Tropical Girl Reads

High Heels in the Highlands – ARC Book Review

High Heels in the Highlands: An uplifting, heart-warming romantic comedy (The Hiverton Sisters Book 3) by [Liz Hurley]

Clementine’s swapped a London flat for a Scottish castle – but will she get her fairytale ending?

After discovering they had inherited an enormous fortune, as well as the
titles of ‘Lady’, the lives of the five Hiverton sisters have never been the same.

While oldest sister Ariana settles in Norfolk, fashion designer Clementine heads to the Scottish Highlands to investigate their newly inherited castle. Not bad for a girl brought up in poverty in a tiny house in East London…

However, Lady Clem quickly finds out that Ruacoddy Castle is falling to pieces, the neighbours – especially grumpy young farmer, Rory – are suspicious of her and the eccentric housekeeper, Ottoline, is still in residence.

But just as Clem starts to embrace her new life in the Highlands, growing closer to Rory and forming a friendship with Ottoline, she stumbles upon a secret in the attic that could destroy the Hiverton family. Can she save the castle as well as her family’s reputation?

What happens when an unstoppable force meets an immoveable object?

Publisher:- Hera

Date published:- will be published on March 24th 2021

Genre:- Romantic Comedy

Lady Clementine, an aspiring fashion designer moves from London to a Scottish castle, a castle inherited by her sister Ari. She was in charge of taking care of the castle and realize that the castle needs repair. She got on wrong foot with Ottoline “Otto” who is the caretaker of the castle. As Clem gets used to the life of countryside, she soon develops friendship with Otto and then stumble a secret she found in the attic.

This was actually an OK romantic book to me. First of all, I really liked the cover–the book cover is so cute and pretty that whoever designed the book did a good job attracting the reader. However, I wasn’t that much into the story. There were some funny parts but then I felt it was a bit boring to me. However, I did like the ending a bit, how Clem and Otto develop their friendship with each other and a developing romance between Clem and Rory. The writing was OK.

Overall this book worth three stars.

Thank you Netgalley and Hera publishers for granting an ARC. This review is based on my honest opinion.

Finalist for the 2021 Romantic Novelists Association Debut Romantic Novel Award for A New Life for Ariana Byrne

Liz Hurley writes exciting and heart warming stories that will make you cheer and laugh. Her heroines are overflowing with grit, gumption and good old-fashioned gorgeousness!

Author of
Dear Diary, a prequel to the Hiverton Sister series.
A New Life for Ariana Byrne. Book 1 / Hiverton Sister series
High Heels in the Highlands. Book 2 / Hiverton Sisters series
Cornish Dreams at Cockleshell Cottage. Book 3 / Hiverton Sisters series.

Thank you for visiting my page. Please follow my profile for important updates. And thank you for your reviews!
Sign up to my newsletter https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/t9t7j4

Also writing non fiction under the name of Liz Hurley. Cornish Walks Series.

Not Without My Sister – ARC Book Review

Not Without My Sister: A compelling and heartbreaking WW2 historical novel by [Marion Kummerow]

1944, Germany. Two sisters seek to overcome impossible odds to be reunited, in this utterly devastating and unforgettable novel about sisterhood, courage and survival.

All they had left was each other. Until the Nazis tore them apart.

After years of hiding from the Nazis, Rachel Epstein and her little sister Mindel are captured by the Gestapo and sent to the concentration camp at Bergen-Belsen. The only ray of light for either girl is that they are together.

But on arrival they are separated. As she’s seventeen and deemed an adult, Rachel is sent to work in a brutal factory whilst four-year-old Mindel is sent into the so-called “star” camp for Jewish prisoners. All on her own, Rachel knows her sister will have no chance of survival—unless she can find someone to take care of her.

Working in the windowless, airless factory—filling munitions casings with chemicals that burn her fingers and make her eyes sting—the only thing that keeps Rachel going is the thought of her little sister. Because if there’s even a chance Mindel is alive, Rachel knows she must try to save her.

But, separated by barbed wire, and treated brutally by SS guards who do not even see them as human beings, can either of the orphaned sisters ever dare to hope that they’ll find their way back to each other? And to freedom?

A completely heartbreaking, utterly gripping tale of courage, loss and overcoming impossible odds, perfect for fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, The Ragged Edge of Night and The Orphan’s Tale.

No. of pages:- 259 pages

Publisher:- Bookouture

Date published:- will be published on March 24th 2021

Genre:- Historical Fiction

Any book related to Holocaust or WWII I would most certainly jump at the opportunity to read that book. And this is such book. Though the characters are fictional, the events that happened in this book is real.

It’s 1944, in a small village in Bavaria, Germany, Rachel Epstein and her family are living in a farmhouse, thanks to Old Hans, hiding away from the Nazis. They were Jews. But when Old Hans died, the family were separated–Rachel never saw her brothers, her parents were taken away and she and her sister, Mindel were taken to Bergen Belsen Concentration Camp, where the two sisters were separated. Rachel would do anything, including working excruciating hours at the ammunition factory or working in salt mines to be reunited with her younger sister Mindel. Mindel too wants to be reunited with her sisters and she was taken care in the children concentration camp, looked after by a kind couple.

The story is so emotional, heartbreaking and at times, you couldn’t really fathom the fact that these atrocities and brutality did happen in real life. And at time, though the characters are fictional, one couldn’t help but notice how courageous and brave Rachel really was. I couldn’t even put this book down and I got so engrossed into the book that I didn’t even realize until I came to the end! The writing was really good and the author did a good job drawing the reader to the story.

Grab your tissues because this book will make you cry. An emotional, heartbreaking story that will make you want to read this book and unputdownable historical fiction! Worth five stars!

Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC. This book review is based on my honest opinion.

USA Today Bestselling author of historical fiction.

Her books are filled with raw emotions, fierce loyalty and perpetual resilience.
She loves to put her characters through the mangle, making them reach deep within to find the strength to face moral dilemma, make difficult decisions or fight for what is right. And she never forgets to include humor and undying love in her books, because ultimately love is what makes the world go round.

Marion Kummerow was born and raised in Germany, before she set out to “discover the world” and lived in various countries. In 1999 she returned to Germany and settled down in Munich where she’s now living with her family.

After dipping her toes with non-fiction books, she finally tackled the project dear to her heart. UNRELENTING is the story about her grandparents, who belonged to the German resistance and fought against the Nazi regime. It’s a book about resilience, love and the courage to stand up and do the right thing.

To get a taste of her writing, you can download a free short story about a downed British airman here:
http://kummerow.info/newsletter-2

Happy International Women’s Day!

Happy International Women’s Day for all the women out there!!! In order to commemorate this day, I decided to do a list of books with strong female leads and another list with my favorite female authors!

The Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelley

One of the books with three strong female characters as leads–Caroline, Kasia and Herta, each with their own mission, set during WWII.

2. Jane Eyre – Charlotten Bronte

Secondary ELT Readers Level 2: Jane Eyre (Book only) - Scholastic Shop

One of my favorite classical books I have read, Jane Eyre’s personality is an inspiration to many of the girls out there

3. The Diary of a Young Girl – Anne Frank

THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK by Anne Frank | NOOK Book (eBook) | Barnes & Noble®

Anne Frank was a strong minded teenager who kept the diary during WWII years. Another inspiration to many girls out there.

4. Hermione Granger from Harry Potter series–J.K. Rowling

WHAT? Harry Potter Actress Emma Watson AKA Hermione Granger Had To Drop Out Of College For THIS Stupid Reason

If you have read Harry Potter series (who haven’t?), Hermione Granger is one of the strong female lead characters in the book.

5. Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen

Elizabeth Bennett is every girl’s favorite character

Now my favorite female authors!

J.K. Rowling

JKRowling #HarryPotter #TTT #90sKid #Magic Archives - Xpert Magazine

2. Lisa Jewel

3. Agatha Christie

Agatha Christie - Books, Disappearance & Life - Biography

4. Jodi Picoult

5. Charlotte Bronte

Shadow Box – Book Review

Hey all! I know it has been a while since I posted on the blog but I was super busy with online exams for piano that I couldn’t read the books for a while! I just however finished Shadow Box by Luanne Rice so here’s my review!

The Amazon Charts bestselling author of Last Day delivers a haunting thriller about how far one wife is willing to go to expose the truth—and the lengths someone will go to stop her.

After artist Claire Beaudry Chase is attacked and left for dead in her home on the Connecticut coast, she doesn’t know who she can trust. But her well-connected husband, Griffin—who is running for governor—is her prime suspect.

Just before the attack, Claire was preparing for an exhibit of her shadow boxes, one of which clearly accuses Griffin of a violent crime committed twenty-five years ago. If the public were to find out who her husband is, his political career would be over. Claire’s certain her husband and his powerful supporters would kill her to stop the truth from getting out.

When one of Claire’s acquaintances is murdered, the authorities suspect the homicide is linked to the attack on Claire. As the dual investigations unfold, Claire must decide how much she’s willing to lose to take down her husband and the corrupt group of elites who will do anything to protect Griffin’s interests and their own.

No. of pages:- 367 pages

Publisher:- Thomas and Mercer

Date published:- 1st February 2021

Genre:- Thriller

Claire Beaudry Chase was attacked by a masked man while she was on her way to her art exhibition. She then goes hiding and she believes that her husband, Griffin, a high prolific prosecutor and running for the governor is responsible for attacking her and also for the death of a girl named Ellen, happened twenty five years ago. Meanwhile, a ship was attacked and a woman named Sallie, who is the interior designer in that area, was dead. Are the two cases connected?

This was a sort of thriller that will put you at the edge of the seat. A land of elite and corrupted people who would do anything to remain in power and would get rid of the person who is a threat. This story is more like a cat and mouse chase, twists and turns and quite a page turner that you wouldn’t actually want to put the book down!

Overall, this book worth five stars!

Luanne Rice is the New York Times bestselling author of 35 novels, which have been translated into 25 languages. The author of Last Day, Dream Country, Beach Girls, Pretend She’s Here and others, Rice often writes about love, family, nature, and the sea. She received the 2014 Connecticut Governor’s Arts Award for excellence and lifetime achievement in the Literary Arts category.

Several of Rice’s novels have been adapted for television, including Crazy in Love for TNT, Blue Moon for CBS, Follow the Stars Home and Silver Bells for the Hallmark Hall of Fame, and Beach Girls for Lifetime. Rice’s four cats are her muses, and she speaks their language. She lives in Old Lyme, Connecticut.

Dark Illusion – Book Review

Dark Illusion: A Gripping Psychological Thriller (Sharon Davis Chronicles Book 1) by [Dana V. Moison]

This twisted psychological thriller is a game of cat and mouse between a young & fearless female detective and a vicious killer that becomes more puzzling and darker with every twist and turn

Sharon Davis, tenacious NYPD homicide detective, is determined to catch a ruthless serial killer who disfigures the faces of beautiful young women before killing them.

Sharon’s pursuit of the elusive killer leads her to the glamorous fashion world and threatens to unveil the dark secret of an influential socialite in New York’s elite. The more she investigates, mind-taunting discoveries begin to scratch the surface. Now there is another beauty gravely unaware of the great danger lurking. Will Sharon put together all the pieces of this deceptive puzzle in time to save the next victim?

You think you have all the answers, but you won’t be able to see it coming . . .

Revenge, love, and passion swirl together in this cleverly crafted crime thriller. This page-turner will keep you on your toes until the very end, unable to guess how this unpredictable mystery will be solved.

No. of pages:- 336 pages

Date published:- December 10th 2019

Genre:- Psychological Thriller

After reading favorable reviews coming from this book written by a debut author, I decided I would give this book a try. A series of young beautiful models are brutally murdered with their faces disfigured. NYPD detective, Sharon Davis is set to find this notorious serial killer who has been killing these girls for the past three years.

I do really like the plot line–the unusual thing about this book is you already know who the serial killer is by the beginning of this book and you are waiting for Sharon Davis to catch this killer. So this cat and mouse game between the killer and Sharon was really good, intriguing and dramatic! But despite the good plot line with many unexpected twists and turns, and an ending that left you breathless and unbelievable. I also like the feminist view in this book, which I actually find very rare in most of the books. However, there are certain things that actually did ruin this plot. For example, the love story between Gloria and Andy to me was a bit unnecessary in the book–should have made it shorter, the confrontation between Sharon and the killer seemed unrealistic so is another part where Sharon was shot and next day she flies off to New Zealand, and I feel the author needs to do more research about police work. In a case like hunting a prolific serial killer, even the prestigious NYPD would usually hire FBI if this killing had taken place for three years. So except for this negative things, this book was a good thriller book.

Worth four stars!

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Dana V. Moison is an Amazon best-selling author who specializes in writing detective mysteries led by strong women sleuths. Being born to an Israeli mother and an American Father, Dana has gained the best of both worlds: she dreams big and has the Israeli Chutzpah to pursue her dreams. While most of her family resides in the U.S., she was born and raised in Tel Aviv, Israel. Nevertheless, her frequent visits to her family in New York City have allowed her to experience the city as a local. New York had been the source of inspiration for her first novel, Dark Illusion, which takes place in Manhattan. In fact, quite a few chapters were handwritten at her favorite Starbucks, located in the basement floor of the Empire State Building. Soon enough she traded her ballpoint pen with a laptop, and they haven’t been separated ever since.

Dana started working toward a degree in psychology during high school. She graduated with top honors and received her bachelor’s degree from the Open University after completing her military service as a psycho-technical diagnostician. Dana worked as one of the youngest columnists for Ynet, the #1 news website in Israel, before releasing her first novel at the age of 23.

In 2012 Dana moved to the French Alps to work, where she was able to polish her French and, against all odds, some pretty decent skiing skills. She kept writing her column while being abroad. When she returned to Israel, she enrolled in the gender studies program at Tel Aviv University. She graduated with top honors and earned her master’s degree at the age of 28.

The Serial Killer’s Wife – ARC Book Review

They’re saying he’s a monster. And they’re saying she knew.

Beth and Tom Hardcastle are the envy of their neighbourhood – they have the perfect marriage, the perfect house, the perfect family.

When the police knock on their door one evening, Beth panics. Tom should be back from work by now – what if he’s crashed his car? She fears the worst.

But the worst is beyond imagining.

As the interrogation begins, Beth will find herself questioning everything she believed about her husband.

They’re husband and wife – till death do them part…

No. of pages:- 400 pages

Date published:- will be published on May 27th 2021

Publisher:- Avon

Genre:- Thriller

Thank you Netgalley and Avon for giving me a chance to review this book! This review is based on my honest opinion.

The title itself sounds…fascinating. The Serial Killer’s Wife and it seems to have a ring in it. And the plot also sounds interesting. Beth and Tom Hardcastle seemed to be living a happy life with their daughter Poppy until the police come and knock on their door one day and takes Tom for questioning. And it was questioning about the disappearance/murder of a woman named Katie, who was Tom’s ex girlfriend, eight years ago.

The story is told from Beth’s Tom’s and Katie’s point of view so it is interesting to see what really goes in their head. Though the book is fast paced, chilling and as a reader you question if Tom is really innocent or not, this book did not have much twists and turns but nonetheless the reader (that’s me) became engrossed into the story–the writer did a good job drawing the reader to the story! The emotions and feelings that Beth faced when her husband was arrested for the murder seemed realistic but at the same time you question if those feelings Beth had towards Tom was realistic or if she was hiding something. The ending of the story was a bit unexpected.

Overall, this was really good! I couldn’t really put the book down and so I enjoyed reading this thriller and definitely read in one go! Worth five stars in my opinion.

After completing a psychology degree, Alice Hunter became an interventions facilitator in a prison. There, she was part of a team offering rehabilitation programmes to men serving sentences for a wide range of offences, often working with prisoners who’d committed serious violent crimes. Previously, Alice had been a nurse, working in the NHS. She now puts her experiences to good use in fiction. THE SERIAL KILLER’S WIFE draws heavily on her knowledge of psychology and the criminal mind.

The Girl Who Escaped from Auschwitz – ARC Book Review

The Girl Who Escaped from Auschwitz: A totally gripping and absolutely heartbreaking World War 2 page-turner, based on a true story by [Ellie Midwood]

“We must die standing up for something.”
“And what are we standing up for?”
“The most important thing there is. Freedom.”

Millions of people walked through Auschwitz’s gates, but she was the first woman who escaped. This powerful novel tells the inspiring true story of Mala Zimetbaum, whose heroism will never be forgotten, and whose fate altered the course of history…

Nobody leaves Auschwitz alive.

Mala, inmate 19880, understood that the moment she stepped off the cattle train into the depths of hell. As an interpreter for the SS, she uses her position to save as many lives as she can, smuggling scraps of bread to those desperate with hunger.

Edward, inmate 531, is a camp veteran and a political prisoner. Though he looks like everyone else, with a shaved head and striped uniform, he’s a fighter in the underground Resistance. And he has an escape plan.

They are locked up for no other sin than simply existing. But when they meet, the dark shadow of Auschwitz is lit by a glimmer of hope. Edward makes Mala believe in the impossible. That despite being surrounded by electric wire, machine guns topping endless watchtowers and searchlights roaming the ground, they will leave this death camp.

A promise is made––they will escape together or they will die together. What follows is one of the greatest love stories in history…

No. of pages:- 359 pages

Publisher:- Bookouture

Date published:- will be published on March 9th 2021

Genre:- Historical

A beautiful touching story, based on the real life story of Mala Zimetbaum, a Belgian Jew and Polish prisoner Edek and their romantic love story. Written by the same author who wrote the Violinist of Auschwitz, this story is touching and the ending was so emotional and tear breaking that I actually cried at the end. The writing was really good, touching and the author did a good job drawing the reader into the story. What makes it more emotional is the fact that the characters as well as the plot of the story was real and that these horrors did happen in real life more than seventy years ago.

A dramatic story, emotional and heartbreaking story about a brave and courageous couple–a Jew and a Pole who would overcome any hardship to get what they want–freedom–worth five stars!

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Ellie Midwood is a USA Today bestselling and award-winning historical fiction author. She owes her interest in the history of the Second World War to her grandfather, Junior Sergeant in the 2nd Guards Tank Army of the First Belorussian Front, who began telling her about his experiences on the frontline when she was a young girl. Growing up, her interest in history only deepened and transformed from reading about the war to writing about it. After obtaining her BA in Linguistics, Ellie decided to make writing her full-time career and began working on her first full-length historical novel, “The Girl from Berlin.” Ellie is continuously enriching her library with new research material and feeds her passion for WWII and Holocaust history by collecting rare memorabilia and documents.

In her free time, Ellie is a health-obsessed yoga enthusiast, neat freak, adventurer, Nazi Germany history expert, polyglot, philosopher, a proud Jew, and a doggie mama. Ellie lives in New York with her fiancé and their Chihuahua named Shark Bait.

Books Waiting to Read in March

Hey all!

Here are the books I am waiting for it to get published next month!!!

The Dating Plan by Sarah Desai

Even with a step-by-step plan, these fake fiances might accidentally fall for each other in this hilarious, heartfeltromantic comedy from the author of The Marriage Game.

Daisy Patel is a software engineer who understands lists and logic better than bosses and boyfriends. With her life all planned out, and no interest in love, the one thing she can’t give her family is the marriage they expect. Left with few options, she asks her childhood crush to be her decoy fiance.

Liam Murphy is a venture capitalist with something to prove. When he learns that his inheritance is contingent on being married, he realizes his best friend’s little sister has the perfect solution to his problem. A marriage of convenience will get Daisy’s matchmaking relatives off her back and fulfill the terms of his late grandfather’s will. If only he hadn’t broken her tender teenage heart nine years ago…

Sparks fly when Daisy and Liam go on a series of dates to legitimize their fake relationship. Too late, they realize that very little is convenient about their arrangement. History and chemistry aren’t about to follow the rules of this engagement.

2. Act Your Age , Eva Brown (The Brown sister series)

Act Your Age, Eve Brown (The Brown Sisters, #3)

In Act Your Age, Eve Brown the flightiest Brown sister crashes into the life of an uptight B&B owner and has him falling hard—literally.

Eve Brown is a certified hot mess. No matter how hard she strives to do right, her life always goes horribly wrong—so she’s given up trying. But when her personal brand of chaos ruins an expensive wedding (someone had to liberate those poor doves), her parents draw the line. It’s time for Eve to grow up and prove herself—even though she’s not entirely sure how…

Jacob Wayne is in control. Always. The bed and breakfast owner’s on a mission to dominate the hospitality industry—and he expects nothing less than perfection. So when a purple-haired tornado of a woman turns up out of the blue to interview for his open chef position, he tells her the brutal truth: not a chance in hell. Then she hits him with her car—supposedly by accident. Yeah, right.

Now his arm is broken, his B&B is understaffed, and the dangerously unpredictable Eve is fluttering around, trying to help. Before long, she’s infiltrated his work, his kitchen—and his spare bedroom. Jacob hates everything about it. Or rather, he should. Sunny, chaotic Eve is his natural-born nemesis, but the longer these two enemies spend in close quarters, the more their animosity turns into something else. Like Eve, the heat between them is impossible to ignore—and it’s melting Jacob’s frosty exterior.

3. Accidentally Engaged

Reena Manji doesn’t love her career, her single status, and most of all, her family inserting themselves into every detail of her life. But when caring for her precious sourdough starters, Reena can drown it all out. At least until her father moves his newest employee across the hall–with hopes that Reena will marry him.

But Nadim’s not like the other Muslim bachelors-du-jour that her parents have dug up. If the Captain America body and the British accent weren’t enough, the man appears to love eating her bread creations as much as she loves making them. She sure as hell would never marry a man who works for her father, but friendship with a neighbor is okay, right? And when Reena’s career takes a nosedive, Nadim happily agrees to fake an engagement so they can enter a couples video cooking contest to win the artisan bread course of her dreams.

As cooking at home together brings them closer, things turn physical, but Reena isn’t worried. She knows Nadim is keeping secrets, but it’s fine— secrets are always on the menu where her family is concerned. And her heart is protected… she’s not marrying the man. But even secrets kept for self preservation have a way of getting out, especially when meddling parents and gossiping families are involved

4.The Sweet Taste of Muscadine

A woman returns to her small southern hometown in the wake of her mother’s sudden death–only to find the past upended by stunning family secrets–in this intimate debut novel, written with deep compassion and sharp wit.

Lila Bruce Breedlove never quite felt at home in Wesleyan, Georgia, especially after her father’s untimely demise when she was a child. Both Lila and her brother, Henry, fled north after high school, establishing fulfilling lives of their own. In contrast, their younger sister, Abigail, opted to remain behind to dote on their domineering, larger-than-life mother, Geneva. Yet despite their independence, Lila and Henry know deep down that they’ve never quite reckoned with their upbringing.

When their elderly mother dies suddenly and suspiciously in the muscadine arbor behind the family estate, Lila and Henry return to the town that essentially raised them. But as they uncover more about Geneva’s death, shocking truths are revealed that overturn the family’s history as they know it, sending the pair on an extraordinary journey to chase a truth that will dramatically alter the course of their lives. The Sweet Taste of Muscadines reminds us all that true love never dies

5. Meet Me in Paradise

Marin Cole has never:
Seen the ocean
Climbed a mountain
Taken a risk on love
….But if her sister’s plan works, she just might do all three.

Ever since her journalist mother died on assignment, Marin has played it safe, refusing to set foot outside the state of Tennessee. Her wild-child younger sister, Sadie, has trotted the globe as a photographer, living off of art and adrenaline.

When Sadie returns from a tough assignment abroad and looks a little worse for wear, Marin reluctantly agrees to a sisters’ spa weekend on the tropical island of Saba. But her lifelong fear of travel is affirmed when Sadie misses the flight, Marin’s luggage gets mixed up with another passenger’s, and an episode of turbulence sends her hurtling into the lap of Lucas Tsai, the handsome stranger who stole her sister’s seat.

For the first time in a long time, Marin has to step outside of her comfort zone as she explores the island with Lucas and learns what she’s been missing out on. With each breathtaking new experience, Marin gets closer to her real self, the man she’s falling for, and the heart-wrenching truth about why she’s there in the first place.

The Dog Share – ARC Book Review

The Dog Share: the new feel-good romantic comedy from the #1 Kindle Best Selling author by [Fiona Gibson]

The next gloriously uplifting book from the #1 bestselling author of The Mum Who Got Her Life Back.

Suzy Medley is having a bad day…

… when a shabby terrier turns up at her door. Just like Suzy, Scout has been abandoned, although only Suzy has been left with a financial mess and a business in tatters thanks to her ex.

Suzy takes Scout in and her chaotic world changes in unexpected ways: strangers have never been more welcoming and her teenage kids can’t wait to come home to visit.

Then a chance encounter on a windy Hebridean beach makes things more complicated, because Suzy isn’t the only one who needs a friend.

Scout has plenty of love to go round… but does Suzy?

A wonderfully funny and uplifting story about friendship and second chances (and whisky!), perfect for fans of Gill Sims and Jill Mansell

No. of pages:- 354 pages

Publisher:-Avon

Date published:- will be published on March 4th 2021

Genre:- Humour

I hate giving a book low stars but unfortunately, this book was not just for me.

I have read Fiona Gibson’s books so I got this book and was excited to read it. I do enjoyed reading her books. Unfortunately, I didn’t very much enjoy the story as I expected it to be.

The plot was too confusing to me, at times I didn’t understand and it was really boring. The story is told from the perspectives of Suzy and Ricky. Suzy comes across a cute adorable dog and named the dog Scout and basically the story is all about how this dog changed Suzy’s life in general. The dog part is cute but nonetheless, I didn’t enjoy the story much like I used to in her previous books.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Avon for giving me this ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

Two Stars" photos, royalty-free images, graphics, vectors & videos | Adobe Stock

A View Across The Rooftops – Book Review

A View Across the Rooftops: An epic, heart-wrenching and gripping World War Two historical novel by [Suzanne Kelman]

1941, Nazi-occupied Amsterdam. An unforgettable story of love, hope and betrayal, and a testament to the courage of humanity in history’s darkest days.

As Nazis occupy his beloved city, Professor Josef Held feels helpless. So when he discovers his former pupil Michael Blum is trying to escape the Gestapo, he offers Michael a place to hide in his attic.

In the quiet gloom of the secret room, Michael talks of his beautiful, fearless girlfriend, Elke. Michael insists that not even the Nazis will come between them. But Elke is a non-Jewish Dutch girl, and their relationship is strictly forbidden.

Josef sees the passionate determination in his young friend’s eyes. Furious with the rules of the cruel German soldiers and remembering his own heartbreak, Josef feels desperate to give Michael and Elke’s love a chance. But then tragedy strikes, and Josef is faced with an impossible choice.

In the dark days of war, with danger and betrayal at every turn, no-one can be trusted. If Michael is to survive and get back to the woman he loves, it will be down to Josef – to find the hero inside himself, and do whatever it takes to keep Michael alive.

Even if it means putting his own life in mortal danger.

A heartbreakingly beautiful story about courage against the odds, perfect for fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, All The Light We Cannot See, and The Nightingale.

No. of pages:- 398 pages

Publisher:- Bookouture

Date published:- October 25th 2019

Genre:- Historical Fiction

If you bloggers know me, I love historical fictions but based on WWII and Holocaust. So this book is a perfect example based on WWII and Holocaust, during the Nazi occupation in Amsterdam. The story is about the lives of a university professor, Josef Held, who lost his wife twenty years ago, Michael Blum, a Jew in love with a Dutch girl named Elke, Hannah Pender, who is working at the university and is working with the resistance and Ingrid, Josef’s niece, working for the Nazis and in love with a Nazi. I felt at the edge of my seat, particularly the scene where Ingrid and her Nazi love enters into the Josef’s house while Michael is hiding in the attic and my heart beats rapidly, rapidly hoping he is not caught!! The story, though told from the third person point of view is told from the perspectives of these characters.

I must say, the author has done tremendous research on these topics. Quite similar to Anne Frank except, this is a work of fiction though based on real events. The emotions each of these characters are going through, how Josef made a split second decision to hide Michael up in the attic of his house for almost two years, how he and Michael soon developed a sense of camaraderie, Hannah’s emotions about how Jews were being treated and secretly getting involved with the Resistance and Ingrid, who is naïve and oblivious to Nazi’s atrocious treatments towards Jews and Dutch people alike. This was actually an emotional read, heart wrenching book to me. The author did a good job drawing the reader into the story!

Overall, I give this book five stars!

Suzanne Kelman is an Amazon international bestselling author in America, United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia and her books have sold over 250,000 copies worldwide and have been translated into six languages. Her WW2 historical fiction books “A View Across the Rooftops”, “When We Were Brave, and Under a Sky on Fire” are published by Bookouture – an imprint for Hachette U.K.

She is also the author of the bestselling book, “The Rejected Writers’ Book Club”, published by Lake Union, which is the first book in the Southlea Bay series. Other books in the series include, “Rejected Writers Take the Stage” and “The Rejected Writers’ Christmas Wedding”.

Kelman is an award-winning writer/screenwriter whose accolades include the Best Comedy Feature Screenplay Award from the L.A. International Film Festival, the Gold Award from the California Film Awards, and the Van Gogh Award from the Amsterdam Film Festival.

In 2015 her script, Held, was recognized by the Academy of Motion Pictures and was shortlisted to the top ten in the Academy Of Motion Pictures Nichols Fellowship competition.

As well as a screenwriter and a published author, Suzanne is also a playwright, and her award-winning comedy play, “Over My Dead Body”, had its World Premiere at Outcast Theatre in Washington, Fall 2019.

Born in the United Kingdom, Suzanne now resides in Washington State.

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