#BookReview Dark Sacred Night by Michael Connelly @Connellybooks @orionbooks

Dark Sacred Night by Michael Connelly
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

At the end of a long, dark night Detectives Renée Ballard and Harry Bosch cross paths for the very first time.

Detective Renée Ballard is working the graveyard shift again, and returns to Hollywood Station in the early hours only to find that an older man has snuck in and is rifling through old file cabinets.

The intruder is none other than legendary LAPD detective Harry Bosch, working a cold case that has gotten under his skin. Ballard kicks him out, but eventually Bosch persuades her to help and she relents.

Bosch is investigating the death of fifteen-year-old Daisy Clayton, a runaway who was brutally murdered. He crossed paths with her devastated mother while working a previous case, and Daisy's story has seized hold of him.

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"I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship". If you have seen the movie Casablanca, then you know this classic line. And, it's such a perfect way to describe the paring of Renée Ballard and Harry Bosch.

DARK SACRED NIGHT is the second Ballard book and the 29th Bosch. And, I was thrilled to get a copy of the book. Bosch was mentioned in The Late Show, the first Ballard book, but I never thought that we would get a crossover so early. I thought perhaps a cameo or something in the two series, or just mentions. However, to my surprise, a dream come true!

Ballard first encounter with Bosch is hardly a friendly one. He's looking through files he has no right to go through and Ballard almost read him his rights, but then she gets curious. Well, after he's gone and she notices what he was looking for. She can't help herself, and soon she teams up with Bosch to work a cold case. And, as they work together, the more of a team they become.

DARK SACRED NIGHT is a great book. I'm a big fan of cold cases and I love the teaming of Ballard of Bosch. The older cop and the younger one that both can learn from each other, not to mention saving each other's lives. The ending gave hope that there will be more crossovers and I can't wait to find out what B&B will do next!

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

#BookReview The Rain Watcher by Tatiana de Rosnay @tatianaderosnay @StMartinsPress @FreshFiction

The Rain Watcher by Tatiana de Rosnay
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The first new novel in four years from the beloved superstar author of Sarah's Key, a heartbreaking and uplifting story of family secrets and devastating disaster, in the tradition of THE NEST.

Linden Malegarde has come home to Paris from the United States. It has been years since the whole family was all together. Now the Malegarde family is gathering for Paul, Linden’s father’s 70th birthday.

Each member of the Malegarde family is on edge, holding their breath, afraid one wrong move will shatter their delicate harmony. Paul, the quiet patriarch, an internationally-renowned arborist obsessed with his trees and little else, has always had an uneasy relationship with his son. Lauren, his American wife, is determined that the weekend celebration will be a success. Tilia, Linden’s blunt older sister, projects an air of false fulfillment. And Linden himself, the youngest, uncomfortable in his own skin, never quite at home no matter where he lives―an American in France and a Frenchman in the U.S.―still fears that, despite his hard-won success as a celebrated photographer, he will always be a disappointment to his parents.

Their hidden fears and secrets slowly unravel as the City of Light undergoes a stunning natural disaster, and the Seine bursts its banks and floods the city. All members of the family will have to fight to keep their unity against tragic circumstances. In this profound and intense novel of love and redemption, de Rosnay demonstrates all of her writer’s skills both as an incredible storyteller but also as a soul seeker.

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THE RAIN WATCHER is the first book I've read by Tatiana de Rosnay and I'm impressed by how the story got under my skin. I watched the movie version of SARAH'S KEY a couple of years ago and it was fabulous. For some time I have wanted to read Tatiana de Rosnay's work, and I am glad to have started with THE RAIN WATCHER.

READ THE REST OF THE REVIEW OVER AT FRESH FICTION!

#BookReview Skönhetens väg (Lilac Girls) by Martha Hall Kelly (SWE/ENG) @marthahallkelly

Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

SWEDISH REVIEW

CAROLINE är volontär på franska ambassaden i New York och har precis mött mannen i sina drömmar. På andra sidan Atlanten tar den polska sextonåringen KASIA spionuppdrag för att imponera på pojken hon älskar. Samtidigt ser den unga tyska läkaren HERTA inget annat val än att börja arbeta i ett koncentrationsläger för att försörja sig.

Efter att Kasia tillfångatagits av tyskarna möter hon Herta under omständigheter som saknar motstycke i vår historia. Men Carolines välgörenhetsarbete tar henne till Europa, där hennes och Kasias vägar möts.

Skönhetens väg bygger på en sann historia. Caroline Ferriday och Herta Oberheuser var verkliga personer. Den ena förärades två tapperhetsmedaljer för sina insatser under andra världskriget. Den andra dömdes i Nürnberg för fasansfulla brott mot mänskligheten. Romanen är en fängslande berättelse om deras drömmar, umbäranden och uthållighet och det godas seger över ondskan.

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Jag har läst många böcker om andra världskriget men inte alla har berört mig på samma sätt som SKÖNHETENS VÄG gjorde. Utan tvekan är detta en bok man verkligen bör läsa. Jag har faktiskt svårt att med ord beskriva hur fasansfullt det var att läsa denna bok. Det kan låta illa, men övertrampen som skedde under andra världskriget skildras verkligen till det yttersta och det var inte alltid lätt att läsa boken utan att känna fasa. Att även bifoga Herta Oberheusers berättelse till handlingen gjorde boken ännu starkare. Jag läste inte upp mig, när det gällde Herta, innan jag började med boken, det gjorde jag först senare. Det gjorde att jag inte visste att hon skulle senare ställas till svars för sina handlingar vid rättegången i Nürnberg. Så, när jag började läsa boken var hon bara en karaktär till, tillsammans med Caroline och Kasia. Men till skillnad från de andra två kvinnorna är Hertas berättelse den av ondska. Detta upptäckte jag medan jag läste boken. Hennes arbete på Ravensbrück, försöken som utfördes kan inte bortförklaras på något annat sätt. Att läsa om Ravensbrück, vad som hände Kasia och dena andra kvinnorna där var svårt. Så hemskt svårt.

Martha Hall Kelly har skrivit en fantastisk bok. Men också en av de mest jobbigaste böcker jag har läst. Men böcker som SKÖNHETENS VÄG behövs. Man behöver läsa böcker som tar upp svåra ämnen. 

Tack till Bookmarks förlag för recensionsexemplaret! 

ENGLISH REVIEW

Inspired by the life of a real World War II heroine, this debut novel reveals a story of love, redemption, and secrets that were hidden for decades.

New York socialite Caroline Ferriday has her hands full with her post at the French consulate and a new love on the horizon. But Caroline’s world is forever changed when Hitler’s army invades Poland in September 1939—and then sets its sights on France.

An ocean away from Caroline, Kasia Kuzmerick, a Polish teenager, senses her carefree youth disappearing as she is drawn deeper into her role as courier for the underground resistance movement. In a tense atmosphere of watchful eyes and suspecting neighbors, one false move can have dire consequences.

For the ambitious young German doctor, Herta Oberheuser, an ad for a government medical position seems her ticket out of a desolate life. Once hired, though, she finds herself trapped in a male-dominated realm of Nazi secrets and power.
The lives of these three women are set on a collision course when the unthinkable happens and Kasia is sent to Ravensbrück, the notorious Nazi concentration camp for women. Their stories cross continents—from New York to Paris, Germany, and Poland—as Caroline and Kasia strive to bring justice to those whom history has forgotten.

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I have read many books about the horror of WW2, but not all of the books have moved me in the way LILAC Girls did. Undoubtedly this is a book one really should read. I actually have difficulty describing how terrible it was to read this book. It may sound bad, but the devastation that occurred during WW2 is written in such a detail in this book that I couldn't help feel trepidation reading the story. Also, to add Herta Oberheuser's story to the book made the story even stronger. I did not read about Herta before I started reading the book. I did not do that until later. That meant that I did not know that she would later be held accounted for her actions at the trial in Nuremberg. So, to me at first, she was only a character, along with Caroline and Kasia. However, unlike the other two women, Herta's story is of evil doings. Which I discovered as the story progressed. Her work at Ravensbrück, the tests carried out cannot be described in any other way. Reading about Ravensbrück, what happened to Kasia and the other women was truly difficult. So, very, very, difficult.

Martha Hall Kelly has written a wonderful book. It's also one of the hardest books I have read. However, books like the LILAC Girls are needed. You need to read books that deal with difficult topics like this.

Thanks to Bookmarks förlag for the review copy!

#BookReview The Winters by Lisa Gabriele @lisagabrieletv @VikingBooks

The Winters by Lisa Gabriele
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

“From the brilliant first line to the shattering conclusion, The Winters will draw you in and leave you breathless. . . . A must read.” —Liv Constantine, author of The Last Mrs. Parrish

Inspired by Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca, a spellbindingly suspenseful novel set in the moneyed world of the Hamptons, about secrets that refuse to remain buried and consequences that can’t be escaped

After a whirlwind romance, a young woman returns to the opulent, secluded Long Island mansion of her new fiancé Max Winter—a wealthy politician and recent widower—and a life of luxury she’s never known. But all is not as it appears at the Asherley estate. The house is steeped in the memory of Max’s beautiful first wife Rebekah, who haunts the young woman’s imagination and feeds her uncertainties, while his very alive teenage daughter Dani makes her life a living hell. She soon realizes there is no clear place for her in this twisted little family: Max and Dani circle each other like cats, a dynamic that both repels and fascinates her, and he harbors political ambitions with which he will allow no woman—alive or dead—to interfere.

As the soon-to-be second Mrs. Winter grows more in love with Max, and more afraid of Dani, she is drawn deeper into the family’s dark secrets—the kind of secrets that could kill her, too. The Winters is a riveting story about what happens when a family’s ghosts resurface and threaten to upend everything.

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First, I want to say that I love REBECCA by Daphne du Maurier. It's a book that I have read several times and I feel like I love it a bit more every time I read it. Second, this book, well we got off on the wrong foot I think. I had a hard time getting into it, found it hard to like the story and the characters. So, I took a break and then I came back to it a couple of month's later and I pick up where I left on, but this time did I choose the audio version. And, now the story felt much more to my liking.

If you have read Rebecca, then the story will have a familiar tone. However, I would say that the author has brilliantly made something new. It's more of a feeling of Rebecca than a retelling and that is a great move. It's an intense story and one thing that Lisa Gabriele has managed to do is to make the main female character, the nameless second Winter (just as with the first book) a bit stronger than the meek character in REBECCA. That has always been my problem when it comes to the story. I just like my female characters a bit gutsier.

So, the verdict. If you haven't read REBECCA or seen any of the movies/mini-series then you will have nothing to compare with, and that can be nice and you will probably be more surprised by the story than if you have read REBECCA. If you have read the book, then I will bet that the wedding scene in this book will make quite apprehensive since you probably know what will happen...

#BookReview This Fallen Prey by Kelley Armstrong @KelleyArmstrong @MinotaurBooks

This Fallen Prey by Kelley Armstrong
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When Casey Duncan first arrived at Rockton, the off-the-grid, isolated community built as a haven for people running from their pasts, she had no idea what to expect. There are no cell phones, no internet, no mail, and no way of getting in or out without the town council's approval. She certainly didn't expect to become the town homicide detective. But, the very last thing she expected was for the council to drop a dangerous criminal into their midst without a plan to keep him imprisoned. And she never thought that she'd have to be responsible for him. 

The longer Oliver Brady stays in town, the more people seem to die around him. When evidence begins piling up that someone inside Rockton is working as his accomplice, Casey races to figure out who exactly Brady is and what crimes he's truly responsible for committing.

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I'm lucky enough to have, WATCHERS IN THE WOODS, the latest book in the Rockton series. However, I wanted to read THE FALLEN PRAY, the previous book released before I started it since it's the only one I hadn't read. So, I went for the audio version and it was a thrilling ride. I'm a big audiobook fan and Therese Plummer the narrator did an excellent job.

The Rockton series is fabulous, and THE FALLEN PRAY is one of the strongest books in the series. Casey Duncan and her law enforce colleagues get caught between a rock and a hard place when dangerous criminal Oliver Brady is dropped in Rockton and they are now responsible to keep him safe. Which is hard since the general population in Rockton, the off-the-grid community is, of course, curious to know who he is and what he has done...

I really liked this book and I'm now really eager to read the next book in the series. I recommend this series if you want a slightly different kind of thriller series. Rockton is a town with a lot of secrets and dangerous people. And, Casey's skill as a homicide detective is much needed...

#BookReview Dracul by Dacre Stoker and J.D. Barker @PutnamBooks @PRHGlobal #partner

Dracul by Dacre Stoker
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The prequel to Dracula, inspired by notes and texts left behind by the author of the classic novel, Dracul is a riveting novel of gothic suspense that reveals not only Dracula's true origins but Bram Stoker's -- and the tale of the enigmatic woman who connects them.

It is 1868, and a twenty-one-year-old Bram Stoker waits in a desolate tower to face an indescribable evil. Armed only with crucifixes, holy water, and a rifle, he prays to survive a single night, the longest of his life. Desperate to record what he has witnessed, Bram scribbles down the events that led him here...

A sickly child, Bram spent his early days bedridden in his parents' Dublin home, tended to by his caretaker, a young woman named Ellen Crone. When a string of strange deaths occur in a nearby town, Bram and his sister Matilda detect a pattern of bizarre behavior by Ellen -- a mystery that deepens chillingly until Ellen vanishes suddenly from their lives. Years later, Matilda returns from studying in Paris to tell Bram the news that she has seen Ellen -- and that the nightmare they've thought long ended is only beginning.

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I would say that DRACUL is a good book, but ultimately one that was just a bit too long. And, I say that regrettable because of the idea of the book, to link the Dracula myth with Bram Stoker's own life is marvelous and I quite enjoyed the story. Especially the first part with the creepy nanny. I also came to like Bram's brave and gutsy sister Matilda very much. What for me sadly just didn't work was the pacing. It's a thick book, 500 pages and I just felt that my interested in the story went up and down as the story progressed. Some parts really interesting, other parts, well I lost the focus now and then. On the plus side, the ending is quite good and the story had a lovely gothic atmosphere. Also, I did, however, quite enjoyed the author's notes at the end of the book. Fascinating reading.

So, would I recommend this book? Yes, definitely. The story is interesting and you will like it especially if you have a burning obsession with everything concerning the Dracula myth. Confession, the original Dracula book by Bram Stoker was never a favorite of mine so perhaps it's not that odd that I did not totally love this book.

I want to thank G.P. Putnam's Sons for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review! 

#BookReview Another Side of Paradise by Sally Koslow @sallykoslow @HarperCollins

Another Side of Paradise by Sally Koslow
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The author of the acclaimed international bestseller The Late, Lamented Molly Marx imaginatively brings to life the shocking affair of F. Scott Fitzgerald and his longtime lover, Sheilah Graham, in this dazzling novel of romance, celebrity, and Gatsby-esque self-creation in 1930s Hollywood

In 1937 Hollywood, gossip columnist Sheilah Graham’s star is on the rise, while literary wonder boy F. Scott Fitzgerald’s career is slowly drowning in booze. But the once-famous author, desperate to make money penning scripts for the silver screen, is charismatic enough to attract the gorgeous Miss Graham, a woman who exposes the secrets of others while carefully guarding her own. Like Scott’s hero Jay Gatsby, Graham has meticulously constructed a life far removed from the poverty of her childhood in London’s slums. And like Gatsby, the onetime guttersnipe learned early how to use her charms to become a hardworking success feted and feared by both the movie studios and their luminaries.

A notorious drunk famously married to the doomed “crazy Zelda,” Fitzgerald fell hard for his “Shielah” (he never learned to spell her name), a shrewd yet soft-hearted woman—both a fool for love and nobody’s fool—who would stay with him and help revive his career until his tragic death three years later. Working from diaries and other primary sources from the time, Sally Koslow revisits their scandalous love affair, bringing Graham and Scott gloriously alive in this compelling page-turner saturated with the color, glitter, magic, and passion of 1930s Hollywood and Sheilah’s dramatic transformation in London.

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I just knew I needed to read this book when I saw it and I was lucky to get the chance to listen to the audiobook. I watched a movie about F. Scott Fitzgerald and Sheilah Graham years ago with Gregory Peck in the title role. Can't remember much about it, but I was thrilled to get to read a book about the couple.

F. Scott Fitzgerald is forever linked with his wife Zelda, but the last years of his life were he involved with gossip columnist Sheilah Graham. It was not an easy romance, especially for Sheilah who discovered that Scott was a very nice man, as long as he did not drink. But, now and then he would go on a bender and he turned into a very nasty version of himself. I had before I read this book just finished a book about Ernest Hemingway and I can tell you. They may be great writers, but they were hell to live with.

As for the book, it's marvelous, read it or listen to it. I enjoyed it immensely and I loved getting to know more about Sheilah Graham, how she pretty much invented herself. And who doesn't love an epic love story?

#BookReview Fatal Promise by Angela Marsons @WriteAngie @bookouture

Fatal Promise by Angela Marsons
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Eeeny meeny, miney, moe. Who lives, who dies only I know.

When the body of a doctor is discovered brutally murdered in local woodland, Detective Kim Stone is shocked to discover the victim is Gordon Cordell – a man linked to a previous case she worked on involving the death of a young school girl. Gordon has a chequered past, but who would want him dead?

As the investigation gets underway, Gordon’s son is involved in a horrific car crash which leaves him fighting for his life. Kim's sure this was no accident.

Then the body of a woman is found dead in suspicious circumstances and Kim makes a disturbing link between the victims and Russells Hall Hospital. The same hospital where Gordon worked.

With Kim and her team still grieving the loss of one of their own, they’re at their weakest and facing one of the most dangerous serial killers they’ve ever encountered. Everything is on the line. Can Kim keep her squad together and find the killer before he claims his next victim?

The killer is picking off his victims at a terrifying pace, and he’s not finished yet.

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FATAL PROMISE is book nine in the Kim Stone series and I've read every single one of them. The D.I. Kim Stone series is a great crime series and I'm always thrilled when I get a new copy to read. I like the characters so much, and the cases are always so good. However, it's hard to write a review without spoiling too much, both for those that have never read the series, or just this book. So, I will try to be as vague as possible. Kim and her colleagues had to deal with a tragic loss in the last book and now they have to deal with it at work. This part of the book is something that I both enjoyed and felt sad about reading. I think, however, that this new move will be interesting in future books.

As for the case, very interesting, especially since it was hard to figure out who was behind it all, and why. Just the kind of case I love to read about. The book's pace was fast and I enjoyed reading it immensely. This is one of the strongest books in the series, but then again, that's hardly a surprise since Marsons knows how to write an engaging crime novel. Now I want the next book.

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

#BlogTour A Torch in His Heart by Anna Belfrage @BkJunkiePromos @abelfrageauthor

A Torch in His Heart by Anna Belfrage

Publication Date: August 31, 2018

Timelight Press

eBook & Paperback 514 Pages

Series: The Wanderer, Book One

Genre: Romance/Erotica/Paranormal

In the long lost ancient past, two men fought over the girl with eyes like the Bosporus under a summer sky. It ended badly. She died. They died. 

Since then, they have all tumbled through time, reborn over and over again. Now they are all here, in the same place, the same time and what began so long ago must finally come to an end. 

Ask Helle Madsen what she thinks about reincarnation and she’ll laugh in your face. Besides, Helle has other stuff to handle, what with her new, exciting job in London and her drop-dead but seriously sinister boss, Sam Woolf. And then one day Jason Morris walks into her life and despite never having clapped eyes on him before, she recognises him immediately. Very weird. Even more weird is the fact that Sam and Jason clearly hate each other’s guts. Helle’s life is about to become extremely complicated and far too exciting.

Available on Amazon

About the Author

Had Anna been allowed to choose, she’d have become a time-traveller. As this was impossible, she became a financial professional with three absorbing interests: history and writing.

Anna has authored the acclaimed time travelling series The Graham Saga, set in 17th century Scotland and Maryland, as well as the equally acclaimed medieval series The King’s Greatest Enemy which is set in 14th century England. (Medieval knight was also high on Anna’s list of potential professions. Yet another disappointment…)

With Jason and Helle, Anna has stepped out of her historical comfort zone and has loved doing so.

Find out more about Anna by visiting her website, www.annabelfrage.com, You can also connect with Anna on Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, and Goodreads.

Blog Tour Schedule

Tuesday, October 9 

Review at Pursuing Stacie 

Wednesday, October 10 

Review at Oh, October 

Thursday, October 11 

Interview at Let Them Read Books 

Friday, October 12 

Review at A Chick Who Reads 

Monday, October 15 

Review at A Holland Reads 

Friday, October 19 

Feature at A Bookaholic Swede 

Sunday, October 21 

Review & Guest Post at Clarissa Reads it All 

Tuesday, October 23 

Review at So Many Books, So Little Time 

Thursday, October 25 

Review at Donna Louise 

Friday, October 26 

Review at Broken Teepee 

Monday, October 29 

Review at Passages to the Past 

Wednesday, October 31 

Interview at Passages to the Past 

Friday, November 2 

Review at CelticLady’s Reviews 

Wednesday, November 7 

Feature at Just One More Chapter 

Monday, November 12 

Review & Excerpt at The Book Junkie Reads 

Friday, November 16 

Review at The Book Mind

Giveaway

During the Blog Tour we will be giving away one eBook and one paperback copy of A Torch in His Heart! To enter, please enter via the Gleam form below.

Giveaway Rules

– Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on November 16th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Giveaway is open to residents INTERNATIONALLY.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspect of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
 – Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.

A Torch in His Heart

#BookReview The Hollow of Fear by Sherry Thomas @sherrythomas @BerkleyPub @FreshFiction

The Hollow of Fear by Sherry Thomas
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Charlotte Holmes, Lady Sherlock, returns in the Victorian-set mystery series from the USA Today bestselling author of A Conspiracy in Belgravia and A Study in Scarlet Women, an NPR Best Book of 2016.

Under the cover of “Sherlock Holmes, consulting detective,” Charlotte Holmes puts her extraordinary powers of deduction to good use. Aided by the capable Mrs. Watson, Charlotte draws those in need to her and makes it her business to know what other people don’t.

Moriarty’s shadow looms large. First, Charlotte’s half brother disappears. Then, Lady Ingram, the estranged wife of Charlotte’s close friend Lord Ingram, turns up dead on his estate. And all signs point to Lord Ingram as the murderer.

With Scotland Yard closing in, Charlotte goes under disguise to seek out the truth. But uncovering the truth could mean getting too close to Lord Ingram—and a number of malevolent forces…

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The Lady Sherlock series has become a favorite one for me since I read book two, A CONSPIRACY IN BELGRAVIA last year. Since then have I devoured the first book A STUDY IN SCARLET WOMEN and now the latest in the series, THE HOLLOW OF FEAR. It may be prudent to start with the first book to get the backstory of the characters and events, as well as because this book is connected to the story in A CONSPIRACY IN BELGRAVIA.

READ THE REST OF THE REVIEW OVER AT FRESH FICTION!

#BookReview The Antiquities Hunter by Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff @kaath09 @Pegasus_Books @FreshFiction

The Antiquities Hunter by Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Gina “Tinkerbell” Miyoko is not your typical private eye. Armed with a baby blue Magnum, a Harley blessed with Holy Water by her dramatically disposed mother, and a Japanese mingei tucked in her pocket (a good luck charm from her Sherlock Holmes-obsessed father) Tink spends her time sniffing out delinquent dads in the San Francisco Bay area and honing her detective skills.

But when her best friend Rose, an undercover agent, discovers there’s a stalker on her tail, she hires Tink as a bodyguard. Someone must be trying to intimidate Rose and scare her out of testifying in an upcoming case on looted Anasazi artifacts. But when Tink tries to flush-out the stalker, things take a far more dangerous turn.

Now, with a dead black-market dealer and an injured Rose on her hands, Tink must take her best friend’s place and follow the looters’ trail towards a powerful and lucrative antiquities collector in Cancun, Mexico. Equipped with an ingenious disguise and a teasingly coy persona to match, Tink is determined to find out who is behind the attack on Rose and the illegal trafficking of these priceless artifacts. Along the way, she will find help in the most unlikely of partners…

Deep in the jungle and far from civilization, Tink must decide who she can trust as she tries to unearth the ones responsible behind the pilfering and bloodshed—and still make it out alive.

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PI Gina "Tinkerbell" Miyoko is alarmed when her best friend Rose, an undercover agent, reveals she has a stalker. Together they decided to catch Rose's stalker, but it turns out not everything is as it seems. However, this is just the start and they soon realize that someone is out to scare Rose from testifying in an upcoming case about looted Anasazi artifacts. Who better to protect Rose than Gina?

READ THE REST OF THE REVIEW OVER AT FRESH FICTION!

#BookReview The Ice Maiden by Sara Sheridan @severnhouse @FreshFiction

The Ice Maiden by Sara Sheridan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

As she stows away on a ship bound for Antarctica, a young woman uncovers a shocking betrayal.

1842. Stranded on Deception Island in the South Atlantic, her whaling captain husband lost at sea, Karina is destitute and desperate. Disguised as a cabin boy, she stows away on a British ship. But Karina is about to get a nasty surprise.

As she grows closer to ship's surgeon Joseph Hooker, Karina and the rest of the crew find themselves pushed to the limits both physically and emotionally as conditions worsen onboard. Engulfed in the chillingly hostile Antarctic landscape, something extraordinary happens - and Karina's story becomes intertwined with some of the 20th century's bravest Polar explorers ...

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1842. Karina is stranded on Deception Island in the South Atlantic after her husband, who is a whaling captain, is lost at sea. Her hope is that her sister in Amsterdam will respond to her letter and send money for her to travel to Amsterdam. But, as the days go by and no letter arrives, Karina gets more and more desperate. So, she stows away on a British ship...

READ THE REST OF THE REVIEW OVER AT FRESH FICTION!

#BookReview A Well-Behaved Woman by Therese Anne Fowler @StMartinsPress @FreshFiction

A Well-Behaved Woman: A Novel of the Vanderbilts by Therese Anne Fowler
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

The riveting novel of iron-willed Alva Vanderbilt and her illustrious family in as they rule Gilded-Age New York, from the New York Times bestselling author of Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald.

In 1883, the New York Times prints a lengthy rave of Alva Vanderbilt's Fifth Ave. costume ball--a coup for the former Alva Smith, who not long before was destitute, her family's good name useless on its own. Marrying into the newly rich but socially scorned Vanderbilt clan, a union contrived by Alva's bestfriend and now-Duchess of Manchester, saved the Smiths--and elevated the Vanderbilts.

From outside, Alva seems to have it all and want more. She does have a knack for getting all she tries for: the costume ball--no mere amusement--wrests acceptance from doyenne Caroline Astor. Denied abox at the Academy of Music, Alva founds The Met. No obstacle puts her off for long.

But how much of ambition arises from insecurity? From despair? From refusal to play insipid games by absurd rules? --There are, however, consequences to breaking those rules. One must tread carefully.

And what of her maddening sister-in-law, Alice? Her husband William, who's hiding a terrible betrayal? The not-entirely-unwelcome attentions of his friend Oliver Belmont, who is everything William is not? What of her own best friend, whose troubles cast a wide net?

Alva will build mansions, push boundaries, test friendships, and marry her daughter to England's most eligible duke or die trying. She means to do right by all, but good behavior will only get a woman so far. What is the price of going further? What might be the rewards? There's only one way to know for certain...

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A WELL-BEHAVED WOMAN is a story about the notorious Alva Vanderbilt who married a rich man to save herself and her sisters from destitution. Once Alva Smith lived a prosperous life, but that was until their fortune was lost. She has to wed really well and she catches the eye of William Vanderbilt from the very rich, but socially outcast Vanderbilts. Alva is hell-bent on getting herself and the Vanderbilts everything they want, no matter the cost. But, can all the money in the world buy her the happiness she wants?

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#BookReview The Lighthouse Keeper's Daughter by Hazel Gaynor @WmMorrowBooks @FreshFiction

The Lighthouse Keeper's Daughter by Hazel Gaynor
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

“They call me a heroine, but I am not deserving of such accolades. I am just an ordinary young woman who did her duty.”

1838: Northumberland, England. Longstone Lighthouse on the Farne Islands has been Grace Darling’s home for all of her twenty-two years. When she and her father rescue shipwreck survivors in a furious storm, Grace becomes celebrated throughout England, the subject of poems, ballads, and plays. But far more precious than her unsought fame is the friendship that develops between Grace and a visiting artist. Just as George Emmerson captures Grace with his brushes, she in turn captures his heart.

1938: Newport, Rhode Island. Nineteen-years-old and pregnant, Matilda Emmerson has been sent away from Ireland in disgrace. She is to stay with Harriet, a reclusive relative and assistant lighthouse keeper, until her baby is born. A discarded, half-finished portrait opens a window into Matilda’s family history. As a deadly hurricane approaches, two women, living a century apart, will be linked forever by their instinctive acts of courage and love.

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THE LIGHTHOUSE KEEPER'S DAUGHTER is a dual storyline book about two women living 100 years separate. In 1838 Northumberland, England, Grace Darling lives on the Farne Island where her father is the lighthouse keeper. Grace and her father save some shipwreck survivors during a terrible storm and that makes her celebrated all through England. In 1938, young Matilda Emmerson is sent away to Newport, Rhode Island from Ireland after becoming pregnant. She's staying with her relative, Harriet, an assistant lighthouse keeper, until the baby is born. Finding a half- finished portrait will lead Matilda to find out more about her family's history.

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#BookReview Athena's Champion by David Hair and Cath Mayo @DHairauthor @canelo_co

Athena's Champion by David Hair and Cath Mayo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The first in a thrilling new historical fantasy series; Odysseus must embrace his secret heritage and outwit the vengeful Gods who would control or destroy him…

Prince Odysseus of Ithaca is about to have his world torn apart. He’s travelled to the oracle at Pytho to be anointed as heir to his island kingdom; but instead the Pythia reveals a terrible secret, one that tears down every pillar of his life, and marks him out for death.

Outcast by his family, hunted by the vengeful gods, Odysseus is offered sanctuary by Athena, goddess of wisdom, and thrust into the secret war between the Olympians for domination and survival. Only his wits, and his skill as a warrior, can keep him ahead of their power games – and alive.

When one of Athena’s schemes goes drastically wrong, and the young Helen of Sparta is kidnapped, Odysseus must journey past the gates of Hades to save her. Falling in love with a Trojan princess, a bewitching woman who poses a deadly threat to both his homeland and Athena, won’t make his task any easier…

Drawing from classic Greek mythology, Athena's Champion, first in the epic Olympus series, is perfect for fans of Madeline Miller and David Gemmell

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What a thrilling read ATHENA'S CHAMPION was. Odysseus has long been a favorite hero of mine and when I saw this book and read the blurb did I just knew that I had to read the book. The book is action filled and I love how  David Hair and Cath May right from the start make Odysseus life miserable. Well, that sounds bad, but just think about his little trip home from Troy that lasted a little longer than expected. Odysseus discovery about his heritage at the beginning of the book and all the obstacles, later on, will just show that he's on a road to more obstacles in the future...

I really liked this new take on Odysseus life. How he learns more about the world and about the Gods. Not to mention all he learns about himself. I like how the myth of Prometheus is added to the story and the struggle between the Gods for power. Poor Odysseus is but a pawn in the hands of Athena, but he proves quickly that he is very cunning.

As a big fantasy fan historical fiction fan was this book a real winner for me. David Hair and Cath Mayo have written a great book that makes me eager to get the next book in the series. I was a bit worried that the book would end up with a cliffhanger, but I found the ending satisfying. This is definitely a book to read if you like Greek mythology and/or historical fiction about gods and heroes.

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

#BookReview The Dream Daughter by Diane Chamberlain @D_Chamberlain @StMartinsPress @FreshFiction

The Dream Daughter by Diane Chamberlain
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When Caroline Sears receives the news that her unborn baby girl has a heart defect, she is devastated. It is 1970 and there seems to be little that can be done. But her brother-in-law, a physicist, tells her that perhaps there is. Hunter appeared in their lives just a few years before—and his appearance was as mysterious as his past. With no family, no friends, and a background shrouded in secrets, Hunter embraced the Sears family and never looked back.

Now, Hunter is telling her that something can be done about her baby's heart. Something that will shatter every preconceived notion that Caroline has. Something that will require a kind of strength and courage that Caroline never knew existed. Something that will mean a mind-bending leap of faith on Caroline's part.

And all for the love of her unborn child.

A rich, genre-spanning, breathtaking novel about one mother's quest to save her child, unite her family, and believe in the unbelievable. Diane Chamberlain pushes the boundaries of faith and science to deliver a novel that you will never forget.

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Now and then you come across a book that will take your breath away. For me, THE DREAM DAUGHTER is a book like that. I had never read anything by Diane Chamberlain before so I didn't know what to expect. All I knew was that the blurb intrigued me. I never expected to find myself so taken with the book that I still feel a bit giddy when I think about it several days after I finished the book.

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#BookReview Becoming Mrs. Lewis by Patti Callahan @pcalhenry @ThomasNelson @FreshFiction

Becoming Mrs. Lewis by Patti Callahan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In a most improbable friendship, she found love. In a world where women were silenced, she found her voice.

From New York Times bestselling author Patti Callahan comes an exquisite novel of Joy Davidman, the woman C. S. Lewis called “my whole world.” When poet and writer Joy Davidman began writing letters to C. S. Lewis—known as Jack—she was looking for spiritual answers, not love. Love, after all, wasn’t holding together her crumbling marriage. Everything about New Yorker Joy seemed ill-matched for an Oxford don and the beloved writer of Narnia, yet their minds bonded over their letters. Embarking on the adventure of her life, Joy traveled from America to England and back again, facing heartbreak and poverty, discovering friendship and faith, and against all odds, finding a love that even the threat of death couldn’t destroy.

In this masterful exploration of one of the greatest love stories of modern times, we meet a brilliant writer, a fiercely independent mother, and a passionate woman who changed the life of this respected author and inspired books that still enchant us and change us. Joy lived at a time when women weren’t meant to have a voice—and yet her love for Jack gave them both voices they didn’t know they had.

At once a fascinating historical novel and a glimpse into a writer’s life, Becoming Mrs. Lewis is above all a love story—a love of literature and ideas and a love between a husband and wife that, in the end, was not impossible at all.

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BECOMING MRS. LEWIS is a book that I have been looking forward to reading for a long time. At the same time, I put it off because I was afraid it would not live up to my expectations. I had previously read JOY by Abigail Santamaria, an excellent non-fiction book about Joy Davidman and her life with C.S. Lewis. When I finally sat down and started to read the book, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I loved it.

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