reecaspieces

Overview

A captivating novel based on the story of the extraordinary real-life American woman who secretly worked for the French Resistance during World War II—while playing hostess to the invading Germans at the iconic Hôtel Ritz in Paris—from the New York Times bestselling author of The Aviator’s Wife and The Swans of Fifth Avenue.

“A compelling portrait of a marriage and a nation at war from within.”—Kate Quinn, author of The Alice Network

Nothing bad can happen at the Ritz; inside its gilded walls every woman looks beautiful, every man appears witty. Favored guests like Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Coco Chanel, and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor walk through its famous doors to be welcomed and pampered by Blanche Auzello and her husband, Claude, the hotel’s director. The Auzellos are the mistress and master of the Ritz, allowing the glamour and glitz to take their minds off their troubled marriage, and off the secrets that they keep from their guests—and each other.

Until June 1940, when the German army sweeps into Paris, setting up headquarters at the Ritz. Suddenly, with the likes of Hermann Goëring moving into suites once occupied by royalty, Blanche and Claude must navigate a terrifying new reality. One that entails even more secrets and lies. One that may destroy the tempestuous marriage between this beautiful, reckless American and her very proper Frenchman. For in order to survive—and strike a blow against their Nazi “guests”—Blanche and Claude must spin a web of deceit that ensnares everything and everyone they cherish.

But one secret is shared between Blanche and Claude alone—the secret that, in the end, threatens to imperil both of their lives, and to bring down the legendary Ritz itself.

Based on true events, Mistress of the Ritz is a taut tale of suspense wrapped up in a love story for the ages, the inspiring story of a woman and a man who discover the best in each other amid the turbulence of war.

Review

Claude is the director of the famous Ritz Hotel. He and his American wife, Blanche help keep this famous hotel running smoothly. When the Nazis move in and take over, it threatens everything these two have fought for. But, they are not finished fighting yet. With many secrets and espionage tactics, these two help with the war effort in unique and covert ways.

This book is slow in the beginning and to tell you the truth, I was not a fan of Claude at all. He was way too domineering and demanding of Blanche. But don’t worry…Blanche can handle it. And boy does she ever! This is not what this book is about but I did enjoy their horrendous fights. And Blanche HATED Chanel. She and Chanel have very entertaining interactions which really added to the unique atmosphere of the Ritz.

This is not my favorite Melanie Benjamin story. It moves a little too slow. But the famous setting and the famous people from the past are very thrilling. This really give the reader a different aspect to surviving WWII.

I received this novel from Netgalley for a honest review.

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Overview

Join USA TODAY bestselling author Sheila Roberts for a seaside escape to the beaches of Moonlight Harbor

Celeste Jones has plans for a perfect summer with her boyfriend (and hopefully soon-to-be fiancé)—until he dumps her to be with the woman he’s had on the side for months. Heartbroken and furious, Celeste resolves to move on. When the going gets tough, the tough…okay, the not-so-tough go to the beach.

As soon as school lets out for the summer, she waves goodbye to her first-graders, packs up her bikini and heads for Moonlight Harbor, where she knows her big sister, Jenna, will receive her with open arms. Jenna could probably use some help at the Driftwood Inn, and Celeste is happy to do chores around the place in exchange for a relaxing summer escape. She just needs something—or someone—to distract her from her troubles.

Finding The One can be tricky, and Jenna is determined to make sure Celeste gets it right this time around. Not that Jenna’s an expert. She’s still trying to sort out her own love life. But if both sisters listen to their hearts, eventually they’re bound to discover that life—and love—is good at the beach.

Review

Celeste thinks she has found THE ONE! Then she discovers he is cheating on her. She needs a new outlook on life. So what is better than the beach?! She heads off to help her sister at The Driftwood Inn. Celeste is cleaning rooms and doing chores in exchange for a summer retreat.

I found Celeste to be a little sullen and whiny. All she studies is finding a man. This gets a little old. I wanted her to have more self confidence and more vigor. But, the setting makes up for her lack of assurance. I mean…who doesn’t love a story set at a wonderful, little inn right on the beach.

This is part of a series. I have not read the others in this series and had no trouble keeping up. This is a good, clean, fun story. It can be predictable in places but I found it very entertaining. If you are looking for a lite, sweet read…this is it!

I received this novel from Mira Books for a honest review.

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Overview

The beginning of this book is very obscure. As a reader, you really have no idea what is going on. You have no idea why Emmeline is being raised in a remote island. You have no idea who these people are. There is no background. Now, if the whole book had been written like the second section it would have been a 5 star read for me. The part where she is coming of age and growing up is superb. I was captivated. And the last section was just sort of blah. I was not a huge fan of her mother.

Now that all of that is out of the way. As a reader, you need to know not all the parts of this book are equal. It sounds like I did not like this book. Oh but I did! This book is a really good read. Reminds me of Where The Crawdads Sing. Emmeline is someone your heart just breaks for. I woke up this morning still thinking about her. This story takes you on a ride you will not soon forget.

I received this novel from St. Martin’s Press for a honest review.

About the author

Erica Bauermeister is the author of the bestselling novel The School of Essential Ingredients, Joy for Beginners, and The Lost Art of Mixing. She is also the co-author of the non-fiction works, 500 Great Books by Women: A Reader’s Guide and Let’s Hear It For the Girls: 375 Great Books for Readers 2-14. She has a PhD in literature from the University of Washington, and has taught there and at Antioch University. She is a founding member of the Seattle7Writers and currently lives in Port Townsend, Washington.

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Overview

From internationally bestselling author and “rising star of Southern fiction” (Mary Alice Monroe, New York Times bestselling author) Kristy Woodson Harvey comes the third novel in her Peachtree Bluff series, in which a secret threatens the tight-knit bond between a trio of sisters and their mother.

With the man of her dreams back in her life and all three of her daughters happy, Ansley Murphy should be content. But she can’t help but feel like it’s all a little too good to be true.

Meanwhile, youngest daughter and actress Emerson, who is recently engaged and has just landed the role of a lifetime, seemingly has the world by the tail. Only, something she can’t quite put her finger on is worrying her—and it has nothing to do with her recent health scare.

When two new women arrive in Peachtree Bluff—one who has the potential to wreck Ansley’s happiness and one who could tear Emerson’s world apart—everything is put in perspective. And after secrets that were never meant to be told come to light, the powerful bond between the Murphy sisters and their mother comes crumbling down, testing their devotion to each other and forcing them to evaluate the meaning of family.

With Kristy Woodson Harvey’s signature charm, wit, and heart, The Southern Side of Paradise is another masterful Peachtree Bluff novel that proves she is a “Southern writer with staying power” (Booklist).

Review

Emerson has just landed her dream role as an actress. Not only that…she is engaged! But, somethings are just not right. Her health is not where it needs to be. She is tired and rundown. Plus, her Fiancé, Mark, wants her to give up her career and stay in Peachtree Bluff. She loves Peachtree Bluff, but she has worked so hard to get where she is in her acting and she is not ready to let that go.

I just adore this family. It is not your usual family. The Murphy girls are funny, strong, and definitely have each other’s backs. And when the secret (of course there is a secret!) comes out they must lean on each other to help forgive.

This is a story full of strength, love and family. It is about overcoming obstacles and accepting people for who they are and understanding their decisions and the circumstances under which those decisions were made. This is a fabulous, southern beach read. This whole series is fabulous. Grab this book, your beach hat…and enjoy!

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

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Overview

Pull up a lounge chair and have a cocktail at Sunset Beach – it comes with a twist.

Drue Campbell’s life is adrift. Out of a job and down on her luck, life doesn’t seem to be getting any better when her estranged father, Brice Campbell, a flamboyant personal injury attorney, shows up at her mother’s funeral after a twenty-year absence. Worse, he’s remarried – to Drue’s eighth grade frenemy, Wendy, now his office manager. And they’re offering her a job. 

It seems like the job from hell, but the offer is sweetened by the news of her inheritance – her grandparents’ beach bungalow in the sleepy town of Sunset Beach, a charming but storm-damaged eyesore now surrounded by waterfront McMansions. 

With no other prospects, Drue begrudgingly joins the firm, spending her days screening out the grifters whose phone calls flood the law office. Working with Wendy is no picnic either. But when a suspicious death at an exclusive beach resort nearby exposes possible corruption at her father’s firm, she goes from unwilling cubicle rat to unwitting investigator, and is drawn into a case that may – or may not – involve her father. With an office romance building, a decades-old missing persons case re-opened, and a cottage in rehab, one thing is for sure at Sunset Beach: there’s a storm on the horizon. 

Sunset Beach is a compelling ride, full of Mary Kay Andrews’ signature wit, heart, and charm.

Review

Drue has had to accept a job at her father’s law firm. To make matters worse, her direct supervisor is her “frenemy”, Wendy, who happens to be married to her father. Needless to say, this is not ideal working conditions. Luckily, Drue inherited her grandparents beach house.(if she hadn’t, she would be homeless!) While she is cleaning the house up, she runs across a police file. It is a missing persons file. Well, this just opens a can of worms. On top of all of this, there is a case at her dad’s law office which just doesn’t sit right. Well, Drue being Drue, just can’t leave well enough alone.

I love Drue. She has a bad attitude and she does not conform well to what is expected of her. She and Wendy have a rough go. Especially at the first. Her dad struggles to make up for time lost and to try and see Drue succeed. When Drue goes rogue and starts investigating on her own, this leads to a world of supposition and who did it!

The cover of this book is misleading. This is really not a beach read. It is a murder mystery. Actually two completely different mysteries in one book. These mysteries really had me guessing. And no it was not who I thought it was. It was completely twisted.

This is not my favorite MKA novel. I enjoy her light hearted with a little bit of funny thrown in stories. But, this is a good change of pace. Don’t miss this one!

I received this novel from Tandem Literary for a honest review.

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Overview

A chilling ghost story with a twist: the New York Times bestselling author of The Winter People returns to the woods of Vermont to tell the story of a husband and wife who don’t simply move into a haunted house–they build one . . .

In a quest for a simpler life, Helen and Nate have abandoned the comforts of suburbia to take up residence on forty-four acres of rural land where they will begin the ultimate, aspirational do-it-yourself project: building the house of their dreams. When they discover that this beautiful property has a dark and violent past, Helen, a former history teacher, becomes consumed by the local legend of Hattie Breckenridge, a woman who lived and died there a century ago. With her passion for artifacts, Helen finds special materials to incorporate into the house–a beam from an old schoolroom, bricks from a mill, a mantel from a farmhouse–objects that draw her deeper into the story of Hattie and her descendants, three generations of Breckenridge women, each of whom died suspiciously. As the building project progresses, the house will become a place of menace and unfinished business: a new home, now haunted, that beckons its owners and their neighbors toward unimaginable danger.

Review

Helen and Nate buy some beautiful property away from the hustle and bustle of the city. They decide to build their dream house all on their own. But, strange things start to happen. Tools go missing, noises in the night, plus an albino deer create havoc for them and their marriage.

Helen becomes obsessed with the history of Hattie, the “town witch.” She even goes so far as to place artifacts of Hattie’s into her new home. These artifacts actually draw her deeper into Hattie’s story. And boy, does Nate fight this tooth and nail.

Then there is Olive. She is their young, teenage neighbor and she has her own issues. Her mother has left and she is being raised by her father. Olive is not one to let things go. She is continually looking for her mother and why she left. The answer will surprise you!

I am big fan of Jennifer McMahon stories. She has fantastic characters and she always has something CREEPY! This one is not her creepiest but it is still a good read. This story grabs you right off with the murder of the town witch…not much is stranger than that! It just escalates from there and creates a unique tale about murder, mayhem and ghosts!

I received this novel from Doubleday via Netgalley for a honest review.

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