#BookReview The Beautiful Strangers by Camille Di Maio @AmazonPub

The Beautiful Strangers by Camille Di Maio
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A legendary hotel on the Pacific becomes a haven where dreams, love, and a beguiling mystery come alive.

1958. Kate Morgan, tethered to her family’s failing San Francisco restaurant, is looking for an escape. She gets her chance by honoring a cryptic plea from her grandfather: find the beautiful stranger. The search takes her to Hotel del Coronado, the beachfront landmark on the Southern California coast where filming is underway on the movie Some Like It Hot.

For a movie lover like Kate, it’s a fantasy come true. So is the offer of a position at the glamorous hotel. And a new romance is making her heart beat just as fast. But as sure as she is that the Coronado is her future, Kate discovers it’s also where the ghosts of the past have come to stay. Sixty years ago a guest died tragically, and she still haunts the hotel’s halls.

As the lives of two women—generations apart—intertwine, Kate’s courageous journey could change more than she ever imagined. And with the Coronado wending its way through her soul, she must follow her dreams…wherever they may lead.

**********

The Beautiful Stranger is a perfect feel-good book. Perfect if you like ghost stories, love stories, and old Hollywood movies. As a big fan of the movie Some Like it Hot was I thrilled that the setting of the book took place at Hotel del Coronado where the movie is being filmed. Which meant that movie stars like Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, and last, but not least, Marilyn Monore. 

Storywise must I say that some parts were better than others, I loved the movie parts the best, the love story didn't really rock my boat, but it was still pleasant to read about, it's not like I disliked it. I liked how Kate learned more about her grandfather's past. And, honestly? Who doesn't love a ghost story? The ending was pretty cool must I say, didn't see that coming.

This is the second book I have read by Camille Di Maio (The second being The Way of Beauty) and I'm looking forward to reading more books. 

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

#BookReview The Way of Beauty by Camille Di Maio @CamilleDiMaio @FreshFiction #FFreview

The Way of Beauty by Camille Di Maio
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Hearts and dreams evolve in the shadow of the once-magnificent Penn Station.

Vera Keller, the daughter of German immigrants in turn-of-the-century New York City, finds her life upended when the man she loves becomes engaged to another woman. But Angelo Bellavia has also inadvertently opened up Vera’s life to unexpected possibilities. Angelo’s new wife, Pearl, the wealthy daughter of a clothing manufacturer, has defied her family’s expectations by devoting herself to the suffrage movement. In Pearl, Vera finds an unexpected dear friend…and a stirring new cause of her own. But when Pearl’s selfless work pulls her farther from Angelo and their son, the life Vera craved is suddenly within her reach—if her conscience will allow her to take it.

Her choice will define not only her future but also that of her daughter, Alice.

Vera and Alice—a generation and a world apart—are bound by the same passionate drive to fulfill their dreams. As first mother and then daughter come of age in a city that is changing as rapidly as its skyline, they’ll each discover that love is the only constant.

**********

What truly enchanted me when it came to THE WAY OF BEAUTY was Penn Station. Oh, how I wished it was still standing in all its glory. Alas, it had to give way for progress. Luckily, there are still images and like this book, imaginative stories that make Penn Station come to life again.

READ THE REST OF THE REVIEW OVER AT FRESH FICTION!