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Thursday, March 7, 2024

Review: Scandalous Women: A Novel of Jackie Collins and Jacqueline Susann

Scandalous Women: A Novel of Jackie Collins and Jacqueline Susann Scandalous Women: A Novel of Jackie Collins and Jacqueline Susann by Gill Paul
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I must remind you, readers, that this book is mostly fiction. If you want more of the truth, make sure you read the notes at the end of the book. I did a bit of research myself, as I like to do with biographical/historical/fiction, and while I am disappointed at the one thing I found, everything else is spot on.

This was a fabulous novel. I could not for the life of me, put it down and finished it in one big gulp! Gill Paul is one of my favorite biographical/historical/fiction writers, and this novel just puts her one more notch toward my all-time favorite of this genre.

It not only showcased Jacqueline's trouble trying to get Valley of the Dolls published, but it also showed just how far women truly have gone in the publishing world of today and how bad it was for women of that era who wanted to become editors.

*This ARC was supplied by the publisher William Morrow, the author, and NetGalley. Thank you all.


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SYNOPSIS: "Mad Men  meets the world of publishing in international bestselling author Gill Paul’s new novel about Jackie Collins and Jacqueline Susann, two dynamic, groundbreaking writers renowned for their scandalous and controversial novels, and the beleaguered young editorial assistant who introduces them. 1966, Jacqueline Susann’s Valley of the Dolls hits the bookstores and she is desperate for a bestseller. It’s steamy, it’s a page-turner, but will it make the big money she needs? In London, Jackie Collins’s racy The World Is Full of Married Men launches her career. But neither author is prepared for the price they will pay for being women who dare to write about sex. Jacqueline and Jackie are lambasted by the literary establishment, deluged with hate mail, and even condemned by feminists. In public, both women shoulder the outcry with dignity; in private, they are crumbling—particularly since they have secrets they don’t want splashed across the front pages. 1965, College graduate Nancy White is excited to take up her dream job at a Manhattan publishing house, but she could never be prepared for the rampant sexism she will encounter. While working on Valley of the Dolls , she becomes friends with Jacqueline Susann, and, after reaching out to Jackie Collins about a US deal, she is responsible for the two authors meeting. Will the two Jackies clash as they race to top the charts? Will Nancy achieve her ambition of becoming an editor, despite all the men determined to hold her back? Three women struggle to succeed in a man’s world, while desperately trying to protect those they love the most."

Tuesday, March 5, 2024

Review: The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County

The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County by Claire Swinarski
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book was not what I was expecting by reading the synopsis. I expected a relatively light read with much good gossip between the funeral ladies. What I did get was a book that was mostly about PTSD, a romance, a lot of death (and not just of the county's people), and an elderly woman who gets scammed for about $30,000 and what she is going to do to save her house. Religion plays a rather large part in this novel, but not to the point where the book is only about religion.

It was an interesting read, but it was not light and would not be recommended as a beach read.

*ARC was supplied by the publisher Avon and Harper Voyager, the author, and NetGalley.


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SYNOPSIS:"Armed with a Crock-Pot and a pile of recipes, a grandmother, her granddaughter, and a mysterious young man work to bring a community together in this uplifting novel for readers of The Chicken Sisters.

Esther Larson has been cooking for funerals in the Northwoods of Wisconsin for seventy years. Known locally as the “funeral ladies,” she and her cohort have worked hard to keep the mourners of Ellerie County fed—it is her firm belief that there is very little a warm casserole and a piece of cherry pie can’t fix. But, after falling for an internet scam that puts her home at risk, the proud Larson family matriarch is the one in need of help these days. Iris, Esther’s whip-smart Gen Z granddaughter, would do anything for her family and her community.

As she watches her friends and family move out of their lakeside town onto bigger and better things, Iris wonders why she feels so left behind in the place she is desperate to make her home. But when Cooper Welsh shows up, she finally starts to feel like she’s found the missing piece of her puzzle. Cooper is dealing with becoming a legal guardian to his younger half-sister after his beloved stepmother dies. While their celebrity-chef father is focused on his booming career and top-ranked television show, Cooper is still hurting from a public tragedy he witnessed last year as a paramedic and finding it hard to cope. With Iris in the gorgeous Ellerie County, though, he hopes he might finally find the home he’s been looking for.

It doesn’t seem like a community cookbook could possibly solve their problems, especially one where casseroles have their own section and cream of chicken soup mix is the most frequently used ingredient. But when you mix the can-do spirit of Midwestern grandmothers with the stubborn hope of a boy raised by food plus a dash of long-awaited forgiveness—things might just turn out okay. Includes Recipes   "

Monday, March 4, 2024

Review: Summers at the Saint

Summers at the Saint Summers at the Saint by Mary Kay Andrews
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I'll have to tell you one thing: I will be turning around and re-reading this book quite soon. There are so many plots and sub-plots that sometimes it gets to be a little too much. But the more I read, the more enthralled I became with this novel. I got so caught up in everything that was going on that I just couldn't put this book down.

I must admit that Mary Kay Andrews is one of my favorite authors, but I will let you know right here that I don't always LOVE her books. This I indeed did!

The only tiny problem I had (and I admit that it is my problem alone) is that there was so much young adult issues going on and I'm a little too old to understand some of the lingo etc. Oh well, that's all on me!


Murder, theft, arson, financial difficulties, and possible love connections make this a perfect beach read. I have to admit that I didn't finally figure out who was behind all these machinations until the last quarter or so of this book.

I loved this book and can't wait to re-read it...slowly!

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SYNOPSIS:"Welcome to the St. Cecelia, a landmark hotel on the coast of Georgia, where traditions run deep and scandals run even deeper. . . .

Everyone refers to the St. Cecelia as “the Saint.” If you grew up coming here, you were “a Saint.” If you came from the wrong side of the river, you were “an Ain’t.” Traci Eddings was one of those outsiders whose family wasn’t rich enough or connected enough to vacation here. But she could work here. One fateful summer she did, and married the boss’s son. Now, she’s the widowed owner of the hotel, determined to see it return to its glory days, even as staff shortages and financial troubles threaten to ruin it. Plus, her greedy and unscrupulous brother-in-law wants to make sure she fails. Enlisting a motley crew of recently hired summer help—including the daughter of her estranged best friend—Traci has one summer season to turn it around. But new information about a long-ago drowning at the hotel threatens to come to light, and the tragic death of one of their own brings Traci to the brink of despair.

Traci Eddings has her back against the pink-painted wall of this beloved institution. And it will take all the wits and guts she has to see wrongs put to right, to see guilty parties put in their place, and maybe even to find a new romance along the way. Told with Mary Kay Andrew’s warmth, humor, knack for twists, and eye for delicious detail about human nature, Summers at the Saint is a beach read with depth and heart."

Wednesday, February 28, 2024

Review: The Underground Library

The Underground Library The Underground Library by Jennifer Ryan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I'm so sorry. I don't know if it's becuase I've been reading a lot of stories similar to this type (Historical/Fiction), and I'm saturated with them. But I'm finding that I can't seem to 'get into' this story. I'm at 65%, and I'm just ready to give it up.

I see so many glowing reviews that I wonder if it's something to do with me. There are three main characters, which I would not find a problem with, but add to this so many secondary and tertiary characters, and I started needing a scorecard!

The idea is interesting and true; it tells how the Bethnal Green Library helped win the war!

Excerpt taken from https://www.theguardian.com/books/202...

Bethnal Green underground was a half-completed stop on the Central line when war broke out. Builders were working on connecting it to Liverpool Street, but from 1939 it had been locked up and left. One week after the blitz began, East Enders defied Churchill’s orders not to shelter in tube stations and claimed their right to safety. At 78 feet below ground, it was one of the few safe places to shelter in the area and was referred to by locals as the “Iron Lung”. Over the next 12 months it was transformed into a fully-functioning subterranean community with an astonishing array of facilities."

Had we stuck with more about the library and less about the love lives of these women, I think I would have enjoyed this a little more.


*ARC supplied by the publisher Ballantine Books, the author, and NetGalley.

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SYNOPSIS:"When the Blitz imperils the heart of a London neighborhood, three young women must use their fighting spirit to save the community’s beloved library in this heartwarming novel from the author of The Chilbury Ladies' Choir

When new deputy librarian, Juliet Lansdown, finds that Bethnal Green Library isn't the bustling hub she's expecting, she becomes determined to breathe life back into it. But can she show the men in charge that a woman is up to the task of running it, especially when a confrontation with her past threatens to derail her?

Katie Upwood is thrilled to be working at the library, although she's only there until she heads off to university in the fall. But after the death of her beau on the front line and amid tumultuous family strife, she finds herself harboring a life-changing secret with no one to turn to for help.

Sofie Baumann, a young Jewish refugee, came to London on a domestic service visa only to find herself working as a maid for a man who treats her abominably. She escapes to the library every chance she can, finding friendship in the literary community and aid in finding her sister, who is still trying to flee occupied Europe.

When a slew of bombs destroy the library, Juliet relocates the stacks to the local Underground station where the city's residents shelter nightly, determined to lend out stories that will keep spirits up. But tragedy after tragedy threatens to unmoor the women and sever the ties of their community. Will Juliet, Kate, and Sofie be able to overcome their own troubles to save the library? Or will the beating heart of their neighborhood be lost forever?"

Saturday, February 24, 2024

Review: The Good, the Bad, and the Aunties

The Good, the Bad, and the Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto



My rating: 2 of 5 stars
The Good, the Bad, and the Aunties
What I initially thought might be a series ended up as a trilogy---and thank goodness for that. This is the last book---unless she feels the compulsion to do a baby and the Aunties book, that IS the natural next step, is it not?

This is a quick read made even quicker since I skimmed a bit of it.

It all boils down to this: newlyweds Meddy and Nathan are visiting her relative for a late Chinese New Year. A mistake with the red envelopes happens, and hilarity does NOT ensue. Everyone (adults especially) acts like spoiled 14-year-olds. But what do I know, maybe it's a cultural thing or a huge amount of money thing!

At any rate, it did have a bit of a twist at the end, so that was worth the second star I gave this.


*ARC supplied by the publisher, Penguin/ Random House. the author, and NetGalley.  My Thanks.


SYNOPSIS: "What should have been a family celebration of Chinese New Year descends into chaos when longtime foes crash the party in this hilariously entertaining novel by Jesse Q. Sutanto, bestselling author of Dial A for Aunties.

After an ultra-romantic honeymoon across Europe, Meddy Chan and her husband Nathan have landed in Jakarta to spend Chinese New Year with her entire extended family. Chinese New Year, already the biggest celebration of the Lunar calendar, gets even more festive when a former beau of Second Aunt’s shows up at the Chan residence bearing extravagant gifts—he’s determined to rekindle his romance with Second Aunt and the gifts are his way of announcing his courtship.
 
His grand gesture goes awry however, when it’s discovered that not all the gifts were meant for Second Aunt and the Chans—one particular gift was intended for a business rival to cement their alliance and included by accident. Of course the Aunties agree that it’s only right to return the gift—after all, anyone would forgive an honest mistake, right? But what should have been a simple retrieval turns disastrous and suddenly Meddy and the Aunties are helpless pawns in a decades-long war between Jakarta’s most powerful business factions. The fighting turns personal, however, when Nathan and the Aunties are endangered and it’s up to Meddy to come up with a plan to save them all.  Determined to rescue her loved ones, Meddy embarks on an impossible mission—but with the Aunties by her side, nothing is truly impossible…

Thursday, February 22, 2024

Review: Women of Good Fortune

Women of Good Fortune Women of Good Fortune by Sophie Wan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What started out as a story of three whinny Asian women who have been friends for ages eventually turned into a riveting read. Yes, I admit I almost gave up during the first third or so, but something told me to keep going, and eventually, I couldn't put this book down.

We have three grown women who think of themselves as 'leftovers.' An Asian term for a woman of a certain age who hasn't married and/or had children. Along with these women, we have their mothers and future MIL to mix in the pot. Most (and especially the future MIL) are huge bitches!

These women have different problems, but problems they have. One is getting married to someone she doesn't love. This is Lulu, and she is a bit spineless. We have Jane, who thinks she is ugly and has that reinforced by her mother. She wants plastic surgery. She is married and treats her husband like crap. Then we have Rina, a workaholic (think 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. six days a week!) who wants to have her eggs frozen because she believes time is running out.

Well, Lulu is marrying one of the wealthiest bachelors in all of Shanghai, if not THE wealthiest. As you can see from the book's recap, things went on from there.

Everything is slapdash, and the reader is left amazed that these three (five if you count their two accomplices) can pull off this heist. Or can they?

The ending is amazing, and everyone seems to get their happily-ever-after, which doesn't always include a man!

This is well worth the time it will take you to read since I think you will enjoy it as much as I did.

*ARC supplied by the publisher, Graydon House - HarperCollins, the author Sophie Wan, and ATT/Edelweiss. My thanks to all.

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SYNOPSIS: "Set against a high-society Shanghai wedding, a heartfelt, funny, dazzling novel about a reluctant bride and her two best friends, each with their own motives and fed up with the way society treats women, who forge a plan to steal all the gift money on the big day

Lulu has always been taught that money is the ticket to a good life. So, when Shanghai’s most eligible bachelor surprises her with a proposal, the only acceptable answer is yes, even if the voice inside her head is saying no. His family’s fortune would solve all her parents’ financial woes, but Lulu isn’t in love or ready for marriage.

The only people she can confide in are her two best friends: career-minded Rina, who is tired of being passed over for promotion as her biological clock ticks away; and Jane, a sharp-tongued, luxury-chasing housewife desperate to divorce her husband and trade up. Each of them desires something different: freedom, time, beauty. None of them can get it without money.

Lulu’s wedding is their golden opportunity. The social event of the season, it means more than enough cash gifts to transform the women’s lives. To steal the money on the big day, all they’ll need is a trustworthy crew and a brilliant plan. But as the plot grows increasingly complicated and relationships are caught in the cross fire, the women are forced to face that having it all might come at a steep price…"

Monday, February 12, 2024

Review: The Philadelphia Heiress

The Philadelphia Heiress The Philadelphia Heiress by Anita Abriel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book gave me a bit of a difficult time with it. Our main female character, Helen Montgomery, acted like she was living in the 19th century instead of the early 20th. I had to keep reminding myself that it was 1927, and she was Main Line and ultra-rich with certain standards to uphold. But darn, she was stubborn. I kept reading, though, and finally realized that this story is loosely based on one of my favorite old-time movies with Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn. Things got better for me once I realized this.

The author does a lot of name-dropping and descriptives, and I think she put a lot of research into this novel. It really shows and makes for some very interesting reading.

The story does pick up quite a bit once you hit the 60% mark with a little altercation between Edgar and a gentleman called Louis Renault...yes, THAT Renault. And a handsome devil he was, too!

So, this book was worth the time it took to read since I enjoyed it. It's a fast read, and the price for a Kindle ($4.99) copy makes it a very good buy.

*ARC supplied by the publisher Lake Union Publishing - a subsidiary of Amazon, the author, and NetGalley.

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SYNOPSIS: "In pursuit of happiness, a young woman’s dreams extend beyond money and marriage in this aspirational historical novel by the international bestselling author of The Light After the War . It’s 1927, and Helen Montgomery is coming of age on Philadelphia’s Main Line, where privileged young women are set for life. But Helen has desires of her own. Debutante balls, eligible bachelors, and marriage aren’t among them…until her father is embroiled in a devastating scandal that jeopardizes the family’s financial future and social standing, that is. Then it becomes up to Helen to repair both by marrying a man of wealth and connection. Edgar Scott is as independent as Helen. The black-sheep scion of a railroad magnate, Edgar’s aspirations of becoming an author go against the grain of his own family’s expectations. For a time, Helen and Edgar’s marriage grows from attraction and convenience to genuine loyalty and respect. But as Edgar’s frustrations and rejections mount and Helen’s personal dreams recede, the cracks in the perfect life Helen wants are beginning to show. So begins Helen’s journey of forgiveness, redefining the meaning of perfection―for herself and in others―and accepting with all her heart the mistakes humans make in the name of love.