reecaspieces

Overview

A sweeping, sensational novel of America’s first “It Girl,” whose dramatic journey to center stage echoes through the decades—from the New York Times bestselling author of The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post

“As stunning as the incomparable leading lady who inspired it . . . unputdownable, with a twist that will leave you breathless.”—Emily Giffin

At the dawn of the twentieth century, New York’s streets teem with change: electricity, automobiles, the brash young President Teddy Roosevelt—and the It Girls. As artists’ muses and working models, these independent young women soar to stardom not because of their pedigrees or inherited wealth, but because of their talent, charisma, and irresistible beauty. Pop culture is born, and in a world alight with Mr. Edison’s new bulbs, no one shines brighter than America’s sweetheart, Evelyn Talbot.

But the journey to stardom is not simple or straight. While working as a shopgirl, the young Evelyn is recruited as a studio model and soon catches the eye of the preeminent artists of the age. When Broadway comes calling, Evelyn solidifies her status as the first self-made American female celebrity: the iconic Gibson Girl, the most sought-after figure and face of her time. Enter a parade of powerful and power-hungry men, from world-famous architect Stanley Pierce, the visionary behind Manhattan’s mansions and iconic landmarks, to Hal Thorne, the shockingly wealthy railroad heir and premier “playboy” of high society. Each man promises comfort, glamour, security—even love. But fame and fortune are cruel teachers, and Evelyn learns that the only person she can rely on is herself.

When Evelyn finds herself at the center of a murder of passion declared “the Crime of the Century,” she is blamed for the acts of the men in her life. In the media frenzy that spirals around her, Evelyn realizes that to survive, she will have to write her own ending. But can this artists’ muse turned showgirl pull off the greatest act of her life?

It Girl is a breathtaking ride inspired by a singular artist and icon who captured the collective imagination of American society. Allison Pataki has crafted yet another unforgettable leading lady, a heroine who must find the power to change not only the world around her but her own destiny.

Review

While working as a shopgirl, the young Evelyn is recruited as a studio model and soon catches the eye of the preeminent artists of the age. When Broadway comes calling, Evelyn solidifies her status as the first self-made American female celebrity: the iconic Gibson Girl, the most sought-after figure and face of her time.

Well! I enjoyed this tale. I loved the time period and the myriad of characters, especially Evelyn.

Evelyn is thrown to the wolves so to speak. She is very naive and she is supposed to be. She is only 13—HER MOTHER LIED! But desperate times call for desperate measures. They are very poor and very hungry. But the stuff Evelyn encounters and has to deal with will make you want to come through these pages and yank someone bald headed! But, she learns and she grows and she becomes unstoppable!

Need a book based on a true leading lady which changes her destiny…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

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Overview

My darlings . . . Not to be too Hollywood about this, but if you’re watching this tape, that can mean only one thing: I have shuffled off this mortal coil . . . and you two are going to need each other more than ever. You need to set aside your differences and look out for each other—just like you always used to.”

Poppy and Rose used to be close as sisters could be—until everything went wrong. Now in their forties, they haven’t spoken in years. But when their vivacious, glamorous, powerhouse of a mother dies, they are both faced with the shock of grief. However, their mother was not one to go shrinking into the night. No, their mother, Andrea, has left them a project to work on together: a sort of scavenger hunt through their lives, which she calls the A to Z of Everything.Her final wish: to heal the fractured relationship between her daughters that broke her heart.

A is for Ashes. C is for champagne. D is for Daddy Issues. But when they get to F for Forgiveness, can they make a start, even when they can barely look at each other?

With Andrea’s wicked sense of humor and wild stories from her acting career, she has left the quest in a series of boxes filled with letters, recordings, videos, mementos, and instructions.

From Liverpool to London and even Paris, the sisters follow the trail toward a glimmer of hope: despite loss, there is room for laughter, love, and healing—and for second chances.

Review

Poppy and Rose used to be close as sisters could be—until everything went wrong. Now in their forties, they haven’t spoken in years. But when their vivacious, glamorous, powerhouse of a mother dies, they are both faced with the shock of grief. However, their mother was not one to go shrinking into the night. She has left them a of scavenger hunt through their lives, which she calls the A to Z of Everything.

What a unique story!

I enjoyed this scavenger hunt. Not only are you taken all over the place from Liverpool to Paris, but you are shown excerpts of the lives of Poppy and Rose. The way this story is portioned out to the reader lets you see both sides of the situation and trust me your heart is with both Poppy and Rose. And no, I am not going to tell you about what happened…you need to read this to find out. The tasks given to these two women are to help them reconcile and to remember their past and what each one meant to the other. So, their story slowly unfolds and it is a delight.

Need a family drama that gives you all the feels…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel for a honest review.

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Overview

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A kaleidoscopic portrait of a modern American family—steadfast, complicated, begrudging, and loving—from the bestselling author of Isola

“Wise, witty . . . a deliciously readable book [about] the delicate minutiae of family life, played beautifully, boldly, brightly in a major key.”—The New York Times Book Review (Editors’ Choice)

“Goodman’s mature and deftly written book suggests that, in family as in art, there is no such thing as uncomplicated happiness.”—The Wall Street Journal

Was this just a brief skirmish, or the beginning of a thirty-year feud? In the Rubinstein family, it could go either way.

When their beloved sister passes away, Sylvia and Helen Rubinstein are unmoored. A misunderstanding about apple cake turns into a decade of stubborn silence. Busy with their own lives—divorces, dating, career setbacks, college applications, bat mitzvahs and ballet recitals—their children do not want to get involved. As for their grandchildren? Impossible.

With This Is Not About Us, master storyteller Allegra Goodman—whose prior collection was heralded as “one of the most astute and engaging books about American family life” (The Boston Globe)—returns to the form and subject that endeared her to legions of readers. Sharply observed and laced with humor, This Is Not About Us is a story of growing up and growing old, the weight of parental expectations, and the complex connection between sisters—a big-hearted book about the love that binds a family across generations.

Review

I absolutely loved this author’s book Isola. But this one fell a bit short.

When their beloved sister passes away, Sylvia and Helen Rubinstein are unmoored. A misunderstanding about apple cake turns into a decade of stubborn silence. Busy with their own lives—divorces, dating, career setbacks, college applications, bat mitzvahs and ballet recitals—their children do not want to get involved. As for their grandchildren? Impossible.

Y’all know I love a good family drama. And this is family drama for sure. And this story started strong but then it just fell off for me. I think my issue with this book is the characters. I did not like a single one.

But I did love the gamut of feelings you experience reading about this dysfunctional family. It also has some humor sliced in and this comes as a shock sometimes. As a reader you really do not see the snark coming.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

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Overview

They were sent away to be forgotten. This is their story.

In this electrifying historical novel about coming of age in tumultuous 1960s San Francisco, a pregnant teenager reckons with womanhood and agency after being sent to a home for unwed mothers.

“Thrilling, propulsive, breathless, and brimming with a deep understanding of longing and frailty . . . of humanness.”—Catherine Newman, New York Times bestselling author of Sandwich and Wreck

It’s 1968, and the future is bright for seventeen-year-old Elizabeth “Baker” Phillips: She’s the valedictorian of her high school, with a place at Stanford in the fall and big dreams of becoming a journalist. But the seductive free-spirited San Francisco atmosphere seeps into her carefully planned, strait-laced life in the form of a hippie named Wiley. At first, letting loose and letting herself fall in love for the first time feels incredible. But then, everything changes.

Pregnancy hits Baker with the force of whiplash—in the blink of an eye, she goes from good girl to fallen woman, from her family’s shining star to their embarrassing secret. Without any other options, Baker is sent to a home for unwed mothers, and finds herself trapped in an old Victorian house packed with pregnant girls who share her shame and fear. As she grapples with her changing body, lack of choice, and uncertain future, Baker finds unexpected community and empowerment among the “girls who went away.”

Where the Girls Were is a timely unearthing of a little-known moment in American history, when the sexual revolution and feminist movement collided with the limits of reproductive rights—and society’s expectations of women. As Baker finds her strength and her voice, she shows us how to step into your power, even when the world is determined to keep you silent.

Review

It’s 1968, and the future is bright for seventeen-year-old Elizabeth “Baker” Phillips: She’s the valedictorian of her high school, with a place at Stanford in the fall and big dreams of becoming a journalist. But the seductive free-spirited San Francisco atmosphere seeps into her carefully planned, strait-laced life in the form of a hippie named Wiley. At first, letting loose and letting herself fall in love for the first time feels incredible. But then, everything changes.

Baker is the good girl! She does everything right until she makes some bad decisions and this leads to some careful planning by her mother to keep her misbehavior out of the neighborhood’s eyes.

I love the way the author portrays this time period. How little Baker knows about life and what is happening to her body took me by surprise, but yet it didn’t either. This time period and unwed mothers and the secrets always amaze me.

This was very close to a 5 star read. It just slowed down a bit in the middle or maybe it was a bit repetitive. But it is full of great characters and heartbreaking decisions! And when Baker comes into her own…LOOK OUT!

Need a tale about fateful decisions…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

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Overview

One body. Five suspects. Total darkness.

A tense, claustrophobic historical mystery set almost entirely underground at the onset of the Great Depression about the discovery of a 150-foot waterfall in the middle of a mountain, the unthinkable crime that happens in its caves, and a woman who’s never felt more alive. 

In 1928, a Chattanooga man disappears down a hole in the ground and discovers a 150-foot waterfall in the middle of a mountain that he names after his wife: Ruby Falls. Within months, visitors can buy tickets to see the falls for themselves. Ada Smith has been sneaking into the caves at night, entranced by the natural wonders around her and the freedom granted by this new underground world.

But it’s tough timing for a natural wonder. As the country flounders in the Great Depression, a shrewd public relations ploy seems like the only way to save Ruby Falls. A famous mind reader and mystic agrees to launch himself into the Ruby Falls caverns where he will attempt to locate a hidden hatpin using only his psychic abilities. He’ll be joined by five others: his manager, his wife, a guide, a Chattanooga businessman, and a reporter from the Chicago Times. But they’re not alone in the caverns. Ada and another guide, Quinton, have been asked to follow the mind reader’s party at a distance, staying out of sight. They are a safety net, in case of a broken leg or busted flashlights.

One of them will be dead before the end of the day.

Faced with a corpse and the stark reality that one of the people in her midst is a killer, Ada needs to get everyone—the murderer and the innocents—back aboveground before their light runs out.

Ruby Falls is both a unique twist on the locked-room mystery and an exploration of loss and what it means to start over. It’s a heart-racing story of survival and a testament to the threads that bind strangers together. Set against the true story of the discovery of Ruby Falls, the novel also draws on the memoirs of Katie Stabler, a female guide at Wind Caves in South Dakota.

Review

In 1928, a Chattanooga man disappears down a hole in the ground and discovers a 150-foot waterfall in the middle of a mountain that he names after his wife: Ruby Falls. Within months, visitors can buy tickets to see the falls for themselves. But it’s tough timing for a natural wonder. As the country flounders in the Great Depression, a shrewd public relations ploy seems like the only way to save Ruby Falls. A famous mind reader and mystic agrees to launch himself into the Ruby Falls caverns where he will attempt to locate a hidden hatpin using only his psychic abilities. But things do not go as planned!

First off, let me just say, I LOVED this setting! Ruby Falls is a beautiful place. It is not very far from me. So to have a book set here just made my day! Plus, I learned so much about the history!

This story is so atmospheric and has good intensity! It takes place almost completely underground in the caverns of Ruby Falls. It has little bit of everything, romance, science, history, murder and mayhem!

And the characters!! I fell hard for Quinton. He is the strong silent type! Ada is a good girl but she does not always follow the rules and this just endeared me to her! And let’s not forget the crazy psychic. You talk about a piece of work!

Need a story about more than one discovery…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

I received this novel for a honest review.

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