Kristin Hannah - The Women

Women can be heroes. When twenty-year-old nursing student Frances “Frankie” McGrath hears these words, it is a revelation. Raised in the sun-drenched, idyllic world of Southern California and sheltered by her conservative parents, she has always prided herself on doing the right thing. But in 1965, the world is changing, and she suddenly dares to imagine a different future for herself. When her brother ships out to serve in Vietnam, she joins the Army Nurse Corps and follows his path.
As green and inexperienced as the men sent to Vietnam to fight, Frankie is overwhelmed by the chaos and destruction of war. Each day is a gamble of life and death, hope and betrayal; friendships run deep and can be shattered in an instant. In war, she meets―and becomes one of―the lucky, the brave, the broken, and the lost.
But war is just the beginning for Frankie and her veteran friends. The real battle lies in coming home to a changed and divided America, to angry protesters, and to a country that wants to forget Vietnam.
The Women is the story of one woman gone to war, but it shines a light on all women who put themselves in harm’s way and whose sacrifice and commitment to their country has too often been forgotten. A novel about deep friendships and bold patriotism, The Women is a richly drawn story with a memorable heroine whose idealism and courage under fire will come to define an era.

Comment: I saw this book at the library and felt the impulse to try it. I had read another book by the author back in January and I still had the memory of the elements I enjoyed about her writing in my head, so I've decided to read this one too.

Frankie is a young 20 year old when her beloved brother is sent to Vietnam and she decides to follow him, especially after a friend of his tells her women could be heroines too. Certainly her limited nursing experience didn't prepare her for what she was about to find, but Frankie needs to adapt quickly. She needs to learn fast because lives are at stake and there is no time to regrets, but is she truly ready for everything that she will learn due to this war? The adrenaline of what is doing might help her endure the most difficult moments, but will she be ready to come back home and deal with the consequences?

I don't know much about the Vietnam war, except for the more superficial details one learns in school or the references in other books and even movies. It was interesting to know more about this period of time,especially from the POV of someone who was there, something the author mentions in a note, that she used testimonies of women stationed there and their notes/memoirs to base her story on.

As the old saying goes, one would need to be there, but history makers do love to twist the message anyway... This regarding the fact the role of women in wars is minimized and the way the politicians always present wars as inevitable when they don't actively fight there along the soldiers. I think these ideas and the food for thought they allow was well done by the author, and it did enrich the fictional plot to the point I feel a lot was possible to read between the lines.

Frankie is a wonderful heroine, she is flawed but determined to carry on, to do something she feels is important and that makes her feel she is making a difference somehow. She needs to adapt quickly for noting can prepare people to the shock of dealing with war injuries and the emotional aspects of it. The term "PTSD" is never mentioned but it is part of the story until the end, even if by other expressions. Humans need to cope and something that coping mechanism seems weak, but, again, it's so easy to say this or to feel this when it wasn't us facing that situation.

I liked the writing, of course, it made reading this bearable. I say this because I admit, I did cry three or four times, but the way the story is told wasn't devastating to me. I felt the emotions but I could process them in the context of this text and it wasn't impossible to keep reading, even when it felt things were unfair and heartbreaking. Thankfully, Frankie finds two best friends, also nurses, and this does balance out the negative aspects. 

Frankie is the the main character and we see pretty much everything from her POV, third person. I liked this style because it kept the plot on track but wasn't self centered and I preferred to get to know Frankie this way. Obviously, she grows up a lot, especially emotionally, but her road isn't easy or without obstacles. I liked her because her decisions and thoughts, even allowing the setting is the late 60s for the most part, were easy to identify with and to imagine I might see some things the same way.

There is a lot of drama, yes, and at one point or two I felt this was,perhaps, a little too much, in particular when it came to character interactions and relationships, but I will say that there was still room for some surprises, things i thought would be predictable but even when they were, the author managed to add something extra, which means that, in terms of the fictional story line, things were always engaging and made me want to keep reading so I could see what would happen next.

All in all, this was very entertaining, very compelling and it does make me hopeful to read more by her.

Grade: 9/10

Deanna Raybourn - A Ghastly Catastrophe

When the corpse of an entitled young man is found entirely drained of blood in a carriage next to Highgate Cemetery, Veronica’s interest is piqued. And then a second victim is found, his death made to look like a suicide, and Veronica and her intrepid beau, Stoker, know the hunt is on. The two men share one link: they were both members of a society so secretive that only a singular mention of it can be found anywhere.
Thirsty for more clues, Veronica and Stoker hear that a young Roma boy may know more about their first victim, but the only way to the boy is through an old acquaintance of Stoker’s, Lady Julia Brisbane. Lady Julia and her dashing husband, Nicholas, occasionally track down murderers and are only too happy to help. But as it becomes clear the secret society is a dangerous sect looking to entice immortality seekers, Veronica and Stoker find themselves ensnared by a decidedly more sinister couple.
The professed leader of the society claims to be a creature of the night; his partner practices witchcraft and they both fancy themselves emissaries of the otherworldly. Just as Veronica and Stoker get closer to learning the true purpose of the society and unraveling this macabre mystery, another body turns up, and they quickly discover they’ve gone from being the hunters to the hunted. . . .

Comment: This is the most recent installment in the Veronica Speedwell series. My buddy friend and I have enjoyed reading the books and, of course, we would want to read this one as well.

In this adventure, Veronica and Stoker are asked to help their friend Mornaday, a policeman, investigate the death of a man who seems to have been bitten by something and was found without any blood. This leads to folklore ideas, such as the vampire, but surely something more logical must have happened. In the meantime, clues take them to a mysterious man, Ruthven, who is seen by many as someone who deals with paranormal subjects. As they learn ore about this man and his past activities, the more sinister the situation becomes. Could it be that something bigger is actually going on?

Once again, I had a good time reading a book in this series. I think the author has achieved a point in which everything is stable and almost predictable in these books, which is comforting, and she has the extremely good element of writing this in a very appealing way.

In general, this was a good addition to the series, simply because it continues the ideas we saw in previous books and it does establish even more strongly the balanced relationship between Veronica and Stoker. They express their feelings in actions and sometimes in how they treat each other, but nothing here is supposed to focus on the romance of it, but my personal preference for romance novels surely fantasizes for what isn't there anyway.

The investigation they conduct here and the several adventures connected to it were interesting, as always, and well sequenced, in the sense that there is always something special to each detail and why it was used. I like this experience of having several little subjects mixed together and all somehow adding to the big picture, something I think is probably one of the author's best features. It was also intriguing to see why the paranormal elements would matter and how the scientific minds of Veronica and Stoker would work through decoding everything about it.

The resolution of the case was well done and offered food for thought, but it was also quite dramatic and, to me, a little sad. I just think the reasoning for the murder was mostly over sad issues than real killer instincts, but the author still found a way to make this a much more serious situation than what seemed at first. If one didn't care for reading in order, this is probably one of the installments I think works the best as an isolated story... although, of course, it is so much better and an more enriching experience to know the background of secondary characters and some references.

Perhaps, more or less in this vein, I can say that the element I was less motivated by was precisely this, that this story seems rather isolated, even bearing in mind how so much is related to previous stuff. It's just that, for me, even with all the positive things I liked, this story was a little predictable and for Veronica and Stoker it seems nothing major happened. I can't say i feel their arc advanced that much.

An interesting element was the presence of lady Julia and her husband, clearly there to bridge with the author's other investigative historical series (I suppose more romance centered). I got curious enough to feel I probably would enjoy reading that series as much I've been enjoying this one. Perhaps one day.

Therefore, this was a good story, had everything it needed, but it wasn't as mind blowing as other installments have been. I hope the series will get at some endgame point, because while it is fun to read about beloved characters, if the characters and their personal lives/issues stagnate, then...

Grade: 7/10

Sophie Kinsella - The Undomestic Goddess

Workaholic attorney Samantha Sweeting has just done the unthinkable. She’s made a mistake so huge, it’ll wreck any chance of a partnership.
Going into utter meltdown, she walks out of her London office, gets on a train, and ends up in the middle of nowhere. Asking for directions at a big, beautiful house, she’s mistaken for an interviewee and finds herself being offered a job as housekeeper. Her employers have no idea they’ve hired a lawyer–and Samantha has no idea how to work the oven. She can’t sew on a button, bake a potato, or get the #@%# ironing board to open. How she takes a deep breath and begins to cope–and finds love–is a story as delicious as the bread she learns to bake.
But will her old life ever catch up with her? And if it does…will she want it back?

Comment: This book had been in the pile for a long time. Finally, I've simply decided it was time to read it.

In this novel, Samantha is a very dedicated lawyer, doing all that she can and more, so that can she can make partner. She also comes from a family of overachievers and she feels this is what she has to do. However, one day, she finds out she made a mistake, and although she can't think of how she did such a thing, she leaves her job in a daze. Of course she is fired, but while walking aimlessly she finds herself at the door of a couple who is doing interviews for a housekeeper, something Samantha doesn't understand right away. In spite of this, she ends up being offered the job even though she has never done any house work in her life. Will Samantha be able to learn something new and start a new life at the same time?

The late Sophie Kinsella has written plenty of novels, all more or less linked with the chick lit or comedy labels. I have read several of her books and that is precisely the vibe I think of when I start a new one. This one is a single title which focuses on the demands of a stressful job and how that can affect someone. Samantha is a brilliant lawyer but she is overworked and she has so much to worry about that a mistake can seem life changing.

When this story begins, Samantha is an workaholic whose co workers and closer family members are the same. This is presented in a detailed way and culminates on the devastation, mostly emotional, of realizing that a mistake that would have been so easily avoided is the reason why her life  now needs to change. However, Sam is so shocked over everything, that in a daze she gets on a train and then walks and somehow ends up at an unfamiliar place and finds herself in a weird job interview. Of course this was the fun way the author found to set up the actual plot, a similar tactic in may of her novels (meaning, bizarre situations somehow working out).

Now, Samantha is a housekeeper but she has no real skills and she tries to fake it, but she is caught by Nathaniel, the gardener. He helps her, introduces her to his mother and it seems that the story would go on to show how such a domestic life would be relaxing to Samantha, that the tasks she has to quickly learn are like mindless routine to rest her brain. At least, I thought so, but in the back of her mind, Sam keeps thinking about what happened to her and how could have she done such a mistake.

I think the "moral lessons" here are quite obvious and the supposed comedy of Sam's situation wasn't exaggerated, but I will say that the character development of Sam as protagonist, and of some of the secondary characters was more inferring than actual progress. Or, in other words, there was a lot more telling than showing, which makes me think of the narrative as a bit too simplistic. I also would have liked to see Sam reach personal conclusions in a more definite way.

At some point, she finds out her mistake might have been a plan by someone, to disguise something bigger. This drives Sam to clear her name, so the drama in the story now is, of course, on how this need clashes with the simplicity of the life she was getting used to, and how much in common she has with Nathaniel. If Sam needs to prove she didn't make a mistake, which is understandable, will she still want to be a housekeeper and have a relationship with Nathaniel, or will she go back to her corporate world? I think the author did a good enough job with these dilemmas.

However, as the story reaches its end, and Sam achieves her goal, a new situation is presented, related to her old job. The way the plot develops between this moment and the very end was a let down. I really would have preferred Sam to have been more decisive with her choices and for her to have behaved differently. Perhaps there was too much going on at this point and things weren't solved properly, but I feel it was a negative detail because it kind of diminished all the " lessons" Sam had learned and even the beauty of the relationships she had developed, no matter how silly, such as the one with her housekeeping bosses.

In spite of all this, I still found myself entertained and for a big part of the story,the vibe was fun and cute without being too sugary. I wish the story had had a different road towards the end.

Grade: 7/10

Becca Kinzer - Dear Henry, Love Edith

After a short and difficult marriage, recently widowed Edith Sherman has learned her lesson. Forget love. Forget marriage. She plans to fill her thirties with adventure. As she awaits the final paperwork for a humanitarian trip to South Africa, she accepts a short-term nursing position in a small Midwestern town. The last thing she needs is a handsome local catching her eye. How inconvenient is that?
Henry Hobbes isn't exactly thrilled to have Edith, who he assumes is an elderly widow, dumped on him as a houseguest for the summer. But he'd do almost anything for his niece, who is practically like a sister to him given how close they are in age. Especially since Edith will be working nights and Henry works most days. When he and Edith keep missing each other in person, they begin exchanging notes--short messages at first, then longer letters, sharing increasingly personal parts of their lives.
By the time Henry realizes his mistake--that Edith is actually the brown-eyed beauty he keeps bumping into around town--their hearts are so intertwined he hopes they never unravel. But with her departure date rapidly approaching, and Henry's roots firmly planted at home, Edith must ultimately decide if the adventure of her dreams is the one right in front of her.

Comment: This book got on my radar because the blurb implied a romance between two people who would fall in love not knowing their respective identities. This trope is very good when done well and I was curious to see how the author would develop things.

Edith is a young woman who had a bad marriage and now she is ready to have a more adventurous life. While waiting for the paperwork to be done so she can go to South Africa she accepts the invitation to work at a nursing home in a small town. She thinks this will be a temporary, easy task but she sees herself more and more entangled in the town's life and she can't seem to help noticing the cute guy who looks like a young Paul Newman...

Henry Hobbes is still annoyed he needs physical therapy after an injury and even more so when his niece tells him he needs to host a woman who will stay for a while. He hopes he can be right on track when she leaves but in the meantime he is fascinated by the new woman he starts seeing around, so much that his relationship with his girlfriend starts to seem all wrong... when these two realize the truth, is there any hope for them?

This had been my initial choice for the TBR Challenge post, but I only managed to read 106 pages before I decided to quit. At first, the story was very silly, just like any comedy of errors usually is, but once Henry figures out who Edith really is, everything stopped making sense to me, because he makes a choice that I think was ridiculous. Then, a certain secondary character stars having more protagonism and I thought to myself, there's no way this will ever go well, so I stopped reading.

I did like the idea, that is true. Two strangers who share the same house, who have a wrong idea about the other one's identity and age, and who still share handwritten notes as a cute, friendly way to communicate seemed very sweet. I actually pictured this with an historical setting but it's contemporary, in fact. Still, why not this quirky detail, it did make the story seem special and I hoped things would develop in a romantic, funny way.

Well, no, at least not until the moment I've stopped. I've found the characters to be superficial, lacking depth to the kind of situation that was being presented, and the silly tactics used by the author to delay the discovery were incredibly juvenile and weak. The characters' inner thoughts also seem misplaced, considering their lives and how their relationships went/were going. I did not connect with anyone and I think the tone/vibe the author used was not the best choice.

It was ridiculous to see how two apparently clever people could not see what was so obvious, especially if it's a small town where everyone knew each other, and attending the detailed notes they kept exchanging. yes, key information was missing because of assumptions, but I think this situation took too long to be presented. Then, someone from Edith's past starts being more intrusive and I felt annoyed at this obvious tactic to, again, delay the progress of the actual plot. Then Henry makes a choice I think is wrong if one thinks of his reasoning.Therefore, I quit.

I think Edith and Henry end up together but I don't really feel bad by not knowing how they ended up there.

Grade: DNF

TBR Challenge: Aimie K. Runyan - The Wandering Season

Veronica Stratton, a specialty food broker with a business on the cusp of brilliant success that would change the trajectory of her life, visits her parents in idyllic Estes Park for Christmas. She's fresh from a breakup with her longtime boyfriend, so she's eager to reconnect with her beloved family in the mountains and forget about her troubles for a few days. But with the holiday comes a DNA test from her younger sister that confirms her secret she's adopted. Having the truth out in the open leaves her feeling unmoored in ways she didn't anticipate.
With so much of her life in upheaval, Veronica is looking for an escape. Inspired by her best friend, she plans to go to Europe to see four of the places listed on her DNA ancestry report. She treks to County Mayo in Ireland; the Dordogne region of France; the countryside of Lombardy in Italy, and Copenhagen, Denmark. She hopes to learn about where her family lived while also making connections for her rapidly expanding business, but she finds that each stop brings her visions of her ancestors that raise more questions than they answer. And among those pressing questions is how charming Irish castle keeper Niall Callahan will fit into her visions for the future.

Comment: For the month of may, the TBR Challenge theme is "new beginnings" and I had initially chosen a book which I DNF'd. 

Since I still had time, I've managed to pick another one, out of the titles I had planned for this month, and this book by new author to me, Aimie K. Runyan, seemed a good fit too, since the heroine spends the book traveling to learn more about her roots and by the end of the story she has definitely embarked on a new beginning in her life. 

Veronica is doing well enough in her life but she has recently broken up with her boyfriend, which should have bothered her more than what actually did. Things change when her sister decides to bring a DNA kit and the results prove she had been adopted, something she already knew but which had not affected her relationship with her parents. Still, talking about this makes her curious to know more about where her ancestors came from and that is why she goes on a month trip to Ireland, Italy, France and Denmark. Since she loves working with food, this is the element she seeks first, but is there room for other good things to present themselves in her path too?

In general, I liked this story and was happy enough with the author's writing style (which is positive since there is another book by her I would like to try one day) but I will be honest and say I wasn't easily "immersed" in the story because what I thought the most was that this book was rather boring. 

Veronica has a business in which she provides help to restaurants or similar enterprises although everyone around her thinks she should have her own restaurant. She has never wanted this nor the responsibility since she knows how easy it is for such a dream to go wrong but that doesn't make her feel less successful. Her life has been one of privilege, with her family being well provided financially and emotionally. She has known she is adopted but that never interfered much with her vision of happiness or stability. I did like this, that she wasn't this poor victim or this frustrated villain of her circumstances.

Still, it wasn't truly challenging to read about someone who had it easier for the most part reacting so maturely even though i liked this. Thus, when Veronica is given the chance to travel during her low season at work, with all expanses paid by her father, well, good, but made the logistics seem too easy, too simple. I mean, I would not want a detailed description of every single thing she would do, but this did paint her in a privileged scenario that made me less eager to connect with her.

She then goes to find more about her roots, considering the areas mentioned in the DNA's results, which just happens to be areas out of big city centers. First stop is Ireland (I suppose the gorgeous cover of this book is inspired on that) and from the start, we are introduced to the love interest. I should say this isn't a romance, this is woman's fiction, but this element seemed cute and I did like Niall as a potential partner for Veronica, even more so when we see they share a lot, like their interest in cooking.

From then on, the other places also had their interest, except the place in Denmark which Veronica barely acknowledged, but what was a total fail in all these places was how they were linked to Veronica. I kind of expected more information about how were these places connected to her ancestors, what had happened for people to leave the countries but the explanation was very thin. The author chose to use a magical realism tool, making Veronica have visions of women who are her ancestors. I've found this to be a very poor choice because it seemed to be out of place for the rest of the novel, as if the pieces would not fit properly.

When Veronica finally understands more, connects the dots and has her eureka moment as why this experience mattered and what she might do with her life, I was already a little bored with all the superficial information and how it should be seen, without any character having been properly developed and without it being interesting to see them with more depth, which was lacking. Thus, everything was fine, well presented but not really challenging, not emotionally addictive.

Veronica does have her new beginning in life, in how she sees herself, so I think this was a good element in the book, certainly well achieved. But it wasn't spectacular.

Grade: 6/10

J.R. Lawrie - The Sheltering Tree

The heart of Alastair Harding's life is his duty. Becoming the first gay chief of the Metropolitan police has required certain sacrifices, but Alastair made them willingly. If his life now lacks human connections, he can't exactly complain—and it's a little too late for regrets.
Jay Fieldhouse knows all about sacrifice, too. Brought to London for his own safety by witness protection, Jay's grassroots charity works day and night to save vulnerable kids from a life of crime. But getting close to other people is tough when no one really knows who you are.
When he meets Alastair one night at a charity event, Jay is intrigued by his glimpse of a gentle soul beneath the commissioner's uniform. The two men decide to run their lonely paths side by side for a while—after all, life is short and good sex is hard to come by.
Then the shadows of the past begin to stir, and the words which go unsaid might be Jay and Alastair's undoing.

Comment: I saw this book being recommended in several places and once I got in my head that I would like to try it, the decision was made and, months later, voilá.

Metropolitan commissioner Alastair Harding is attending one more gala in his life, this time to award charities and he isn't prepared to see his life changing, but that is what happens when he meets Jay Fieldhouse, the CEO of this years's winner. They get to chat for a long time that night and they don't end things there. In the following weeks, they see each other often, mostly on the weekend, and what it seemed to be a simple friends with benefits situation soon turns into drama because they both start seeing each other in a different way. However, Jay is hiding secrets in his past, will they be able to get past that and what those secrets would mean for Alastair's career, in order to be happy together?

Reading this novel was quite an experience. It was quite long for the plot but I think I don't really mind it because I liked the story and the writing in general. However, I can see how certain things might have discouraged some readers, for there is a lot of repetition and some situations between the protagonists which read more like juvenile crushes than mature falling in love.

In spite of this general less positive element, I did have a good time and I felt invested in the characters' journey and how they made an effort to be together. What probably makes this a successful book (tome it was) is the dichotomy between the main couple but how that isn't a deterrent for their happiness. Alastair and Jay might start with the idea of something special but for one time only but it is obvious from the start that they have chemistry.

Alastair is the highest representative of the police and his character and reputation must be flawless, something he has achieved with a lot of effort and personal sacrifice. It's true he comes from money and a high positioned family but he is gay and that has worked against him in the past, which is why he has kept a discreet personal life and has had no public attachments. This lonely life has suited him at times but Jay, of course, gives him a new perspective in life and this affects him more than he imagined.

Jay is obviously more complex because of his past, which we guess right away wasn't easy and not privileged in any way. Still, Jay has overcome odds we only get to understand later on, but his need to help others has been impressive and that has gained him some validation, especially in his work for the charity he is managing. I liked Jay, he seems so bubbly and carefree at times but we know from the start he hasn't been like this all his life. His quick connection with Alastair was funny to see developing.

The romance was cute, in my opinion, because we have two people who, for a reason or another, don't feel that they are what the other needs, or they don't see themselves in a way in which the person would see the same. It was cute to see the tentative ways they messed up while deciding if they were falling in love, if the other person would share their feelings and such. you know, everyday stuff that surely takes long to happen between a couple, but in the novel it feels a little juvenile. There were times I felt they didn't act like they were in their 40s.

When things finally seem to become stable in the romantic department, a secret from Jay's past comes to surface and a lot of drama follows. I understand this tactic from a narrative POV, but it surely was annoying how this delayed certain situations and dragged the plot even further when a lot could have been solved much sooner. Again, I don't mind it exactly, but it is a very noticeable element and it made the story seem much longer than the actual plot required. I also expected more drama, considering the cover and the possible issues, but even the most stressful situations weren't that upsetting.

In the end, as one would expect, the guys found their happiness, we get to see plenty of mushy/sugary scenes but you know, I felt happy for them and I think that as a romance, everything was pretty much cute. Writing wise, I'd change some things but as a whole, this was a positive story for me.

Grade: 8/10

Tracey Garvis Graves - The Trail of Lost Hearts

Thirty-four-year-old Wren Waters believes that if you pay attention, the universe will send you exactly what you need. But her worldview shatters when the universe delivers two life-altering blows she didn’t see coming, and all she wants to do is put the whole heartbreaking mess behind her. No one is more surprised than Wren when she discovers that geocaching―the outdoor activity of using GPS to look for hidden objects―is the only thing getting her out of bed and out of her head. She decides that a weeklong solo quest geocaching in Oregon is exactly what she needs to take back control of her life.
Enter Marshall Hendricks, a psychologist searching for distraction as he struggles with a life-altering blow of his own. Though Wren initially rebuffs Marshall’s attempt at hiker small talk, she’s beyond grateful when he rescues her from a horrifying encounter farther down the trail. In the interest of safety, Marshall suggests partnering up to look for additional caches. Wren’s no longer quite so trusting of the universe―or men in general―but her inner circle might argue that a smart, charismatic psychologist isn’t the worst thing the universe could place in her path.
What begins as a platonic road trip gradually blossoms into something deeper, and the more Wren learns about Marshall, the more she wants to know. Now all she can do is hope that the universe gets it right this time.

Comment: The blurb of this novel made it seem like it would be a cute, perhaps a little angsty, romance while the main characters were doing a trail in Oregon. Although I'm not a fan of this activity in my personal life, I still find plots with this hiking and trailing business interesting, not sure why!

Wren Waters is about to start a trail in Oregon, which also includes geocaching, which is something she feels passionate about, when she meets Marshall Hendricks, who is doing the same. At first she is determined to be aloof and his offer to partner up is refused, but later one Wren finds some trouble and he helps her. From then on, trust is expected and they decided to keep up the geocaching quest together, which means plenty of time to share things and become closer. But both are dealing with past sorrows and heartbreak. Is there any hope for something solid between them or this adventure something they will forget when they separate?

Years ago, another book by this author (On the Island) was on the list of many of my friends, or at least the ones I have more contact with on goodreads. I was not sold on the idea and I have never tried that other book but when I saw the blurb for this one, it really sounded great. Since I had read other books in the past with the theme ( trail setting), I thought I'd enjoy this one too.

At first, I was quite engaged and I've found the author's writing style to be fluid and easy. I liked the setting, of course, and just like it happened with those other books I had tried before, while reading this one I also felt like I could imagine myself in those locations, seeing those landscapes and such. Well, in my mind, because I'm not really athletic. But the setting up seemed great. I was also invested in Wren, she is the narrator, and what she was going through. We are told she is mourning her deceased fiancé, but there is more to this than what seems at first, something that is developed throughout the novel.

Marshall is the romantic interest and we meet him right at the beginning, he does seem like a good guy. He happens to be a psychologist, which is an interesting choice, considering what we learn as the story advances. I think there was a time that I felt this was too convenient because they could have conversations in such a way that advice/counseling almost seemed to be included, which was more like a handy tool the author was giving us for our understanding and reflections on what was being shared, and not a real believable progress of the characters' relationship. 

As they go on, they become closer and the shared experiences make this even more obvious, especially since we see everything through Wren's eyes. They click so easily, in fact, that it felt this would lead towards a predictable path, with them falling in love and worrying about geography, because Wren lives in Ohio and would need to go back home at some point. Again, conveniently, her job allows her to work anywhere, so I could see where this would go once they solved their issues.

At this point, the story was entertaining enough and I was having a good time, but it wasn't spectacular, it wasn't as addictive as I imagined. I figured this would lead on to something pretty average but then the drama intensified and a few new details were added, mostly regarding Wren's future and the way these new elements would interfere with her relationship with Marshall, who also was going through emotional drama of his own. I knew this would be more a woman's fiction type of novel than romance, so the drama and the dealing with it didn't bother me.

However, it is a fact that this new turn of events made their connection change a little, or at least caused it be seen through a different perspective and I admit I've started to feel a bit bored. It's not that things were now bad, but I just didn't find the same eagerness to know what happened next. I've kept going because I wanted to see how the author would solve the distance thing, what handy situation would make it easier for them to move in together at last, and this included a lot of conversations and "dealing with one's feelings".

I liked reading the book but it wasn't the experience I've imagined, considering the fame the author's other book had had with so many readers.

Grade: 6/10

Agatha Christie - Destination Unknown

When a number of leading scientists disappear without a trace, concern grows within the international intelligence community. And the one woman who appears to hold the key to the mystery is dying from injuries sustained in a plane crash.
Meanwhile, in a Casablanca hotel room, Hilary Craven prepares to take her own life. But her suicide attempt is about to be interrupted by a man who will offer her an altogether more thrilling way to die... 

Comment: Here is one more book by Agatha Christie I had not read before. I thought this would be another whodunit, as usual, but it was surprisingly more of a thriller than a murder investigation.

Hilary Craven is a woman who feels she lost everything after the death of her child. Since then her life has been miserable and she decides she has no more will to carry on, and that is why she plans to travel to a warmer, more exotic country like Morocco, so she can say goodbye in a place where the memories aren't overwhelming.

However, her plans derail when a stranger, who saw how much sleeping pills she had bought in different places, approaches her and makes her a proposal. The thing is, several scientists have been disappearing lately and coincidentally, a plane had crashed the day before, but a specific person survived, but not for long and perhaps Hilary an be of an assistance...

I was really surprised by the turns this book took from the start. I was expecting a more similar novel to all the others the author is famous for, but it turns out that there is more to this novel than what it seems. Yes, it's not the most ingenious one, in terms of thriller, but it was quite refreshing to me anyway, and reminded me of other books with similar plots/intentions.

This isn't a big book, and the plot develops very quickly, with the reader having to read between the lines to follow some ideas and to understand the characters' motivations. In this regard, things aren't too different from the author's other books. Still, the situation with the scientists has a clear spying element to it and I will say that this isn't my favorite thing in books, but here it wasn't too bad because the point of the story was not the spying activity, but what is behind the disappearance of the scientists.

The development of the story to the point where Hilary's character becomes key in advancing things does set on many rather vague things. The plane travels between England and Morocco seem, somehow, so easy and mundane that one even wonders how much of a distance it truly is and how much bureaucracy really exists to allow for this to seem simpler than what it is. I know this doesn't have to matter but my brain kept thinking about it. I understand some elements have to be suppressed for plot's sake - many authors don't do this! - but the other side of this is that some characters feel underdeveloped.

In fact, this is the element I feel a little disappointed with here. The characters all play a role of course, and one could suppose to say the purpose of this novel was for the author to prove an idea and not that she really wanted to write such a novel. However, in the need to keep up the mystery, the suspense of what is really going on, most characters are quite superficial. In her whodunits we have more time spent on character dynamics and someone investigating, which helps us to see character development. 

Here, this felt secondary to the suspense... for instance, Hilary's actions at times felt so impossible but it was as if she could simply decide and perform that way. Thus, I assumed there was some hidden thing about her that would come to light later on and, incredible, all this makes sense now. Well, not really. I mean, I liked Hilary as a protagonist and I liked how the story ends for her, but she does come across as someone caught in this by pure chance and then she is just perfect in what she does.

In fact, to be fair, there is a twist at the end, not related to the main narrative, that did surprise me. I thought the big explanations had been given already and then we are told about one more thing regarding a certain character. It was not truly spectacular, but it was like a little extra, and I think the author just could not resist adding this little thing anyway,since she was primarily a writer of crime mysteries.

I was surprised by how much I liked this book, more than I imagined. It's not as great as my favorites by the author but it was very compelling.

Grade: 8/10

Ilona Andrews - Sweep in Peace

Dina DeMille isn't your typical Bed and Breakfast owner. Her inn defies laws of physics, her dog is secretly a monster, and the only permanent guest of the inn is a former Galactic tyrant with a price on her head. The inn needs guests to thrive and guests have been scarce, so when an Arbitrator shows up at Dina's door and asks her to host a peace summit between three warring species, she jumps on the chance. Unfortunately, for Dina, bridging the gap between space vampires, the Hope-Crushing Horde, and the merchants of Baha-char is much easier said than done. To make the summit a success, she must find a chef, remodel the inn, keep her guests from murdering each other, and risk everything, even her life, to save the man she might fall in love with. But then it's all in the day's work for an Innkeeper.…

Comment: This is the second installment in the Innkeeper Chronicles by Ilona Andrews. 

This story begins months after the events of book #1 and while Dina and her sole guest are having a perfectly good time, Dina knows the Inn needs more people and that is why she accepts the business presented by the Arbitrator. The deal is quite tricky but if it works out, it will mean more and better chances for her Inn. Of course, in the meantime, knowing three different fractions currently at war on planet Nexus are coming fora peace event, hosted by the Arbitrator is making Dina go crazy, especially since she doesn't have a proper cook for all these people. But will things succeed or is someone more interested in the peace agreement not happening?

As always, what a fascinating plot by these authors, always with incredible detailed facts and situations, which adds so much veracity to the story. To me, this is the best part, I really like the authors' writing style and how they can convey the information in such an addictive way.

The plot of this book is independent from the first book but it is best if one reads things in order, because several references here allude to what happened in that first book and some reactions make a lot more sense that way. Some recurrent characters also show up and their attitude and behavior also make more sense if one knows what went before. I was quite eager to see if something more would be added to these interactions, between these characters and Dina, and this did happen, in a way.

The plot seems simple, the Arbitrator, a sort of neutral party in this universe, has set up a challenge for Dina's Inn, being the place for a peace summit of some kind and if things succeed not only the Inn will have better critics and revenue, but it will open doors for more people, who might know Dina's parents, which is her goal since she wants to find her parents again. As expected, this scenario originates many funny and weird situations and the best part of the novel is to see the character's interactions and dynamics. By adding more and more details about the three fractions, the story remains interesting and curious to be followed.

A side note, it was quite surprising to find that the Arbitrator and his team are actually George, his brother and two other characters from another series by the authors, The Edge. I no longer remembered much about them, truthfully, but the more information we got, the easier it was to refresh my mind. It was an interesting crossover, now I wonder if we will see more of them in the other installments of these series.

It's not a novelty to say that there is a lot of stuff happening off page that, when shared, makes certain things seem both simpler and more complex as the peace talks carry on. For me, this technique is presented very well by the authors, because they can make this seem flawless and intrinsic to the plot, sometimes other authors cannot. This means that there is always some new little thing that might have seem overlooked and then, like in mystery novels, suddenly makes more sense in the big picture. I was wondering how the peace would be achieved, and the solution seemed almost too simple, but... it kind of worked out.

Perhaps the element I wasn't as fond of is that this need to maintain some secrets, some hidden information for plot purposes - to keep going in further books I bet - makes certain facts feel too random. There are times that if such a big deal is made out of this or that, why are different situations dealt with other types of rules? Why some expectation for one problem and a completely different one to something else? I mean, I get it, but it sometimes feels that the ideas aren't fully controlled. Thankfully, the writing is so good that this is almost a minor thing.

I'm quite curious to see where the plot goes in the next installment and if Dina has reached any conclusion to her romantic doubts.

Grade: 8/10

Lisa Jewell - The Family Upstairs

In a large house in London’s fashionable Chelsea, a baby is awake in her cot. Well-fed and cared for, she is happily waiting for someone to pick her up.
In the kitchen lie three decomposing corpses. Close to them is a hastily scrawled note.
They’ve been dead for several days.
Who has been looking after the baby?
And where did they go?
Two entangled families.
A house with the darkest of secrets.

Comment: I've brought this book from the library and had no reason why, simple curiosity. This is also the second book I try by the author but to be honest, I can't remember anything about the plot of that story anymore.

In this book, we follow several narrators as they explain what happened in a house in Chelsea. The house belongs to a rich family but when the story begins, three bodies are found dead, which had happened for some time already, and a baby is found alive and taken care of somehow. The police investigated but found no real evidence of what took place to lead to such a scenario. Now, 25 years later, the baby is a grown up woman, Libby, and she is told she has inherited the house but when she gets there she believes someone is hiding inside. Investigating the news of that time leads her to the journalist who did some research and they decided to dig deeper... but are they ready to find the truth at last?

As I had experienced with the other book by the author I had tried, it was quite easy to read this book, I found myself turning the pages very quickly because the chapters are short and the plot compelling. In terms of execution, I think this was better than the other book I had tried, but still not as great as it could be.

The story is told from the POV of Libby in third person and Lucy in third person, but also in first person by Henry. At first we don't know the connection between Lucy and the others but it becomes clear soon enough, only it's not simple why life took her in the direction it did. The story is told by these people now, but Henry's POV is in the past, leading us through what happened to them all and why the three bodies were found dead.

Although it seems confusing, it really is much easier while reading, since all this is very distinctive on the page and one always has in mind who is who, narrating. Of course, the interesting part is Henry's, and how things come to be. Basically, everything is centered on the life of those who lived in the house, because Henry's mother let a couple she was friends with to stay there until their situation was solved, and later on, she let another family staying as well. All was great at first, but slowly and manipulatively, everything started to change after a while.

I suppose it might be easy to guess where this is going, and how these "guests" influenced what happened after, and from a psychological POV it seemed the plot is quite believable and realistic, after all insidiousness ins't easy to spot right away. Still, however, it always seemed strange who quickly the family was isolated and that no one really paid attention. Although, who knows, considering how everyone kind of protects their privacy...

I can accept the path taken by the characters and the reasons why they felt like those were their only options, but it's still an odd process to think of. Then, personally, the issue probably is the writing style, because for some secrets to be maintained, and for the suspense of some doubts to be carried on, the author has to change third person here to first person there, has to present things in a way that is simply not logical at times. I get it, but made for the twists to seem both predictable and/or easy to spot.

I had a hard time connecting with Lucy and Libby. Each had a different path in life, and while their personalities are certainly justifiable, neither seemed very interesting, more like a necessary type of character for this specific story. Libby is very likable and a true innocent but she also seemed very bland, her character, I think, wasn't developed as much as it perhaps required. Lucy had to live through traumas and I cannot say her choices are surprising, but... again, I struggled to like her.

Henry is the most fascinating character of them all and the means through which we learn all the important bits, but I had this feeling he was made to seem mysterious on purpose for the final twist, which kind of annoyed me. I think a different explanation for some choices everyone did in the past would have been more believable. I also didn't really like how will this was made to look the work of a disturbed person, I'd have preferred the narrative to go a different direction.

All things considered, this was an intriguing story, had great elements and vibe, but there are things that I feel didn't really enrich the plot, but had to be included for other things to make sense. Thus, part of the suspense feels weak...

Grade: 7/10

Jennifer Ryan - The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle

After renowned fashion designer Cressida Westcott loses both her home and her design house in the London Blitz, she has nowhere to go but the family manor house she fled decades ago. Praying that her niece and nephew will be more hospitable than her brother had been, she arrives with nothing but the clothes she stands in, at a loss as to how to rebuild her business from a quaint country village. 

Her niece, Violet Westcott, is thrilled that her famous aunt is coming to stay-the village has been interminably dull with all the men off fighting. But just as Cressida arrives, so does Violet's conscription letter. It couldn't have come at a worse time; how will she ever find a suitably aristocratic husband if she has to spend her days wearing a frumpy uniform and doing war work? Meanwhile, the local vicar's daughter, Grace Carlisle, is trying in vain to repair her mother's gown, her only chance of a white wedding. 

When Cressida Westcott appears at the local Sewing Circle meeting, Grace asks for her help-but Cressida has much more to teach the ladies than just simple sewing skills. Before long, Cressida's spirit and ambition galvanizes the village group into action, and they find themselves mending wedding dresses not only for local brides, but for brides across the country. And as the women dedicate themselves to helping others celebrate love, they might even manage to find it for themselves.

Comment: I've decided to read this book because of its premise. Also, I had read another book by the author years ago and it was captivating enough that I wanted to try something else by the author.

Grace, Cressida and Violet should not have much in common, but the war has taken a toll on everyone and when Grace becomes engaged, a huge problem is to find cloth and material to do a wedding dress, and she decides to use her mother's, although it needs some fixing. Along with the ladies' sewing group, she decides she would lent her dress afterwards, to any other woman who needs it, and thus they start their task. One thing leads to the next and they soon find themselves at a position to help shape the fashion culture for years to come, but are their personal lives as easy to fix and plan for? Are they all certain their choices are giving them what they need to be happy and to survive the war problems?

In this story, once again the author offers a small community in England during the WWII period. Three women are at the center of a story which is based on true facts, in which economizing and rationing everything is mandatory, even for wedding needs. The idea of reusing and letting others use one's wedding dress might seem unlikely nowadays, at least for most people, but it was a necessity when material was so scarce.

I liked all the elements related to the clothing and sewing the ladies do in this book and having found similar ideas in other books with the same theme helped me to understand some scenes and decisions. Of course what made this story more interesting was how this group helped the protagonists seeing things from a different perspective and trying to find happiness instead of just letting things go as they were.

Grace is about to marry a man who is a little older but she never imagined someone shy and not really a beauty like her would marry, so she is eager to start her new life, even if it means to keep doing what she has always done in terms of parish work. She had forgotten about her youth dreams of Hugh, the son of the most influencing man in the region, and how he disappeared from her life, but now she is about to spend time with his aunt at his house and seeing him again will certainly force her to rethink everything.

Cressida is a well known designer in London but she comes back when her house is destroyed, and she is eager to help the ladies of the sewing group. She also likes Grace for her skills and posture and isn't surprised when she realizes Grace isn't really confident in her future marriage being a happy one. It also happens that the man she imagined she would marry one day, but who died, was friends with Grace's father, a man she becomes closer to now and with whom she finds a lot in common. But she will return to London, surely...

Hugh's sister Violet receives a conscription letter and has to join the women's teams, which she thinks is beneath her aristocratic status, but she decides to be brave even if it means less chances of finding an aristocratic husband too. She discovers, however, that she is a natural for some tasks and not even the slightly irritating American she needs to drive around puts a stop to her self discovering. 

The lives of these three ladies overlaps as they work together to help with the wedding dress fixing, as well as other projects, and the best part was to see them learn things about themselves, and all finding love. In terms of romance elements, this story worked out quite well, but I must say, just as it had happened with the other book, the writing style is a little predictable and the characters' choices very easy to guess. The writing is actually a little too simple, more depth would have elevated the plot.

In spite of the elements I think should be done better, I still had a good experience reading and wanted to know what would happen next.

I will likely read more by the author.

Grade: 7/10