Book Review: Royal Holiday by Jasmine Guillory

Royal Holiday is a delightful, romantic story. Just what I needed.

Vivian is busy. As most hard-working people are. When her daughter, Maddie's work takes her to England over the holidays, she is determined to take her mother with her. Vivian is resistant but eventually goes along. Maddie will be working as a stylist for a Duchess of the royal family at their castle at Sandringham.

Vivian is delighted when she meets the Queen's private secretary, Malcolm, and he offers to give her a tour of the grounds and castle.

Malcolm has never given private tours before and doesn't really understand what has come over him. But he is definitely attracted to Vivian, so he continues to find excuses to see her. The romance develops pretty quickly--well it needs to, since Vivian is only in England until January 2.

I enjoyed the easy banter between these two. I appreciated that these were not "20 somethings" but older adults. I enjoyed the Christmasy aspect of the story, although it wasn't too sappy. I enjoyed the Sandringham (I had to look it up on Wikipedia) and London settings.

I read this in a little more than one day. I was in the mood for a cute, fluffy holiday story and Royal Holiday definitely fit the bill. You should check it out.

Published by Berkley, October 1, 2019
eARC obtained from NetGalley
304 pages

Rating: 4/5

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Book Review: The Gown by Jennifer Robson

I love the Netflix series, The Crown, and am anxiously awaiting the next season, so The Gown was right up my alley!

The Gown is the story of two women who were the main embroiderers of Queen Elizabeth II's wedding gown. In 1947, London is still suffering the effects of World War II, so having a royal wedding to look forward to was a welcome diversion. We get the backgrounds of Ann and Miriam, two of our main characters, and how they ended up being embroiderers for the renowned fashion house of Norman Hartnell. Miriam, in particular, has a heart-wrenching story about being Jewish during the war.

Our third main character, Heather, is in 2016, and her grandmother (one of our embroiderers) has just passed away. Heather has never heard any stories from her grandmother about her life in 1940s London. But her Grandmother leaves her a box with embroidery samples and a picture that begins Heather's quest to discover her grandmother's secrets.

Those secrets involve stories about the creation of the gown (fascinating) and the royal wedding as well as stories of life during that period of time. There are romances, friendships, secrets, and other dramas that easily held my interest.

I'm totally wrapped up in the lives of England's royals, so The Gown was everything I hoped for. If you are interested in this time period, and especially if you are any kind of seamstress, you shouldn't miss The Gown.

Published by William Morrow, 2018
eBook obtained from the library
400 pages

Rating: 5/5

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Book Review: The Confessions of Frannie Langton, by Sara Collins

I was drawn to The Confessions of Frannie Langton because of the comparison to Alias Grace, which I had watched and enjoyed. The comparison was accurate, and I also enjoyed The Confessions of Frannie Langton very much.

Frannie has been accused of murdering her employers, George Benham and his wife, Marguerite. As Frannie is about to go on trial in London, she writes about her life, and what brought her to this point -- even though she can't remember what happened the night of the murders.

As a child and young lady, Frannie was a house slave on a sugar plantation in Jamaica. Her owner was a "scientist" who was trying to figure out why people with black skin were naturally inferior to whites. He taught Frannie to read, and she became his reluctant assistant. I won't say too much more. She ends up in London in the employ of another scientist.

Her story is fascinating and sad. Although at times I felt she could have done more to improve her position, she is still very sympathetic. There are some surprising twists that kept me in the story. The circumstances for a woman in her situation in the 1820s are merciless; the legal system left a lot to be desired, as well as the rampant prejudice.

I've never read Alias Grace, only watched the show, but now I'm interested in reading it also. The amnesia aspect of both of these stories intrigues me.

As I was reading, I thought The Confessions of Frannie Langton had the potential to leave things unresolved, or partially unresolved, but happily, that was not the case. The ending isn't expected to be a happy one, but I found it satisfying. Fans of gothic fiction, slavery stories, murder mysteries, and/or unreliable narrators will enjoy this fascinating novel.

Published by Harper, May 21, 2019
eARC obtained from NetGalley
384 pages

Rating: 4.5/5

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Book Review: The Suspect, by Fiona Barton

In The Suspect, Barton has returned us to the lives of Kate, the reporter, and Sparkes, the detective, from The Widow. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Two teenage girls have gone missing during a trip to Thailand. Their parents have contacted the police, but not much is being done. Kate becomes interested in the story, trying to draw some attention with publicity, but when the girls' bodies are found in a burned out hostel, she's all in. Especially since her son is in Thailand, and she hasn't heard from him in months. She hopes to visit him while she is in Thailand.

What they find when they arrive in Thailand is not encouraging. The police are quick to rule it an accident--a fire set by a candle. No witnesses are available until Kate finds out her son was living in this same place, and he's in the hospital being treated for burns. Things just don't add up. Her son wasn't supposed to be here; he was supposed to be away working on a farm.

Back in London, Sparkes is taking over the investigation, since the Thai police have botched it so bad. The bodies are returned and his investigating begins.

I don't really want to say much more. There are multiple perspectives, as in The Widow. And this technique is used masterfully (as in The Widow.) We get the girls' perspectives and realize this isn't turning out to be the dream trip they expected.

I liked The Suspect better than The Widow. There is a bigger twist that I didn't see coming. The situation causes tension between Sparkes and Kate. The parents of the missing girls have their own set of problems that we get from the perspective of one of the mothers.

The Suspect has a complex, twisty plot that kept my interest easily. There are several references to the plot of The Widow that I enjoyed but aren't necessary to the understanding of this story. Getting to know these characters on a continuing (and more personal) basis adds to the satisfaction.

If you enjoy detective/reporter stories, especially in a British setting, you will certainly enjoy The Suspect (and The Widow.)  Highly recommended.

Published by Berkley, January 22, 2019
eARC obtained from NetGalley
416 pages

Rating: 4.5/5

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Book Review: The Light Over London, by Julia Kelly @The_Julia_Kelly @GalleryBooks

Given that I'm a WWII Book junkie, I thoroughly enjoyed The Light Over London. It is one of those split-time-period novels, which may be common, but I still really enjoy this format.

In the current day, we have Cara, who works in an antique shop. She finds an old diary in a box that seems to be written by a woman who is shown in a picture in a WWII uniform. Cara decides she needs to find out who this woman is and return the diary to her or her family.

In 1941, Louise lives in a small village in the English countryside and seems far removed from the war, until she is swept off her feet by an RAF pilot, Paul. Their relationship is quick and intense, and when Paul gets shipped off to another post, they resolve to keep writing. Louise decides to join-up to help the war effort. She ends up scoring very high on tests and becomes a Gunner Girl, a dangerous assignment.

Part of Louise's story comes from the diary that Cara is reading and part from Louise's perspective herself. At times it is a bit confusing remembering that Cara doesn't know everything that the reader knows about Louise.

Cara's story is complicated by the fact that she is recently divorced and her parents were killed in a car accident shortly before that divorce. So we get that story in bits and pieces throughout the novel. Cara's new neighbor, a handsome, single gentleman, provides a potential romantic interest for Cara. Cara's grandmother also served in the war. Cara knows her grandmother has secrets because she heard her mother on the phone in an argument with Grandma right before her mother's death. Cara's grandmother is adamant that Cara not know anything about those secrets.

Louise's mother knows that Louise will marry the most eligible bachelor in town and settle down and have his children, like a good wife and daughter. Louise has no romantic interest in this man, and that is partly why she decides to escape her parents and her small-town life and join up.

The portrayal of these Gunner Girls and the atmosphere of London during the bombings is one of the most fascinating elements of The Light Over London. It is easy to feel the absolute terror and danger that they were in, firing anti-aircraft guns at Luftwaffe planes almost every night. Cara lives for Paul's letters, which at times are loving and at other times are somewhat angry about Cara's putting herself in harm's way.

The way Louise's story turns out is unexpected -- in a good way. I don't want to say too much more about it. Both of our main characters go through large, and believable, transformations. If you are a fan of WWII stores that put you in the thick of it and provide a dose of romance to boot, you should pick up The Light Over London. Also recommended to teens who enjoy the genre.


Published by Gallery Books, January 8, 2019
eARC obtained from Edelweiss and NetGalley
304 pages

Rating: 4.5/5

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Book Review: A Christmas Revelation by Anne Perry

I’ve never read any Anne Perry before, and A Christmas Revelation was a sweet story that warms the heart at Christmastime.

We are in Victorian London, and Worm is a 9-year-old little boy who doesn’t even know what Christmas is.  The former street urchin has recently been taken in by Miss Claudine and given a job at her clinic.  When Worm sees a beautiful lady on the streets abducted by two men, he can’t forget.  He enlists the help of Squeaky, the bookkeeper with his own checkered past.  Together the two of them try to find and help the woman and get involved in a dangerous sting operation to save her.

This is during the Christmas season, and Squeaky is teaching Worm all about the holiday and its traditions as they prepare for the special day. Will they get to enjoy the feast? Or will the bad guys ruin it? You will have to read A Christmas Revelation to find out.

If you are into charming Victorian mysteries, with a bit of excitement and heartwarming characters that are easy to root for, you will enjoy A Christmas Revelation.

Published by Ballentine, November 6, 2018
eARC obtained from Edelweiss
192 pages

Rating: 4/5

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Book Review: Master of His Fate, by Barbara Taylor Bradford @StMartinsPress

I don't think I've ever read anything by Barbara Taylor Bradford, so when I saw that Master of His Fate is the beginning of a new series (The House of Falconer), and it is historical, I decided to jump in.

James Falconer is everything you would want in a grandson.  Ambitions, hard-working, intelligent, and sensible.  He intends to fulfill his legacy, helping his father in his market stall.  But James wants to be the boss.  When he is discovered by the head of the market, Henry Malvern, he's on his way to reaching his goals.

Alexis Malvern, Henry's daughter, is the heir to his fortune. She is also intelligent and hardworking.  She has no interest in getting married, for in Victorian London her fortune would then belong to her husband. She is perfectly happy working for her father and being a businesswoman.

We follow the stories of these two for most of the book.  It isn't too obvious how their stories will come together, but they eventually do.  There is a lot of introduction to the characters and families, beginning with James' grandparents, who are successful, but not nobility, and have had a great influence on all of their children and grandchildren. It is all very interesting and didn't bore me at all. The descriptions of the people, surroundings, activities, and clothing were all quite enjoyable. The book blurb says Master of His Fate is "intricately detailed" and that is entirely accurate.  What I had a problem with is the mention of seemingly unimportant details like his turning off the light and locking the door when he left. I thought maybe we got this information because someone was going to try to break in later? But no, just extraneous information that I found annoying. These types of descriptions happen throughout the book.

Master of His Fate is still a very interesting story, and I enjoyed it very much. I am invested in what is going to happen and will probably someday read the following books in The House of Falconer. Just be aware that when the description says "detailed," it is an accurate description!

Published by St. Martin's, November 20, 2018
eARC obtained from Edelweiss
416 pages

Rating: 4/5

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Audiobook Review: Everyone Brave is Forgiven, by Chris Cleave

Everyone Brave is Forgiven is a poignant look at the day-to-day existence of the citizens of London and those that fought for the Brittish during World War II.

The main character is Mary.  She's a society girl, who when the war begins volunteers for duty.  She is assigned to teach at a school, but then all of the children are evacuated, and she is asked to stay behind. Tom is in charge of education, and eventually, Mary convinces him to let her teach the children that are left -- those with handicaps and the blacks.  She becomes very close to a black boy. And she and Tom are romantically involved.

Tom's roommate Alistair, has volunteered.  We follow him through battles in France, and then he eventually ends up on Malta, which is under siege.  His friend in the army is Simonson. They and their men, as well as the citizens of Malta, end up starving and without the means to defend the island.

Meanwhile, in London, there are air raids every night.  Mary's best friend is Hilda. When Alistair comes home on leave, Mary and Tom try to set them up.  But, it turns out Mary is the one who falls head over heels for Alistair.  But she can't tell Tom.

I really enjoyed Everyone Brave is Forgiven, even though it moves very slowly.  This pacing is necessary to bring the feelings of the relentlessness of the war.  And Cleave's descriptions and use of other literary devices gives the text life. Even though the subject is heavy, Cleave adds lightness with the amusing dialog between Alistair and Tom, and Alistair and Simonson.

Awful things happen -- after all, it is war. My parents lived through the war, and my dad served. I've heard of the horrors of those who served. But, we as Americans have no idea of the hardships the English people survived (or didn't survive.)  The nightly bombings, the shortages, the devastation, etc.  This novel brings it all to light.

I have a copy of the printed book, and I read a little bit.  I'm convinced that I enjoyed Everyone Brave is Forgiven much more in the audio version.  The narrator, Luke Thompson, does a great job.  And listening to the descriptions and dialog just had more impact than reading.

Everyone Brave is Forgiven shouldn't be missed by anyone who is interested in World War II history.  Although the book is about young people, it will be a hard sell to most teens.  I would recommend this only to those teens with a serious interest in WWII stories.


Published by Simon & Schuster, 2016 (Simon & Schuster Audio)
Audiobook obtained from the library
425 pages

Rating: 4/5

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