Month: August 2017

Jane Austen At Home by Lucy Worsley

Mary Biography, Lucy Worsley, St. Martin's Press
  • Title:  Jane Austen at Home
  • Author:  Lucy Worsley
  • Genre:  Biography
  • Pages:  387
  • Published:  July 2017 – St. Martin’s Press
  • Source:  Publisher

Description:  On the two-hundredth anniversary of Jane Austen’s death, historian Lucy Worsley leads us into the world in which one of English Literature’s best-loved novelists lived.

This new telling of the story of Jane’s life shows us how and why she lived as she did, examining the rooms, spaces, and possessions that mattered to her, and the way in which home is used in her novels to mean both a place of pleasure and a prison. It wasn’t all country houses and ballrooms; in fact, her life was often a painful struggle.

Jane famously lived a “life without incident,” but with new research and insights Lucy Worsley reveals a passionate woman who fought for her freedom. A woman who far from being a lonely spinster in fact had at least five marriage prospects, but who in the end refused to settle for anything less than Mr. Darcy.  (publisher)

My take:  I’ve enjoyed Jane Austen’s novels so reading Lucy Worsley’s biography of the revered author was a pleasure. It’s a compelling look at Austen’s life and, more specifically, how she lived. The impact of what was going on at any given time in her life was apparent in her heroines’ circumstances. The day-to-day minutiae landed on the pages of the novels that readers, then and now, recognize and can relate. That’s why there are so many Janeites still today. I found the book easy to read and, honestly, difficult to put down. I especially loved learning about Jane’s endearing relationship with her sister Cassandra. I appreciated the extensive research made apparent by the bibliography, notes and index. The photos and illustrations included in two sections enhanced the reading experience. I can say with confidence Jane Austen at Home would be a perfect gift for Austen fans.

 

How to Change a Life by Stacey Ballis

Mary Berkley, Contemporary Fiction, Stacey Ballis
  • Title:  How to Change a Life
  • Author:  Stacey Ballis
  • Genre:  Contemporary Fiction
  • Pages:  400
  • Published:  August 2017 – Berkley
  • Source:  Publisher

Description:  Eloise is happy with her life as a successful private chef. She has her clients, her corgi, and a recipe for the world’s most perfect chocolate cream pie. What more could she need? But when her long-lost trio of high school friends reunites, Eloise realizes how lonely she really is. 

Eloise, Lynne, and Teresa revamp their senior-class assignment and dare one another to create a list of things to accomplish by the time they each turn forty in a few months. Control freak Lynne has to get a dog, Teresa has to spice up her marriage, and Eloise has to start dating again. 

Enter Shawn, a hunky ex-athlete and the first man Eloise could see herself falling for. Suddenly forty doesn’t seem so lonely—until a chance encounter threatens the budding romance and reveals the true colors of her friends. Will the bucket listers make it to forty still speaking to one another? Or do some friendships come with an expiration date? (publisher)

My take:  Stacey Ballis sets her novels in Chicago and makes delicious food a major part of the main character’s life – she’s usually an amazing cook. How to Change a Life is the story of Eloise. She’s looking at forty and fairly consumed by her life as a professional cook for a wonderful family and one very nice older man. She would do anything for all of them as they would for her. That’s just how she is. When she reconnects with her two best friends from high school at the funeral of their favorite teacher her life gets an unexpected tweak. The three end up in a challenge to meet a few goals before they turn forty. This has mixed results but they all receive the benefit of their efforts. I loved El and how she showed the people in her life that they were special to her through her actions. The bet she makes with her friends forces her to let down her guard that has protected her since she came home from France with a broken heart. And that opens her life up to wonderful new possibilities. I recommend this novel to anyone who loves a big-hearted protagonist, foodie fiction, and a good story. Readers Guide and recipes are included!

 

A Mother Like Mine by Kate Hewitt

Mary Berkley, Contemporary Fiction, Kate Hewitt
  • Title:  A Mother Like Mine
  • Series:  Hartley-by-the-Sea #3
  • Author:  Kate Hewitt
  • Genre:  Contemporary Fiction
  • Pages:  384
  • Published:  August 2017 – Berkley
  • Source:  Publisher

Description:  Welcome to England’s beautiful Lake District, where a reluctant reunion forges a new bond between a daughter and her wayward mother….
 
Abby Rhodes is just starting to get her life on track. After her fiancé’s unexpected death, she returned with her young son to the small village where she grew up and threw herself into helping her ailing grandmother run the town’s beach café. Then one evening, her mother, Laura, shows up in Hartley-by-the-Sea and announces her plan to stay. After twenty years away, she now wants to focus on the future—and has no intention, it seems, of revisiting the painful past.
 
Laura Rhodes has made a lot of mistakes, and many of them concern her daughter. But as Abby gets little glimpses into her mother’s life, she begins to realize there are depths to Laura she never knew. Slowly, Abby and Laura start making tentative steps toward each other, only to have life become even more complicated when an unexpected tragedy arises. Together, the two women will discover truths both sad and surprising that draw them closer to a new understanding of what it means to truly forgive someone you love. (publisher)

My take: When Laura Rhodes returns home to Hartley-by-the-Sea from America she isn’t met with a warm reception from her daughter. Abby has every reason to be bitter where her mother is concerned. She left when Abby was a toddler and only came back for a few short visits over the years. Now Abby is a single mother of a young boy. She’s struggling to make a go of the family beach cafe and really doesn’t have time to forge a relationship with Laura.  But when something unexpected happens the two must figure out how to move forward. A Mother Like Mine is the story of forgiveness, learning to trust, and second chances. It’s a heart-warming novel that fans of the series will love. I enjoyed revisiting the quaint, picturesque village of Hartley-by-the-Sea and glimpsing characters from the previous books.  A Mother Like Mine can stand alone if you haven’t read the first two books. There’s an excerpt from Rainy Day Sisters (book 1) at the end – along with a Readers Guide.

 

The One That Got Away by Melissa Pimentel

Mary Contemporary Fiction, Melissa Pimentel, St. Martin's Press
  • Title:  The One That Got Away
  • Author:  Melissa Pimentel
  • Genre:  Contemporary Fiction
  • Pages:  400
  • Published:  August 2017 – St. Martin’s Press
  • Source:  Publisher

Description:  A modern retelling of Jane Austen’s Persuasion, where a young woman comes face-to-face with a lost love, proving that the one that got away is sometimes the one you get back. Ruby and Ethan were perfect for each other. Until the day they suddenly weren’t.

Ten years later, Ruby’s single, having spent the last decade focusing on her demanding career and hectic life in Manhattan. There’s barely time for a trip to England for her little sister’s wedding. And there’s certainly not time to think about seeing Ethan there for the first time in years.

But as the family frantically prepare for the big day, Ruby can’t help but wonder if she made the right choice all those years ago. Because there’s nothing like a wedding for stirring up the past… (publisher)

My take:  Persuasion holds a special place in my heart so, while I was excited for the chance to read a retelling of the story, I was also a bit reluctant. I don’t consider myself an Austen purist, but still…

The chapters alternate between Now and Then which fleshed out the story of Ruby and Ethan who find themselves in England for the wedding of her sister to his best friend – ten years after Ruby and Ethan broke up. So, will they find a second chance or have too many years gone by? I had fun finding out. I loved the setting but what I enjoyed the most were the secondary characters – people in the village pub, members of the principal characters’ families, etc. Some of them could be members of my own family – which endeared them all the more to me. The One That Got Away is recommended to fans of modern takes on Austen novels. I’m glad I read it and am tempted to pick up the original one day soon.

About the author:

MELISSA PIMENTEL grew up in a small town in Massachusetts in a house without cable and therefore much of her childhood was spent watching 1970s British comedy on public television. These days, she spends much of her time reading in the various pubs of Stoke Newington and engaging in a long-standing emotional feud with their disgruntled cat, Welles. She works in publishing and is also the author of Love by the Book.

 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/melispim?lang=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MelissaPimentelAuthor/

Buy Links: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250130389

 

 

 

 

The Wardrobe Mistress by Meghan Masterson

Mary Historical Fiction, Meghan Masterson, St. Martin's Griffin
  • Title:  The Wardrobe Mistress: A Novel of Marie Antoinette
  • Author:  Meghan Masterson
  • Genre:  Historical Fiction
  • Pages:  320
  • Published:  August 2017 – St. Martin’s Griffin
  • Source:  Publisher

Description:  It’s Giselle Aubry’s first time at court in Versailles. At sixteen, she is one of Marie Antoinette’s newest undertirewomen, and in awe of the glamorous queen and her opulent palace life. A budding designer, it’s a dream come true to work with the beautiful fabrics and jewels in the queen’s wardrobe. But every few weeks she returns home to visit her family in Paris where rumors of revolution are growing stronger.

From her position working in the royal household, Giselle is poised to see both sides of the revolutionary tensions erupting throughout Paris. When her uncle, a retired member of the secret du roi, a spy ring that worked for the old King, Louis XV, suggests that she casually report the Queen’s actions back to him as a game, she leaps at the chance. Spying seems like an adventure and an exciting way to privately support the revolution taking the countryside by storm. She also enjoys using her insight from Versailles in lively debates with Léon Gauvain, the handsome and idealistic revolutionary who courts her.

But as the revolution continues to gain momentum, and Giselle grows closer to the Queen, becoming one of the few trusted servants, she finds herself dangerously torn. Violence is escalating; she must choose where her loyalty truly lies, or risk losing everything…maybe even her head. (publisher)

My take:  I’m familiar with Marie Antoinette’s story and how it all played out so seeing it through the eyes of a young, middle-class woman who was one of her servants added to the context. It also provided conflict – especially experienced by Giselle who came of age during the time she served the Queen. She knew that things were not cut and dry when it came to the royal family and the general perception of the people. Giselle’s challenge was how to balance what she knew with how she felt. Adding to the challenge is Léon, her love interest. He is a revolutionary, albeit a moderate one. Can their relationship survive dire circumstances? Overall, I liked The Wardrobe Mistress and would recommend Meghan Masterson’s debut novel to fans of historical fiction about the French Revolution. Giselle’s story was an interesting perspective.

About the author: Meghan Masterson graduated from the University of Calgary and has worked several unrelated jobs while writing on the side. As a child, she gave her parents a flowery story about horses every year for Christmas. She is drawn to strong historical figures and situations which present unexpected opportunities for her characters. Meghan loves reading at all hours, cooking, and going for walks with her dog. She and her husband live in Calgary.

Praise for The Wardrobe Mistress

“In this debut novel by Meghan Masterson, the characters practically leap off the page, taking you by the hand through the streets of revolutionary Paris and the glittering halls of Marie Antoinette’s Versailles…A highly entertaining read! Not to be missed!” – Michelle Moran, Internationally bestselling author of Nefertiti and Madame Tussaud

“Silk isn’t the only thing whispering through the halls of the royal palaces in Meghan Masterson’s captivating debut…The Wardrobe Mistress is a romantic, tension-filled coming of age story set in a time of dangerous and uncertain revolution. You will root for Giselle; you will applaud her; and you will also fear for her.” – Sophie Perinot, author of Medici’s Daughter

“An entertaining read in the best tradition of the historical novel…The Wardrobe Mistress is intriguing and well researched, set during one of my favorite periods of history, the French Revolution.” – Roberta Rich, Internationally bestselling author of The Midwife of Venice

“Revolutionary fervor, royal politics, and high fashion are stitched together like a couture ballgown in Meghan Masterson’s THE WARDROBE MISTRESS…Giselle makes a smart, likable heroine, torn between her affection for the queen and her growing love for a firebrand suitor, and the revolution’s relentless advance toward the guillotine made for breathless reading. A charming debut!” —Kate Quinn, author of The Empress of Rome Saga and The Borgia Chronicles

THE WARDROBE MISTRESS: A Novel of Marie Antoinette

St. Martin’s Griffin

On-Sale August 15th, 2017

Paperback: $15.99 / 9781250126665

E-Book: $10.99 / 9781250126672

 

Best Intentions by Erika Raskin plus US Giveaway

Mary Erika Raskin, Giveaway, Mystery, St. Martin's Press
  • Title:  Best Intentions
  • Author:  Erika Raskin
  • Genre:  Mystery
  • Pages:  288
  • Published:  August 2017 – St. Martin’s Press
  • Source:  Publisher

Description:  Marti Trailor is a mother of three, a New York congressman’s daughter, and wife to a successful obstetrician. Tired of playing the dutiful stay-at-home mom, she jumps at the opportunity to return to her stalled career as a hospital social worker. The catch? The job is at the same hospital where her husband works, and the doctor is not so keen.

As Marti gets enmeshed in the world of the hospital—long hours, overworked doctors, entrenched and dangerous politics—she witnesses something that she cannot unsee. Marti takes it upon herself to do the right thing. But the right thing comes with unintended consequences, and before she even has time to plead innocence, Marti finds herself thrust under a dangerous spotlight.

Peeling back the layers of one woman’s precipitous journey from stay-at-home mom to murder trial defendant, Best Intentions is Erika Raskin’s sophomore gem, a domestic mystery set against a captivating emotional backdrop. (publisher)

My take:  Marti is the beleaguered wife of a successful doctor in Richmond. She is almost single-handedly raising their three children and is getting kind of fed up with the whole deal. When she’s offered a job in her chosen profession of social worker at the same hospital where her husband works, she grabs it. He’s less than thrilled but knows better than to try to change her decision. When something happens at the hospital to one of Marti’s clients her life is turned upside down and she finds herself facing a murder charge.

I thought this whodunit was okay but I had a few quibbles:  pacing – it didn’t take off for me until almost half-way in; Marti’s snarky (mostly) inner dialogue got old fast; there are a lot of stereotypes in this novel. Even though I had a good idea of what happened I wanted to see how Erika Raskin wrapped it all up – and I thought she did a decent job. Fans of a mysteries that involve hospital politics, social work, and the law might want to give Best Intentions a try.

About the author:

Erika Raskin’s debut novel, Close, was nominated for a Teen Choice Book of the Year award. Her work has appeared on public radio and publications including The Washington Post, Salon, and Washingtonian Magazine. She was a fellow at the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts and a panelist at the Virginia Festival of the Book.

US Giveaway

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GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED

Giveaway ends August 23, 2017

US Giveaway (galley copy): Seven Days of Us by Francesca Hornak

Mary Berkley Books, Francesca Hornak, Giveaway

I’ll be reading this novel in the fall and will be part of a blog tour at that time. The publisher has made available a review galley for a lucky US reader now!  The following content was provided by the publisher:

*

A week is a long time to spend with your family.

Now imagine being quarantined with them over Christmas.

 

That’s the delicious premise in SEVEN DAYS OF US, about a dysfunctional British family forced into quarantine together. Eldest daughter Olivia, a doctor, has just returned from treating a life-threatening virus in Africa and must spend seven days in quarantine. Her family, forced into lockdown with her, decides to spend the week in their crumbling and isolated country manor, Weyfield Hall. Each arrives carrying secrets and simmering resentments.

With the Birch family under one roof for the first time in years, keeping secrets is no longer an option. And when a shocking, unexpected visitor arrives, the family’s pressurized state will boil over, spilling problems—and possibly the deadly virus—outside the gates of Weyfield Hall.

In residence with Olivia are her unabashedly frivolous younger sister Phoebe, fixated on her upcoming wedding; father Andrew, sequestered in his study writing scathing restaurant reviews and longing for his glory days as a war correspondent; and sweet bumbling matriarch Emma, who’s hiding a secret that will turn the whole family upside down. Anyone who loves their family—in small doses—will relate to the inner thoughts of each character.

US Giveaway

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GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED

Giveaway ends on August 21, 2017

Sunday Post

Mary Book arrivals, Mailbox Monday, Sunday Post

Book arrivals:  (linked to Mailbox Monday)

  

Last week on Bookfan:

      

Reading plan for this week:

 July books: 

Favorite reads of July:

      

 

 

 

Spotlight/US Giveaway: The End of Temperance Dare by Wendy Webb

Mary Giveaway, Lake Union Publishing, Spotlight, Wendy Webb

About:  Haunting and atmospheric, The End of Temperance Dare is another thrilling page-turner from the author reviewers are calling the Queen of the Northern Gothic.

When Eleanor Harper becomes the director of a renowned artists’ retreat, she knows nothing of Cliffside Manor’s dark past as a tuberculosis sanatorium, a “waiting room for death.” After years of covering murder and violence as a crime reporter, Eleanor hopes that being around artists and writers in this new job will be a peaceful retreat for her as much as for them.

But from her first fog-filled moments on the manor’s grounds, Eleanor is seized by a sense of impending doom and realizes there’s more to the institution than its reputation of being a haven for creativity. After the arrival of the new fellows―including the intriguing, handsome photographer Richard Banks―she begins to suspect that her predecessor chose the group with a dangerous purpose in mind. As the chilling mysteries of Cliffside Manor unravel and the eerie sins of the past are exposed, Eleanor must fight to save the fellows—and herself—from sinister forces. (publisher)

Praise for THE END OF TEMPERANCE DARE:

“[In] this solid supernatural thriller…Webb succeeds in escalating suspense while keeping her story grounded, but goes full-on Exorcist for the finale.” —Publishers Weekly

“Webb’s (The Vanishing, 2014) fourth novel is a high-energy ride peppered with just the right amount of romance seeking, coffee drinking, and wine sipping.” —Booklist

“Wendy Webb is a pro at providing all the trappings of a good Gothic mystery.…A fun read.” —Criminal Element

“Chilling…” —Gumshoe Review

About the author:  Wendy Webb knew from the minute she read A Wrinkle in Time at age eleven that she was destined to be a writer. After two decades as a journalist, writing for varied publications including USA Today, the Huffington Post, the Star Tribune, Midwest Living, and others, Wendy wrote her first novel, The Tale of Halcyon Crane. When it won the 2011 Minnesota Book Award for genre fiction, she started writing fiction full-time. Her second and third novels, The Fate of Mercy Alban and The Vanishing, established her as a leading suspense novelist, who reviewers are calling the Queen of the Northern Gothic. She lives in Minneapolis with her part-time dog, Zeus, and is at work on her next novel. Visit her online at http://www.wendykwebb.com and on Facebook and Instagram as wendywebbauthor.

US Giveaway

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GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED

Giveaway ends on August 16, 2017

Say No More by Liliana Hart

Mary Liliana Hart, NetGalley, Pocket Books, Romantic Suspense
  • Title:  Say No More
  • Series: Gravediggers #3
  • Author:  Liliana Hart
  • Pages:  384
  • Genre:  Romantic Suspense
  • Published:  July 2017 – Pocket Books
  • Source:  Publisher; NetGalley

Description:  Sometimes the dead do rise…

Dante Malcolm is a man of refined tastes. He was once a part of Britain’s Elite Intelligence Force, but there was a reason he’d never been able to capture Simon Locke, the notorious thief who always seemed to be one step ahead. That’s because Dante and Simon were one and the same, until Dante’s double life eventually caught up with him and now he belongs to the Gravediggers.

Liv Rothschild is a Detective Inspector with Interpol and is the one responsible for catching MI-6’s most notorious agent in his final heist—except the heist killed him. But something has never felt right about his death, and it’s haunted her for months. It was too easy, and Dante Malcolm was too smart to go down that way.

Dante might belong to the Gravediggers in body, but his heart and soul will always belong to the next job. The rest of the team doesn’t know about his alter ego because he made sure the information went missing from his file. So when the job he’s always waited for seems like a possibility, he sneaks out of the country like a thief in the night, only to run into the only woman who’s ever been able to match him in wit—and passion—for the job. Except they’re standing on opposite sides of the law—and only one of them can walk away with the prize.  (publisher)

My take:  Say No More is book three in Liliana Hart’s Gravediggers series. The Gravediggers are a team of elite special ops who fight crime while flying under the radar of, well, everyone. You see, they are dead. At least people who knew them before think they are dead. Each member went through a process that faked their death and then were brought back to life with the stipulation that they are under contract to the Gravediggers team. In this book the assignment is to recover launch codes before they land in the wrong hands. Another assignment works into this one because the same people are also involved in human trafficking. Really shady, disgusting characters. I say all that to alert any readers who just can’t read about that.

Liliana Hart’s principal characters are Dante and Liv – and they share a past that comes back to haunt them and may just be their undoing. Their assignment takes the team to Dubai and the Virgin Islands which make for glamorous settings with the creepy trafficking plot line woven through. Despite that factor I really enjoyed the fast paced action of the team as they worked to accomplish their goals. There are still a couple of Gravediggers who haven’t come to the forefront yet so I’m hoping there will be more books in the series.

 

Spotlight on: A Mother Like Mine by Kate Hewitt

Mary Berkley Trade, Contemporary Fiction, Kate Hewitt, Spotlight

Today I’m shining the spotlight on a new book by Kate Hewitt. It’s the latest installment in her Hartly-by-the-Sea series. I enjoyed the first two and look forward to reading A Mother Like Mine:

Berkley Trade Paperback Original; August 8, 2017; $15

About A Mother Like Mine:

Following the unexpected death of her fiancé, Abby Rhodes returned to Hartley-by-the-Sea, finding solace in the familiarity of her childhood home. With her small son in tow, Abby has thrown herself into taking care of her ailing grandmother and running their family’s café. While this is not the future she once dreamed for herself, she and her son have managed to find a place in the world and life is finally getting back on track—that is, until the sudden return of her prodigal mother.

After years of estrangement, Laura Rhodes is determined to make things right with her daughter. Saying goodbye to her glamorous life in New York, Laura is unsure what to expect when she returns to Hartley-by-the-Sea. She knows that after a lifetime of absence and neglect, reestablishing a mother-daughter bond will be no easy task. But following a rocky start to their reluctant reunion, Abby slowly opens up as the heartbreaking secrets of Laura’s past come to light and she realizes there are depths to her mother that she never expected. And when tragedy strikes, the two women must rely on each other more than ever as their lives become increasingly intertwined.

About the author:

Kate Hewitt is the USA Today bestselling author of over 60 books of women’s fiction and romance. She is the author of the Hartley-by-the-Sea series, set in England’s Lake District and published by Penguin. She is also, under the name Katharine Swartz, the author of the Tales from Goswell books, a series of time-slip novels set in the village of Goswell. She also writes for Harlequin Presents.

She likes to read romance, mystery, the occasional straight historical and angsty women’s fiction; she particularly enjoys reading about well-drawn characters and avoids high-concept plots.

Having lived in both New York City and a tiny village on the windswept northwest coast of England, she now resides in a market town in Wales with her husband, five children, and an overly affectionate Golden Retriever. You can read about her life at http://www.katehewitt.blogspot.co.uk.