reecaspieces

Overview

When a woman discovers a rare book that has connections to her past, long-held secrets about her missing sister and their childhood spent in the English countryside during World War II are revealed.

In the war-torn London of 1939, fourteen-year-old Hazel and five-year-old Flora are evacuated to a rural village to escape the horrors of the Second World War. Living with the kind Bridie Aberdeen and her teenage son, Harry, in a charming stone cottage along the River Thames, Hazel fills their days with walks and games to distract her young sister, including one that she creates for her sister and her sister alone—a fairy tale about a magical land, a secret place they can escape to that is all their own.

But the unthinkable happens when young Flora suddenly vanishes while playing near the banks of the river. Shattered, Hazel blames herself for her sister’s disappearance, and she carries that guilt into adulthood as a private burden she feels she deserves.

Twenty years later, Hazel is in London, ready to move on from her job at a cozy rare bookstore to a career at Sotheby’s. With a charming boyfriend and her elegantly timeworn Bloomsbury flat, Hazel’s future seems determined. But her tidy life is turned upside down when she unwraps a package containing an illustrated book called Whisperwood and the River of Stars. Hazel never told a soul about the imaginary world she created just for Flora. Could this book hold the secrets to Flora’s disappearance? Could it be a sign that her beloved sister is still alive after all these years?

As Hazel embarks on a feverish quest, revisiting long-dormant relationships and bravely opening wounds from her past, her career and future hang in the balance. An astonishing twist ultimately reveals the truth in this transporting and refreshingly original novel about the bond between sisters, the complications of conflicted love, and the enduring magic of storytelling.

Review

Hazel is about to start a dream job at Sotheby’s. Just as she is about to say goodbye to everyone at her old job in a rare bookstore, a new, rare book comes across her desk. It throws her life into complete disarray. She actually steals this item and takes it home. She knows she has to find who wrote this because no one knows about this story except her and her long, lost sister.

Hazel has struggled her whole life with the loss of her sister. And now she thinks she has her chance to actually find her! I love the emotion this author creates telling this tale. And Hazel breaks my heart in so many places! Add in the twist at the end and you have a family drama not to be missed.

I love the way this story is formatted. I love the change in time periods. Hazel and her sister were sent away during the bombings in London. So, it fluctuates between the 1940s and the 1960s. You must read this to find out all the drama.

Need a great historical, family mystery…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

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

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Overview

From the author of The Dutch Wife comes a riveting novel set during World War II about a woman who offers shelter to a Jewish baby, and her sister, who must choose between family loyalty and her own safety.

Amsterdam, 1941. When the Nazis invade Amsterdam, singer Johanna Vos watches in horror as the vibrant music scene she loves is all but erased, her Jewish friends forbidden from performing with her onstage. Alongside her friend Jakob, Johanna helps organize the Artists’ Resistance, an underground network allowing Jews to perform at house concerts hosted by their allies. When Johanna hears of a Jewish orphan headed for deportation, she does not think twice. She takes the baby in as her own, hiding the truth from even her own sister, Liesbeth.

Meanwhile, Liesbeth finds herself in a dilemma, as she knows of her sister’s staunch support for the Resistance, but her husband supports the Nazis. When a charming member of the Dutch Fascist Party sets his eyes on her, her predicament only deepens. As secrets continue to grow between the sisters, severing their once-unbreakable bond, they are both forced to make choices that will alter their lives forever.

Review

The Netherlands are officially occupied by Germany. This throws a family onto opposite sides. Johanna is married to a Dutch resistor but her sister, Liesbeth, is married to a pharmacist who supports Hitler.

I loved how the author portrays each side of the war and how it affects the family. As a reader, you have feelings for both sisters as they each struggle with their political issues within the family. One actually ends up in a concentration camp because of her situation and the horrors she endures will make you want to scream, cry and throw the book across the room.

I enjoyed the setting of Amsterdam during WWII. Most books set in this time period are not set in the Netherlands. This country was occupied by the Germans and this story delves into the occupation and the terror the Nazis forced onto this group of people. But the Dutch are smart! They do not take this without a fight!

Need a good WWII novel with a different setting…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

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

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Overview

It’s 1938, and a young woman selling face cream out of a New York City beauty parlor is determined to prove she can have it all. Her name is Estée Lauder, and she’s about to take the world by storm, in this dazzling new novel from the USA Today bestselling author of The Social Graces and Park Avenue Summer.

In New York City, you can disappear into the crowd. At least that’s what Gloria Downing desperately hopes as she tries to reinvent herself after a devastating family scandal. She’s ready for a total life makeover and a friend she can lean on—and into her path walks a young, idealistic woman named Estée. Their chance encounter will change Gloria’s life forever.

Estée dreams of success and becoming a household name like Elizabeth Arden, Helena Rubinstein, and Revlon. Before Gloria knows it, she is swept up in her new friend’s mission and while Estée rolls up her sleeves, Gloria begins to discover her own talents. After landing a job at Saks Fifth Avenue, New York’s finest luxury department store, Gloria finds her voice, which proves instrumental in opening doors for Estée’s insatiable ambitions.

But in a world unaccustomed to women with power, they’ll each have to pay the price that comes with daring to live life on their own terms and refusing to back down.

Review

Estée Lauder is just beginning her career. She has set up a shop inside a beauty parlor when she has a chance encounter with Gloria. This strikes up a life long friendship with dreams, successes, disappointments, fights and ambitions.

This story is told in the voice of Gloria. And she has a past she is escaping. She has changed her name but she has issues letting it all go. But with the support of Estée, Gloria comes into her own and finally leaves her past behind.

I loved Gloria and Estée. They had some epic fights. And both are stubborn and smart. This gets them through some major trials and tribulations.

Now, I did fluctuate between 4 and 5 stars on this book basically because this book is a bit monotonous in places. But, after letting it simmer in my brain for a while, I decided on 5 stars. I just love Estée and her tenacity. I knew a little about her but not enough. And I am an Estée Lauder girl. I truly want to know more!

Need a unique tale about the start of an empire…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

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

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Overview

East Texas, 1972. Sixteen-year-old Leni O’Hare spends her free time drawing and galloping her mare across the chaparral. Horse crazy and rebellious, she fears her dream of becoming an artist will be thwarted by her strict mother, the small-town values of her community, and her family’s meager finances. A desperate bid to save her beloved mare from being sold brings her together with Caleb McGrath, the brainy and gentle scion of the county’s richest rancher, whose dream of becoming a physicist also pushes the bounds of their town and defies his family’s expectations.

When tragedy strikes Leni’s family, and Caleb’s brother returns from Vietnam angry and dangerous, the two grow closer and make a plan to leave and start a life together. Before they can go, though, Leni learns of something she fears will derail Caleb’s hard-earned shot at the future he wants. Choosing to keep what she’s learned secret, she sets them on sudden and separate paths.

New York City, 1986. Leni, now an artist and activist, and Caleb, now engaged and working on Wall Street, meet once again. Their old passion reignites. Can their love for one another overcome the choices made in the past? And when Leni’s secret—one that impacts not only Leni and Caleb but also four generations of Leni’s family—is finally revealed, will it be too late for them?

Review

Leni is a head strong, young lady from a strict home. Caleb is a brainiac from a very wealthy ranch. These two team up to help Leni save her mare from being sold. Caleb and Leni have a connection and it just gets stronger and stronger until life eventually breaks them apart.

I will be honest, I enjoyed this story more than I expected. I almost turned this down. I am not a big fan of coming of age stories and I was totally afraid some animal would get hurt. But, that didn’t happen (sorry if that is a spoiler!) and I fell so hard for these characters.

Leni is a force to be reckoned with. She beats to her own drum, she is more than a little stubborn and she has a huge heart! This is why she and Caleb eventually break apart…Leni’s love! Caleb is smart as a whip and he loves Leni beyond a shadow of a doubt!

When these two reconnect in NYC after years apart, the sparks again fly but will they overcome their past…you will have to read this to find out…and I recommend that you read this ASAP!

Need a wonderful coming of age love story…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

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

About The Author:

Donnaldson Brown grew up riding horses across the Texas plains. An attorney and former screenwriter, she’s performed her spoken word pieces in and around New York, including for the Berkshire Theatre Festival and the Deep Listening Institute. Her personal essay “Spell Breaking” was published in the anthology Spell Breaking: Listening to the Dreaming Heart. She is a current fellow of Craigardan Arts Colony and past fellow of the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts and the Squaw Valley Community of Writers. She divides her time between Brooklyn, New York, and the Berkshires in western Massachusetts.

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Instagram:https://instagram.com/donnaldson

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Overview

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Bookstore on the Beach

There are secrets that bring friends together, and others that drive them apart…

Mariners Island is barely ten miles long, but when Ivy, Ariana and Cam were teenagers, it was their whole world. Beyond the pristine beaches and iconic lighthouse lies the beautiful old library that belongs to Ivy’s family. While that bound Ivy to the island as an adult, Ariana could not leave Mariners behind fast enough. The town holds too many…memories. Not only her unrequited feelings for Cam, but the tragedy that left a scar on the community.

When a young girl went missing, a teenage Cam was unthinkably the prime suspect. Ariana and Ivy knew he couldn’t have hurt anyone, and they promised to protect him—even if it meant lying on his behalf.

Now, twenty years later, Ariana returns to Mariners just as new evidence emerges on the case, calling into question everything the three friends thought they knew—and everyone they thought they could trust. What really happened that night? Over the course of one eventful summer, Ariana, Ivy and Cam will learn the truth—about their pasts, their futures and the ties that still bind them as closely as the pages of a book…

Review

Ivy, Ariana and Cam have been friends since childhood. Life has gotten in the way a few times but they are now back together on Mariners Island after 20 years. But they are harboring a big secret. When the remains of a young girl are found at the lighthouse, they each know their secret is about to be revealed. Can their friendship survive?

Now, this book does not really look like the cover. Y’all know I am a cover girl. And this cover is fabulous! But the story inside is more of a murder mystery. I expected a story about a library and the beach. I mean…there is a library and a beach but there is so much more. So, this took me in a wild, unexpected ride.

I really enjoyed these three friends. There were times I wanted to smack Ivy and not because of what she did (you will have to read this to find out!) but she was just a bit too wishy washy. However, these three definitely come through for each other and when the story unfolds their world is rocked to the core along with their friendship.

Need a story about friendship, secrets and murder…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review

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