Review: Grace of the Empire State

Grace of the Empire State by Gemma Tizzard
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book was riveting ... see what I did there? No, seriously, it was riveting. I couldn't put this book down. We all have an idea of what the Depression was like for the common folk, but no book that I've read so far has captured it so clearly. The research that went into this book was outstanding.

The story is about twins, one a man and one a woman, their mother, a younger and ill sister, and several other families. Grace, our main character, was born to be a dancer, but circumstances intervene, and she finds herself the first Rosie the Riveter on the Empire State Building. Can you imagine working on a building like that without the safety mechanisms we have in place now? There is no net, no anything as far as safety goes. But Grace did it and even saved a life while doing so.

Life is not easy for Grace's family, nor was it easy for many other people, but horrors just keep piling up on Grace's shoulders. And just when you, the reader, think things can't get any worse, they do. But never fear; life eventually becomes better, and there is even romance in the air!

I highly recommend this book for those who like strong, capable women and like learning a bit about the era's history. This would be perfect for book clubs.

Bravo for this debut novel.

*ARC supplied by the publisher Gallery Books/Simon Schuster, the author, and NetGalley

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SYNOPSIS: "In this breathtaking debut novel, a daring dancer must take her twin brother’s place as a riveter high atop the in-progress Empire State Building to save her family from ruin.

After the death of their father, it’s up to Grace O’Connell and her twin brother Patrick to support their family as the Great Depression takes its toll on New York City. When Grace is laid off from her dancing gig and Patrick is injured at work on the construction of the Empire State Building, desperation leaves them only one Grace must disguise herself as Patrick and take his place on the half-built skyscraper.

She soon proves herself as capable as any man on the steel, and her affection for the loyal men around her—especially Italian immigrant Joe—grows by the day. But when a terrible accident happens high above the city and Grace is the only one capable of saving her stranded colleague, she must make a split-second decision to risk everything or live with her conscience forever.

Set against the backdrop of a city at a crossroads, this electrifying story is full of heart and hope, family and friendship, and the sacrifices we make for those we love."

Review: Bonded in Death

Bonded in Death by J.D. Robb
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

If you have been following this series since its start, you may have wondered, like I did, just what happened during the Urban Wars and who exactly fought in them. Well, this book might answer most of your questions. Maybe not all, but most.

This was a powerful book, especially considering the world as it is today. I can somehow imagine things like this happening now. It has very strong characters, some of whom don't like each other much but worked very well together. It is a great side story learning about The Twelve, who are Summersets' friends and colleagues from back in the day. And they still work well together.

Action-packed both mentally and physically, with Rourke using all of his skills, The twelve kicking in with some of their own, and the ending was just spectacular. To see the four prominent women in these books (Eve, Peabody, Reo, and Mira) completely mess with The Shark was the icing on the cake for me.

I HIGHLY recommend this book, and I feel that you can read this as a stand-alone...but if you do, be aware that it may hook you in to read all of the other 59 books.

I can't wait for the next in this series.

*ARC was supplied by the publisher The St. Martin's Publishing Group / Macmillan Publishers, the author, and NetGalley.

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Synopsis: "How do you grieve a secret? Bonded in Death introduces us to a highly specialized undercover organization of twelve elite agents from years past — after one of them drops dead.

The #1 New York Times bestselling author J. D. Robb spins an epic tale of loyalty, treachery, murder, and the long shadow of war…

His passport read Giovanni Rossi. But decades ago, during the Urban Wars, he was part of a small, secret organization called The Twelve. Responding to an urgent summons from an old compatriot, he landed in New York and eased into the waiting car. And died within minutes…

Lieutenant Eve Dallas finds the Rossi case frustrating. She’s got an elderly victim who’d just arrived from Rome; a widow who knows nothing about why he’d left; an as-yet unidentifiable weapon; and zero results on facial recognition. But when she finds a connection to the Urban Wars of the 2020s, she thinks Summerset—fiercely loyal, if somewhat grouchy, major-domo and the man who’d rescued her husband from the Dublin streets—may know something from his stint as a medic in Europe back then.

When Summerset learns of the crime, his shock and grief are clear—because, as he eventually reveals, he himself was one of The Twelve. It’s not a part of his past he likes to revisit. But now he must—not only to assist Eve’s investigation, but because a cryptic message from the killer has boasted that others of The Twelve have also died. Summerset is one of those who remain—and the murderous mission is yet to be fully accomplished…"

Review: Lightfall

Lightfall by Ed Crocker
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.5 Stars rounded down.

I came down a half-star for several reasons---sometimes the writing was repetitious, there were a lot of characters to keep straight, and, well, those are the only things I didn't really like. There were even times that I was going to give up and make it a DNF. But I kept going, and I am so glad I did. I cannot wait for the next book to come out.

This book has an interesting take on the vampire/werewolf genre since there are no humans in this world. The Vampires' needed blood sources from animals, and the larger and more vicious the animal, the more 'kick' the blood gives the vampires: that and a little magic from the sorcerers help with the 'kick.'

This is the story of our fair Samantha, a maid (unwillingly and looking for something better)in the First Lords mansion, and her cohorts, though they don't come into play till a little bit into the story. There has been a death (murder), and Samantha seems to feel like she has to solve the mystery behind it. But no, this isn't the only mystery in this novel- many mysteries are rolled into one.

Intrigue, lying, mysteries, murders, action, and adventure pepper this novel with a fine spice.

I'm looking forward to the next book and will probably be putting this on my comfort reads shelf!

* ARC was supplied by the publisher Macmillan/ St. Martin's Press, the author, and NetGalley.

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SYNOPSIS: "An epic fantasy of vampires, werewolves and sorcerers, Lightfall is the debut novel of Ed Crocker, for fans of Jay Kristoff’s Empire of the Vampire and Richard Swan’s The Justice of Kings.

No humans here. Just immortals: their politics, their feuds—and their long buried secrets.

For centuries, vampires freely roamed the land until the Grays came out of nowhere, wiping out half the population in a night. The survivors fled to the last vampire city of First Light, where the rules are simple. If you’re poor, you drink weak blood. If you’re nobility, you get the good stuff. And you can never, ever leave.

Palace maid Sam has had enough of these rules, and she’s definitely had enough of cleaning the bedpans of the lords who enforce them. When the son of the city’s ruler is murdered and she finds the only clue to his death, she seizes the chance to blackmail her way into a better class and better blood. She falls in with the Leeches, a group of rebel maids who rein in the worst of the Lords. Soon she’s in league with a sorcerer whose deductive skills make up for his lack of magic, a deadly werewolf assassin and a countess who knows a city’s worth of secrets.

There’s just one problem. What began as a murder investigation has uncovered a vast conspiracy by the ruling elite, and now Sam must find the truth before she becomes another victim. If she can avoid getting murdered, she might just live forever."

Review: The Socialites: A brand new dazzling historical romance novel for 2025

The Socialites: A brand new dazzling historical romance novel for 2025 by Caroline Lamond
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A compelling, fascinating look into the lives of two iconic actresses and the wife of George Orwell. This book is mainly about the lives and tragedies of Vivien Leigh and Maureen O'Sullivan. Vivien Leigh eventually married Sir Laurence Olivier, Maureen O'Sullivan Married John Farrow, and Sonia married George Orwell.

Maureen, Vivian (the original spelling of her name), and Sonia meet in a harsh convent school in England and become good friends, or so it would seem. Remember that this is a fictional retelling of their lives.

This book deals with the trials and tribulations of two up-and-coming actresses: one who goes on to win an Oscar for Gone With the Wind and the other who makes a career out of playing Jane in the Tarzan series.

Their lives were filled with lies, booze infidelities, and tragedies.

It is a captivating read, though a little boring in places. It will pull you in, especially if you like books about strong and famous women.

*ARC was supplied by the publisher One More Chapter, the author, and NetGalley.

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SYNOPSIS: "One ordinary school. Three extraordinary women …

In the 1920s, three young girls enter a strict, cheerless convent school in a quiet London suburb.

Six years later they leave, to change the world …

Maureen was the movie star, whose role as Tarzan’s Jane helped rewrite the rules of cinema censorship.

Sonia was the aspiring writer who became George Orwell’s wife and the guardian of his literary legacy.

And Vivian was the actress as iconic as the roles she played, from Cleopatra to Scarlett O’Hara.

Together their careers encompassed glamour and tragedy, triumph and scandal. From Bloomsbury to Hollywood, and from the cafés of Paris to the theatres of New York, this novel is a breath-taking epic spanning four decades in three unforgettable lives"

Review: Bad Blood

Bad Blood by Dana Stabenow
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Was My Book Missing Pages?


---------------->SPOILER ALERT AHEAD SORRY!<-------------------------------

I have never really disliked any of Ms. Stabenow's books except after she killed off Jack. Even then, after a while, I picked up the series again. I even ended up loving the series more after I got used to Jack not being around. Then we recently lost Old Sam. You expect many beloved characters to die in a series of this length, especially when most of them are quite old. But I just finished this one and feel like I can't be sure what the hell has happened.

We have Jim investigating a possible murder at the site between two feuding villages, then another murder and another murder, an elopement of two young adults, each from opposing villages, just like Romeo and Juliet. As a matter of fact, if you think about it, this whole book is just a modern version of Romeo and Juliet, what with feuding families, politics, and deaths. You just don't have the kids dying like in the original, and you need to throw in bootlegging and massive amounts of drugs.

So both of the main characters (sort of) have been shot, and one was even shot in the chest. They were not wearing Kevlar either, or we wouldn't see blood, right? Then we hear a "golden crested bird singing a mournful song,"...so one or both of these main characters must be dead. Right? The End. Find out what happened in the next episode! IF there is going to be a next episode! Boo.

---------------------->END SPOILER ALERT<-----------------

Throughout this book, I had been thinking that it was odd that the author would add so much backstory yet not give us anything of some of the more beloved and usual characters. The only one we see in this book is Bobby, not even Dinah or Katya, no Aunties, no Bernie. I thought to myself that perhaps this was Ms. Stabenow's way of getting ready to take us in a new direction. Because this book seems so different from what she normally gives us. And as pointed out, it was significantly shorter than any but her first books. But with this ending, could it be the series has ended with us being none-the-wiser?

There is one main plot, but with several limbs off of it, and that is sometimes the norm for these books, but this one just didn't feel right; there was too much going on about politics and not enough going on about what was happening with the plot.

This can't be the last book, no matter what it feels like, since there are too many huge plot lines left open...but even still, it still feels like the end.

No matter, this is the first of her books that I found myself nibbling at instead of devouring in one huge gulp, and it still ended up giving me indigestion.

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Review: Give Her Credit: The Untold Account of a Women's Bank That Empowered a Generation

Give Her Credit: The Untold Account of a Women's Bank That Empowered a Generation by Grace L. Williams
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I am on the line about this book. I must have misunderstood the book's synopsis because I thought that this was going to be about the first-ever women's bank—it is not. There were so few banks that actually followed the letter of the law at that time period that you can see why something like this was groundbreaking, life-changing, and filled a great need for women.

I can't believe how far women have come, and reading this book has helped me understand just what women just a few years younger than I was at the time went through to get where we are today.

This book was quite interesting if you don't mind that it has extremely dry writing and too many primary, secondary, and tertiary characters. I know it was necessary, but I felt like I needed a spreadsheet to keep track of everyone.

It was a bit of a chore to keep up with everything, and it may have been more enjoyable if I had a degree in finance!

*ARC supplied by the publisher Little A Publishing, the author, and NetGalley.

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SYNOPSIS:"The galvanizing true story of a group of remarkable women in the 1970s male-run world of business, banking, and finance. They didn’t play by the rules. They changed them and made history.

In the 1970s, a new wave of feminism was sweeping America. But in the boys’ club of banking and finance, women were still infantilized—no credit without a male cosigner, and their income was dismissed as unreliable. If bankers weren’t going to accommodate women, then women had to take control of their own futures. In 1978 in Denver, Colorado, the opening of the Women’s Bank changed everything.

It was helmed by bank officer B. LaRae Orullian and the brainchild of whip-smart entrepreneur Carol Green, who forged a groundbreaking path with their headstrong colleagues, among Judi Foster, investment research whiz; Edna Mosley, unyielding civil rights advocate with the NAACP; Mary Roebling, renowned financial executive; Betty Freedman, a socialite and fundraiser; and Gail Schoettler, a formidable Denver mover and shaker for social justice. Coming together and facing their own unique road to revolution, they built the most successful female-run bank in the nation. It wasn’t easy.

Give Her Credit follows the challenges, uphill battles, and achievements of some of the enterprising women of Denver who broke boundaries, inspired millions, and afforded opportunities for every marginalized citizen in the country. It’s about time their untold story was told."

Review: Flirting with Alaska

Flirting with Alaska by Belle Calhoune
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

1.5 Stars rounded up.

If you like super sweet romances, this book will knock your socks off. But when I say super sweet, I really mean saccharin sweet. Perhaps even cloyingly sweet. Everyone was just so perfect; the relationships were perfect, and even the Grandmother's dying was done perfectly and sweetly! Except for one scene at the beginning of the book, the rest of the book was filled with stilted characters, unreal interactions, forced dialogue, and pure perfection.

The author was very vague about many parts that were important and would have contributed a great deal to the story.

I don't mind telling you that I only made it to the 70% mark before I gave up on this.

*ARC was supplied by the publisher Forever/Hachette Book Group, the author, and NetGalley

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SYNOPSIS: "Can a notorious flirt prove to a small-town single mom that he’s more than his bad-boy reputation?

Caleb Stone isn’t ready to give up his Hollywood dreams. But after a disastrous run on a reality dating show paints him as an unapologetic player, Caleb needs a little time and space to regroup. Luckily, his hometown of Moose Falls, Alaska has both, plus a job helping his brothers run Yukon Cider. Even dialed down, Caleb’s flirtatious vibes are a hit at work, except for one woman who seems completely, totally, frustratingly immune to his charms—the gorgeous new photographer for Yukon Cider’s upcoming ad campaign.

Single mom Sophia Brand isn’t made of ice—resisting Caleb’s devilishly sexy grin is hard, especially when it’s so often directed her way. It’s just that she’s been burned by handsome smiles before. Now, she’s focused on setting a good example for her daughter, and that means not getting sidetracked by Caleb’s dazzling charisma . . . or his Hollywood abs. But as they work together on the campaign, Caleb and Sophia begin to let their guard down. Can he prove that beneath his playboy persona, Caleb is a leading man worthy of a starring role in Sophia’s heart?"