- I'm Still Here

I am Still Here: A Memoir

by Martina Reaves

it is always remarkably interesting to read memoirs. Everyone has a story and it requires a lot of courage to share it with others.

This is a very exceptional and sensible memoir. Martina Reaves life is nothing ordinary.  She is a lawyer who disliked practicing law and decided to become a mediator in 1986. It was in the early 80’s that she came out and found her life partner Tanya. 1986 is when their son Cooper was born. What I really liked was that, they invited Cooper’s father/donor and his wife to their lives when Cooper was 18 years old which is amazing. I am so happy that Martina decided to stop writing legal documents and focus on fictions and her memoir.

It is the first memoir with dual timeline for me. a captivating and smooth read. The back and forth between times were handcrafted perfectly Reading the traumatic challenges she encounters when get to know that she has cancer, and all her bravery and fearlessness encouraged.

If you enjoy reading memoirs, then I recommend that you read this wonderful book.

Many thanks to Booksparks for this gifted copy.

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-Tidelands

Tidelands

by Philippa Gregory

Tideland is the first Fairmile series by Philippa Gregory and is set in England in1648, this is the civil war time and poverty time were being a woman is not easy at all. Alinor’s husband who is a fisherman has been missing for over six months now. And left Alinor with Rob, her 12 year old son and Alys, her13 year old daughter.They are managing their life poorly and all three are working really hard.

It June, and Alinor is sitting in the church grave, when she meets Father James, a handsome young priest in the run.

James is involved political conspiracies surrounding king Charles I. Alinor doesn’t know it of course. But that night she helps him hide in her husbands she and the next day she shows him a secret way to get to Sir William, a local aristocrat. Sir william is a former supporter of the king.  

The rest is Alinor’s life that is changing and a strong love that grows between James and Alinor. There are several differences between them that cause the relationship to suffer.

The surprising part for me was the last chapter. it was jaw dropping and I can’t wait for the next book to continue this fascinating story.

This is my first book by Philippa Gregory, I have to say she is very talented in retelling history, it might be a slow burn for some readers as the authors has taken time to vividly describe the detail to bring the reader to Alinor’s world.

The characters are impeccably developed and very well connected to the story. I enjoyed the plot; the storyline was charmingly simple and interesting. It’s an intense and very well written novel

Many thanks to the publisher for this gifted copy.

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- The Lucky One

The Lucky One

by Lori Rader-Day

When Alice was a young child, she was kidnapped from her backyard. But she was very lucky to be found in a few hours because of her father being a policeman.

Because of all that happened the Fins decide to move to Chicago to start a new life. Today, Alice, who still remembers the kidnapping night, is now devoted to find the missing and spend most of her time a on a website called the Doe Pages. Scrolling through the pages she sees a familiar face, the face of her kidnapper.....

I really liked the plot, and the characters.  the twists left me curious about the ending. Yet there were too many details which made it a very slow paced read for me. and I ended up skimming to be able to finish this book

Considering the perfectly developed characters and well written plot. So many people may like the details provided.

Many thanks to the publisher and @NetGalley for the ARC

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-The German Heiress

The German Heiress

by Anika Scott.

The story is set in Germany mostly around 1946. And it’s mostly told in third person plus frequent flash backs.

The beginning of the story was very slow and was mostly about getting to know about Clara and her personality. This was when it fell flat for me.

Clara is really an attractive protagonist; she is very human and surprisingly Naive. Which was a bit in contrast with the Iron Fräulein as explained on the synopsis

Then we get to know Jacob, who works in the black market. described as brave and daring.

Getting to know the characters more halfway through the story there was refreshing shift. Even Clara started changing. This was when, she started questioning the morality of what her family has done.

Towards the end of the book, some dark secretes were revealed which made it more interesting

it’s a beautifully written fast paced story, (halfway towards the end). The characters are ok, I was not able to connect with Clara, but I found Jacob’s character more developed than Clara. The setting was atmospheric. I liked reading about Clara’s Childhood home.

Many thanks to the publisher and @NetGalley for the Arc

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- The Queen's Assassin

The Queen's Assassin

by Melissa de la Cruz

I was so excited to start The Queen's Assassin and it did not disappoint me. I started it yesterday afternoon and finished it in one sitting because, I just couldn’t put it down!!

I really enjoyed the dual perspective of the story as well as Cal and Shadow character and the dynamic between them. I have to admit there were several plot twists that I could predict, yet the big twist….. was quite the surprise and blindsided me towards the end.

A story that represents dedication, devotion and love. One thing that I really liked about this book was the strong lead female character. She wants more than just being a princess. At the same time, I wanted to see less romance since I preferred it to be more about defying her role.

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-The Engineer's Wife

The Engineer's Wife

by Tracey Enerson Wood

The story is a work of fiction. A historical fiction representing the brain behind the Brooklyn Bridge.

An extremely powerful and inspiring story about a woman who made her father in laws dream come true. The fact that this book is based on a true story makes it even more inspiring.

The story takes place in 1865, Emily warren marries her brother’s dear friend, Captain Washington Wash Roebling. Before they get married their courtship was through letter and when Wash return after war, he was a tired and sensitive soldier. John Roebling, Wash’s father, was an engineer and had a dream to build a suspension bridge between Brooklyn and Manhattan. a very expensive, complex and time-consuming project.

When Wash started working on his father’s project as a chief engineer, things changed. Wash became so sick that he couldn’t get out of bed and Emily had to be his messenger and help him oversee the project.

What Emily does to help in this project Is inspiring, motivational and powerful. She is a strong and determined woman who went above and beyond as a woman living in the 19^th century.

I didn’t know anything about the Brooklyn Bridge, and I haven’t even seen it. but the vivid detail of this story makes me feel like I know a lot about it.

This is Tracey Enerson Wood’s first published Novel, and I think she has a perfect control of her story and her style. A provoking and remarkable story. I found Emily’s very well-developed character very inspiring.

-The Lost Orphan

The Lost Orphan

by Stacey Halls

the story is set in London in 1975. Bess is a young woman, a shrimp seller. who had to leave her newborn in the founding hospital, hoping she would return and claim her baby, only to find out six years later that someone else has claimed her baby girl. All these years Bess thought her baby is safe at the hospital but now her baby girl is gone.

The story continues with Bess bravely searching for her child. The search causes her to come across different people and different places. She does all these find her daughter and make a home with her.

Then I get to know about Alexandra who is living in Bloomsbury with her servants and a young daughter. Her character is described in a way that she not a very likable woman and I also found her to have a very cold personality.

The story of Bess and Alexandra intertwine, Alexandra is a widow with a lot of money and a rich life style , and Bess living in a small place located in a poor neighborhood with her father and her brother.

The book commencement was very heartbreaking and that was the right beginning to get me hooked. The 18^th century setting is what I really liked as a fan of historical fiction, and I found it impressive and full of atmosphere.

The alternating characters of Alexandra and Bess and their perspectives was fascinating. Both characters represented strong and complex women. The writing style and details made the story more vivid followed by perfectly developed characters. it is a dark, tense, yet very well written historical novel.

Many Thanks to Harlequin for this advanced copy.

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