The Color of Love: the strength love can gives us to survive and thrive

The Color of Love is the sixth book in The Color of Heaven series by Julianne MacLean. Carla Matthews is a single mother who struggles to give her daughter, Kaleigh, the life she deserves. When Seth, Kaleigh’s absent father, begs for a second chance at being her father, Carla is hesitant. She will always wonder if he will leave them again for his first love: being an alpine climber and the next mountain to conquer. When Seth’s plane goes down in the harsh Canadian wilderness, Carla is left wondering if he is alive or dead. Will they ever know what happened to the plane? One year later, a man is found, half dead, floating on an iceberg in the North Atlantic. He has Seth’s wallet and journal on him, could he truly be him? How did he survive? Does Carla dare hope he could be the man she always dreamed he could be? 

The Color of Heaven series has been a whirlwind of questions and hopes against hope and The Color of Love is no different. After meeting Carla in the previous book, we get her story as she struggles as a single mom with a man who never truly wanted to settle down. When the calls come in that first, Seth is missing after a plane crash and second, he has been found, she is hit with emotions she wasn’t prepared for. The Color of Love is a story of survival, both at home and in the wilderness, and how love can give us the strength to keep going. I thoroughly enjoyed this story as it has deep emotions with a few twists and turns. This series continues to be a great look into the crazy adventures that we can experience in life and the tough questions with no easy answers. I highly recommend The Color of Love. 

The Color of Love is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

Wolvers: pursuit, survival and redemption deep in the American Southwest

Wolvers by Taylor Brown is a story of pursuit, survival and redemption deep in the American Southwest. Trace Temple is looking for revenge. Broke and angry at the government after his family loses their New Mexico ranch. Living out of his truck when he is approached by a shady militia movement hires him to take down One-Eleven, the legendary she-wolf of the Dark Canyon pack. However, One-Eleven is no ordinary wolf. Cunning and seasoned in the ways of men, she’s always one step ahead of those who hunt her. After surviving a brush with death, Trace has a change of heart and joins forces with a survivalist and a local rancher in order to stop his replacement: a professional hunter and assassin who ruthlessly pursues his quarry including Trace himself. 

I have always loved wolves and find them fascinating. Wolvers is defined as one who behaves like a wolf or one who searches or hunts for wolves. From the opening chapter, Wolvers is a suspenseful, thrilling story as nature battles man and man battles man. I loved the wolf, One-Eleven as she skillfully eludes her hunters and I thoroughly enjoyed her sections of the story. Mr Brown does a great job with One-Eleven’s personality and I was reminded of Two Socks from Dances With Wolves (1990) and Jack London’s White Fang (1906). The sections with Trace and the other humans definitely had me rooting for One-Eleven and her pack. Overall, I enjoyed this story. It was thrilling and kept me on the edge of my seat. I highly recommend Wolvers. 

Wolvers is available in hardcover, eBook and audiobook

White Mulberry: one woman's determination to survive despite the racial tensions

White Mulberry by Rosa Kwon Easton is a moving story of a woman who lives between two worlds in order to survive. In 1928, Japanese-occupied Korea, eleven year old Miyoung has big dreams. When she is presented with the chance to pursue those dreams; however, she must leave her mother behind and live with her older sister and her husband in Japan. Knowing that Koreans are treated well in Japan, she must leave her name and culture behind. Once in Japan, she takes a new name and finds a new calling in nursing and finding solace in a local Korean church. What she never expects is to fall in love and find new purpose in her husband and their son. As war looms, she feels the racial tensions more than ever. Miyoung is faced with a choice: does she stay in Japan or does she find her chance to leave and provide a future for her and her family? 

White Mulberry was an Amazon First Reads choice for November. I loved the beautiful cover and was intrigued by the story as I have done a lot of research about Korea. I haven’t seen many historical books written from a Korean perspective. From the opening chapter to the closing author’s notes, I was deeply moved by Miyoung’s story. White Mulberry was inspired by the author’s Korean grandmother’s story which I love. I loved Miyoung as she struggles to hold on to her Korean identity and yet discovers a way to survive within the strict racial rules that the Japanese culture had put into place. I loved her resilience and determination to prove those against her wrong. It is a beautiful story about one woman, being caught between two worlds, who suffered the trauma of occupation, racism and displacement and yet still had the sheer determination to survive and reclaim her name and culture. I highly, highly recommend White Mulberry. 

White Mulberry will be available in paperback, eBook and audiobook 

on December 1, 2024

Blackbird: a story of survival and determination

Blackbird by Kay Bratt is the ninth book in the Hart’s Ridge series. In the small town of Hart’s Ridge, the echoes of Lydia Grimes’ abduction still ripples through the community. As they continue to come to grips with her profound loss, new clues and ideas may lead to understanding what happened to Lydia and where she is now. Deputy Taylor Gray feels deeply about every case that comes through Hart’s Ridge. With a mix of joys among the lingering sorrows, Taylor finds herself helping Caleb Grimes find the closure he needs to get his life and his family back on track. A young named Allison Curran, whom Taylor helped so many years ago, needs help again to leave a desperate situation. Can Taylor and Grimes find out what happened to Lydia and put the case to rest? Can Allison finally find peace, a home and a fresh start? 

Oh wow! What a story! From the opening prologue to the closing cliffhanger, Blackbird is a story of survival and determination. There were moments of heartbreaking tears and joyful smiles. There were moments of nail biting suspense and a race against time urgency. The Hart’s Ridge series just keeps getting better and better. My heart broke for Caleb and his daughters, especially Grace who struggled with their new reality and fears. I cheered Allison on as she worked to better her life and hoped with every turn of the page that she finds who and what she needs to find her feet again. I can’t wait for the next book to find out what happens next! This story will keep you on the edge of your seat and keep you guessing. I highly, highly recommend reading this series and if you have read the series so far, you will love Blackbird. 

Blackbird is available in paperback and eBook

Hart’s Ridge series books 1-8 are now available in paperback and eBook

Miss Morgan's Book Brigade: resilience of the human spirit to survive and rebuild

Miss Morgan’s Book Brigade by Janet Skeslien Charles is based on a true story of Jessie “Kit” Carson, an American librarian who worked in a war zone to bring books to the people. In January 1918, as the Great War rages on, Jessie Carson takes a leave of absence from the New York Public Library and works for the American Committee for Devastated France (CARD). Founded by Anne Morgan, the daughter of JP Morgan, this group helped rebuild the war torn French communities along the battlefront. When Jessie arrives, she creates children’s libraries. Turning ambulances into bookmobiles and trains French women as librarians. Then she disappears. Sixty-nine years later, in 1987, Wendy Peterson, a NYPL librarian and aspiring writer, stumbled across Jessie Carson’s name in the archives. With only a passing reference, Wendy becomes obsessed with discovering more about the elusive librarian. Is she prepared for what her search will reveal?  

I loved Jane Skeslien Charles’s The Paris Library and could not wait to read another adventure of the importance of books and community, even in war time. It is a story about the resilience of the human spirit to survive and rebuild. It is a story of inspiration and courage. I loved that Jessie felt the call to join CARD and leave her safe home for a war zone. I also loved that she did not let disappointment discourage her from doing what she set out to do. She was a librarian and was going to bring books back to the community. I also loved Wendy’s dedication to find out Jessie’s story and tell the world about her. This story is well researched and I enjoyed the author’s notes at the end about the real life individuals. If you enjoy stories about WWI and books, I recommend Miss Morgan’s Book Brigade. 

Miss Morgan’s Book Brigade will be available 

in hardcover, eBook and audiobook April 30, 2024

The Underground Library: three women trying to survive during the London Blitz

The Underground Library by Jennifer Ryan is the story of three women during the London Blitz trying to survive and save their beloved library. When Juliet Lansdown comes to the Bethnal Green Library as the new deputy librarian, she realizes that the library needs a bit more life. Katie Upwood loves working at the library as she prepares to head to university. After learning that her beau was killed in action and growing strife in her family, she finds herself with a life-changing secret with no help and no options. Sofie Baumann is a young Jewish refugee who came to London on a domestic service visa in order to escape the horrors in her home country. She finds herself treated horribly and her only solace is the beloved books of the local library. When the library needs to go underground where the city’s residents are sheltering during the nightly bombings, Juliet, Katie and Sofie find a community that come together for the love of books and friendships that only grow stronger with each bomb dropped.

Based on the true story of the Bethnal Green Library and the London Blitz, Jennifer Ryan weaves a story of survival, friendships and courage in uncertain times. Despite a bit of weariness of World War II stories, I was captivated by the stories of these three women and the strength they find to endure the uncertainty of their futures. Their world is changing around them and, despite the social rules, they fight back against racism, gender biases and finding love in the most unlikely places. Ms Ryan also brings to life the horrors and uncertainties of the London Blitz. I felt as if I were there with the characters, huddled in the underground shelters as the bombs exploded above them and in the aftermath as they searched for survivors and dealt with the unfortunate loss of life. My heart broke as the character suffered and I cheered for them as they rose above their circumstances and survived. If you enjoy World War II stories, I highly recommend The Underground Library. 

The Underground Library is available in hardcover, eBook and audiobook

Sisters Under the Rising Sun: a story of strength, survival and resilience

Sisters Under the Rising Sun by Heather Morris is a story of sisterhood, bravery and friendship in the darkness of war. As World War II spreads through the Pacific, Norah Chambers places her eight year old daughter on a ship leaving Singapore, hoping to keep her safe from the advancing Japanese army. Sister Nesta James, a Welsh Australian nurse, enlisted to tend to Allied troops but as Singapore falls to the Japanese, she joins a ship of terrified people. When their ship is sunk off the coast of Indonesia and surviving hours in the sea, the survivors find themselves on the beaches of a remote island, only to be captured by the Japanese and held in one of their notorious POW camps. With disease, brutality and starvation rampant, the survivors must find a way to fight back with resourcefulness, determination, and courage. 

Heather Morris has gained a reputation for writing about little known stories filled with amazing inspiration of survival and courage. Sisters Under the Rising Sun is no exception. With most World War II stories focused on the European theater, it is great to finally see a story featuring events in the Pacific theater. The descriptions of what these people endured and survived is horrifying and yet inspirational. It is a testament to the strength and reliance of the human spirit to survive. There is a slow build to the events, but once the story builds up, it is a hard book to put down. I worried and hoped these amazing people survived and were reunited with their loved ones. If you enjoy World War II stories and want to read the different areas of the war, I highly recommend Sisters Under the Rising Sun. 

Sisters under the Rising Sun is available in hardcover, eBook, and audiobook

North of Nowhere: two teens running for their lives in a snowstorm, who do they trust?

North of Nowhere by Allison Brennan is a cat-and-mouse suspense. Kristin and Ryan McIntyre have been in hiding for the last five years and the day they were dreading has arrived. Their murderous father, Boyd McIntyre, the head of a Los Angeles crime family, has found them! Along with a man who has kept them safe, they attempt to escape in a small plane, when gunfire hits the fuel line and they crash in the middle of the Montana wilderness with a storm moving in. Kristin and Ryan have been taught survival skills and they make their way to their safe house. Ruby McIntyre, Boyd’s sister and the children’s aunt, walked away from the family business to join the army. She vowed never to return; however when the call comes that her niece and nephew need her help, she doesn't hesitate to help them. Ruby soon discovers she and Boyd aren’t the only ones looking for Kristin and Ryan and whoever finds them first will determine if they live or die. 

I hadn’t heard of Allison Brennan or her books before; however, the synopsis intrigued me. From the opening paragraph, readers are promised an edge-of-your-seat suspense. And it delivered for the first two thirds of the story. The story started to falter a bit during the last third and there seemed a rush to finish as the action piled on for a spectacular finish. The ending was satisfying and overall, I enjoyed North of Nowhere. I cheered for Kristin as she fought to protect herself and her brother and was unsure who to trust. I enjoyed Ruby’s character as a hardened veteran who fears her family. Boyd was an interesting villain but the true villain is revealed near the end and he was terrifying. I may have gasped as he was revealed. As this book was my first by Ms Brennan, I am curious about her other books and will be checking out her backlist. If you enjoy suspense with a survival aspect, you will enjoy North of Nowhere. 

North of Nowhere will be available in hardcover, eBook and audiobook on August 8, 2023

Wild Women and the Blues: survival, life, love and forgiveness

Wild Women and the Blues by Denny S. Bryce is a story of survival, forgiveness, life and love with all its joys and sadness, its ups and downs. In 1925, Chicago was the jazz capital of the world and the Dreamland Cafe was the club to see and be seen. Nineteen year old Honoree Daclour was a sharecropper’s daughter, no stranger to hard work, and was willing to dance her way to the top. The Dreamland offered a path to the good life and socializing with the celebrities of the day. However, Chicago is also home to bootleg whiskey, gambling and gangsters. In 2015, Sawyer Hayes was a film student desperate to interview the 110-year old Honoree. All his hope is resting with the frail but formidable woman. She is the only living link to help fill in the gaps in his research. Little does he know that she’ll fill in a lot more blanks than he expects. 

With its gorgeous cover and interesting premise, I was eager to read Wild Women and the Blues. It is the debut novel for Ms. Bryce who wrote a stirring story of the vibrant Chicago during the Jazz Age. Both desperate to find a better life and at the same time, desperate to keep their secrets. As Honoree reveals her story and her secrets, Sawyer finds healing in confronting his past and revealing secrets can close wounds. The story was moving with twists and turns as well as a great history lesson into the Jazz Age. I knew of Louis Armstrong; however I had never heard of his wife, Lil Hardin Armstrong. Or the great Oscar Micheaux, the US’s first major Black filmmaker, whose work countered the negative on screen portrayals of blacks at the time. Wild Women and the Blues is a mix of fiction and history lesson. I highly recommend Wild Women and the Blues!

Wild Women and the Blues is available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook

When the Apricots Bloom: three women faced with impossible choices in order to survive

When the Apricots Bloom by Gina Wilkinson is a story of three women faced with impossible choices to survive. It’s 2002 in Baghdad when Huda gets a visit from the mukhabarat, the secret police. They “ask” that she befriend the wife of the Australian deputy ambassador. As a secretary at the Australian embassy, it would be easy to do; however, Huda has no desire to become an informant but fears for her son’s safety if she refuses. Ally Wilson, the deputy ambassador, has secrets of her own as she has a reason to be in Baghdad other than being a dependent spouse. Little does she know that her secret puts her in grave danger. Meanwhile, Huda’s estranged childhood friend, Rania, led a privileged life as the daughter of a sheikh but now she battles to keep a roof over her daughter’s head as well as ensure their safety. Soon, the lives of the three women will intersect, their secrets come forward and they must decide what they will sacrifice to protect their families.  

With the gorgeous cover and a poetic title, I looked forward to this story. Set in the final days of Saddam’s regime, When the Apricots Bloom is a story of trust, friendship, and motherhood. Drawing from her experience as a foreign correspondent, author Gina Wilkinson strives to take readers on a haunting story of Iraq and the choices many families faced under the deadly regime. While it is described as suspenseful, and I could see where it should have been, I didn’t feel the suspense. I cared for these women and wanted to see them survive but I had an issue with Ally’s naivety that she could simply walk around Baghdad asking questions as she did. Overall, the story was good but I didn’t close the book with any satisfaction. While it is hard to recommend this book, I may have been the wrong reader for When the Apricots Bloom. If you are intrigued by the premise, I encourage you to check out When the Apricots Bloom. Hopefully your experience will be different from mine. 

When the Apricots Bloom is available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook

The Prisoner: a psychological thriller of survival

The Prisoner by BA Paris is a story of survival. Amelie Lamont is a survivor. She has been on her own since the death of her father. She makes her way to London, finds a job and enters the glamorous lifestyle of those around her. She meets the billionaire Ned Hawthorne and enters into a marriage of convenience. She doesn’t realize until it's too late that lies and deceit are the name of the game. A chain of events begins, tumbling like dominoes until she finds herself in a dark room, kidnapped with no hope of getting out. Lies, deception and She has no idea where she is, who her captors are or what their intentions could be; however, one thing she knows for certain, she’s not going down without a fight. 

The Prisoner is an interesting psychological thriller told in two parts. Part One opens in the present as Amelie wakes up in a dark room, recounting the events of the previous day. Back and forth between past and present, the series of events are revealed as how she got kidnapped and possibly why. Part Two is the aftermath as the investigation into the kidnapping begins. Who is to be believed? And who is hiding a deadly secret? The Prisoner is filled with twists and turns that will leave you guessing who to trust and who is behind the kidnapping and what their motives are. I enjoyed The Prisoner. It kept me guessing until the very end. I recommend The Prisoner. 

The Prisoner is available in hardcover, eBook, and audiobook

The Library of Legends: a mix of history and supernatural

The Library of Legends by Janie Chang is a story of a convoy of student refugees who travel across China to escape the hostilities during a war with Japan while protecting ancient texts of legends and myths. In 1937, as Japenese bombs drop on the city of Nanking, nineteen-year-old Hu Lian and her classmates from the Minghua University are ordered to flee and seek safety in the western provinces. Not only do the students and staff need to worry about the constant threat of air raids, they are entrusted with the safety of the Library of Legends, a -year-old collection of myths and folklore. During the journey, she forms an unlikely friendship with Liu Shaoming, a handsome and wealthy classmate, and his maidservant, Sparrow. As their friendship grows, she learns the connection with her companions and the tale of The Willow Star and the Prince from the Library of Legends. Is there more truth to the myths than she realized? Will they make it to safety? 

A mix of history and mystical and supernatural characters, The Library of Legends is an engaging story of love, war and survival. Ms Chang was influenced by the historical evacuations of the Chinese universities in the 1930s and the political intrigue as the rise of Communism in China is fueled by a few students and the attempts to squash its uprising. I thoroughly enjoyed the intertwining of the historical and supernatural elements of the story. It reminded me of Neil Gaiman’s American Gods (2001) as the gods and creatures of the myths and legends were alive and well in our world, we just don’t notice them. But would they be there for long? As more and more humans forget them, what’s their reasoning to stay? I enjoyed the idea that once the guardian spirits of these areas left, the horrors of war followed. This book was my first by Ms. Chang and I look forward to reading her other works in the future. I enjoyed and recommend The Library of Legends. 

The Library of Legends is available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook

Home for Wounded Hearts: a place for hope and renewal

Home for Wounded Hearts by Ashley Farley is a story of hope and renewal. Faith Neilson is a survivor of an abusive marriage. Her new passion in life is to help other women in dangerous and hopeless situations. She opens a women’s shelter, Lovie’s Home. A home not just for abused women but women dealing with addiction, grief, homelessness, any woman who wants to mend their broken hearts and find a new meaning in life. There’s Tilda who is convinced she has Alzheimer’s. Molly, a street-smart homeless woman with a childlike quality and a deeply wounded heart. Caroline who has hidden her grief in her gardening hobby. As they find the will to live life day-to-day, the future of the shelter and their bonds of friendship are threatened. Can they find the strength to protect their new home and themselves? 

Spinning off of her bestselling Sweeney Sisters series, Ms Farley attempts to write a story with a strong message and very deep situations. While I was intrigued by the opening chapter, I was quickly bored as it was slow with none of the depth I expected from the situations each woman experiences. I found myself dozing off as I tried to read. Everyone seemed to fall in line with the shelter’s routine with very little conflict. Faith was a bit unbelievable as a character. She is an abuse survivor but what about experiencing an abusive relationship gives her the insight that certain residents as roommates would help “heal” each other. Maybe I’m missing something from not reading the original series. Overall, I did not enjoy it. However, if you are a fan of Ms Farley’s Sweeney Sisters series, you may enjoy Home for Wounded Hearts. 

Home for Wounded Hearts is available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook

Such Big Dreams: breaking free and living life on your own terms

Such Big Dreams by Reema Patel is a  story of a savvy former child of the street who discovers a chance to live her life on her own terms. Rakhi is a twenty-three year old who is haunted by the grisly events that led to the loss of her best friend. She is constantly reminded that she doesn’t belong, that she is a charity case as she lives in a Mumbai slum and works as a lowly office assistant for Justice for All, a struggling human rights organization. Hidden behind her façade hides a fierce intelligence and sharp wit with an even sharper tongue, Rakhi doesn’t allow anyone to play her for a fool. She knows that everyone underestimates her until a new intern enters the office. Alex Lalwani-Diamond is the family friend of Rubina Mansoor, a fading former Bollywood starlet. Alex is Indian-Canadian on his way to Harvard for graduate school. Ambitious, persistent and a bit naïve, Alex convinces Rakhi to show him the “real India,” which seems harmless at first. As Rakhi’s past and her aspirations collide, she comes face to face with difficult choices and the moral compromises that one often makes in order to survive. 

Such Big Dreams is the debut moral of Reema Patel. A moving story of survival and the cost of one’s ambition and power. Ms. Patel’s descriptions are powerful and honest as she reveals the different sides, the different “classes” of India. She peels back the hypocrisy of the rich who build luxurious mansions on the land of former slums and then gets on a soapbox about affordable housing and the state of the people in the slums. I thoroughly enjoyed Rakhi’s character, a young woman who lived a hard life that was not of her choosing. I couldn’t imagine being a seven year old and surviving on the streets and yet that’s where Rakhi’s story begins. She is a survivor and I hoped and cheered her on as she tries to rise above her lot in life and works for a better life rather than resolve that she was born there and would probably die there. The author’s note after the story adds to the emotional power of the story’s events. My one complaint is the author’s use of Indian words and phrases without an indication of the translations or meanings. Overall, I enjoyed Such Big Dreams and highly recommend it. 

Such Big Dreams is available May 10, 2022 in hardcover, eBook, and audiobook

Noble Traitor: a historical novel featuring the Scottish War of Independence

Noble Traitor is the first book in the Son of Scotland series by JR Tomlin. In 1306 Scotland, Thomas Randolph is a young squire on the verge of knighthood when he joins Robert the Bruce, his uncle, in the fight for Scotland’s freedom. After a disastrous loss in the Battle of Methven, he is taken prisoner and Robert the Bruce goes into hiding. While other prisoners were executed under the dragon banner, Thomas’s life was saved by a friend. Now he must tread carefully as he is asked to swear his loyalty to King Edward I and England. With no choice, he serves England but his heart is still with Scotland. Caught between duty and his heart, he is now a noble traitor. 

I thoroughly enjoy books on Scottish history, especially featuring Scottish heroes that don’t get much attention when compared to figures like Robert the Bruce and William Wallace. I read JR Tomlin’s A Kingdom’s Cost (2016) about the Black Douglas and enjoyed it so much that when Noble Traitor was brought to my attention, I got it. It was interesting to see the different sides of the War of Scottish Independence. Noble Traitor shows the English and their Scottish allies as they hunt down Robert the Bruce and the Black Douglas. It covers the time period of February 1306 to December 1307.  Noble Traitor is a fast read. I was able to finish it in a few hours. I recommend Noble Traitor for anyone who is interested in Scottish history and military history. 

Noble Traitor is available in paperback and eBook

The Dressmaker's Gift: a story of resilience and survival

The Dressmaker’s Gift by Fiona Valpy is the story of three women faced with impossible choices during a desperate time. Paris, 1940, the city is occupied by the Nazis, three young seamstresses, Claire, Mireille, and Vivienne, go about their normal lives as best they can. Each hiding secrets. After seeing the horrors of the Nazis first hand, Mireille joins the French Resistance. Claire becomes involved with a German officer and Vivienne keeps her secrets very close to the vest. 2017, Paris, Claire’s granddaughter, Harriet, arrives in the city to begin an internship at a local public relations agency. Still grieving from her mother’s sudden death, Harriet discovers she is living and working in the same building her grandmother lived and worked in many years ago. As she begins to learn the story of her grandmother, she unravels a story darker and more painful than she ever managed. How do they survive history’s darkest times and how will they be judged for those choices? 

Fiona Valpy is a phenomenal storyteller! She has a way to open up the stories of the past through the eyes of those who lived it with all its complicities. The Beekeeper’s Promise (2018) introduced Mireille and in The Dressmaker’s Gift, readers can experience her story. Ms. Valpy doesn’t shy away from the horrors that were experienced during the war. Filled with emotional and heartbreaking moments, The Dressmaker’s Gift is a story of hope, courage and resilience. From the beginning, the story of Claire, Mireille and Vivienne gripped me until I couldn’t let go. Reading the choices they were forced to make and actions that they took to survive, I kept asking myself would we be able to do the same today? What would we do in times of impossible choices? I also enjoyed Harriet’s story as she finds a new sense of purpose and personal strength as she learns her grandmother’s story. I highly recommend The Dressmaker’s Gift as well as The Beekeeper’s Promise. 

The Dressmaker’s Gift is available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook. 

The Upside of Falling Down: what good could come from a life falling apart?

The Upside of Falling Down by Rebekah Crane is a story of self-discovery. For Clementine Haas, finding herself is more than just a cliché notion. After she wakes up in an Irish hospital with complete amnesia, self-discovery is more a survival mission. They tell her she’s the sole survivor of a plane crash. They tell her she is lucky to be alive but she doesn’t feel lucky. She feels confused and lost. With the relentless press desperate for her story and a father on his way, one she might not recognize, she’s desperate to escape. Clementine becomes Jane and enlists the help of a blue-eyed stranger to help her escape the hospital and her forgotten life. Kieran O’Connell is doing some hiding of his own as he helps the helpless Jane and takes her to Waterville, Ireland. As their lies grow, so does their affection for each other. Will she regain her memory? Could there be an upside to her life falling apart? 

The Upside of Falling Down was suggested to me and the premise intrigued me. From the opening chapter, the reader struggles with Clementine as she is desperate to regain who she is. It is a story filled with secrets, lies and the discovery of who you really are. A story about facing your fears in order to gain our freedom and starting over. I enjoyed Clementine/Jane very much. The banter between her and Kieran is great and sweet. Even their romance seems to be unlikely but added flair to her dilemma. I also enjoyed her interaction with the colorful cast of characters she meets in the sleepy Irish village from the Jane Austen loving Clive to the ornery Siobhan. The story was engaging and engrossing as Clementine slowly regains who she is but wants to hold on to her new found life. I was surprised at the truth that Kieran was hiding. I highly recommend The Upside of Falling Down. 

The Upside of Falling Down is available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook. 

The Winter Rose: a story of survival, forgiveness and reconciliation

The Winter Rose by Melanie Dobson is a story of survival and forgiveness. Grace Tonquin is an American Quaker who works tirelessly in Vichy France to rescue Jewish children from the Nazis. After crossing the treacherous Pyrenees, the children are sent to awaiting families except two. Elias and Marguerite Dupont lost their parents and no clear evidence of family waiting for them, Grace returns home to her family’s Oregon farm to care for them. Even though they are loved and cared for, the horrific experiences they had to endure would come back to haunt them, threatening to tear their family apart. Fifty years later, Addie Hoult arrives at Tonquin Lake looking for the family. It is a matter of life and death for her beloved mentor and father figure, Charlie, who is battling a genetic disease. Though Charlies refuses to discuss his relationship or ties to the Tonquin family, Addie knows that finding them is the only way to save his life. Could it also heal the wounds of the past? 

The Winter Rose is a beautiful story about a piece of history I didn’t know about and I’m sure many have not heard. It is a story to honor the effects of the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), a Quaker organization which in part of their wartime efforts, helped rescue thousands of Jewish children during World War II. Grace, as a member of this organization, risks life and limb for the chance that these children can have a chance at life. Ms. Dobson writes a detailed story with many mysteries, twists and turns.. It is a story about the bonds of family with faith and forgiveness. As more and more authors are bringing to light stories like the AFSC, we learn that many organizations, groups and people worked tirelessly and with no qualms about their own safety to help those who were under attack. I enjoyed Grace’s faith and even in her moments of fear, doubts and trouble, she turned to God for guidance and strength. I recommend The Winter Rose. 

The Winter Rose will be available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook on January 11th. 

The Speed of Light: how fast one's life can change

The Speed of Light by Elissa Grossel Dickey is the story of a woman's journey through intersecting timelines of a life altering year. Simone Archer is trying her best to be positive. To focus on what she has gained instead of what she has lost. One year into her diagnosis with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) after years of wondering and worrying, she awaits the results of another anxiety-inducing MRI. As the Christmas holiday nears, the sights and sounds of winter only stir her memories. One December morning, gunshots ring through the office where she works, she finds a place to hide as she prepares to be rescued or fight to survive. As the events of that December morning unfold, her mind takes her to the events of the past year. Falling in love with Connor and walking away. Finding new strength in family and friendship. Planning for an uncertain future. Does it help to hope against hope? Can she find a way to face the things she can’t change and tackle the ones she can? 

The Speed of Light is the debut novel of Elissa Grossel Dickey and it certainly doesn’t read like it. With master’s strokes, Ms. Dickey paints a picture of a woman’s battles with those around her as well as within herself. I have known of individuals with MS but no one close, so I was vaguely familiar with this horrible autoimmune disease. Ms. Dickey brings to light the struggles, the doubts and the fears of someone who suffers from MS with honesty and depth. Simone goes through waves of hope and despair. One of my favorite quotes illustrates her fight. In an internal monologue, Simone says, “It hits me in a wave, a future I can no longer picture, a fear I can no longer contain.” Many of us can relate to this quote even if we haven’t been diagnosed with a life altering disease. I loved her supporting characters, especially Connor and her best friend Nikki. Nikki is unafraid to tell it like it is. I highly recommend The Speed of Light. 

The Speed of Light is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

On A Cold Dark Sea: the story of three women and their fateful decisions

On a Cold Dark Sea by Elizabeth Blackwell is a story of the impossible choices we made when faced with tragedy. On April 15, 1912, three women were among survivors in Lifeboat 21 and watched in horror as the unsinkable Titanic sank into the icy depths of the Atlantic ocean. Con artist Charlotte Digby lied her way through London and onto the Titanic. The disaster provided the chance at a new life and she is determined to keep her past a secret. Esme Harper is a newlywed, returning to America from her honeymoon. On the night of the sinking, she makes a sudden choice that would change her life forever. Anna Halversson, a Swedish farm girl, is tormented by the screams that rang out from the water. Did one of them call her name? After the tragedy, the three women went their separate ways, never speaking about the events of that night. Twenty years later, a sudden death brings them back together, forcing them to face the choices they made that night, the inconceivable loss and the secrets they kept all those years.  

I have been fascinated by the Titanic sinking since high school. On a Cold Dark Sea is a different story featuring the famous tragedy. It didn’t rehash why the sinking happened but told what happened from three different perspectives, from the different classes aboard the ship. It is a story of three very different women from very different backgrounds brought together by a series of events. I enjoyed the story as there was no clear hero/heroine or villain. Each of the three women had reasons to carry a guilty conscience. Did their actions that night cause the death of someone they knew on the ship? The characters were written as real people with real decisions and real consequences. The secrets that publicly would have ruined them as well as ate away at their souls. One character laments that her decision for one man over another was “her greatest love and her greatest disappointment.” Even after 109 years since the tragedy, the events on the Titanic and the aftermath still captures our attention. I highly, highly recommend On a Cold, Dark Sea. 

 

On a Cold Dark Sea is available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook.