by Julia Kelly

This is the third historical novel that I have read by this author. I have enjoyed all three books. Each has had war as a backdrop and all have had characters with whom I enjoyed spending time.

A garden is a character in this title. Like a person it is born, grows, and faces struggle and renewal. Indeed, the main characters in this novel also have their struggles and joys as they spend time in this very special garden that was designed with rooms, including a children’s garden, a tea garden and a winter garden.

There are many characters to follow. The original designer of the garden is Venetia, a woman who was independent for her era which was WWI. During WWII readers follow land girl Beth, cook Stella and owner of the house with the garden, Diana. In the present, readers get to know Emma who is restoring Venetia and Diana’s garden. Each of these women has a back story and people who matter to them. Their lives are vividly presented by the author who writes characters with whom readers get to know well.

During Covid, I have spent a lot of time visiting my local botanical garden. I think that enhanced my enjoyment of the sections of the book that described the gardens but you don’t have to be a horticulturalist to read this title.

Come to visit this garden and these characters with their love stories and tales of life both in the present and in the shadow of war. It will be time well spent. Everything invites the reader in including the book’s lovely cover.

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

I’m reading The 100 Must-read Books Of 2020 on Scribd. Check it out: https://www.scribd.com/article/485579514

The Malt in Our Stars

by Sarah Fox

There is a lot going on in this cozy title. There are a murder, a possible hidden treasure, and vandalism on a film set. Then there is the amateur sleuth, her book themed pub, her cocktail creations and her romantic life. There is also a nice, small town setting in Vermont. This all makes for a perfect confluence for readers who like their mysteries without too much violence and with the right amount of plot. I recommend this title for those readers. It was a fun read.

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

I first got to know the books by Ms. Keyes when I read her first, Watermelon. It was an engaging story with both complications and heart. I think that those two qualities best describe this author’s subsequent books, including this one.

Grown Ups is a long book at over 500 pages so just perfect for settling in with on these days of early dark. It is a family story in which, at the beginning of the novel, all of the main characters are close to each other. However, the training wheels come off and the ride gets more unstable when one of the main characters, Cara, suffers a concussion. This results in her speaking thoughts, opinions and secrets without being able to stop. What will this mean to her husband, his brothers and their spouses? Will what comes out destroy this family or make its’ members stronger?

It is hard to offer more praise for this title than what has already been offered by others such as JoJo Moyes and Liane Moriarty along with print media including many, many British newspapers and magazines. I will just say that Irish author Marian Keyes knows how to write an engaging story. Give this one a try…and then go back to read some of her other novels.

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

By the way, this is an e book bargain today, November 30, 2020.

A Novel

by SJ Bennett

#TheWindsorKnot #NetGalley

Please note that this review is for the unabridged audio of this title. It will be released in the U.S. in March. The book is out in the U.K.

Right now, many are absorbed in watching the latest season of The Crown. There is a lot of back and forth about what is true and what is fictional drama. Well, as far as I know, The Windsor Knot is totally fiction about the monarch as detective.

This is an absolutely delightful and enjoyable title and one that I recommend highly for an escapist break. Give it a try.

In The Windsor Knot, there are murder, mysterious Russians, ballet dancers, Chinese speakers, a very likeable Nigerian aide to the Queen called Rosie, various government and palace workers, family members of the Queen, visiting dignitaries, including Obama and more. All are engagingly portrayed.

The character of the queen feels pitch perfect. She is portrayed as a woman well aware of her role and importance but also as someone with an interior life, likes and dislikes. She is a detective who uses her access to information and her Poirot like gray cells to solve the case.

The narrator of the audio book is just splendid. She captures the characters and accents with aplomb and individual voices. I was only sorry when I had to part with her at the end of this title.

Put this one on your TBR or TBL (to be listened to) pile. Enjoy! It is part of a series so there is more to come.