I received an advance copy of this book from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book is the third book in a series that focuses on the pI received an advance copy of this book from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book is the third book in a series that focuses on the people who live on Mulberry Lane. I have not read any of the other books but it didn't really matter as I quickly figured out who was who and got into the meat of the story. I was drawn to read the book initially because of the setting in the time of World War 2. The characters come from the working class and have certainly not had easy lives. In a way the book reminded me a little of a good soap opera. The more I read the more I wanted to know what was going to happen next with each of the characters.. The women of Mulberry Lane are the prominent characters in this volume f the series. Several are either expecting babies or wishing that they were expecting babies. Some pregnancies are highly anticipated but at least one is unplanned and the result of violence.. As violence builds in the neighbourhood, people pull together as a community to move on. Some deal with the crises better than others and so life goes. The ending of the book definitely lets one know that the story has not yet been fully told and another volume will eventually follow. I would certainly love to know what happens next with these neighbours....more
I read most of this while on a very lengthy train ride and it kept me interested throughout. Set mainly in Athens at a time when war was imminent and I read most of this while on a very lengthy train ride and it kept me interested throughout. Set mainly in Athens at a time when war was imminent and then upon the people's of Sparta and Athens I felt it gave me a better understanding of the time period. The author was initially inspired to right it by a course she was taking at the Naval War College. As part of the course she had to write a paper on international strategies for maritime states. One of her sources was a detailed work on the battles between Athens and Sparta and this research shows in the battle scenes included in the book. Yes, it is a love story but the history shone through for me and was more than I would typically expect to find in a romance novel....more
I received this book as a free gift from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
It would be very hard not to like Nikki and Paul, the two main chaI received this book as a free gift from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
It would be very hard not to like Nikki and Paul, the two main characters in this story. Both of them are genuinely nice people and although they have had their struggles both in relationships and in their jobs, one can't help but wish them the very best.
Nikki loves to cook and create but has never had the opportunity to attend culinary school and when her job at Gus's Diner ends due to Gus's retirement she finds it difficult to get another restaurant job cooking without that so important piece of paper. She has always idolized celebrity chef Holly Hanson and is thrilled to finally land a job with her even if it is only as her office assistant.
Paul has worked for Holly for five years but is increasingly frustrated that although he is an excellent chef in his own right, Holly insists that he follow her recipes exactly and truth be told - they are bland and rather tasteless. When he meets Nikki, it seems at first as if they will get off to a rocky start but it doesn't last long and if it weren't for Holly's no fraternization amongst employees, the instant chemistry these two experience would have moved their relationship along very quickly.
Holly Hanson is not a very nice person and is willing to do anything to maintain her celebrity status, even to steal recipes created by Nikki. I almost felt sorry for her a few times but that changed when her true character (or lack thereof) became obvious.
Reading how Nikki and Paul overcame the obstacles they faced and reached their happy ever after ending gave me several very enjoyable hours of reading. I am looking forward to trying the additional chili recipe at the end of the book too. Now to search out some cinnamon hearts!...more
I decided to read this book because my husband and I will be visiting Pompeii and Herculaneum later this year and it seemed like a good idea in preparI decided to read this book because my husband and I will be visiting Pompeii and Herculaneum later this year and it seemed like a good idea in preparation for the trip. I was not disappointed. The reader knows going into the story that things will not turn out well for Pompeii and yet despite that I was drawn in and hoped for survival for at least some of the characters. I really wanted to keep reading until I was done. Although this was a novel, it was very well researched including quotes from some of the sources and I feel it gave me a better grasp of what would have been happening in the days leading up to the eruption and during the eruption. I would definitely recommend this book to others. ...more
When I started reading this I had no idea that it was book 2 in a series. It didn't really matter as I was quickly hooked on the story and style. I waWhen I started reading this I had no idea that it was book 2 in a series. It didn't really matter as I was quickly hooked on the story and style. I wasn't too far in before I ordered books 1 and 3 because I knew that I would want the whole story. It is a book that delves into legend of Vikings and fairies and more. I loved the characters who quickly became familiar friends. There is quite a bit of Gaelic in the story and I found myself looking for online pronunciation tools to help with that. My Gaelic speaking grandfather would have been delighted! I would have loved a glossary with phonetic pronunciation. I think that had I read this in sequence I might have given it 5 stars but as a stand alone there were a few places where a bit more background might have been helpful. I see I started reading this way back in 2018 though I don't think I could have read far. This year it was a quick read for me because I didn't want to put it down!...more
This book is classified as a romance and that is certainly a part of it but it is also very much an investigative novel. I really liked how FBI profilThis book is classified as a romance and that is certainly a part of it but it is also very much an investigative novel. I really liked how FBI profiler Ellen Tanner and JAG lieutenant Jim Cochran came together to try and understand why a female top-gun aviation instructor died. There were numerous characters to dislike in this story and dysfunctional family relations galore but I liked how everything was pieced together and would be happy to read another book featuring these two investigators who although very different had a synchronicity that made them better as a pair. There was not a lot of gratuitous sex in the novel either though near the very end of the book some was tossed in....more
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
When I first started to read this book I was not particularly fond of FI received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
When I first started to read this book I was not particularly fond of Fiona Rangely, the main female character. She seemed rather self-centred and I felt sorry for her boyfriend Nate when she stood him up for a very important meeting with his bosses. Her best friend Angela persuaded her to head to Vermont for a break and also in the hopes that she could mend some fences with her father who she had been at loggerheads with since his remarriage and move to Vermont to run an Inn. Not long after their arrival in Vermont, who should turn up but Nate (and his new girlfriend). IN an attempt to stave off embarrassment, Fiona lies about having a new love of her own. Cue the entry of Derek, the chef at her father's Inn. He agrees to be her "fake" boyfriend for a week but it isn't long before sparks begin to fly and a transformation begins to take place in Fiona. I began to like her!
All of these events are set against the background of the rural Vermont area during their annual Maple Faire. It was a fun setting and there was quite a bit of humour throughout the book. There was also an engaging secondary romance to enjoy too.
I have not seen the movie that this was based on, but I did enjoy the book and the fact that it does not include graphic scenes or language. Each of the Hallmark books seems to include a recipe at the end and this one is for Maple Scallops. I think I will have to try it out!...more
This book is the second in Enid Blyton's Famous Five series and to truly understand it, one should know that it was first published in 1943 in the midThis book is the second in Enid Blyton's Famous Five series and to truly understand it, one should know that it was first published in 1943 in the middle of wartime. The four children and Timothy are spending school Christmas break at George's house. George's dad Quentin is working on some mysterious formula that may be useful to the government. A tutor is hired as George and the boys have fallen behind with their schoolwork. Can the tutor be trusted? George and Timothy don't think so. Read on for an adventurous trip back in time....more
Another journey back to my childhood in reading a Famous Five adventure. Although written many years ago this one doesn't feel especially dated and waAnother journey back to my childhood in reading a Famous Five adventure. Although written many years ago this one doesn't feel especially dated and was still a fun read for me....more
This book was a little different than some of the other Kristan Higgins books that I read because there was a very serious subject that underscored thThis book was a little different than some of the other Kristan Higgins books that I read because there was a very serious subject that underscored the story - the post-traumatic stress disorder that can impact first responders. I thought the author handled it well and made it feel real for me as a reader. There was also the element of mental health issues that can affect one member of a failed relationship and this too was handled in a caring way. So, I didn't laugh as much as I usually do while reading her books, but I would still recommend this as a very good read....more
I can't say enough how much I enjoyed this book. Young Maureen climbs a tree, peeks over a fence and sees the young boy she knows she will love foreveI can't say enough how much I enjoyed this book. Young Maureen climbs a tree, peeks over a fence and sees the young boy she knows she will love forever. Hers is the voice that tells this story and she tells it beautifully.
The author set the story in Brighton beginning in the years not long after the end of the Great War. I felt as if I was there observing as I read and I fell in love with Maureen and her family and close friends Jack, Monica and Nelson. Life was not easy back then and as a reader I empathized with each one as they faced everything life threw at them. As war began again, I feared with them and I cried, enough that I really couldn't sleep I was so stuffed up. The detail the author used in her writing was perfect.
I highly recommend this book for anyone who enjoys reading fiction set in wartime or for those who enjoy stories of family and friendships that endure through all....more
I somehow missed reading any of the books in this series when I was young. The book tells a tale of four very enterprising children who run away from I somehow missed reading any of the books in this series when I was young. The book tells a tale of four very enterprising children who run away from abusive relatives to live on a secret island. How they survive and what happens to them makes for an interesting read. Originally published in 1938, I wonder if any modern day children would be as resourceful....more
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