The Lost Family by Libby Copeland and Signal Fires by Dani Shapiro

 

The Lost Family was an interesting nonfiction book about DNA testing.  Through spitting into a tube and sending your sample to Ancestry or 23andMe some people have found surprises in their family lines.

Some are welcomed into a family they never knew. With others, they've been met with mistrust as the "new family" think they’re interested in money or have ulterior motives. That’s quite a disappointment for somebody that feels like they have suddenly found their biological family.

This book also addresses the genetic testing with markers for health reasons, 23andMe may lead to discoveries you'd wish you’d never uncovered. If you find out you have a genetic marker for Alzheimers do you tell your children so they know something to look for? It would hang like a guillotine over my neck the rest of my life so I don't want to know.

Another book I found very interesting on the same subject is Dani Shapiro's nonfiction Inheritance.  Check out the review HERE on my previous book blog. I immediately thought about this book when I was reading The Lost Family.

And with that I will segue to Dani Shapiro's latest book, a work of fiction titled Signal Fires.  This kept me reading constantly. I finished this in two days. 

You know how some authors can describe characters so will you have a very vivid mental image of what they look like? Well not only does the author describe them so you can picture them, she builds the flesh and emotion around them.  You can visualize the mannerisms, witness their anxiety and know when they were uncomfortable or when they’re getting ready to explode and anger. She brings them to life.

There is a young boy who is a genius level with an interest in the the stars.  He can't seem to connect with his classmates or his father. He will become an astrophysicist but he experiences loneliness growing up. The connections of all the characters -signal fires -link the young boy, the doctor and his family who live across the street, a car accident which takes a life, everything is connected. As I said, couldn't put this down and would recommend to a fan of Dani Shapiro.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with this advanced reader copy.  The publication date is October 18, 2022 by Knopf Doubleday Publishing. Genre: General Fiction, Literary Fiction.

Sharing The Lost family with Shellyrae at Book'd Out for the 2022 Nonfiction Reader Challenge (Category: Popular Science). Marg at The Intrepid Reader for the 2022 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge.

The Maze by Nelson DeMille

 

I have enjoyed many of DeMille's novels and remember liking the character John Corey. He's a combination of Jack Reacher and Detective Frank Mackey (Dublin Murder Squad by Tana French) with a heavy side of sarcasm.

That said, I enjoyed the first two John Corey novels Plum Island and The Lion's Game much more than this one. The macho stuff was way over the top and I found myself ready to skim to get to the mystery. If you haven't read any of this series before please don't start with this one as you need background and character development.

Basic plot is about murdered prostitutes and how Corey gets involved - again. He investigates dirty cops and has a teenaged inner dialogue about women (Ugh), mental scenarios where he is as agile and badass as he was in his youth.  If you aren't a John Corey fan already I'd give it a pass. Plum Island was great so you could make the exception there!

Publication date October 11, 2022 by Scribner.  Genre: General Fiction Adult, Mystery and Thrillers.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced reader's copy of this book.  I was not compensated for the review, all opinions are mine.

The Last Girl to Die by Helen Fields

My introduction to Helen Fields' books were through the D.I. Callanach series and I was instantly hooked.  If you like police procedurals and mysteries which are gritty and bold, this is your author.

The Last Girl to Die is a stand alone novel with charcaters you'd not be familar with if you were a fan of the aforementioned series. This one is a page turner. 

The setting is Mull, a small island off the coast of Scotland. Our main character is Sadie Levesque, a Canadian private investigator hired by the Clark family to find their missing daughter. The Clarks are from California and when 17 year old Adriana suddenly disappears, they seek help from outside the community.  The local townspeople are close knit and outsiders aren't welcomed with open arms. The police chief isn't helpful and tells the parents she's probably off partying in Glasgow.

Sadie doggedly pursues her investigation despite the hostile environment and lack of cooperation / info sharing from the police. Secrets are uncovered about the Clark family and a few locals,  violence is threatened and carried out and the ending - just wow. I was so astounded how this ended. I went back a chapter to reread it. If Fields comes out with any new books I will purchase them.  

Publication date September 1, 2022 by Avon Books U.K.  Genre: General Fiction Adult.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced reader's copy of this book.  I was not compensated for the review, all opinions are mine.

Sharing with Joy's Book Blog for British Isles Friday.

The Family Game by Catherine Steadman

Harriet Reed (called Harry by her friends) is engaged to Edward Holbeck, a handsome man with a super rich family.  Harry is a best selling novelist and Edward is a businessman.  He is estranged from his family because, as you're led to believe, they are self entitled, eccentric and controlling. Eventually Harry agrees to meet the family and the games begin from there.

Harry has a secret from her past but it just about pales in comparison to Holbecks.  Edward brings her to the family home for the first time at Thanksgiving.  During that visit Edward's father meets with her privately, eventually giving her a tape of a "novel in progess" for her to evaluate.  Is it a thriller or is it a murder confession disguised as fiction? Harry researches the information and realizes she is involved in a potentially deadly situation.

The prologue starts with Harry coming to on the floor on the estate of the Holbeck mansion.  Wiping the blood from her face she makes a plan to survive this dangerous treasure hunt, a family game played every year at Christmas.  The stakes are high and the scenes are brilliantly written.

Near the end of the book this scene picks up so you know exactly how crazy a family game this was.  I could not put this down after the twists were revealed - dinner was late on two evenings while I read on! This is the fourth book I have read by Catherine Steadman and I loved it.

Publication date is November 8, 2022 by Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine.  Genre: General Fiction Adult, Mystery and Thrillers, Women's Fiction.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced reader's copy of this book.  I was not compensated for the review, all opinions are mine.

Sharing with Joy's Book Blog for British Isles Friday.

The Villa by Rachel Hawkins

 

This story has two separate story lines.  Mari's story is from 1973 and Emily's story is set in present day. Seems all our main characters are writers, both past and present.

Emily is having trouble in her marriage as well as her writing career.  Her best friend Chess, also a writer, invites her on a 6 week vacation staying at an Italian villa.  It is mainly set in Italy and the villa sounds amazing. The setting and genre were my initial attractions to the book.

I found there were too many plots going on, back and forth between Mari and Emily's time period.  The toxic relationship development was not surprising between the friends so after a while I became distracted. I would not describe this book as a thriller at all.  It was a mystery but a predictable outcome.

Previously I enjoyed The Wife Upstairs and so I would read more by this  author.

Publication date January 3, 2023 by St. Martin's Press  Genre: General Fiction Adult, Mystery and Thrillers.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced reader's copy of this book.  I was not compensated for the review, all opinions are mine.

Ashton Hall by Lauren Belfer

This book is a historical fiction based on the real Ashton Hall built in 1856 in Lancashire England.

Hannah Larson is researching her doctoral dissertation and the subject matter of Ashton Hall plays in.  There is a dark history about the house and a mystery about a  skeleton which was found in a locked room. You will eventually discover who that person was. The backstory on that and the house history is revealed at the end. This is not a ghost story and just about all of the book is set and present time. 

Hannah's life is basically a dumpster fire with a marriage in trouble and her son Nicky having emotional difficulties. I don’t mean he’s unruly or acting up, but more like a medical condition which causes him to become unpredictably violent.  Yet he is bright and it's Nicky who discovers the skeletal remains.

Hannah's research brings the Elizabethan era to life as she goes through old account ledgers and diaries.

Publication date is June 7, 2022 by Random House Publishing - Ballantine Books.  Genre: General Fiction, Historical Fiction, Mysteries and Thrillers.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced reader's copy of this book.  I was not compensated for the review, all opinions are mine.

Sharing with Joy's Book Blog for British Isles Friday and Marg at The Intrepid Reader for the Historical Fiction Readng Challenge.

The Lies I Tell by Julie Clark

 

This is a book I will probably reread years down the road.  There were many twists and back stories which had me invested in Meg's future.

Have you ever watched a movie where you were in support of the bad guy? Meg isn't necessary all bad and her background makes you sympathetic but seriously, don't cross her!

Meg uses different alias - Meg, Maggie, Melody - depending on her situation.  She moves to different towns, develops an identity and smoothly cons her way into someone's life. 

Kat Roberts finds Meg and is determined to expose her but things are not as she imagined, based on her own interactions with Meg ten years prior. Kat blames Meg for a trauma she experienced which temporarily sidelined her journalism career.

This book would be an excellent choice for a book club.  If you haven't read Julie Clark's previous book The Last Flight I would also recommend that one.

Publication date is June 21, 2022 by Sourcebooks Landmark. Genre: Mystery/Thriller and Women's Fiction.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced reader's copy of this book.  I was not compensated for the review, all opinions are mine.

Hatchet Island by Paul Doiron

 

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The setting is Puffin Island off the Maine coast and I enjoyed reading about the area and the bird colonies. Mike Bowditch is a game warden and investigator but off duty, taking a kayak vacation with his girlfriend Stacy. 

Stacy did an internship on the island and is very careful about docking where the endangered species are nesting.  A friend who works on the island asked Stacy to come see her as the founder of the project is missing. The tension between the volunteers and head of the research project is tangible. Stacy hopes to connect with the founder and mentor who is currently missing.

Camping off another island one night they hear a gunshot and that's when the action begins.  Three researchers are found murdered and posed in odd positions.  (This is not a spoiler but in the description).  Bowditch starts working with a few former coworkers in Marine Patrol, Coast Guard and Environmental Protection and some of those men have secrets. 

I liked the slow reveal on many mysteries and plan to read more in this series.  I did not know this was #13 in the Mike Bowditch series so I have catching up to do.  Publication date is June 28, 2022 by St. Martin's Press.  Genre: Mystery and Thrillers.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced reader's copy of this book.  I was not compensated for the review, all opinions are mine.

Changing Roles by Dr. Vivien Newman

 

Dr. Vivien Newman delves into the lives of British woman and their place in the workforce after WW I.  They assumed the workload and roles traditionally held by men.  All the men were off to war but life went on and these stories tell how the females shouldered the load.

When the war was over the women were expected to fade back into their traditional roles but many said the hell with that!  These women were pioneers in the early movement for equal rights.

I enjoyed the stories about Dorothy Sayers, Agatha Christie and Gertrude Bell very much. They made a difference.

Publication date is October 30, 2021 by Pen and Sword. Genre: History and Nonfiction.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced reader's copy of this book.  I was not compensated for the review, all opinions are mine.

Sharing with

 Shelleyrae at Book'd Out for the 2022 Nonfiction Reading Challenge. (Category: Social History)

Joy's Book Blog for British Isles Friday

One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle

 

This isn't labeled as a fantasy genre but there is an element of  unintentional time travel in the plot.  Sounds weird, right? What attracted me to this story was a chance to go back in time and meet your mother again when she was young.

Katy is very devoted to her mother Carol and the feeling is mutual.  They are like best friends and so very close.  The story begins with Carol's death and Katy grieving. At the same time Katy was questioning if her marriage to Eric was over so there is a lot of emotional turmoil in her life.

Katy and Carol were meant to take a trip to Italy, the tickets had been purchased months before.  When the tickets arrive Katy decides to go on the trip alone and think about her marriage as well as deal with the grief of losing her mother.  

Something strange happens once she arrives at the hotel. After awakening from a nap, she comes upon her mother in the hotel lobby.  Carol is 30 years younger and Katy thinks she's lost her mind.  Well, wouldn't you?

They strike up a friendship and Katy learns more about her mother and her past, making her evaluate her life a bit differently. 

This is the second book I have read by this author and I liked In Five Years a bit more than this one. I would read more by Rebecca Serle.

Publication date March 1, 2022 by Atria Books.  Genre: Women's Fiction.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced reader's copy of this book.  I was not compensated for the review, all opinions are mine.

Reckless Girls by Rachel Hawkins

 

Recently I read The Wife Upstairs and I thought that was a good domestic thriller. As I liked the style of writing I thought I'd love Reckless Girls. I did not. The premise sounded good but I honestly didn't like any of the characters well enough to get invested.

Lux and Nico are two of our main characters and I didn't dislike them but couldn't warm to them. Lux is the narrator of the story.  She meets Nico in San Diego shortly after her mother died.  She's ready for a fresh start and Nico is a charming goodlooking fellow who she decides to follow to Hawaii.

They plan to sail around the world but financial setbacks means they get stuck with menial jobs in Hawaii for a while.  Then Nico gets an offer of big money to sail two young women, Amma and Brittany, to a remote island called Meroe. Lux is invited along by the women and they all get along like a house on fire. The young ladies have big secrets which will be revealed near the end. Anyway, when they get to this remote island there is another couple there. This rich couple who also get along with Lux, Nico, Amma and Brittany.

It had it's twists but I found it anticlimatic. Prepare for some mystery and murder.  If this were my first novel by Hawkins I wouldn't seek out more as I did after reading The Wife Upstairs. Obviously this my opinion as there are planty of 4 and 5 star ratings for this book.  Just didn't do it for me.

Publication date January 4, 2022 by St. Martin's Press.  Genre: General Fiction, Mysteries and Thrillers

Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced reader's copy of this book.  I was not compensated for the review, all opinions are mine.

One for Sorrow by Helen Fields {DI Luc Callenach series, book 7}

 

I have found a new crime thriller series to follow - Helen Fields' series DI Luc Callenach. The description of One for Sorrow attracted me as did the setting in Scotland. What I didn't pay attention to was the fact that this is book 7 in the series. Arrgh!  I do this all the time, start with the wrong book.

The good news is I am completely captivated by the characters DI Luc Callenach and DCI Ava Turner and plan to purchase all six previous books. The writing style is spot on, grabbed my attention and I read every time I had a chance to open my Kindle.

The plot involves a bomber in Edinburgh leaving a trail of bodies with every crime.  Revenge drives the bomber and you'll slowly see the pattern and worry about favorite characters with every threat. Ms. Fields' doesn't play it safe with the elimination of a few favored cops so you won't be able to guess who may suffer with the next target. The crimes are brilliantly described.

There is side story about a young woman named Quinn MacTavish which slowly blends into the plot line.  All of her chapters are titled Before.  Love the police procedural genre and there is a thriller element here, mental illness is certainly a factor in the plot as well.  Did I guess the identity of the bomber?  No, I did not. The ending leaves you ready for the next book but I will satisfy myself with catching up through books 1 -6 for now.

Publication date is February 17, 2022 by Avon Books U.K.  Genre: General Fiction, Mystery, Thrillers.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced reader's copy of this book.  I was not compensated for the review, all opinions are mine. Loved the book.

Sharing with Joy's Book Blog for British isles Friday.

The Blood Tide by Neil Lancaster

 

The Blood Tide is a wonderful followup to Dead Man's Grave where we are introduced to DS Max Craigie. After reading the first book I hoped our author would continue to add to this arresting series (pun intended).

Characters from the first book appear again here so it's recommended to start with Dead Man's Grave for character development.  I'm loving the team and Max's partner Janie Calder.  There is tension, police corruption, drug deals, organzied crime and murder packed into this novel. 

Author Neil Lancaster worked with the Metropolitan Police so the plot and scenarios are very believable about how investigations work. Write about what you know, right? There is also humor in some of the banter between officers which comes across as very believable.

If you enjoy police procedurals and good mystery with thrills, this will be a series you'll enjoy.  Additonally, fans of books set in Scotland will enjoy the beauty and isolation described in the plot.

Publication date is February 23, 2022 by HQ Digital.  Genre: General Fiction, Mystery and Thriller.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced reader's copy of this book.  I was not compensated for the review, all opinions are mine.

Sharing with Joy's Book Blog for Britsh Isles Friday.

Greenwich Park by Katherine Faulkner

 

I admit the cover grabbed my attention straight away.  Isn't that what we notice in the bookstore displays?  A cover that appeals?  Well, that and an author we love.

The beginning of this book is a letter to Helen.  It's from one of our main characters and that character is writing from prison.  You don't know if it's a man or woman but they contact Helen to share a secret which I assumed would devastate her. For what it's worth, I guessed wrong on the author's identity, I mean completely as I didn't even have the correct gender of the writer!

The house itself is always part of the story. It’s an old house registered with English heritage. It has a lovely doorway, huge old Georgian windows surrounded by ivy. Just look at the cover so you get a mental image. It looks like a place I'd love to live.

 Our main characters are Helen, Daniel, Serena, Rory and Rachel. With the exception of Rachel they all attended Cambridge University. Helen and Daniel are married and Helen's brother Rory is married to Serena. Both ladies are very pregnant and while you'd think the sister-in-laws would be bonding it's a bit awkward at times.

Helen is a rather nosy character and goes through Serena's cabinets and drawers. One day she finds a note and she can’t figure out who it’s from (as if it's any of her business.)

Darling RRH

Wear it  to show me

Evermore

W

She knows it isn’t Serena’s handwriting and wonders if her brother Rory is having an affair. The initial W doesn’t mean anything to her but it is revealed who W is at the end of the book.  That part was quite clever, however Helen not knowing the hand writing raised suspicion with me as it is someone she knows very well. But that's much later in the book.....

Rachel is a wild, smoking and drinking young woman who attends the same birthing class as Helen.  She slowly insinuates herself into Helen's life even though Helen has zero in common with her.  From the beginnning I was wondering why Helen didn't avoid Rachel but you will see her end game as you read on.

I know so many books are compared to Gone Girl but this one has the over-the-waterfall revelations and I enjoyed every surprise.

Brilliant writing and plot, I couldn't put this one down.  With all the mysteries I read there are the occasional books which I can leave for days and then I get back to them.  Not this one.  I have been fortunate to have a great run of luck with the mysteries I've gotten from Netgalley and the library lately. 4 & 1/2 Stars.

Publication date is January 25,  2022 by Gallery Books.  Genre: Mystery and Thriller. Look out for this one and I hope Ms. Faulkner continues with future engaging plots.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced reader's copy of this book.  I was not compensated for the review, all opinions are mine.

Katherine Faulkner is a journalist and lives in London and Greenwich Park is her first novel. 

Sharing with Joy's Book Blog for British Isles Friday.

The Midwife's Secret by Emily Gunnis

 

The description and cover attracted me to this book but the begining development of the plot was confusing to me.  There are several time lines and two families which connect from 1919, 1969 and to present day. There is a priest hole in an old house and a young child is hidden away which you can imagine never ends well.

A young girl named Alice disappears in 1969 and she is never found (Not a spoiler as it's in the description of the book).

The hidden room in an old house called Yew Tree Manor reminded me of Kate Morton's book The Clockmaker's Daughter. For this scenario you may conjour images from Sarah's Key by Tatianna de Rosnay.  Not at all the exact same circumstances but if you've read those you'll get what I mean.

I liked the cover and I liked the old house as a "character" in this book.  Old houses and mysteries grab me every time.  I would not seek out more by this author based on this book but I see she has several books in publication so, maybe those would keep my interest more than this one.  This one just didn't grab me.

Publication date October 28, 2021 by Mobius Books.  Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery and Thrillers.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced reader's copy of this book.  I was not compensated for the review, all opinions are mine.

Sharing with Marg at The Intrepid Reader for the 2021 Historical Ficion Challenge.

Buried Lies by Jenny O'Brien

 

Hannah is a nurse who is engaged to Ian and has a son named Hunter.  Her friend/coworker Milly invites her to go away to a posh hotel and enjoy the spa treatment when Milly's boyfriend up and leaves her.  The weekend is paid for so Hannah agrees to take the trip.

This is her first time away from Hunter but thought a weekend away would give Ian and Hunter time to bond and give Ian a chance to see what being a stepfather is all about. When Hannah returns home she finds Ian dead and her son is missing. What a nightmare.

When Gaby's team arrives to investigate they recognize Ian as one of the new police officers hired.  It appears he commited suicide but anyone who has read a police procedural will know this could be one of the red herrings inserted in the plot. Hannah is obviously bereaved and frantic but is also a suspect in the case.  She has a past which revealed a patient death under suspicious circumstances. 

The Welsh names of cities come up which is a part I like.  Love traveling to Betws-y-Coed, Conwy, Y Mwyar Duon in Ruthin, Llandudno and Rhos-on-Sea in Wales through virtual travel.

Buried Lies is the fifth book in the Detective Gaby Darin series and I blew through this novel in a day.  I enjoyed the first four books and was delighted to be approved for an advanced readers copy of this series.  As the characters develop I find I'm quite attached to them, watching them grow in their personal and professional lives.

Here is a list of the Detective Gaby Darin series:

Missing in Wales (book 1, titled Silent Cry in the UK editions)

Darkest Night (book 2)

Fallen Angel (book 3)

Lost Souls (book 4)

Publication date November 17, 2021 by St. Martin's Press.  Genre: General Fiction, Mystery and Thriller. you to Netgalley for the advanced reader's copy of this book.  I was not compensated for the review, all opinions are mine.

Sharing with Joy's Book Blog for British Isles Friday.

A Little Bird by Wendy James

 

Josephine "Jo" Sharpe is our main narrator in this Australian novel.  She returns home to the backwater town Arthurville with a bit of reluctance because of her family's past and also to help her father as he is in poor health. 

Mick doesn't blink an eye when Jo arrives at the unkempt home desite the fact that they haven't spoken for over two years. They rarely commmunicate and yet they coexist and skirt the big issue about her mother and baby sister disappearing over 20 years ago.

Jo was a journalist in a large city and her new job at The Chronicle has her writing fluff material such as the grandparent's day gathering and who won first prize for their crafting assignments. In the dilapidated newspaper office she comes across old newspaper clippings with a gossip column called The Little Bird.  Eventually Jo discovers her mother had a hand in this anonymous column which shared salacious community information such as who may be having an affair or who may have dented the fences in front of the drug store, all without naming names of course.  

There are multiple narrators in this story and you will be taken back to the 1990's when Jo's mother Merry up and leaves with the baby Amy. Merry was from a weathy family and was destined for university in Sydney until she ran into Mick one day.  Mick is/was a working class man who would never have crossed paths with Merry in any social setting.  As it worked out, Merry became pregnant and all the big plans went up in smoke. Her family was....displeased.

You will go back and forth between the two time lines, mysteries are revealed and finally by the end of the book you'll discover what happened to baby Amy and Jo's young mother.

Overall it was a decent read but a bit slow here and there.  I was wanting more atmospheric details about the Australian setting but there is little of that.  There is the occasional mention of the extreme heat and dusty roads but that's it.

Publication date November 30, 2021 by Lake Union Publishing.  Genre: General Fiction and Women's Fiction.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced reader's copy of this book.  I was not compensated for the review, all opinions are mine. 

A Note From the Publisher:

Wendy James is Australia’s queen of the domestic thriller. She is the author of nine novels, including An Accusation, The Golden Child―short-listed for the 2017 Ned Kelly Award―and the bestselling The Mistake. Her debut novel, Out of the Silence, won the 2006 Ned Kelly Award for first crime novel and was short-listed for the Nita May Dobbie Award for women’s writing. Wendy has a PhD from the University of New England, and she works as an editor, teacher, and researcher. She writes some of the sharpest, most topical domestic noir in the country.

Sharing with Marg at The Intrepid Reader for the 2021 Historical Fiction Challenge.

Under the Golden Sun by Jenny Ashcroft

 

This historical novel transported me to Ilfracombe and London England, Malaysia and Australia. I will say I enjoyed every bit about this novel from the travel, the character development, the WW II setting and the heartwarming storyline.

The story begins in March of 1941 with our main character Rose headed to London to meet her family for her twenty-fifth birthday. Her parents are in Ceylon but she expects to see her Uncle Lionel and brother Joe.  The war time shortages are apparent with descriptions of mock eggs and chocolate cake.  The cake had prunes and beetroot but when the nation is rationing you celebrate how you can.

Rose is still experiencing grief from a loss and her American fiance Xander isn't exactly the epitome of loving support.  Reading a discarded newspaper on her train to London, Rose, on the spur of the moment, answers an advertisement regarding a young boy who is need of a chaperone to Australia.  Walter aged four is a lonely but bright little fellow and you'll fall in love with him. Rose goes to the house in London to meet the child and this dramatically changes her life. Walter's mother was from Australia and was recently killed in an accident.  

The ship voyage, the strengthening bond between Rosie and Walter and the new family in Australia had me riveted. I loved this book and actually hope the author will add a second book to follow up.  I don't want to see these characters go away! The storyline could be picked up with Rose's life, I'd love to know what happens to Walter and so much more.

Publication date March 15, 2022 by St Martin's Press.  Genre: Historical Fiction.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced reader's copy of this book.  I was not compensated for the review, all opinions are mine.

Sharing with Marg at The Intrepid Reader for the 2021 Historical Fiction challenge and Joy's Book Blog for British Isles Friday.

Nanny Dearest by Fiona Collins

I'm usually down for a psychological thriller with a good mystery twist but sadly this book seemed to drag for me. I see many 4 star reviews but this wasn't my cuppa tea.

The premise is the young toddler Suzy is left to be reared by her nanny Annaliese.  Suzy's mother dies when she is young and Annaliese is the mother and rock for the little girl.

The story is told from two perspectives. As an adult Suzy runs into Annaliese and connects with her again.  Suzy's father had died recently and she was feeling alone in the world. The former nanny inserts herself into her life, giving Suzy a feeling of love and protection which she was missing. Before long Suzy abandons her friends and other interests, including her job.

The characters didn't connect with me at all and I felt zero empathy. After a while I skimmed and had it not been the obligation of a review in exchange for this complimentary copy, I'd have moved on. Again, lots of folks seemed to like this book but I was not one of them.
 

 Publication date November 30, 2021 by Harlequin. Genre: General Fiction Adult, Mystery and Thrillers.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced reader's copy of this book.  I was not compensated for the review, all opinions are mine.

Smile and Look Pretty by Amanda Pellegrino

 

If The Devil Wears Prada and Bridget Jones Diary had a baby it would be this book. I’m loving this book, the dialogue and most of the characters. Four friends in entry level positions in New York City work as assistants in various industries. All four women want to climb the ladder within their respective fields and have a successful career. 

Cate is an assistant to the head of a huge book publishing company.  He  requires her to do the administrative as well as personal jobs for him.  Keep his calender but also get cupcakes to his son's school for a party, pick up dry cleaning, open his home in Vermont for his vacation.

Max is an assistant at a news station with goals to be a journalist.  She is sexually harrassed by the lead news anchor and does all the running for coffee and other minor tasks.  Her male counterpart Charlie is never subjected to demeaning comments or asked to run out on errands.

Lauren dreams of being a script writer one day.  She is an assistant to Pete and gets harrassed by one of the writers on the show. Go get the coffee and keep your mouth shut.  Until she has enough of that treatment.

Olivia is an actor's assistant and has some of the same demeaning tasks as her friends.  Go to a smelly unairconditioned warehouse to search for a sofa he wants delivered;  try and take notes and keep his calendar while he is doing yoga naked. The B list actor Nate always dangles the idea of passing on a screen test of hers to someone who can help.

The ladies meet Thursdays to drink margaritas and unburden themselves to one another, the only people they can trust.  Then they take the napkins with the written out grievences and burn them at the end of the night.  One night they decide to start a website called Twentysomething and write out their stories anonymously.  Thanks to the NDA (non disclosure agreements) they must use names like The Bossy One, The Emotional One, etc.  Then it takes off.  More women are telling their stories and the website becomes a sensation. People start to wonder, who are these women behind Twentysomething as it becomes newsworthy.

This book has sexual references and the occasional F bomb.  This doesn't bother me but I know it does for some. The stories are believable as are the friendships and struggles.  This is a story about women being impowered by one another and getting tired of being passed over for promotion and treated differently than their male counterparts.

I will definitely be looking for more by Amanda Pelligrino  in the future.

Publication date December 21, 2021 by Harlequin.  Genre: General Fiction Adult and Women's Fiction.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced reader's copy of this book.  I was not compensated for the review, all opinions are mine.