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Books on Tour (Review): Our Last Letter by Liz Trenow

I have had a difficult time trying to place this book. It is not historical fiction in the strictest sense (in my opinion). Maybe historical with a touch of romance? Or maybe it is a story about pre-WWII Suffolk England that follows two unique individuals as their paths cross and uncross.

Let’s go with that.

I found the underlying plot to be fascinating. The invention and establishment of what we have come to know as radar were very interesting, and it is evident that the author either has a background or did copious amounts of research because there was extensive detail. It is a tribute to the author’s ability that all of the ins and outs of a complicated scientific system were described in a way that a layperson could not only understand it but also grasp its importance.

I also liked the main characters, which helped a lot. I think Vic was a bold choice that could have veered into a preachy mode about acceptance and tolerance. Fortunately, the way Vic handled such moments in his life allowed for his character to shine through. I thought Kath was also unique because she grew up thinking that she wasn’t anything special, but found through hard work that she was much smarter than she (or anyone else) had ever given her credit.

The plot was woven between Vic and Kath in a way that felt natural and really traced the path of wartime communications. I did think that it reached a point, however, that it seemed as if the author felt the need to rush on. What once contained great detail was rushed into letters back and forth. I understand why the author did it for the sake of the plot, but it felt abrupt and it took me a minute to switch gears.

All in all, it was a good book. I learned a lot about the importance of radar and its usage during WWII. With two winning characters driving the plot forward, one couldn’t help but root for them. I would recommend this book.

Author Bio

Liz Trenow is a former journalist who spent fifteen years on regional and national newspapers, and on BBC radio and television news, before turning her hand to fiction.

She lives in East Anglia with her artist husband, and they have two grown up daughters and two beautiful grandchildren.

Author Social Media Links:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LizTrenow
Website: liztrenow.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/liztrenow/
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Books On Tour (Review): The Italian Villa

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.

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Apple Books: https://apple.co/37bPAEc
Google Play: http://bit.ly/37hmvXM

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.

Daniela, her husband and their two sons make their home in a tiny village in the Alps. To discover more about Daniela and her world, visit www.danielasacerdoti.com.  @DanielaSacerdo3
https://www.facebook.com/OfficialDanielaSacerdoti/

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Blog Tour (Review): The Harlech Beach Killings by Simon McCleave

Book series are interesting to me. Individual books in a series can be read as standalones, as the author drops enough references to understand past events without having to read the previous books. Other series require full knowledge of earlier books to understand the current plot. The Harlech Beach Killings fell somewhere in the middle for me.

The story itself was stand alone, and it was a pretty good one. I liked how the investigation unfolded; it was natural and seemed true to real-life police work (i.e., following leads, making connections between victims and suspects, etc.) The focus of the investigation (murderous drug dealers) is always a timely one as well.

There were also a few twists along the way that propelled the narrative. I thought the author waited almost too long for one of them, as it was a good one, but came about very late in the story. That’s a risky maneuver, as it seemed a little contrived by that point. There were clues to it earlier, however, the reader just doesn’t know that they’re clues. (How’s that for cryptic?)

I also appreciated the two seemingly disparate investigators. Both Ruth and Nick had their personal demons to deal with as they pursued the case. But this is where the narrative faltered for me. Having both characters with such albatrosses (alcoholism and a missing person) seemed forced – almost like the author was trying to make them more interesting.

I didn’t think they both needed the embellishment. I will say, though, that everything I know about UK police work I know from reading novels. Someone with the severity of Nick’s issues would not last long on a force, or (at the very least) would be put on desk duty for repeated violations. Maybe it’s different in the UK? And I never quite got where Ruth’s personal life fed into her police work. I prefer it when the two have a bearing on each other, and I never got that feeling here.

I think that’s why this book was in between a “standalone” and a “must read in order” for me. Maybe if I had read the first book, I would have had a better grasp of Ruth, which might have improved my perspective.

Regardless, it was a good book. I’m just not sure that I got everything I could have out of it. My suggestion would be to read the first book before this one to avoid any confusion.

About Simon McCleave

Simon McCleave was born in South London.

When leaving University, Simon worked in television and film development. He was a Script Editor at the BBC, a producer at Channel 4 before working as a Story Analyst in Los Angeles. He worked on films such as ‘The Full Monty’ and television series such as ‘Our Friends In The North’. 

Simon then became a script writer for television and film. He wrote on series such as Silent Witness, Murder In Suburbia, Teachers, Attachments, The Bill, Eastenders and many more. His film, ‘Out of the Game’ for Channel 4 was critically acclaimed – ‘An unflinching portrayal of male friendship.’ (Time Out)

‘The Harlech Beach Killings’ is his second novel.

Simon lives in North Wales with his wife and two children.

Social Media:

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Books on Tour (Review): Has Anyone Seen My Sex Life? by Kristen Bailey

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. 

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Books on Tour (Review): The Forgotten Girls by Lizzie Page

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.

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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.

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Blog Tour w/Review: Toxic Deception by K.C. Gillis

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.

He can be found online at www.kcgillis.com. You can connect with Kevin on Twitter at @kcgilliswriter, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/kcgilliswriter and you can email him directly at kevin@kcgillis.com.

Information on all of his books can be found at kcgillis.com.

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Book Review: Behind Every Lie by Christina McDonald

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.

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Blog Tour w/Review: Going Rogue by Neil Lancaster

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.

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Books On Tour (Review): The Orphan’s Daughter by Sandy Taylor

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).

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Google Play: http://bit.ly/2tstj7e

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. 

@SandyTaylorAuth
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Blog Tour w/Review: The Southern Belles by Katie Simpkins

Based on the description, I thought this book had an interesting concept. Not to mention that I have read a lot of crime and psych thrillers lately, so a novel about three sisters whose fates change and who have to figure out new lives sounded appealing.

While the premise remained interesting, the book as a whole did not live up to my expectations. I liked the set-up (a sick girl asks her grandmother to read her a story). It reminded me of The Princess Bride (one of my all-time favorites).

I also liked how each of the sisters had a distinct personality as well, with Livvy as the dreamer, Georgie as the fighter, and Evey as the practical one. These fit the stereotypes of where kids often fall in age-order (youngest to oldest). I thought the author did an admirable job of creating events in each girl’s life that illustrated their character traits.

In addition, I appreciated how each of the girls found their path in life and how each path differed, but how they all realized that money wasn’t everything. That was a good lesson that was well-illustrated.

However, there were times when I felt like the author did not know where to go with the story. The action flipped back and forth between each of the girls multiple times, making it sometimes challenging to keep up with who the focus was on at the time.

Some extra characters and events seemed to have no purpose other than to stretch the story. I understand that there had to be conflict along the way, but some things muddied the plot and were unnecessary to the general development.

The other thing that struck me right from the beginning was poor grammar in a few parts. It almost seemed as if an editor missed parts of the manuscript. For example, there was one section at the beginning written in the past perfect tense, which led to multiple uses of the word “had.” It was awkward and clunky…and the English teacher in me was dying inside.

There was a unique twist at the end that I guessed early on. But there were a lot of uneven parts which made it difficult for me to get through smoothly. Better editing and some tightening of the plot would improve this story significantly. As a whole, the book was just okay.

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