Arrowood by Laura McHugh

Arrowood by Laura McHugh
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Arden's twin sister disappeared when she was eight years old. The last memory she has is of a golden car driving away with sisters in it. Not long after that the family packed up their belongings and moved away from Keokuk. Now almost 20 years have passed and she is back home in. Her father is dead and she has inherited Arrowood, the old family house. For Arden is it strange to be back home, the town isn't as prosperous as it was before and her old home holds bittersweet memories. But, Ben and Lauren, old friends of her are still in town and perhaps she will finally find the answer to what happened to her sisters all those years ago.

This is a book that I hoped would like. I have a weakness for mystery books and two long-lost twin sisters pique my interest. I was pleasantly surprised with not only liking the book, but loving it. Laura McHugh has written an incredibly compelling book that was hard to put down. The one that "I will only read a chapter turns into one hour or twp of reading). I was actually quite sad when the book ended, even though it ended perfectly. It was more like I had come to like Arden, Lauren, Ben, and Josh so much that I wanted to spend some more time with them. 

The mystery is intriguing, are Arden's memories correct, she was only eight and she was a bit sick the day her sisters disappeared. Are the girls dead? Or did someone just take them? Could someone close by having taken them? Someone that are still living in the town? The questions are many and the book will, in the end, reveal the truth of what happened 20 years ago.

I like that Laura McHugh didn't add a love triangle into the story. I was a bit worried when Lauren met Ben and then Josh showed up that it would turn into a sappy love triangle. I hate it when that happens. Everything turned out just perfect, and I think one of the reasons I so enjoyed the book was the fact that the characters were so well-written. They felt normal with faults, even Courtney, the girl from Arden's childhood who could have been written as a jealous overbearing bitch that would do anything to hang on to Ben felt OK as a character. 

The book was intense, sad and thrilling to read. I loved every minute of it!

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group for providing me with a free copy for an honest review!

#BookReview Mambo i Chinatown (Mambo in Chinatown) by Jean Kwok (SWE/ENG)

Mambo in Chinatown by Jean Kwok
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

SWEDISH REVIEW

Ny roman från prisbelönta Jean Kwok som gav oss succén Nästan hemma!

En inspirerande askungesaga om flickan som finner ett nytt liv med dansens hjälp!

Tjugotvååriga Charlie Wong växte upp i New Yorks Chinatown som den äldsta dottern till en ballerina från Peking och en nudelmakare. Trots att hon fötts i USA har hon levt hela sitt liv enbart i dessa kvarter. Nu i vuxen ålder lever hon i samma lilla lägenhet med sin änkling till far och sin elvaåriga syster, och vantrivs med sitt jobb som diskare.

När hon börjar jobba som receptionist på en dansstudio får hon tillträde till en värld hon hittills knappt förstått existerar, och den klumpiga Charlie visar sig ha ärvt sin döda mors danstalang. Charlie blommar ut, långt från sin fars traditionella österländska regler.

Men så blir hennes lillasyster sjuk… kommer Charlie kunna rädda sin syster utan att behöva offra sin nya värld och identitet?

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Mambo i Chinatown var en härlig överraskning! Jag hade hoppas på en småtrevlig bok, men jag räknade inte alls med att boken skulle vara så fängslade och förtjusande att det var svårt att lägga ifrån sig den. Boken lyckas med att både vara rolig och allvarlig och Charlies förvandling som sker gradvis genom bokens handling är underbar att följa.

Men det är kulturkrocken mellan öst och väst som ger boken en special känsla. Jean Kwok har verkligen lyckats med att beskriva problem för en ung kvinna född i Amerika med kinesiska föräldrar. Charlies pappa är t.ex. emot västerländsk medicin och vägrar låta Charlies lillasyster Lisa få läkarhjälp när hon blir sjuk. han förlitar sig istället på österländska traditioner för att finna vad som är fel på henne. Han är förövrigt inte världens bästa stöd för systrarna (trots att han älskar dem) och mycket av den yttervärldens kontakt som t.ex. skola får Charlie ta hand om när det gäller Lisa.

Det enda jag kan säga om boken som jag inte gillade var slutet. Eller rättare sagt att boken tog slut. Jag skulle ha velat läsa mer om Charlie, hennes familj och hennes vänner och fått reda på vad som händer härnäst.

Tack till Bazar Förlag för recensionexemplaret!

ENGLISH REVIEW

From the bestselling author of Girl in Translation, a novel about a young woman torn between her family duties in Chinatown and her escape into the world of ballroom dancing.

Twenty-two-year-old Charlie Wong grew up in New York’s Chinatown, the older daughter of a Beijing ballerina and a noodle maker. Though an ABC (America-born Chinese), Charlie’s entire world has been limited to this small area. Now grown, she lives in the same tiny apartment with her widower father and her eleven-year-old sister, and works—miserably—as a dishwasher.

But when she lands a job as a receptionist at a ballroom dance studio, Charlie gains access to a world she hardly knew existed, and everything she once took to be certain turns upside down. Gradually, at the dance studio, awkward Charlie’s natural talents begin to emerge. With them, her perspective, expectations, and sense of self are transformed—something she must take great pains to hide from her father and his suspicion of all things Western. As Charlie blossoms, though, her sister becomes chronically ill. As Pa insists on treating his ailing child exclusively with Eastern practices to no avail, Charlie is forced to try to reconcile her two selves and her two worlds—Eastern and Western, old world and new—to rescue her little sister without sacrificing her newfound confidence and identity.

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Mambo in Chinatown was a delightful surprise! I had hoped that the book would be pleasant to read, but I never thought that it would be both engrossing and charming. And, hard to put down. The book manages to be both funny and serious and Charlie's transformation that occurs gradually throughout the books is wonderful to follow.

However, it's the culture clash between east and west that gives the books a special atmosphere. Jean Kwok has really managed to describe the problems a young girl faces in America with parents from China. Charlie's father is for instance against western medicine and refuses to let Charlie's little sister Lisa have medical aid when she gets sick. Instead, he relies on eastern traditions to try to find out what's wrong with her. He is, to be honest not the always the best support for the sisters (despite that he loves them) and much of the outside world contact like school is Charlie the one that has to deal with when it comes to Lisa.

The only thing I didn't like about the book was the ending. Or rather that the book ended. I would have loved to read more about Charlie, her family and friends and what will happen next to them all.

Thanks to Bazar Förlag for the review copy!

My Last Continent by Midge Raymond

My Last Continent: A Novel by Midge Raymond
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

In My Last Continent, we meet Deb Gardner and Keller Sullivan, two people that have found each other at the end of the world. But, their relationship is not an easy one with long periods of separation. This year a new research season has begun for Deb and she is waiting for Keller to show up, so they can play tour guides to the passengers on a small expedition ship that takes them to their research destination. But Keller never shows up on the ship. Instead, he is on the Australis a cruise line. And, mere days later Australis send an emergency signal and Deb tries to stay calm not knowing if Keller is alive...

This book was one that I eagerly waited to read. I fell in love with the cover and the blurb and was really looking forward to reading a love story set in Antarctica. And, the book was good, just not that fantastic good I had hoped for. It took some time for me to get into the story and all the flashbacks that told the reader about how Deb and Keller met were not always that interesting to read about, not since the present story was more interesting. Sure, with the flashbacks we learned how they met and the reason for Keller not being aboard the ship. But it slowed down the story a bit. And, reading about Deb's growing up and college time really didn't feel that important. I guess I just never really found myself engrossed in their story, not enough to really be pulled into the story. They never really managed to get a life together beside the time they spend in Antarctica, and I felt that Keller was never really ready to settle down in the same way as Deb was. All his reasons for not moving in with her for instance just excused be free, to have a couple of months with Deb and then do something else.

But, then came the last part of the book, and here is where the story turned really good. Now the moment of truth is here, they have reached Australis and deb is frantically searching for Keller, will she find him? Well, that's the questions...

So, in the end, was this not the brilliant book that I had hoped it to be, true it was not a bad book either. It was good, some flashbacks I liked, some felt less interesting, but the ending was superb!

I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review!

All Together Now Blog Tour

All Together Now by Gill Hornby
My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars

A hilarious and heart-warming new novel about a small-town singing group, by Sunday Times bestseller Gill Hornby

The small town of Bridgeford is in crisis. The high street is half empty, businesses are closing and the idea of civic pride seems old-fashioned to the commuters rushing home from work. Somehow, it seems to have lost its heart.

But there is one thing that might just bring the town together: music. The Bridgeford Community Choir has a chance of winning the county championship. First though, the small band of singers must find a lot of new members and a whole new sound. Enter Tracey - one of life's soloists, and hiding a secret past; Bennett - a church choir refugee, baffled by the modern world. And Jazzy - who sees her voice as her passport straight out of town to a future of fame and fortune. Can they really fit in with dependable old regulars like Annie? Can they learn to work together, save their singing group and maybe even their community? 

All Together Now is a funny, sharply observed and moving novel about the joys of singing, about living in harmony, about falling in love... and about the importance of finding your own, true voice.

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All Together Now was not as easygoing to read as I had hoped for. Not that I didn't enjoy the book. I did like parts of the book. However, I also found the book a bit dry to read. Just not as funny and engrossing as I had hoped it to be. For instance, I had a pretty hard time getting into the book and enjoying all the different characters plight and quirkiness. But, somewhere along the way I started to enjoy the book more and more and some characters situations did come to intrigue and amuse me.  

For instance, I wasn't that interested in Bennett, but when he started the choir and started to change he suddenly becomes more interesting, the same thing happened with Tracey. What was her big secret and how come Bennett thought he recognized her from somewhere? And, then we have Annie, who to be honest could be a bit annoying in the beginning, but the more one got to know her the more one could see that this busybody also had her problems. And, the last part of the book was quite good, secrets were revealed, injustice was discovered and taken care of and the choir really started to become an important part in Bridgeford.

So, the book actually did turn out quite good, despite a slow start for me with some problem with the story and its characters. I even laughed out loud at one part towards the end of the book and I came to like the quirky characters in the choir.

Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a copy of the book and for letting me taking part in the blog tour!

The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George (SWE/ENG)

The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

SWEDISH REVIEW

En magisk roman för alla dem som tror att ordets kraft kan läka ett brustet hjärta! 

Monsieur Perdu kan ordinera den perfekta boken för ett brustet hjärta. Men kan han kurera sitt eget?

Monsieur Perdu kallar sig för litterär apotekare. Från sin flytande bokhandel belägen på en pråm på floden Seine ordinerar han romaner för alla livets motgångar. Genom att använda sin intuition finner han exakt den bok läsaren behöver, och reparerar på detta sätt både brustna själar och hjärtan. Den enda han inte verkar kunna kurera genom litteraturen är sig själv; han lider fortfarande i kval efter att hans livs stora kärlek försvann. Bakom sig lämnade hon endast ett brev, som han aldrig öppnade.

Efter att Perdu slutligen förmått sig att läsa brevet lättar han ankar och ger sig av på en resa till södra Frankrike i hopp om att komma över sin förlust och få ett avslut på historien. Med sig har han en storsäljande författare med skrivkramp samt en (kärlekskrank italiensk kock, och längs Frankrikes floder reser Perdu, delar ut sin visdom och sina böcker, och visar hur den litterära världen kan ta den mänskliga själen på en resa för att hela sig själv.

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Jag föll för omslaget och handlingsbeskrivningen av Den lilla bokhandeln i Paris. En man som ägnar sig åt att sälja böcker för att läka brustna hjärtan lätt alldeles förtjusande. Jag hoppades verkligen att den skulle inge mig samma känsla som jag får när jag ser på Amelie från Montmartre. Tyvärr så visade sig att boken inte alls på långa vägar var så charmig som jag hade förväntat mig. Detta är en bok vars grundidé verkar genialiskt men som tyvärr inte alls visar sig lika kul att läsa som man tror. Eller i alla fall så kände jag.

Nu säger jag inte att boken är dålig, den hade sina poänger, här och där var dialogen träffsäker, men storyn och karaktärena var tyvärr båda bleka och själva "kärlekshistorien" bokens grundberättelse var på tok för ointressant. Får jag vara riktigt ärlig så fattar jag inte hur man kan vänta 20 år med att öppna ett brev, men utan det hade det inte blivit en bok så jag försökte inte störa mig så mycket på det. Men alla dessa karaktärer, många väldigt udda och speciella borde ju ha gjort boken mysig att läsa. Mja, inte direkt, den enda som jag verkligen gillade var Samy, resten fäste jag mig inte alls för, inte ens Monsieur Perdu.

Jag förstår att vissa tilltalas oerhört av den, ta till sig varje ord och karaktärer och verkligen älskar boken och jag vill inget hellre än tillhöra den skaran. Men tyvärr för ofta fann jag att jag tappade fokuset när jag läste boken. Jag gillar verkligen idén med en litterär apotekare på en pråm i Paris. Faktum är att bara en bokhandel på en pråm låter som en alldeles förträfflig idé!

Tack till Bazar Förlag för recensionexemplaret!

ENGLISH REVIEW

On a barge on the Seine, Jean Perdu runs a bookshop, or rather a 'literary apothecary', for this bookseller possess a rare gift for sensing which books will soothe his customers' troubled souls.

The only person he is unable to cure, it seems, is himself. For twenty-one years he has nursed a broken heart - and never dared open the letter his love left behind. But the arrival of an enigmatic new neighbour inspires Jean to unlock his heart, unmoor the floating bookshop and set off for Provence, in search of the past and his beloved.

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I really love the cover and the blurb for the book. A man that spends his time selling books that will heal one's broken heart sounded like a wonderful book. I really hoped that it would give me the same feeling reading this book as I get watching Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain, but unfortunately the book was not at all as charming as I had expected it to be. This is a book that has a terrific basic concept, but that just doesn't turn out to be as good as the idea sounds. Or, at least that's how I felt about the book.

I don't think this book is bad, the story has its moments and hear and there the dialogue is quite good, but the whole story and the characters are too pale. And, the "love story" is, to be honest frankly not that interesting. Also, I can't understand how someone can wait 20 years to open a letter, but without that part of the story wouldn't it be a book at all, so I tried to not let that bother me while reading the book. And, I thought that all the odd characters would make to book fun to read. Well, not exactly, to be honest, the only character I really liked was Samy, the rest I just didn't care that much for, not even Monsieur Perdu.

I can understand how some people will find the book appealing to read and they will love every word and character in the book and I wish I could be apart of the group. But, I lost the focus too often while reading the book. However, I do think the idea of a literary apothecary on a pram in Paris sounds like a fantastic idea. Even just a bookstore on a pram in Paris sounds fantastic.

Thanks to Bazar Förlag for the review copy!

Fading Starlight by Kathryn Cushman Blog Tour

Fading Starlight by Kathryn Cushman
My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars

About Fading Starlight

Paperback: 304 pages

Publisher: Bethany House Publishers (May 3, 2016)

Lauren Summers is hiding. Her fashion house internship should have launched her career, but a red carpet accident has left her blackballed. The only job she finds is unpaid, but comes with free lodging–a run-down cottage in the shadow of a cliff-side mansion. Unsure of what comes next, she’s surprised to be contacted by a reporter researching a reclusive former Hollywood ingénue who lives in the nearby mansion.
Kendall Joiner wants Lauren’s help uncovering the old woman’s secrets. In return, she’ll prove the red carpet accident was a publicity stunt so Lauren can regain her former job. With all her dreams in front of her, Lauren’s tempted by the offer, but as she and the old woman get to know each other, Lauren realizes nothing is quite as it seems.

“An inspiring plot that brims with Old Hollywood suspense, vintage fashion and modern frustrations.”—RT Book Reviews

REVIEW

First, I want to say that I'm not a big reader of Christan Fiction, it's just a genre that has never really interested me that much. However, I do love Lisa Wingate's Caroline series and I would love to read more books like that. So, I was a bit cautious when I saw that this book was Christan Fiction, and that has nothing to do with Christianity, I'm a Christian myself. I just can't stand reading books that are saccharine and preachy, no matter if it's Christian fiction or just any other kind of book.

So, now that I have gotten that said will I try to explain why this book worked for me on some levels and the things that I had problems with. I did like the book, in a way. I liked that it was easy to read and with a not too complicated story. However, that's also the problem with the book. I felt that the story and the characters lacked depth. It had potentials, but it didn't fulfil it. I found the story about the reclusive Hollywood starlet interesting, but I felt that it could have been given more room, being explored and explained more than it did. I wanted to know more about Charlotte Montgomery and her past. Perhaps some twist to the story. Something that would make the characters come to life.

Then we have the scandal that brought Lauren Summers to Santa Barbara. I don't know if it's just me having a problem with how a wardrobe accident could have her blackballed. I mean just look at the dresses the starlets have nowadays on the red carpet. Here, we have a young woman that is fighting with her parents about having a sexier image and then suddenly she is showing a little much for her parents taste. SCANDAL! This is not nipplegate we are dealing with, some undergarments are showing...

Alright, the complaining is over. I did enjoy reading the book, there were as I stated some things that bothered me, but I found myself enjoying part of the story, sure it was easy to spot the good and the bad girls in this book, but for the moment was it precisely what I needed to read. My favourite parts in the books are everything that has to do with Charlotte Montgomery, she was the one character I came to like the most. I could understand what she had gone through and I loved that she started to see that there are good people in the world.

Thanks to Bethany House for providing me with a free copy for an honest review!

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Purchase Links

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

About Kathryn Cushman

Kathryn Cushman is a graduate of Samford University with a degree in pharmacy. She is the acclaimed author of over a half-dozen novels, including  Leaving Yesterday andA Promise to Remember, which were both finalists for the Carol Award in Women’s Fiction. Kathryn and her family make their home in Santa Barbara, California.

Connect with Kathryn

Website | Facebook

Kathryn Cushman’s TLC Book Tours TOUR STOPS:

Monday, April 25th: Joyfully Retired

Friday, April 29th: A Chick Who Reads

Monday, May 2nd: Book Reviews & More by Kathy

Wednesday, May 4th: Books a la Mode – author guest post

Thursday, May 5th: View from the Birdhouse – spotlight

Monday, May 9th: Why Girls are Weird

Tuesday, May 10th: Luxury Reading

Thursday, May 12th: FictionZeal

Friday, May 13th: Kritter’s Ramblings

Monday, May 16th: Broken Teepee

Tuesday, May 17th: Reviews from the Heart

Wednesday, May 18th: A Bookaholic Swede

Thursday, May 19th: Just Commonly

Monday, May 23rd: Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers

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The Obsession by Nora Roberts Blog Tour

The Obsession by Nora Roberts
My rating: 1.5 of 5 stars

NORA ROBERTS 

THE OBSESSION

Published 14th April 2016 

Hardback | £16.99 

She changed her name. She changed her life. But someone won't let her go. 

The brand-new novel of love, drama and hope from legendary Nora Roberts. 

Naomi Carson is a survivor. As a child, her family was torn apart by a shocking crime. It could have destroyed her, but Naomi has grown up strong, with a passion for photography that has taken her all around the world.

Now, at last, she has decided to put down roots. The beautiful old house on Point Bluff needs work, but Naomi has new friends in town who are willing to help, including Xander Keaton - gorgeous, infuriating and determined to win her heart.

But as Naomi plans for the future, her past is catching up with her. Someone in town knows her terrifying secret - and won't let her forget it. As her new home is rocked by violence, Naomi must discover her persecutor's identity, before it's too late.

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I can honestly say that this book will probably conclude my Nora Roberts reading experience. After reading several of her books have I come to the conclusion that I'm not the right person to read her books. I still want to read her J.D. Robb books because they have proven to work better for me.

But, there is something about the way Roberts write her books that just doesn't work for me. And, I'm pretty sure I know what it is. First, the story is way too obvious. I figured out the killer's identity quite early (very easy to do) and then I spent the rest of the book waiting to see if I was right (and I was). And, that just takes away the enjoyment of reading the book. I did however like Naomi and the first 100 pages or so in the book was really good and for a moment I thought that this book would turn out good. Then Xander turned up in the story and everything went to hell.

Honestly, suspecting who the killer was could I have lived with when it came to this book. But I couldn't stand Xander Keaton, the main characters Naomi's love interest. For some reason, I can't stand the way Roberts write romance. It feels the same way every time I read one of her books. Up until Xander, the book was good (despite me suspecting and guessing right what would happen later on), but after that, the book quickly turned less enjoyable and I started to skim through the book so that I could get to the end. I did however like Tag, the dog, that Naomi found, and I also liked Naomi's brother Mason. I wouldn't have minded seeing Mason having a larger part in the book. His presence towards the end of the book made the book a bit better.

Unfortunately, there are no surprises in the book, I feel that Roberts have found a safe way to write and sell books and then she stuck to it. I wish the book could surprise me more, not just the typical woman meets a man that makes her feel safe and loved after a hard time and then they face trouble together before the happy ending. Some like that kind of books, I don't!

I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy for an honest review!

About the author: 

Nora Roberts is the number one New York Times bestseller of more than 200 novels. With over 450 million copies of her books in print, she is indisputably one of the most celebrated and popular writers in the world. She has achieved numerous top five bestsellers in the UK, including number one for Savour the Moment and The Witness, and is a Sunday Times hardback bestseller writing as both Nora Roberts and J.D. Robb.

After Her by Joyce Maynard (SWE/ENG)

After Her by Joyce Maynard
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Original title: After her

Swedish Review

Året är 1979 och systrarna Rachel och Patty bor i Marin County i Kalifornien. När flera unga flickor blir mördade i bergen bakom huset där de bor blir deras pappa som är kriminalinspektör den som får leda utredningen. Deras pappa bor inte längre hemma och deras mamma har sedan hon kastade ut honom pga av att han var ständigt otrogen drabbats av en depression och bryr sig inte så mycket om vad flickorna gör när de är hemma och trots deras pappas varningar så kan de inte låta bli att vistas i bergen...

Bergen bakom huset är den första boken jag har läst av Joyce Maynard och det snygga omslaget samt handlingen gjorde mig nyfiken på boken. Vad jag gillade med boken var mixen av familjedrama och mysterium. En berättelse om att växa upp, men förutom de vanliga tonårsproblemen som mens och killar så måste Rachel och Patty också leva med att det är en seriemördare lös. Och, det är något som kommer att påverka dem mycket både under deras uppväxt och senare i livet. Rachel som är äldst har börjat se att hennes far inte är den hjälte som hon dyrkat sedan hon var liten och även Patty har börjat upptäcka hans mindre smickrande sidor. Och i och med att fler flickor blir mördade påverkas även deras far av det och de ser hur misslyckandet med att fånga mördaren tär på honom. 

Boken utspelas både när Rachel och Patty var barn i slutet av 70-talet sedan mot slutet av boken så får man läsa om Rachel, 30 år senare, när hon beslutar sig för att skriva en fiktionell bok om sin uppväxt och morden. Jag trodde att innan jag läste boken att mer av handlingen skulle utspelas 30-år senare, och jag var till en viss del besviken att så lite av boken handlingen tog vid 30-år senare, men Maynard får till slutet så bra att missnöjet försvann. 

Berget bakom huset är en mycket bra bok, jag ser fram emot att läsa andra böcker av Joyce Maynard!

Jag vill tacka HarperCollins Nordic för att ha försett mig med ett recensionsex för en ärlig recension.

English Review

The year is 1979, and sisters Rachel and Patty live in Marin County, California. When several young girls are murdered in the hills behind the house where they live is it their father who is a police detective that is put in charge of leading the investigation. Their father doesn't live at home anymore since their mother throw him out because his was notoriously unfaithful to her. She has since then been depressed and doesn't care that much about what the girls do when they are at home, and they continue to spend time in the hills, despite their father's warning.

After Her is the first book I have read by Joyce Maynard and the gorgeous cover of the Swedish book together with the blurb made me quite curious and I just had to read the book. I really like the mix of family drama and mystery. It's a tale about growing up, but besides the usual problem girls face growing up must Rachel and Patty also live with a serial killer loose. And, that is something that is going to affect them quite a lot during their time growing up and later on. Rachel, the oldest has started to see that her father is not the hero that she has worshiped since she was little and even Patty has started to notice his less than flattering sides. And, their father is affected as times goes and more girls are being killed without the killer is being apprehended.

The book's story both takes place during Rachel and Patty are young at the end of the 70s and towards the end of the book, the story takes us 30 years forward in time to a grown-up Rachel who is planning on writing a fictional book, about growing up and about the killer. I did think before I  started to read the book that more of the story would take place when Rachel was older and I was in a way disappointed that so little of the book was dedicated to older Rachel. But, my disappointed went away when Maynard managed to write a truly excellent ending. 

After Her was a very good book and I'm looking forward to reading more books by Joyce Maynard!

I want to thank HarperCollins Nordic for providing me with a free copy for an honest review!

The Madwoman Upstairs by Catherine Lowell

The Madwoman Upstairs by Catherine Lowell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Samantha Whipple is used to stirring up speculation wherever she goes. As the last remaining descendant of the Brontë family, she's rumored to have inherited a vital, mysterious portion of the Brontë's literary estate; diaries, paintings, letters, and early novel drafts; a hidden fortune that's never been shown outside of the family.

But Samantha has never seen this rumored estate, and as far as she knows, it doesn't exist. She has no interest in acknowledging what the rest of the world has come to find so irresistible; namely, the sudden and untimely death of her eccentric father, or the cryptic estate he has bequeathed to her.

But everything changes when Samantha enrolls at Oxford University and bits and pieces of her past start mysteriously arriving at her doorstep, beginning with an old novel annotated in her father's handwriting. As more and more bizarre clues arrive, Samantha soon realizes that her father has left her an elaborate scavenger hunt using the world's greatest literature. With the aid of a handsome and elusive Oxford professor, Samantha must plunge into a vast literary mystery and an untold family legacy, one that can only be solved by decoding the clues hidden within the Brontë's own writing.

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This book is so freaking good that I want to go out and buy a hardcover of it because I want to hug it and hugging my Ipad is just not the same thing (It's a bit too metallic and can be a bit cold to hug). Loved it from page 1 to the last page.

The sentence above is what I wrote after I finished the book (well a cleaned the sentence up a bit since I used a bad word instead of freaking) and it pretty much summons up my feelings towards the book. I have read many great books this year, but this one, oh this one is like a delicious pie that just get better the more you eat it. And, the best thing is that you don't have to feel stuffed and no weight gain. In short, this is a book that makes one happy, at least, it left me happy. I just totally adore the book. And, I haven't even read all Brontë books, just Jane Eyre, and Wuthering Heights, and I even don't like Jane Eyre. But, that doesn't matter because the book is so well-written. Also, you really don't need any previous knowledge of the books before you read the book, sure they are discussed in The Madwoman Upstairs, but not in a way that makes you feel lost.

Samantha Whipple is without a doubt one of the greatest characters ever created. She's incredibly witty and I read through this book chuckling and smiling like a lunatic. This is the kind of book that has an amazingly good storyline, fantastic characters, and awesome dialogue. Her banter with Orville her Oxford tutor are especially very good. And, speaking of Orville, he is such a great, great man. I don't want to give away the plot, but the mystery of her father's testament together with her "relationship" with Orville makes this book fantastic!

I loved this book. It's worth thousands of stars. Read it!

I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review.

The Story Keeper by Lisa Wingate

The Story Keeper by Lisa Wingate
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Jen Gibbs has recently got a job at Vida House Publishing and everyone knows that the slush-pile in the conference room is strictly forbidden to touch. So Jen is quite surprised when she finds a manuscript on her desk from it one morning. She has no idea who put it there and, at first, all she can think of is putting it back. That is until she starts to read it and get engrossed in the story about Sarra, a young woman in the Appalachia at the turn of the twentieth century, and Rand a young man that tries to save her from some brutal men. Now she just has to find the rest of the manuscript, but that means traveling to the Blue Ridge Mountains to chase a reclusive author. And, that also means that she is going home for the first time in ten years...

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The story keeper is book two in the Carolina series and as I already have read book three gave this book some insights to events and mentions in The Sea keeper's Daughters. Part of me wish that I had read the books in order because that would have made me appreciate part of The Sea keeper's Daughters much more, but I can always reread The Sea keeper's Daughters sometime in the future.

Do you need to read the books in order? No, but there are some threads that go through the books that make the reading experience perhaps more enjoyable if you read the books in order. But, I started with book 3, The Sea keeper's Daughters, and despite the fact that I hadn't read the previous books in the series did I enjoy that books very much. Actually, I came to love the book very much.

This book is good but in my opinion not quite as good as the previous book The Prayer Box or the book that comes after; The Sea keeper's Daughters. For instance, I had a much harder time really warming up the past story that is told in this book parallel to the present story. I for some reason just couldn't bond with Sarra and Rand. I much preferred to read about the present story with Jen trying to meet the author and at the same time confronting her own past when she goes home to meet her sisters and father. There were times I had to put the book down because I got so frustrated with her over religious family where the man's rule is the law. If there is something that makes me angry is men using religion to subdue women.

But despite that, I didn't find the past story as enchanting as Jen did has Lisa Wingate manages once again to write a truly wonderful book and the ending almost made me cry.

The Mill River Redemption by Darcie Chan

The Mill River Redemption by Darcie Chan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I received a free copy of this book from Brown Book Group in exchange for an honest review, thank you! I also want to thank Brown Book Group for letting me participate in the "The Mill River Redemption blog tour"! 

Josie DiSanti moves after losing her husband in a fire that burned down the house to the little town of Mill River with her two small children, Rose, and Emily, to live with her aunt Ivy. As they grown up the girls are inseparable but a terrible accident tears them apart. Years later they return to the town for the reading of their mother’s testament. They learn that Josie will do anything to reconcile her two daughters. The sisters must move into neighboring houses during the summer and work together to find Josie’s safe deposit box which contains their inheritance...

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I got a chance to read Darcie Chan's “The Mill River Redemption”, her second book after “The Mill River Recluse”. I have not read the first book, but I don’t feel that you need to, even though I must say I am a bit tempted.

This is not the usual book I go for. But I felt intrigued when I read what the book was about. About a small little town, a town where everyone knows everyone and two sisters that have to return to fulfill their mother's last will to be able to inherit. But nothing is easy; they haven’t spoken to each other for years and something putting two people together that are angry with each other can cause blowups.

In the book, we follow Josie in the 1980-90s building a life for herself and her children parallel with her children as grownups coming back to town and trying to find the key to the safe deposit box. I liked it at the same time you get to know the people in the past you also get to know them as grownups and in the end, the past story reveals why they are estranged.

Rose and Emily are very different, Rose is superficial and Emily is down to earth. And there we have my biggest problem with the book. Emily is the good and Rose the bad daughter. The story is written so you will feel for Emily always, it is she who got hurt, and it is she who always does the right thing. After a while it feels like everything Rose does is to hurt everyone around here. Of course, it could be the alcohol talking, she is an alcoholic, but I don’t buy it all the way. By always making it Rose’s fault then the book loses a bit of credibility because not everyone is perfect and not everyone is bad. And I feel that the book had been better if they both had been portrayed with flaws instead of just Rose.

But besides that, I mostly enjoyed the book. It was a bit weird reading about Claudia and Kyle in the book, at first I didn’t understand why there were chapters about their life in the middle of the story about Emily and Rose but I figured that their story had something to do with the first book and I was right.