A Novel

by Lauren Willig

Pub Date 02 Mar 2021   

Lauren Willig has written many novels including those in her Pink Carnation series. This title is based on true events; during WWI a unit of Smith College graduates traveled to France to offer aid and assistance. These real life volunteers are acknowledged at the beginning of the novel.

The book’s protagonist, Kate, was a scholarship student at Smith. This experience left her with an excellent education and some feelings of insecurity despite her friendship with the wealthy, Emmie. A few years after graduation, Emmie recruits Kate to be one of the fictional band of sisters of the title. These “sisters” include the married woman in charge of the volunteers, two female physicians and the other Smithies. Their experiences in France and the interrelationships of the characters form the basis for the story.

This book has an interesting premise and the story is well told. I especially enjoyed the letters that begin each chapter. My only quibble was that, at times, it was a bit difficult to differentiate the characters. Many, but not all, had a trait or relationship that helps the reader to keep track.

Willig includes information at the novel on her historical sources and the ways in which her own education led to the writing of this title.

Of note: I alternated between listening to the audio of this title and reading it. The audio was well produced and engaging. It is so nice to be able to follow a story by doing both. Also, I note the beautiful cover of the novel; it drew me in.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title. All opinions are my own.

I suggest going to the Stop You’re Killing Me newsletter to read about the 2025 Dagger Shortlist and the 2025 Crime Writers of Canada Excellence Awards.

http://www.StopYoureKillingMe.com

A Golden Girls Cozy Mystery

by Rachel Ekstrom Courage

#MurderbyCheesecake #NetGalley

Anyone who was/is a fan of the TV series will want to pick up Murder by Cheesecake. Here they will find the familiar friends entangled in a murder mystery when Dorothy’s date is found dead in the titular cheesecake. Will the group solve the murder? Will the wedding that brought them to Florida actually take place? Read this one to find out.

Here is a fun and enjoyable book that is not too long but has enough plot to fill up the pages. Even a reader with no prior knowledge of the GGs can enjoy this title.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for this book. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 15 April 2025

256 pages

Mystery & Thriller

From the Publisher

#TheBookClubforTroublesomeWomen #NetGalley

The early sixties were a time of nascent change for many, including women. There was restlessness as some felt that being a housewife and mother was not fully satisfying in and of itself. (This may have been true before, of course, but it was at this time that Betty Friedan published a book that spoke to and legitimized these feelings).

In this novel, Marie Bostwick looks at a group of women who are living in a planned, suburban community outside of Washington DC. The group includes Margaret who was a bright, successful college student when she met her husband. Now she is a mother of three. When she gets an opportunity to do a bit more will she take it?

Bitsy married an older man. She loves horses but passed on vet school to marry a vet. Readers will find out why. Bitsy is having trouble with the suburban dream because she hasn’t been able to have a child.

Viv is a mother to many with a husband who seems supportive. But, when she wants more and looks for a job, will she tell Tony?

Then there is artistic, chaotic Charlotte. She challenges Margaret and the others. Will she cross a line too far?

These women meet regularly in a book club with the first book being The Feminine Mystique. Readers follow their lives over the course of this long and satisfying novel that is special to the author (read what she says).

Recommended to those who enjoy (women’s) fiction and would like a look at the 1960s.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins Focus for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 22 April 2025

Historical Fiction-Women’s Fiction

384 pages

From the publisher:

From the Publisher

Brene Brown was “discovered” by Oprah Winfrey and went on to develop a loyal readership. This is the third Brown book that I have read. The author, a social worker and social science researcher, educates by effectively using both of these skill sets. Brene Brown shares her own perceptions, struggles and life story to best make her points. She backs this with academic research that she has conducted .
This is not the best written book but its message is powerful, especially in our current political climate of division, silos and the tendency to have strong “confirmation bias.” Brene Brown urges readers to calmly and bravely stand up for their beliefs while being open to having dialogues with those who have opposing views. A short book for such a tall order. It is worth reading.

A Short Story

by Mary Kay Andrews

#HolidayHideaway #NetGalley

I picked this short (under 100 page) story when I was feeling a bit out of sorts. It did cheer me up.

Readers have to be willing to suspend disbelief but,if they do so, this is a fun read.

Tilly is no longer married and is facing some (temporary) housing issues. Her solution? Stay in one of the vacant properties that is on the books of the agency where she is employed. This works just fine until a tenant enters the house leaving Tilly and her dog fleeing to the attic.

This is how the stage has set for an enjoyable and witty holiday read. Since this is a seasonal story, readers can relax and enjoy waiting for the happy ending.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 29 October 2024

If you love Jenny Colgan: The Bookshop on the Shore

by joycesmysteryandfictionbookreviewsJune 22, 2019

This book is related to the author’s earlier novel, The Bookshop on the Corner.  Some characters from that book are present as is the book van book shop, which I love.

While I enjoyed The Bookshop on the Corner, I did not find this novel to be nearly as good.  The premise is there; young mom with a mute child wants to find a new life.  So, Zoe moves to Scotland to work with Nina, the protagonist of the earlier title.  Zoe’s trials caring for three children plus her own and her experiences on the book van are central to the plot.  Of course, there is also a romance. In addition, readers who enjoyed Nina from the last book, will get to see how her pregnancy goes.  There just might be a surprise!

This book may be best for true lovers of this author.  I found it to be a bit slow and surprisingly, for the first time, I did not find myself fully enjoying a book by this author.

I will still read Jenny Colgan’s novels in the future.  I hope that the next one will be as good as I know that she can be.  Let me know what you think if you read this one.  I am interested to know.

Curtis Sittenfeld is a nimble author whose novels are each unique. I have read her takes on both Laura Bush and Hilary Rodham Clinton; while each had a similar subject in a president’s spouse, the books were definitely not the same kind of story twice. I also read Eligible which was a Jane Austen update. There is always a voice of its own in her works dating back to Prep.

This title is a lighter one in the Sittenfeld oeuvre. Many will think that there is some resemblance to SNL here. There are writers, a comedy sketch show with celebrity guests and other aspects that reference late night television. However, there are also the characters and relationships and they are Sittenfeld’s own. These folks include Sally who has not been lucky in love and has been having “hook ups” instead of commitments. She watches as a co-writer, Danny, who is described as not too well put together appearance wise, become involved with someone “out of his league.” Why do things turn out this way for men more than women?? What happens when guest host Noah comes on the show and what will happen between him and Sally over time? Read this one to find out.

Many have adored this book. I liked it. I could not quite enter its world and pushed a bit to finish it. That said, I think this will be a very popular read this spring and summer.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this title. All opinions are my own.

A Novel

by Erica Bauermeister

I love holding a new book, looking at the cover, wondering what is inside and whether I will be able to fully enter its world. It doesn’t always happen but, when it does, it always feels like magic. That feeling is what keeps me reading for pleasure I think.

In this novel Bauermeister shows just how deeply she understands the power of books. I think that the title No Two Persons signifies how we all see a given book through our own lens.

Alice is the first character whom readers meet. Her home life is not easy. She has escaped into books for many years and wants nothing more than to write. Through grief and hardship, she writes a novel titled Theo.

We all know that once a book is published it belongs to more than just the author. Here, Bauermeister shows how this one book impacts each character in the subsequent (somewhat interlinked) chapters. For example, meet the reader who finds the novel in a slush pile, meet an actor with a setback who discovers Alice’s book and finds that his career opens in a new way. Keep meeting new readers in all of the pages that follow.

I love the way that this novel reminds all of us of the power of imagination, reading and connection.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this title. All opinions are my own

Pub date: 02 May 2023

304 pages

Literary fiction

#WelcometoGloriousTuga #NetGalley

It is not easy to get to glorious Tuga. This fictional island is far from anywhere, takes a long sea (sick) journey to get to, and is often not accessible. It is a very distant (fictional) British outpost.

The islanders are descended from several families. Many have distinctive dimples. Some want to stay there, a few want to leave (and come back) and once in a while an incomer arrives.

In this story readers meet Charlotte Walker, a vet, who has traveled to Tuga where she plans to live for a year while studying a particular tortoise. She is escaping her London life and her demanding mother while hoping that, in Tuga, she may discover her father, advance her career and enjoy a new experience.

On the trip to Tuga, Charlotte meets Dan. He is a physician who has studied abroad and is returning to Tuga to take over his uncle’s practice. He and Charlotte spend a lot of time together on the trip out. Will they have a future?

These are only two of the many, many characters who populate this warm hearted story. It takes a bit to sort them all out but there is a helpful character list at the start of the novel. Get to know them, their stories, their interconnections, challenges and loves in these pages.

Many have already declared this to be a special book. I agree.

It seems to me that one of the joys of being an author is that the writer can create an entire world, populate it how they want and decide the fates of their characters. Segal has done all of this in creating Tuga. I recommend enjoying a (virtual) visit there.

First in a trilogy.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Ecco for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 02 July 2024