The Christmas Sisters by Sarah Morgan

Such a heartwarming read. Really loved this one. Here we have the story of three sisters who faced tragedy as young children. Each were affected differently and as adults they grew apart. In this book, due to certain events, they all decide to return home for Christmas in Scotland. They finally have a chance to heal some festering wounds from their childhood.
I really loved this. We get each sisters point of view as well as the mother. I think this was really effective as I was able to see things from their perspective.

As with all of her books, this was an easy fast read and perfect for the holidays.

I received this book from Netgalley and it comes out later this month.

Review: The Ghost and the Bogus Bestseller

The Ghost and the Bogus Bestseller by Cleo Coyle
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a fun enjoyable mystery. In this book we follow Penelope who is a widowed mother and co-owns a bookstore with her aunt. She also works with the ghost of a private detective, Jack, who was killed on the premises in the 1940's. As the book starts, Penelope is helping a customer who becomes extremely distressed when she notices the author cover photo on a brand new bestseller. The customer claims that the photo is of her and runs out of the store. Pen and Jack decide to try and find the customer to see if she is alright and also to get payment for the book. When that same customer turns up dead, they go on their own investigation and try to unravel what happened. Many twists and turns lie ahead as pieces start to come together.
I really liked the humor in this book and it had a good solid mystery. I also appreciated the distinction of Jack's voice in keeping with the proper lingo from his time period. Overall, this was a fun fast read.

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Review: A Well-Behaved Woman: A Novel of the Vanderbilts

A Well-Behaved Woman: A Novel of the Vanderbilts by Therese Anne Fowler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a fantastic historical fiction based on real people and real events. There is a lot of fact in this fiction. The book follows the Vanderbilt family in the late 19th Century. We get to follow Ava from a young girl when she meets William K. Vanderbilt, marries him, and is thrown into the fierce and competitive upper crust society of New York City. We view things through Ava’s perspective and the author presents her with a soft sympathetic portrayal. We watch as Ava, who is known as Mrs. Vanderbilt, fights for acceptance with the snobby elite of the time. The story gets better as we continue to follow Ava and the Vanderbilt family through the years.
This book takes place during the famed Gilded Age. It is a fascinating portrayal of the famous upper crust during their heyday. I loved the descriptive writing and the portrayal of this sensitive, stubborn and sassy woman. I really enjoyed getting a glimpse of that time period.
If you like historical fiction, historical drama or the Gilded Age in general, I think you would enjoy this novel.


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Review: Season of Wonder

Season of Wonder by RaeAnne Thayne
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was such a sweet heartwarming story. It follows a single mother Dani who has two girls as they start a new life in the little town of New Haven. Dani heads up the town veterinary hospital after spending a year interning under the mentorship of Dr. Morales who recently retired and had Dani take over. Dani and her daughters struggle to adapt to this small town and she also has a troubled past and finds it hard to connect to people. After some trouble occurs she finds herself in the company of Ruben, who is her next door neighbor, the deputy sheriff, and the son of her mentor. There is instant attraction but Dani resists. She doesn't want to take the risk of falling in love, thinking that it will eventually be taken from her. Plus she is hiding a past that she doesn't want revealed.
This was a really fast read and I loved the way the story unfolded. I loved the characters, especially the children, and thought they were so believable. I adored this sweet swoon worthy story.

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Review: The Phantom Tree

The Phantom Tree by Nicola Cornick
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I thought this book was good and I enjoyed it for the most part.
The book is a mix of fantasy, history, mystery and romance. It alternates chapters between Elizabethan times and the present time. It follows two main characters each struggling to find their place in the world during childhood and facing obstacles as they grow up. First, it follows Mary Seymour who is the daughter of Katherine Parr and is now an unwanted orphan. She is sent to Wolf Hall to live for a few years and goes missing in her late teens. We also follow Alison Banestre who is also orphaned and lives with Mary in Wolf Hall. Mary and Alison deal with the problems of growing up in 16th century England and things escalate when Alison finds herself pregnant. As events unfold, Mary and Alison go their separate ways while promising each other to keep in touch through clues left.
In modern times, Alison is well into her adult years and has been stuck in the present for many years. She finds herself stuck and wants only to go back and find her lost son. She also reunites with an Ex who discovers a never before seen painting of Anne Boleyn which Alison knows is really a painting of Mary Seymour. They team up in discovering the truth and Alison secretly also hides her agenda in finding a way back home to her time.
I thought this book was enjoyable. The plot was bittersweet but a bit slow in the middle. It was an overall easy read and I loved the fantastical elements.

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Review: The Masterpiece

The Masterpiece by Fiona Davis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a fascinating read and I really enjoyed it. This book follows two women separated by fifty years as they try and make it in the world. The story revolved around the history and majesty of Grand Central Terminal in New York City.
I can't describe how awesome it was to read about the beauty and grandeur of Grand Central in the 1920's and the decay of it in the 1970's. There is a lot of fact in this fiction also which was so wonderful. This book also revolves very much around art.
We first follow Clara in 1928. Clara is an artist and also teaches in the Art School School that is located in the upper floors of Grand Central. This was a time period when Grand Central was the highlight of the city. She is very much fighting tooth and nail to be taken seriously as an artist during a time when women were not really taken seriously.
Secondly, we follow Virginia in 1974. She works for Grand Central during a time when it was very dirty, dark, and scheduled for demolition. Virginia recognizes the beauty under the grime and joins a fight to stop the demolition. She also discovers the remains of the old art studios in the now dark corners of the terminal.
These two stories converge in a surprising way. I loved every minute of reading this. Grand Central Terminal is fully restored now and is once again an artistic jewel and deserves its status as an official landmark.

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Review: Bloody Mary: Tudor Terror, 1553-1558

Bloody Mary: Tudor Terror, 1553-1558 by Phil Carradice
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a very interesting read about Mary Tudor who was the daughter of Henry VIII and Katherine of Aragon. Mary Tudor reigned for 5 years and is most known for the hundreds of people put to death as a consequence of their Protestant faith.
So, this was a bit of short book but I thought it covered her life well. It covered her whole life especially pointing out things in her life that helped to shape her into the woman she would become. It accurately depicts the terror that Mary brought upon the Protestants and the way in which they proudly went to their deaths. It goes into detail on some of those that were accused.
This was definitely an easy read. It did not seem dense at all and I flew through it. This would be a great book to pick up if you are interested in Tudor History.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for providing an Arc of this book.


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