A Caregiver’s Story of Her Dying Mother

The family was shocked when their mother was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis after years of trying to get a diagnosis. Lannette, a wife, mother, and school nurse, had many responsibilities, but with the support of her husband and children, she decided it was more important to become her mother’s caregiver at the end of her life.

Not everyone has the desire or requisite skills to be a caregiver, but for Lannette and her mother something magical happened. Childhood memories resurfaced, experiences were shared, and Lannette took time to look at the world through new eyes. This is a beautiful story told with great sensitivity by the author.

This book is well written. The prose is simple and clear and doesn’t distract from the story being told. If you have cared for a loved one, or may be in the position to decide to take on that responsibility, I highly recommend this book. Even if caring for someone seems years in the future, you can learn a great deal from Lannette’s experience.

I received this book from PR by the book for this review.

An Adventure Can Change Your Life

Tracey and her husband, Brian, had an enviable life: two great jobs, three healthy daughters, and a beautiful house filled with stuff. It was the stuff and an anxiety attack that kicked off the crisis. For Tracey, life had become a treadmill. The whole family was running as fast as they could, but where were they going?

It took some soul searching, but Brian and Tracey decided to act to fulfill a dream they’d had for years. They sold their house and all the stuff, pulled the girls out of school, and headed off on a round the world adventure.

The descriptions of the places they visit are well done, but for me the most interesting part of the book was how the family found each other. Traveling with children can be a hair-raising experience for parents. Their first stop in Oslo, Norway illustrates the strains. The kids were fighting; the parents, arguing. It made the idea of an adventure sour a bit. However, they didn’t give up and their subsequent adventures brought them together as a family. They had personal growth experiences and got to know each other. It was a different group that arrived back in the US.

I recommend this book if you are feeling stressed and bored and want to see how another family solved the problem. It’s a solution that won’t work for everyone, but it’s fun to read and there are lessons for all of us. You don’t have to go around the world to make big changes.

I received this book from PR by the Book for this review.

An All Female Law Firm is Sued for Discrimination

Mary DiNunzio and Bennie Rosato, are proud of the law firm they started. It was all female lawyers, but they do have one male attorney, John Croft. He seems happy with the firm, but when the firm is sued by three lawyers for discrimination because they weren’t hired, Mary and Bennie discover that not everything is as rosy as it seems.

Nick Machiavelli, a lawyer Mary has tangled with before, is behind the law suit. Mary beat him once, and now he wants revenge. Mary and Bennie think they are secure. They have John, but suddenly he quits. Now they have a real perception problem.

Mary is heavily pregnant which adds to the difficulty of fighting a lawsuit, but she manages to use it to her advantage. She and Bennie are sympathetic characters trying to make their place in what was once a man’s world. One of the interesting parts of the book is showing the reaction of the men, John and Mary’s husband, to taking a secondary role to the ladies in their lives. It was well done and makes you think.

I love Mary’s South Philadelphia family. You have to laugh out loud at her father and his friends, the Tonys. It feels very real to be almost a part of that family.

If you enjoy a mystery with characters you can enjoy, this is a good read.

I received this book from Net Galley for this review.

An Adopted Restaurant Owner Almost Finds a Sister

Sydney, adopted daughter of a police officer who was killed in the line of duty, is the successful owner of two restaurants: Hush Money, a high end restaurant, and Ten Ten, a cop hangout. It’s stressful owning two restaurants, although her adopted mother helps, and she has boy friend troubles, but when she meets the new wife of the police chief, who is also a successful business woman having taken over her father’s construction company, she feels as if she’s found the sister she always wanted.

Billy, a homeless man, comes into money. Being a friendly sort, he shares it with other homeless people which alerts the owners of the money and leads to his death. It also leads to complications for the police. Someone has taken the money from the police locker.

This is the third book in the Hush Money series. I hadn’t read the first two books, but I found this one easy to follow. Sidney is a likable character. She’s trying hard to make her own way and the restaurant business isn’t easy. She’s also desperate to know who her real parents were. She loves her adopted parents, but there’s the unsettled feeling of wanting to know where she came from.

The book starts slowly, but picks up speed at the end. There are many thread to this mystery. Some are easy to guess, others not, but all are tied to together at the end. If you enjoy mysteries with an interesting protagonist, this is worth reading.

I received this book from Net Galley for this review.

Life After the Great War

WWI changed the lives and expectations of many people. This novel takes place during the long vacation between WWI and WWII. Those people who survived now have to decide how to live the remainder of their lives.

Daniel Pitt, a flying ace, didn’t expect to live through the war. Now he’s married to Rosie, a nurse during WWI, living on in Ceylon. They have a luxurious life that should make them happy, but not everything is easy. When they experience the death of a newborn, their marriage starts to unravel.

Daniel is happy in Ceylon, but Rosie insists that they move back to England where they are surrounded by family. The family consists of amusing and unusual characters: Archie, Daniel’s brother, who feels like he can never escape his demons: Rosie’s three sisters, a spinster, a bohemian, and a minister’s wife; and the parents, Daniel’s mother and Rosie’s eccentric parents.

The book tells the story of the period between the two wars. I found the characters rather flat. They go about their business, have problems, fall in love, and betray their loved ones, but it all seems at a bit of a remove. I’m reminded of one of the themes of War and Peace. During war, the characters go beyond themselves and accomplish great things. During peace, they sink back into mediocrity. Perhaps it’s survivor’s guilt; perhaps it’s that the thrill is gone.

This book is the second book in a trilogy. The first, The Dust That Falls From Dreams, tells of the characters during the war. I assume the third book, yet to be published, will follow them into WWII. This book can be read as a standalone, but I think a more in depth understanding of what the author is trying to say can be gained by reading both books. I’m looking forward to the third book.

I received this book from Net Galley for this review.

WWII Spies Held on an Island Die One-By-One

Being a prisoner on the Island of Scarra on Scotland’s northern coast, was not the way Maggie Hope envisioned spending the end of WWII. The island was owned by an eccentric millionaire, and the castle where the spies are held is magnificent, if eerie.

Maggie knows too much and the secret service no longer trusts her because she refused an assignment that would have required her to send unsuspecting recruits to their deaths in the war zone. She and the other spies are being kept on the remote island to assure they keep their secrets.

The captivity is just boring in spite of the amenities offered by the castle, until one-by-one the spies begin to die. As the deaths mount, the island is cut off by a raging storm and Maggie must find the murderer to save the other prisoners.

This is a take off on Agatha Christie’s “And The There Were None.” The plot works very well on a remote island cut off from help. It will keep you guessing who the murderer is.

Maggie’s character is well developed. She starts the book enclosed and upset because of being incarcerated, but as tension mounts her skill at organizing the prisoners and keeping them as safe as possible comes to the fore.

I highly recommend this book. If you have read other Maggie Hope books, you’ll enjoy this one. If you’re an Agatha Christie fan, you will find the plat engaging.

I received this book from Net Galley for this review.

Romance, Art, and Murder at a Jazz Age Estate

Jenny Bell, an aspiring artist, is studying art in New York City, but is saving to go to Paris. Her roommate, Minx Deering, a wealthy socialite sculpture, also wants to go to Paris. She pushes Jenny to come with her and let her parents provide the money.

Jenny is adamant. She wants to make her own way and keeps to the shadows to avoid her difficult past. When a chance to attend a summer workshop at Laurelton Hall, Louis Comfort Tiffany’s estate, arrives,  Minx prevails on Jenny to take the opportunity of a lifetime. She finally agrees. In the luscious setting, Jenny starts to use color in her paintings. Before she stuck to a black, white and gray pallet. She is encouraged by Tiffany and by his grandson Oliver, who is also romantically interested in Jenny.

As the competition for a showing in the Tiffany gallery heats up, Jenny’s past haunts her. The summer that started so bright darkens, and Jenny is at the center of the mystery.

A hallmark of M.J. Rose is her use of color and scents to bring her novels to life. This is particularly true in this book. You can almost breathe in the scents and see the vivid colors at the Tiffany estate. I think this is one of her best descriptions so far.

Jenny is a driven character with a past she tried hard to bury. I like her and hoped that she and Oliver would get together. He also has his demons. His grandfather wants him to manage the business, but Oliver prefers to design jewelry.

I loved the scenes from the Jazz Age in New York City. The clubs sparkled with detail. I did wonder how they got anything done after staying up half the night. Historically, this novel is quite accurate including the scenes at

the Tiffany estate.

I highly recommend this book if you enjoy romance and suspense in a spectacular setting.

I received this book from Net Galley for this review.

Spying for the Colonies

Living in Boston as the Colonies prepared for the Revolutionary War was dangerous, but also exciting. Faith Jackson, a wealthy widow and ward of George Washington, is a patriot who wants to help her country. When a message needs to be passed to a Loyalist, Faith becomes the courier in spite of the danger.

Mathew Weber is a friend to both Ben Franklin and his son William. As the opinions about the revolution separate Ben and William, Mathew finds himself getting information on the impending conflict from both sides. He too becomes a spy. He gets to know Faith through clandestine meetings and they begin to see in each other the possibility for new love.

This is a good historical novel, historically accurate, and with a romantic plot. However, I found this fourth book more disappointing than the earlier books. This was due to the use of historical figures like Washington and Franklin. I have read a great deal about the period and both Washington and Franklin. I didn’t think the portrayal of either rang true. This is always a problem when well know characters are used in a historical fiction, because many people already have preconceived ideas of the characters, their motivations, and how they would behave.

The other characters are better. Faith is a strong woman with solutions that while they work are often unusual. Mathew is a good foil for Faith. He’s honest and ready to take chances for the cause of the Colonies. Their love and faith are good themes for the book.

If you enjoy a good historical novel, you’ll like this one.

I received this book from Barbour Publishing for this review.