the premise locked in, and the parts of the novel that deal specifically with the spread of infectious diseases and the control that pharmaceutical companies exert are well-done. There is a lot of detail to be found from both the medical and business points of view, and this is where the novel is at its most interesting.
However, when the story follows the reporter who is investigating the latest possible subterfuge (due to an obituary taped on her door by an anonymous person), it becomes less exciting and more tedious.
I did not think that Jordan was a likable character, and that’s tough when the main character turns a reader off. I felt that every time the narrative came from her point of view, it became about her. I would have preferred that there was more focus on her investigation.
I know that part of this stems from early in the book when Jordan opines that “the current presidential administration” releases a “constant stream of lies and misdirection….” The author tries to explain it away by also having Jordan hate all politicians, but the intent of the specifics are pretty clear.
I have said several times that commentary like this turns me off. If it is of no benefit to the plot or character development, it has no place in a fictional story. That being said, Jordan’s attitude is pretty crappy about a lot of things. She has obvious disdain for anyone who doesn’t help her, she apparently does not like anyone over 50 in the workforce, and all in all, she seemed way out of her league with this investigation. She was not a character I could get behind and root for success.
And that’s a shame because, as I mentioned at the top, the basic plot is timely and real. As I have written this review, there have been no fewer than six news reports covering different aspects of the coronavirus contagion. Coupled with the conspiracy theories regarding whether or not it is a bioweapon that was accidentally released, the time is ripe for this book. Too bad the main character wrecked it for me.
AUTHOR BIO
K.C. (Kevin) Gillis is the author of the Jordan Reed mystery series. Despite being a lifelong lover of stories and books, writing took a distant back seat as his professional career travelled through the Canadian Air Force, a decade as a chemist, followed by a long and continuing run in corporate America. With writing no longer in the back seat (but not quite yet in the front seat), Kevin has the initial novels (plus one novella) in the Jordan Reed series well under way. His personal interests focus on endurance and water sports, and obviously a lot of reading!. Having grown up in the Canadian Maritimes, he now lives in the US northeast.
I like all kinds of books. Sometimes I prefer a story that follows multiple perspectives to get a full understanding of the events (ie, clues from an investigation that other characters aren’t aware of). Other times I like unraveling the plot right along with the main character. The latter is how Behind Every Lie is written, and it is excellent.
Told mostly from Eva’s perspective, I enjoyed taking her journey alongside her. It gave me a real feel for what she was experiencing, which gave me a greater appreciation of her story (and backstory). I also liked how there were chapters interspersed from Kat’s point of view. They were well-placed, and that part of the story unfolded in such a way that made the contemporary timeline even more fascinating.
What I enjoyed most, however, was Eva learning about kintsugi (a style of Japanese pottery). The concept itself is lovely: cracks are filled with gold to highlight damages instead of trying to hide it. I’ve seen this in real life, and the effect is stunning.
But what made it especially touching in this book, is how the concept applied to Eva’s own life. I loved the parallels between her past, recent events, and how she tried to move forward (filling in the cracks to become whole). This was exceptionally well-done and elevated the novel from good to something deeper and more unique.
I can’t stress enough how important this message is. People are so quick to cover flaws or hide behind lies (as in this book). In reality, it’s the scars and imperfections that make us who we are and embracing the events that created them enable us to grow.
The whole story is excellent with a few twists that I did not see coming (but I few that I did). All in all, I would highly recommend this page-turner.
Holy heck, what an action-packed page-turner this one was!
From the opening scene, I could tell that this was a book that was going to pull no punches both in terms of subject matter and general action, and I was right. It did not let up from beginning to end.
I liked how the author wove different plotlines into a cohesive story. Every event fed into the greater narrative and made sense. The story seemed entirely plausible, especially in today’s world of political turmoil and shifting alliances.
I thought that the characters were well-developed also. I had a difficult time keeping everyone straight at first because there were a lot of players. Novak is a hero to get behind, even as he skirts the limits of legal and moral boundaries. I found that to be one of his most realistic traits because real life (especially in the situation he found himself in) sometimes requires ambiguity for survival.
The descriptions of post-event analysis, risk assessments, and other law-enforcement/military actions were accurate and well-described. I appreciate it when an author shows knowledge in an area beyond the “oh, this would be interesting, I’ll do a Google search” mentions. It was clear to me that this author knows his stuff and knows it well.
The timeliness of subject matter may be touchy for some people, and I did feel that there were a few times that the author veered into more opinionated territory that was not warranted by the plot (case in point: Muslims are not a race, they belong to a religion, so while starting a “race war” with Muslims is a prevalent talking point in some countries real life, it is not factual). Fortunately, moments like this were few and far between.
Going Rogue is the second in the Tom Novak series. While it is not necessary to have read the first one to understand and enjoy this one, there are a few returning characters and references to events from the previous book. I would recommend picking up Going Dark first if only to get in on Novak’s story from the very beginning.
About Neil Lancaster:
Neil was born in Liverpool in the 1960s. He recently left the Metropolitan Police where he served for over twenty-five years, predominantly as a detective, leading and conducting investigations into some of the most serious criminals across the UK and beyond.
Neil acted as a surveillance and covert policing specialist, using all types of techniques to arrest and prosecute drug dealers, human traffickers, fraudsters, and murderers. During his career, he successfully prosecuted several wealthy and corrupt members of the legal profession who were involved in organised immigration crime. These prosecutions led to jail sentences, multi-million pound asset confiscations and disbarments.
Since retiring from the Metropolitan Police, Neil has relocated to the Scottish Highlands with his wife and son, where he mixes freelance investigations with writing.
A beautifully written story that packs an emotional punch, The Orphan’s Daughter just rocketed to the top of my favorites list. Set in 1920s rural Ireland, it is filled with rich detail and memorable characters. The author made everything (down to inanimate objects) come alive (more on that in a bit).
One of the strengths of this book was the way the author circled back around to moments or thoughts. For example, the book starts with Nora and her friend Kitty grading a funeral. Their doing so illustrates the innocence of youth. Later in the book, when there is a personal loss, Nora realizes how much they did not consider the feelings of the mourners. The book is filled with moments like this, which showed real character growth.
Nora is a character one can naturally root for because she is just a good person. I enjoyed Nora’s interactions with people. I especially liked the exchanges with Kitty when Nora used a big word (“Grandad Doyle?” “The very man.”) That was a little detail, but it illustrated the closeness of the girls and the respect that Nora had for her grandfather (which arguably set her at least partially on her path mid-way through the book).
As to those inanimate objects coming to life? Seemingly innocuous items (a wall, a chair, a dress) have an impact on Nora’s life as much as a person might. While the objects can’t show emotion, they can undoubtedly evoke it. This is another aspect that I thought the author did very well. In a like manner, the town of Ballybun was a character in its own right. The author did a phenomenal job of describing rural Ireland so that the reader got a full picture of the town and its people.
There is real emotion throughout the book as well, and the author does a spectacular job of conveying the highs and lows as Nora experiences them. Her joy and sadness, her sense of wonder at finding something amazing, and her confusion when she can’t sort out her emotions are all detailed and completely natural within Nora’s personality.
Ultimately, the story is about love, loss, and the sacrifices that one makes. The tag line calls it “heartbreaking and unforgettable,” and both are true. I cried more than a few times (which rarely happens to me), and there were moments of beauty that will stay with me for quite a while. Do yourself a favor and pick this one up today.
Author Bio
Sandy Taylor grew up on a council estate near Brighton. There were no books in the house, so Sandy’s love of the written word was nurtured in the little local library. Leaving school at fifteen, Sandy worked in a series of factories before landing a job at Butlins in Minehead. This career change led her to becoming a singer, a stand up comic and eventually a playwright and novelist.
Excited to be a part of Harlequin’s February 2020 Blog Tours. Today I have a review of a book from Harlequin Intrigue.
After a long stretch of psychological thrillers and police procedurals, I was looking for a brain break. I found it in this book.
You can read the synopsis in the blurbs, and what you see is what you get. There is no in-depth character study, no hidden secrets, or mind-boggling twists. It’s a straightforward plot with action and romance.
I enjoyed the story, but I will say that this book is part of a series, and I got the distinct feeling that I would have enjoyed it even more if I had read the others first.
That’s not to say that it was unreadable as a standalone, because it certainly was. The plot was fully developed from beginning to end. But there were a lot of references to past events that obviously occurred in other books. So, I think reading those first would have led to a deeper understanding of the events in this book.
I did like the set-up, because really, who doesn’t love a damsel in distress/old flame as protector story? And I thought that the chemistry between Ali and Jax was tangible and realistic which made it easier to root for them. All in all, this was exactly what I needed when I needed it. It is a good book and a quick read. Just know that if you want to have a more in-depth read, find the first books in the series.
If you read enough psychological thrillers, you get to a point where you can sometimes guess where a book is going. That’s no fault of an author – it’s just that you become able to catch some signs or hints of a character’s motivations.
That’s not the case with Truth Hurts by Rebecca Reid. While I was able to guess a few things, the overall plot kept me turning pages because I truly had no idea how everything was going to work out. And that’s just one of the things I enjoyed in this book.
The author laid the groundwork for Poppy’s character (with flaws and assets) right from the start which stayed the same throughout the book. That consistency added to the feeling of unease in later chapters. Poppy’s backstory is old in intermittent chapters simply labeled “Before.” I liked how there was no real timeframe given; the ambiguity added to later events as well.
As I have mentioned before, it is difficult to write reviews about psychological thrillers because I am not someone who gives away plot points, and in a well-written book (like this one) even the littlest mention of something could ruin it for another reader.
I will say, however, that I loved the author’s cleverness in having Poppy read Jane Eyre because that same vibe was prevalent for two-thirds of the book. There was a gothic feel (obviously intentional) which made Poppy’s suspicions seem more probable and kept me waiting for the proverbial shoe to drop.
I did feel that there were some unanswered questions and a couple of loose ends that I would have liked to have seen resolved, but I did not see the end coming; it was a total jaw-dropper. Another psych thriller that you should take a look at, especially if you like claustrophobic, gothic novels.
AUTHOR BIO
Rebecca is the Digital Editor of Grazia. She has written for Marie Claire, the Guardian, the Saturday Telegraph, the Independent, Stylist, Glamour, the iPaper, the Guardian, Indy100, LOOK and the New Statesmen amongst others.
Rebecca is a regular contributor to Sky News and ITV’s This Morning as well as appearing on Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour, LBC, BBC News 24 and the BBC World Service to discuss her work.
She graduated from Royal Holloway’s Creative Writing MA in 2015 and Perfect Liars was her debut novel.
