The Lost Apothecary-Blog Tour-Historical Fiction-Available Now

I. Loved. This. Book.

I thought that the author created two stories that although centuries apart from each other, were complimentary to each other. It was cleverly plotted, and it held my attention for the entire book. That’s no easy feat these days.

I related to Caroline. Not because of her marriage situation, but because of how she felt like she had lost herself in the marriage and the drive to become a family. I think many women my age will feel empathy for her situation.

But even more so, I found her choice of educational interest to be personally attractive as well. When I was in college, I found archeology to be fascinating – particularly Egyptian archeology. One of my favorite series (to this day) involves a Victorian woman and her husband who are Egyptian Archeologists.

I always felt it was the best of both worlds…the pushing of societal norms by a female archeologist in Victorian times, mixed with the mysteries of Ancient Egyptian peoples.

But I digress.

I totally got Caroline’s drive to want to know the nameless people, not just the better-known names and dates.

Her focus is a reason that the historical sections of the book worked so well. Two people who should have been lost to history weren’t – simply because of Caroline’s interest and perseverance to discover more about them.

Frankly, I could see myself taking the same actions as Caroline.

I did also like the historical sections. Sometimes a book falters when moving back and forth between contemporary and historical storylines. Not in this case. I was fully engrossed in Nella and Eliza’s stories as well as Caroline’s.

I will say that I did not make a vital connection until the author smacked me in the face with it towards the end. I REALLY liked that part. So well done.

The author managed to get a feminist point of view across without annoying the heck out of me. Doing this through Nella’s eyes and actions was very effective.

I could go on and on about all of the good things in this book. But just trust me when I say that you will be equal parts charmed and informed, and you will be glad that you picked it up. It should definitely be in your TBR pile.

P.S. This is a debut novel. I certainly will be following in hopes of more to come!

Facebook: @SarahPennerAuthor
Instagram: @sarah_penner_author
Twitter: @sl_penner

About the Author:

Sarah Penner is the debut author of The Lost Apothecary, to be translated in eleven languages worldwide. She works full-time in finance and is a member of the Historical Novel Society and the Women’s Fiction Writers Association. She and her husband live in St. Petersburg, Florida, with their miniature dachshund, Zoe. To learn more, visit slpenner.com.

The French House-Books On Tour (Review)-Historical Fiction-Available Now

Filled with lush descriptions, memorable characters, and vivid events, this historical fiction novel about the world-renowned vineyards of France is not to be missed.

You don’t have to be a wine aficionado to understand the nuances of the plot. Anyone who even pays half attention to wine or celebration will recognize the names of Moet and Cliquot right from the start.

(But just in case, those are two of the most famous brands of champagne available to this day).

Set in the late-1700s to 1800s, the story follows Nicole, the headstrong daughter of a vineyard owner in Reims, France. It’s not a spoiler to reveal that she becomes (shall we say) extremely involved in the wine-making process.

Her journey to get there, however, is not without heartache and lots of troubles.

In fact, from the very beginning in the prologue, the author does a fantastic job of melding fictional and non-fictional events and characters into a seamless, compelling, and emotional narrative.

It actually took me a bit longer to read this book than it normally would because I kept stopping to verify who was a real historical figure and who wasn’t. Some were obvious, some less so.

I liked the message of resilience that was woven through the story. It applied not only to Nicole’s situation, but to the grapes themselves. It’s hard to explain, but it worked for me because I saw the vineyards as an extension of her.

I don’t know if that’s what the author intended, but it’s how I read it.

I also particularly liked Natasha. I’ve mentioned how a Russian history class doomed my History major in college, but I remain fascinated with the historical aspect of the culture and people. I’d never given much thought to Russians living in France, or how they would have been impacted by the Napoleonic Wars.

As I have said before, I love learning new things from historical fiction novels. In this case, not only did I learn more about the above-mentioned national ties, but also more about winemaking in general. Fascinating stuff to me.

I was utterly charmed by this novel. Frankly, it was a nice break from WWII (which makes up much of my historical fiction reading). The author’s research was informative, and her writing talent made the vineyards of France come alive. I can’t wait to read more from her.

NOTE: This book was originally titled The Champagne Widow, so you might still find it listed as such on some sites.

FACEBOOK: hfrippauthor
TWITTER: @helenfripp

Author Bio:

Helen loves historical fiction, and in her writing, she’s fascinated by the women throughout history who have made their mark against all the odds. She finds researching the architecture, art and customs of the time really inspirational, and the tiniest detail can spark an idea for a whole chapter. Her female characters rail against the social constraints to which they are subject and often achieve great success, but they are of course flawed and human, like the rest of us. It’s the motivations, flaws, loves and every-day lives of her characters that she loves to bring life, against sweeping historical backdrops – and she will find any excuse to take off and research a captivating location or person for her next story.

Her first novel is set in the Champagne region in France, and she is currently working on her next one, set in late eighteenth-century Paris. She spent a lot of time in France as a child, has lived in Paris and spent a year with her family in a fishing village in South West France, so that’s where her books have ended up being set so far. Who knows where next!

When the World Stood Still-Books On Tour (Review)-Historical Fiction-Available Now

The author wastes no time dropping the reader right into the heart of St. Marylebone Infirmary, as the staff deals with both shell-shocked soldiers from the last vestiges of WWI and a new, deadly disease.

It doesn’t take a great knowledge of history (only a simple reading of blurbs, or any newspaper lately) to know that the deadly disease is the Spanish Flu.

It also goes without saying that it is quite natural to draw parallels to the current world situation and what is described in this book.

I’m not going to try to NOT get political in this review. But I will say a major difference is that the science and medicine of the time was not advanced enough to be able to handle the pandemic. That’s quite the contrast from today’s pandemic.

Plus, they didn’t have to deal with the media and politicians who had ulterior motives.

But I digress.

As with any disease, things move quickly, and the workers of St. Marylebone are left continuously playing catch-up. This worsens when the workers themselves begin to fall ill.

The author keeps the pace of the action moving, and I think that would be my one (minor) complaint. Things seemed to skim along quickly, characters are introduced, events occur…all at a rapid pace.   

I think a little bit more time spent on the characters and how they are each personally affected could have added to the story and made things even a little more relatable.

That being said, it’s possible that the author did not want to have a lot of parallels to the present and made a conscious effort to keep things moving so fast that there wasn’t time to think about comparisons.

On that front, I commend the author. I think she also did a good job of not allowing current perceptions to color the characters and efforts of the past. Hindsight being 20/20 and all….

I did like how the characters related to each other, and it was obvious that author did the necessary homework to convey the horror of shell shock and the uncertainty brought about by the pandemic.

I would still recommend this book to any historical fiction fan. Do yourself a favor, though, and read it “as is” – lose yourself in the past and don’t try to compare it to now. You’ll find it much more enjoyable.

Author Bio:
A change in circumstance meant Kate Eastham made the shift from a career in nursing to being a carer for her partner. Determined to make the most of this new role ‘working from home’ and inspired by an in-depth study of the origins of nursing, she wrote her first novel at the kitchen table. Miss Nightingale’s Nurses was published by Penguin in 2018, closely followed by three more in the series. With her passion for history, Kate aims to make visible the lives of ordinary yet extraordinary women from the past.

Her current historical fiction is set during the World Wars and will be published by Bookouture.

The Girl from the Mountains-Books On Tour (Review)-Historical Fiction-Available Now

As I have mentioned several times here, I enjoy reading historical fiction because I can almost always find a new perspective on a known event. That is certainly the case here.

Much has been written about the resistance in places like France, but this unique story is set in Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia and details how one woman finds strength she didn’t know she had to survive.

I thought that Magda was an interesting character. She had let her birthmark essentially define her throughout her life and could never see what others saw in her. This made for some sad events that I think she actually took the wrong way, and if she had reacted differently there would have been different outcomes.

I also thought that the concept of finding a new home with other “misfits” (at least they were misfits in Nazi eyes) was a good one. I enjoyed the chapters regarding her life with the Taubers the most.

Her relationship with Walter was also a telling point. After all is said and done, he makes a comment about how she could have been kinder to him and he might have been a different person.

On the surface, it sounds unfair to blame her for what he became. But he made a good point in that she didn’t often think of others in that way, always expecting them to throw her away, so she did it first.

I did get a Rolf/”Sound of Music” feel from Walter’s part in the story.

There were some parts that seemed rather abrupt- for example, the fate of Jana, Eva, and Father Gabriel. To me, that came a little bit out of nowhere. It was certainly a jolt of realization about how ruthless the Nazis could be.

I also thought that the end got muddled a little bit. I don’t want to give away Magda’s development and trajectory, but it seemed like there was a lack of focus in the last third of the book.

I also was disappointed in the way many characters came and went with only a quick mention as to their fate (like the Taubers).

I understand why the author wrote things they way she did, because it was a stark illustration as to how life in war-time would be: a person may never know the fate of others and would have to rely on reports that might be no better than hearsay.

Still, I think some of them deserved a better wrap-up than what they got. And I’m not sure that the ending was entirely plausible.

But I still very much enjoyed this book and read it in two sittings (which is a major feat for me these days). I would definitely recommend it.

Facebook: inktreks
Twitter:  @ckalyna

Author Bio:

Chrystyna Lucyk-Berger was born in Minnesota in 1969 and grew up in the culture-rich neighborhood of “Nordeast” Minneapolis. She started her writing career with short stories, travel narratives, worked as a journalist and then as a managing editor for a magazine publisher before jumping the editor’s desk and pursuing her dreams of writing and traveling. In 2000, she moved to western Austria and established her own communications training company. She has won several awards for her short stories and novels and now primarily writes historical fiction. During a trip into northern Italy over the Reschen Pass, she stood on the edge of Reschen Lake and desperately wanted to understand how a 15th-century church tower ended up sticking out of the water. What stories were lying beneath? Some eight years later, she launched the “Reschen Valley” series with five books and a novella releasing between 2018 and 2021, in parallel to her WW2 novels and short story collections.

The Lost Mother-Books On Tour (Review)-Historical Fiction-Available Now

I am a HUGE fan of Catherine Hokin’s books (see my reviews of The Fortunate Ones and What Only We Know). Her books are always well-crafted with memorable characters and storylines that weave timelines seamlessly.

In her latest, the same hallmarks are there. I did think that some parts were much stronger than others, but as a whole, it was an intriguing and obviously well- researched book.

I was able to relate to Peggy from the start, which was good, because I think her story actually got lost along the way. As with many historical fiction novels, there is the need for a more contemporary storyline that allows for the historical line to be told.

In this case, the contemporary storyline was 1957, as Peggy goes in search of answers regarding an old photo she is given. (No spoilers, you’ll have to read to find out her full situation). But I was very sympathetic to her for personal reasons.

I thought the author did a good job with Peggy’s storyline. She captured the desires of a young woman who wanted to make a name for herself in a traditionally male-dominated profession (journalism) at a time when women were finding their voices.

All of that being said, this is really Anna’s story, and those were the sections that really had me turning pages. From the early (very early) days of Hitler’s rise to the aftermath, Anna’s story is one that will stick with me for a long time.

There were many unique sections to this book – events and other things that aren’t as common in WWII historical fiction. Yes, there are Nazis, but (as one example) the focus isn’t on concentration camps and the resilience of the people.

Not that those aren’t good stories – I’ve read several that address this extremely well.

Although the first part of Anna’s story is set in 1930s Germany, a large part is set in America, and this is what I found most fascinating. I’d never heard of the movement that Anna gets unwittingly involved in (which is kind of sad, because I was a history major in college).

I also applaud the author for tackling the internment camps in the U.S. Most people don’t know about those.

Interesting side note, and I may have mentioned this before, but when I was in college, I took a class where the professor addressed the German and Japanese being taken from their homes in the U.S. I had written a paper on the Monterey fishing industry.

Italians, especially in this area, were also put into internment camps. The professor argued that wasn’t true…until I showed him the book I had researched. He ended up changing his lecture.

But I digress.

While I was completely engrossed in Anna’s story, which was realistic, accurate, and highly emotional, I thought that there were parts that went by the wayside.

Peggy’s story actually got lost for a good portion of the book. And I feel conflicted about Louise’s role in all of it. I understand why the author used her in the way she did, and I know her story could be applied to other actresses of the time, but it never felt entirely realistic to me, more as a method to propel Anna’s story.

In the end, however, I thought it was a very good book. Anna’s story alone is worth reading it.

Facebook: cathokin
Twitter: @cathokin

Author Bio:

Catherine Hokin is the author of two World War Two inspired novels set in Berlin, her favourite city. Following a History degree at Manchester University she worked in teaching, marketing and politics, while waiting for a chance to do what she really wanted which was to write full time. Her short stories have been published by iScot, Writers Forum and Myslexia magazines and she was the winner of the 2019 Fiction 500 Short Story Competition. She is a lover of strong female leads and a quest.

Catherine now lives in Glasgow with her American husband. She has two grown-up children – one of whom lives, very conveniently, in Berlin – and a life long addiction to very loud music. Website: https://www.catherinehokin.com/

The Watchmaker of Dachau-Books On Tour (Review)-Historical Fiction-Available Now

Is it possible to say that a story about concentration is an easy yet uplifting read? If so, then this book qualifies for that type of description.

It’s hard to put my finger exactly on what made this book different from other historical novels involving concentration camps that I have read (and there have been a lot of them).

I think for one thing, the author seemed to focus on the attitudes of the inhabitants rather than the horrors they were facing. That’s not to say that they weren’t detailed – they just didn’t take center stage in the overall story.

I guess I could say that the plot was more character-driven than event-driven.

I thought that the author did a great job of weaving the stories of Anna and Isaac and how they are shaped by their dual status. They “enjoy” a special status for working at the private home of the Sturmbannfuhrer.

Of course, they don’t enjoy it at all. But it puts them apart from the other residents of the camp who are tasked with menial labor and torture. The way that Anna and Isaac individually deal with their conflicting emotions was well-done.

I found Friedrich to be an especially complex character. At 11, he is old enough to understand some of what is going on, but he is also wise enough to know right from wrong. His remorse at how he talked to Isaac (apparently emulating his father) was genuine and made him a sympathetic character.

He was also interesting because his uncertainty about the truth of…well, everything (including his mother’s hatred of pretty much…well, everything including him) was indicative of how I think many people felt.

Take Greta as another example. She was from the town, but she treated Isaac and Anna with compassion and gentleness, not as if they were any different. Whether he knew it or not, I think Friedrich learned from her.

This is much in the same way that Isaac learned from Levi, who I found to be delightful (again, a word not usually associated with WWII Nazi atrocities). Levi’s attitude and sense of humor was both enlightening and poignant.

In the face of having everything taken away, a person must make a decision. Levi chose to keep his spirit as much as he could – that was something that the Nazis couldn’t take, he could only give it up. And it only went away when he did.

That’s an important lesson, I think.

I could go on about all of the lessons that could be learned from the characters in this book, because there were many. But I will just say that you should probably have tissues ready for the last 25% of the book (or so).

Another thought-provoking and heartfelt novel from this author. Also, don’t miss The Ringmaster’s Daughter.

Twitter: @carlyschab11

Author Bio:
Carly Schabowski worked as a journalist in both North Cyprus and Australia before returning to Oxford, where she studied for an MA and then a PhD in creative writing at Oxford Brookes University. Carly now teaches at Oxford Brookes University as an associate lecturer in Creative Writing for first and second-year English literature students. 

The German Girl-Books On Tour (Review)-Historical Fiction-Available Now

This author’s The Child of Auschwitz is a book that stayed with me for a long time. I thought she had a very strong understanding of the horrors of Nazi actions during WWII but balanced those with illustrations of compassion and resilience quite effectively.

 I was, therefore, very excited to see her latest book revisiting WWII. I was not disappointed.

I particularly liked how the contemporary storyline took place in Sweden. Most of the historical fiction WWII novels I have read recently either have a British or American connection. I enjoyed (if one could say that about Nazi persecutions) the different perspective.

I also thought the author did a good job of setting up the contemporary story line. I know that my grandfather never talked about his time in the South Pacific when he returned from WWII, but that he was a changed man (by all accounts)

I think that this was a common story among people (especially men) who saw and experienced the atrocities of war. Didn’t matter if it was in combat, or at the hands of the enemy. Their positions as protectors of their families were threatened – and often destroyed.

Ingrid’s grandfather personified that. By establishing this from the beginning, the author made him a sympathetic character in a way that went beyond simply feeling sorry for his story. He was very real.

Because of this, I thought there was a good balance between the contemporary and historical story lines. Sometimes one is stronger than the other, but in this case, they complimented each other. To me, this meant that the reading was smoother because the transitions were natural and not abrupt.

My only complaint (and it’s really a minor one) is the change in title. It was originally titled The Flight of Swallows. I thought this was much more evocative and thought-provoking. I don’t know why it changed to the mundane and non-descriptive The German Girl.

In looking at my review of the author’s last book, it seems as if the same thing occurred. Interesting to note (though not of any real importance, I suppose).

Still, this was a good read with interesting characters and a unique perspective. I would recommend it.

Twitter: @lilygrahambooks
Facebook: LilyRoseGrahamAuthor/

Author Bio:

Lily has been telling stories since she was a child, starting with her imaginary rabbit, Stephanus, and their adventures in the enchanted peach tree in her garden, which she envisioned as a magical portal to Enid Blyton’s Faraway Tree. She’s never really got out of the habit of making things up, and still thinks of Stephanus rather fondly.

She lives with her husband and her English bulldog, Fudge, and brings her love for the sea and country-living to her fiction.

An American in Paris-Books On Tour(Review)-Historical Fiction-Available Now

At the beginning, I wasn’t quite sure what to make of this historical fiction book. I knew from the initial chapter that it started pre-WWII, but that’s a lot of ground to cover. An abrupt change to a contemporary second chapter kept me off balance.
However, it quickly became apparent that the author’s intent was to draw as many parallels between Florence and Sage as possible even before their actual connection was revealed.
Once I realized this, I was fully engrossed in the story. By the end, I knew that it would be one that I remembered for a long time.
I liked all of the similarities – some subtle, some obvious – between the two women’s stories. I thought the author did an admirable job of letting those unfold and letting the reader draw their own conclusions.
I also liked how both women were strong, but didn’t actually realize it. Florence was a dancer who wanted to do more, but only had her words to offer; Sage had made a life as an influencer, but came to the realization that she really influenced nobody, because it was all for show.
Both women’s progressions were interesting and kept me hooked. Sometimes in a historical fiction novel, one time period seems a lot stronger or more real than the other. That wasn’t the case here; I was equally interested in both storylines.


I enjoyed the author’s sense of humor (for example, Florence and Otto’s “unmentionables” meeting and Sage trying to figure out biscuits and gravy). These moments, and several others, added humanity to the women.
Where I thought the author truly exceled was in the descriptions of Paris, both pre-occupation and with the arrival of the Nazis. She did a fantastic job of capturing the atmosphere of the city and beliefs of the people.
She also shined a bright light on how easy it was for some people to be fooled into supporting the Nazis’ rules and behaviors. Pretty stark lesson to learn there.
If that was a cautionary tale from history, Sage’s initial meltdown and perspective on social media was commentary on today’s obsession with surface matters. It made an interesting juxtaposition with Florence’s realization that gossip was more interesting to people than real news.
That was perhaps my favorite parallel between the two timelines. “We didn’t start the fire” and human nature hasn’t changed as much as we think it has.
Regardless, I highly recommend this book. It was a fascinating look at how history can easily repeat itself. Thought-provoking and entertaining, definitely one of my favorites.

Wedding Bells on Victory Street-Books On Tour (Review)-Historical Fiction-Available Now

I really enjoyed The Girls of Victory Street. That story took us up to the early years of WWII. Well, early in terms of US involvement.

I mentioned in the first review how I liked that the war was more background than central focus in the first book of the series. It was effective and made it possible for the reader to really understand the characters, their perspectives and the choices they made.

That turns out to be important, because in the second book, the war takes more of a personal toll on most of the characters. It ends up being a good thing that we got insight in the first book.

As in “Victory,” Bella takes centerstage. After the events of the first book, she has some baggage that she is dealing with, even as she tries to make a return to singing with The Bryant Sisters.

I liked how the singing group was a touchstone both for the participants in the group and the people they sang for.

That’s been a strong thread through both books: the healing power of music. How even in the darkest of times, songs can see people through to better times.

It’s a thought worth keeping in mind.

But I digress. Back to Bella.

She didn’t have the easiest of times in the first book, and for the most part, that remains the same. She is torn in several directions as she suffers tremendous loss and the hope of a better future in short order.

On top of all of that, WWII is in full force, and bombs are dropping all over Liverpool. But can true love conquer all?

The story is engaging, the characters are likeable, and it’s an easy and entertaining read. Of course, I’m not going to tell you what happens to Bella – you’ll have to read for yourself.

But I’ve become invested in these characters and I look forward to seeing what is in store for them.

Facebook: Pam-Howes-Books
Twitter:. @PamHowes1

Author Bio:

Pam is a retired interior designer, mum to three daughters, grandma to seven assorted grandchildren and roadie to her musician partner.

The inspiration for Pam’s first novel came from her teenage years, working in a record store, and hanging around with musicians who frequented the business. The first novel evolved into a series about a fictional band The Raiders. She is a fan of sixties music and it’s this love that compelled her to begin writing.

The Violinist of Auschwitz-Books On Tour (Review)-Historical Fiction-Available Now

Oh my.

I don’t even know where to start with this one.

Read it all. Don’t skim.

Take the time to soak it in.

Have tissues.

Lots of them.

This story has everything you would expect from a novel that has “Auschwitz” in the title.

The brutality of the camps. The inhumanity of the Nazis. The horror of the sheer amount of deaths.

But there’s more.

There’s resilience. There’s cunning. There’s beauty.

And there’s hope.

Alma is an unlikely heroine. She scorns everything and rues the choices that she made that led her to be a prisoner at Auschwitz.

But when an opportunity presents itself, she grabs it and uses her musical talent to save other women by forming an orchestra.

But even as she works to survive, she still recognizes the reality of her situation.

When events at the camp take a turn, Alma remains even more determined to live life on her own terms. Even if that means not necessarily “living.”

I’m not going to say more than that about the plot itself.

The characters are vivid, the scenes are graphic (both good and bad), and it’s all memorable.

What sticks with me is the heart of people. That not everyone who is bad stays bad, and good can be found even in seemingly evil people.

How good people can do good things, but still make horrible choices that have long-term affects on others.

And truly, how music can heal and bring people together in the strangest of ways.

I recognize that this is an unusual review. But it’s an unusual book. It’s heart-wrenching, realistic, and emotional.

And it will definitely stay with me for a long time. In fact, I wish I didn’t have other tours coming up, because I really want to think about this one for a while.

Don’t miss it. Seriously. Get it now.  

FACEBOOK: EllieMidwood 
Website: http://elliemidwood.com/

Author Bio:

Ellie Midwood is a USA Today bestselling and award-winning historical fiction author. She owes her interest in the history of the Second World War to her grandfather, Junior Sergeant in the 2nd Guards Tank Army of the First Belorussian Front, who began telling her about his experiences on the frontline when she was a young girl. Growing up, her interest in history only deepened and transformed from reading about the war to writing about it. After obtaining her BA in Linguistics, Ellie decided to make writing her full-time career and began working on her first full-length historical novel, The Girl from Berlin.’ Ellie is continuously enriching her library with new research material and feeds her passion for WWII and Holocaust history by collecting rare memorabilia and documents.

In her free time, Ellie is a health-obsessed yoga enthusiast, neat freak, adventurer, Nazi Germany history expert, polyglot, philosopher, a proud Jew, and a doggie mama. Ellie lives in New York with her fiancé and their Chihuahua named Shark Bait.

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