Review: The Four Winds

The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Dianne's review

Dec 26, 2020  

it was amazing

bookshelves: 2020, galleys-arcs, NetGalley

Powerful. Heartbreaking. Mesmerizing. Unputdownable.

Depression, drought, dust. Workers' rights, fair pay, American migrant rights.

I can't say enough about this book. What a time period to set this in. It is so relevant considering all that Covid-19 has thrown at us. About the only thing missing from our lives today is the dust-bowl.

I haven't read much about this time period or this part of the country to understand these people's hardships and heartbreaks. Mind you; this book takes place over about only two years.

If you like historical fiction this is going to be a must-read for you.

I haven't read many books by Ms.Hannah, but I certainly will be doing so now!

*ARC supplied by the publisher and the author. Thank-you.

SYNOPSIS: "From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Nightingale and The Great Alone comes an epic novel of love and heroism and hope, set against the backdrop of one of America’s most defining eras—the Great Depression.

Texas, 1934. Millions are out of work and a drought has broken the Great Plains. Farmers are fighting to keep their land and their livelihoods as the crops are failing, the water is drying up, and dust threatens to bury them all. One of the darkest periods of the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl era, has arrived with a vengeance.

In this uncertain and dangerous time, Elsa Martinelli—like so many of her neighbors—must make an agonizing choice: fight for the land she loves or go west, to California, in search of a better life. The Four Winds is an indelible portrait of America and the American Dream, as seen through the eyes of one indomitable woman whose courage and sacrifice will come to define a generation.

Review: Sorrow and Bliss: A Novel

Sorrow and Bliss: A Novelby 

Meg Mason (Goodreads Author)

Dianne Socci-Tetro's review

Dec 25, 2020  ·  edit

it was ok

bookshelves: 2020, edelweiss, attl, never-read-again

This is a reprint of the original foreign edition. Be aware that this is a book that deals with mental issues, and that is nearly all. Also, be aware that the author refuses to name this issue and claims that it is fictional.

I believe that we all have some mental issues at one time or another, especially in this day and age. When I want to submerge myself in a book, I want to forget about real life (or my life at least); I do not want to throw myself into a book totally about someone else's head problems and how badly they treat everyone else who loves them. I need entertainment - to a point!

While this was a readable book though a bit slow going, I found myself skimming a bit because everything just got too depressing for me. This is probably only my issue, and most likely, everyone else will feel that this is the perfect book and portrays mental disabilities quite realistically. If you choose to read this novel, you may want to do it when you are already in a blue mood to not take away from any of your happiness with life.

*ARC supplied by the publisher and the author.

SYNOPSIS:"Martha Friel just turned forty. Once, she worked at Vogue and planned to write a novel. Now, she creates internet content. She used to live in a pied-à-terre in Paris. Now she lives in a gated community in Oxford, the only person she knows without a PhD, a baby or both, in a house she hates but cannot bear to leave. But she must leave, now that her husband Patrick—the kind who cooks, throws her birthday parties, who loves her and has only ever wanted her to be happy—has just moved out.

Because there’s something wrong with Martha, and has been for a long time. When she was seventeen, a little bomb went off in her brain and she was never the same. But countless doctors, endless therapy, every kind of drug later, she still doesn’t know what’s wrong, why she spends days unable to get out of bed or alienates both strangers and her loved ones with casually cruel remarks. 

And she has nowhere to go except her childhood home: a bohemian (dilapidated) townhouse in a romantic (rundown) part of London—to live with her mother, a minorly important sculptor (and major drinker) and her father, a famous poet (though unpublished) and try to survive without the devoted, potty-mouthed sister who made all the chaos bearable back then, and is now too busy or too fed up to deal with her. 

But maybe, by starting over, Martha will get to write a better ending for herself—and she’ll find out that she’s not quite finished after all."

Sorrow and Bliss: A Novel by Meg Mason
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Review: Rosie’s Travelling Tea Shop

Rosie’s Travelling Tea Shop by Rebecca Raisin
My rating: 2 of 5 stars



Rosie’s Travelling Tea Shop
by 

Rebecca Raisin (Goodreads Author)

Dianne's review

Dec 24, 2020 

it was ok

bookshelves: arc-s-tbr, 2020, edelweiss, re-pub, attl

This is a reprint!

If you like books where you must suspend your disbelief to the nth degree, and you don't mind being preached to about a healthier lifestyle -then this is going to be a charming book for you. This is a quick read, quite clean ( with some very tiny lewd thoughts, though!!!)

One thing that did bother me was, how can one bake as much as Rosie did in a van? With a hot plate and a tiny oven?

Well, no matter the problems (and there are others), this was a light, fluffy read with a HEA.

*ARC supplied by the publisher and author.

SYNOPSIS: "The trip of a lifetime!

Rosie Lewis has her life together.
 
A swanky job as a Michelin-Starred Sous Chef, a loving husband and future children scheduled for exactly January 2021.
 
That’s until she comes home one day to find her husband’s pre-packed bag and a confession that he's had an affair. Heartbroken and devastated, Rosie drowns her sorrows in a glass (or three) of wine, only to discover the following morning that she has spontaneously invested in a bright pink campervan to facilitate her grand plans to travel the country.
 
Now, Rosie is about to embark on the trip of a lifetime, and the chance to change her life! With Poppy, her new-found travelling tea shop in tow, nothing could go wrong, could it…?"

Review: The Kitchen Front

The Kitchen Front by Jennifer Ryan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Dianne's review

Dec 23, 2020  

really liked it

bookshelves: 2020, galleys-arcs, netgalley

 Trigger warnings:

Abuse, both mental and physical.

Death

Depression

As the book's synopsis says -this is a book set in England during the second year of WWII. Even in the country, conditions are frightening. Food rationing, among other things, is making things difficult for nearly everyone.  (note that I said "nearly everyone"!)

Four vastly different women, two of them sisters, enter a contest for a radio show.   These ladies need to prove that they can cook and help housewives make nutritious and delicious meals out of the meager rations they are allowed and what they can forage.

This is a heartwarming novel of how the women adapt and become friends and then family.  This book can be a bit depressing and even infuriating at times, but it all works out for everyone in the end.

This was an emotional read for me; I found myself sorrowful and depressed at times and crying at others. But all this quickly changed as the idea of 'girl power' took over. However, I am so glad that I read this as it gave me an excellent view of what life was like for England's housewives at this time.  I was also able to get a lot of great recipes since this book is filled with them.  I am still making recipes that I got from my grandmother that she used during the USA's rationing!

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

SYNOPSIS: "In a new World War II-set story from the bestselling author of The Chilbury Ladies' Choir, four women compete for a spot hosting a wartime cookery program called The Kitchen Front - based on the actual BBC program of the same name - as well as a chance to better their lives.

Two years into WW2, Britain is feeling her losses; the Nazis have won battles, the Blitz has destroyed cities, and U-boats have cut off the supply of food. In an effort to help housewives with food rationing, a BBC radio program called The Kitchen Front is putting on a cooking contest--and the grand prize is a job as the program's first-ever female co-host. For four very different women, winning the contest presents a crucial chance to change their lives.

For a young widow, it's a chance to pay off her husband's debts and keep a roof over her children's heads. For a kitchen maid, it's a chance to leave servitude and find freedom. For the lady of the manor, it's a chance to escape her wealthy husband's increasingly hostile behavior. And for a trained chef, it's a chance to challenge the men at the top of her profession.

These four women are giving the competition their all--evebn if that sometimes means bending the rules. But with so much at stake, will the contest that aims to bring the community together serve only to break it apart?"

Review: The Vineyard at Painted Moon

The Vineyard at Painted Moon by Susan Mallery
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Dianne's review

Dec 21, 2020  

it was amazing

bookshelves: arc-s-tbr, 2020, edelweiss, attl, comfort-books

This is one book that is definitely going onto my 'comfort books' shelf. That's not to say that this was a comfortable read; it was not, but it was an excellent read! Definitely, a chick-lit sort of book, with the added bonus of learning a bit about winemaking and what it takes to run a vineyard. I had to Google several things to understand precisely what the characters were talking about!

Mackenzie Dienes has had a bit of a problematic life, what with being orphaned. However, she thinks she has a stable marriage, an excellent job, friends, and a great family. Then to find out that her husband of 16 years wants a divorce and that everything she has and is, including her job, is tied to him and his family. Now Mackenzie has to make some tough decisions, and she does, but are they the correct decisions?

This was an intriguing read for me, and I loved the evil mother-in-law this the author had going on. This kept the book from becoming overly sappy and sentimental. I would have liked to see some closure on the MIL and Mackenzies part, but it would not be. There is some romance but not very explicit (no lurid sex scenes) and a HEA! (actually several HEA's)

*ARC supplied by Edelweiss/ATTL, the publisher and the author.

SYNOPSIS: "Step into the vineyard with Susan Mallery’s most irresistible novel yet, as one woman searches for the perfect blend of love, family and wine.

Mackenzie Dienes seems to have it all—a beautiful home, close friends and a successful career as an elite winemaker with the family winery. There’s just one problem—it’s not her family, it’s her husband’s. In fact, everything in her life is tied to him—his mother is the closest thing to a mom that she’s ever had, their home is on the family compound, his sister is her best friend. So when she and her husband admit their marriage is over, her pain goes beyond heartbreak. She’s on the brink of losing everything. Her job, her home, her friends and, worst of all, her family.

Staying is an option. She can continue to work at the winery, be friends with her mother-in-law, hug her nieces and nephews—but as an employee, nothing more. Or she can surrender every piece of her heart in order to build a legacy of her own. If she can dare to let go of the life she thought she wanted, she might discover something even more beautiful waiting for her beneath a painted moon."

Review: Rafael

Rafael by Laurell K. Hamilton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Rafael (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter #28)
by 

Laurell K. Hamilton (Goodreads Author)

Dianne's review

Dec 21, 2020  

really liked it

bookshelves: 2020, edelweiss

I lost interest in this series when LKH decided that polyamorous was the way to go. I see nothing wrong with it; I just got tired of her books being porn and not the action stories they used to be.

However, this book and LKH's last book Sucker Punch made me reconsider reading the rest of the series. There was a little less sex and a bit more action. However, I will say that we do spend at least half of the book discussing (ad nauseam) everything within an inch of its life! Some things will never change.

I liked seeing Anita using a lot of her 'new' (for me) abilities, and the fighting was indeed worthy of note -however, the discussion of the types of weapons didn't interest me.

I also loved that this and the last book were shorter than normal, so I felt less frustration reading through the repetitive things.

Oh, and it seems that the word 'spill' has become passe! I think it was used only once!!!

I'm happy to have read this book and may even go back and read the others that I have missed. I sure want to read more about Anita's wedding!

*ARC supplied by the publisher and the author.

SYNOPSIS: "Rafael, the king of all the wererats, appeared in the very first Anita Blake novel. Now he is center stage as he fights to defend his crown with Anita Blake at his side."

 

Review: The Paris Dressmaker

The Paris Dressmaker by Kristy Cambron
My rating: 3 of 5 stars



3.5 Stars
The stories about the women depicted in this book were engaging and, at times, had me quite upset. I learned a lot about the Resistance and the roles women played during the war. However, you have to remember that this is a romance, and things will work out! The romantic aspect was a tad overly dramatic -but I can also see why it needed to be that way.

The most interesting part of the book (for me) was the author's notes at the end. It helped me put more of the book into perspective.

All in all, this book was a fine novel that just didn't fit for me.

*ARC supplied by the publisher and author.

SYNOPSIS:  "An iconic city under siege during World War II and the bravery of two women who joined the Resistance to save it . . .

Paris, 1939. The closing of Maison Chanel thrusts haute couture dressmaker Lila de Laurent out of the world of high fashion and into occupation as Nazi soldiers invade the streets and the City of Lights slips into darkness. Lila’s fight for survival turns into a series of rations, brutal restrictions, and carefully controlled propaganda that sees Paris cut off from the rest of the world. Yet in hidden corners of the city, the faithful pledge to resist. Lila is drawn to La Resistance and is soon using her skills as a dressmaker to infiltrate the Nazi elite. She takes their measurements and designs masterpieces, all while collecting secrets in the glamorous Hôtel Ritz—the heart of the Nazis’ Parisian headquarters. But when dashing René Touliard suddenly reenters her world, Lila finds her heart tangled in the determination to help save his Jewish family and bolster the fight for liberation.

Paris, 1943. While cataloguing priceless works of art stolen from prominent Jewish families and on trains bound for the Führer’s ranks in Berlin, Sandrine Paquet secretly forages information for the underground resistance. Beneath her compliant façade lies a woman bent on uncovering her missing husband’s fate . . . but at what cost? As Hitler’s regime crumbles, Sandrine in drawn in deeper when she uncrates an exquisite blush Chanel gown concealing a cryptic message that may tell the fate of a dressmaker who’s vanished from within the fashion elite.

Based on true accounts of how Parisiennes resisted the Nazi occupation—from fashion houses to the city streets—The Paris Dressmaker weaves a story of two courageous women who risked everything to fight an evil they couldn’t abide."

Review: First Comes Like

First Comes Like by Alisha Rai
My rating: 4 of 5 stars



First Comes Like (Modern Love, #3)
by 

Alisha Rai (Goodreads Author)

Dianne's review

Dec 16, 2020 ally liked it

bookshelves: 2020, galleys-arcs, edelweiss

This book started badly for me. I am not a fan of ditzy females. I like strong female protagonists. I was unhappy with ...oh, about the first quarter of this book. However, I quickly changed my mind when I saw how this story was going, and I absolutely adored Dev (the male protagonist). I finally got to the point where I just could not put this book down. I just had to see how this all worked out.

If you don't like descriptive sex scenes, don't worry; there are only a couple, and Dev and Jia do wait until they are married.

*ARC supplied by the publisher and author.

SYNOPSIS: " First Comes Like (Modern Love, #3)

by 

Alisha Rai (Goodreads Author)

Beauty expert and influencer Jia Ahmed has her eye on the prize: conquering the internet today, the entire makeup industry tomorrow, and finally, finally proving herself to her big opinionated family. She has little time for love, and even less time for the men in her private messages—until the day a certain international superstar slides into her DMs, and she falls hard and fast.

There’s just one wrinkle: he has no idea who she is.

The son of a powerful Bollywood family, soap opera star Dev Dixit is used to drama, but a strange woman who accuses him of wooing her online, well, that’s a new one. As much as he’d like to focus on his Hollywood fresh start, he can’t get Jia out of his head. Especially once he starts to suspect who might have used his famous name to catfish her…

When paparazzi blast their private business into the public eye, Dev is happy to engage in some friendly fake dating to calm the gossips and to dazzle her family. But as the whole world swoons over their relationship, Jia can’t help but wonder: Can an online romance-turned-offline-fauxmance ever become love in real life?

Review: A Stranger in Town

A Stranger in Town by Kelley Armstrong
My rating: 5 of 5 stars



A Stranger in Town (Rockton #6)
by 

Kelley Armstrong (Goodreads Author)

Dianne's review

Dec 15, 2020  

it was amazing

bookshelves: dianne-s-2020, galleys-arcs, NetGalley, re-read

Holy cow! Although this book had many characters, it wasn't all that difficult to follow, especially if you've been reading the entire series. If you hadn't read any of the other books, you might find it a bit difficult to understand. Yet, it was a fantastic edge of your seat read. I recommend this book whole-heartedly to anyone who likes mysteries, alternate lifestyles, espionage, and just straight action adventures!

Welcome to Rockton, a place that most of us would hate needing to go live. This is where you go to escape your life, whether you need a breather from 'real' life or you are escaping a possibly justifiable crime. You pay to live here -deep in the backcountry, no phone, no electricity, grizzly bears, wild people and all!

What a ride this was, and the storyline had me a bit worried that this would be the last book in the series. But upon further reading, I don't think this is the end, folks, and thank goodness for that!

I bought this series on my own dime. Still, I was lucky enough to be offered the opportunity to read an early reviewer's copy of this. However, I will always buy my own copy, so the author will be encouraged to keep writing this series!

SYNOPSIS:  "In #1 New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong's next Rockton book, A Stranger in Town, the biggest mystery is the fate of the town itself.

Detective Casey Duncan has noticed fewer and fewer residents coming in to the hidden town of Rockton, and no extensions being granted. Her boyfriend, Sheriff Eric Dalton, presumes it’s the natural flux of things, but Casey’s not so sure. Something bigger is happening in the small town they call home.

When an injured hiker stumbles from the woods, the sole survivor of a hostile attack, it’s all hands on deck. Even a member of the elusive Rockton council comes in to help. This council member also comes bearing news: Rockton is being shut down due to the hostile situation.

Casey and Eric must now race to save the town that has allowed residents to have a fresh start, away from the mistakes of their past, while also getting to the bottom of this latest attack."