Tropical Girl Reads

Gossip Girl Book Tag! (Originalish)

OK, I have started my physical music classes that I actually couldn’t finish reading and I have started writing a book and taking some teaching English classes!!! More about it later. Anyway, today, I decided that I will do a book tag.

Gossip Girl is one of my favorite TV shows–back in the U.S., I used to watch every Mondays on CW but then when I moved to Sri Lanka I couldn’t keep up with the show–but then Netflix came and I managed to finish off the season.

There are tons of Gossip Girl book tags around the blogs but honestly, I don’t remember the descriptions, questions and everything, so I decided to create my own version of Gossip Girl Book Tag!

In this book tag, I will select the main Gossip Girl characters and then select a character from the book you have read. Simple as that. Oh and then select a book also based on the character description.

Here are some rules

*If you think this post is cool, then link the book tag to me! I am curious to find other people’s answers

*Tag at lease two people

So let’s start!

Blair Waldorf- a character/book you hated first then grown to love it in the end.

Character :- Madison Clark from The Moonglow Sisters

Madison and Blair seemed to have the same personality in my opinion–stubborn, selfish at times but loyal deep inside.

The book? The Rosie’s Project by Graeme Simsion

2. Chuck Bass – A love interest you hated but fell in love with

Chuck Bass was initially a villain but soon he became one of my favorite characters!

Character:- Luke Bennett from Coming Up Roses

Luke may not be a villain in the book but it’s a character who you hated first but then fell in love with.

Book :- Going La la by Alexandra Potter

3. Serena Van Der Woodsen–the IT girl with a good heart

Image result for serena van der woodsen gif

Serena is one of my favorite characters in Gossip Girl.

Character:- Coral from Fifth Avenue Story Society

Coral and Serena seemed to have the similar characteristic in my opinion–both are rich, high society girl although Coral was not the IT girl like Serena.

Book:- The Twenties Girl

4. Nate Archibald – a character you used swoon over and love but overgrew

I used to swoon over Nate Archibald but then soon got a little tired of this character.

Character:- Chris Harte from The Pact

Book:- The Longest Road by Nicholas Sparks

5. Dan Humphrey – The lonely boy with a talent

Character:- Benji from Beartown series!

Book:- South of the Buttonwood Tree

6. Jenny Humphrey – character/book that started well then went down the drain

I can’t think of a character but I can think of a book

Book:- Eight Perfect Murders by Peter Swanson

Eight Perfect Murders (Malcolm Kershaw, #1)

7. Vanessa Abrams – a character/book you really can’t stand

Again here, I only think of the book series

Book :- Fifty shades series

So here is my list and what are your opinions?

I tag Elaine Howlin and Books Teacups and Reviews!

Lexie and Theo – Friends with Benefits Book Review

Could Mr Right-Now actually be Mr Right?Lexie Whittle thought she had life all sewn up, with a gorgeous husband, a beautiful home and a delightful teenage stepson. Until husband Daryl left to work overseas…and everything changed.

A year later, Daryl and Lexie’s marriage is over. Lexie is fighting to stay on top of the bills, juggling her job at the Blue Parrot 1940s cafe in Leyholme with being mum and dad to Connor in Daryl’s absence.

The only thing keeping her from meltdown is the support she gets from Connor’s godfather: Theo Blake, Daryl’s former business partner. Theo might be a jack-the-lad, drifting from one woman to another, but Lexie knows she and Connor can depend on him.

After one too many glasses of wine leads to them falling into bed together, Lexie and Theo begin a friends-with-benefits relationship. What starts as just sex soon becomes something deeper.

But when Daryl returns, Lexie is faced with an impossible decision. Will she be forced to choose between her feelings for Theo and the boy she loves as a son?

No. of pages:- 300 pages

Date published:- 3rd February 2021

Genre:- Romance

Lexie is a stepmom to Connor and is kind of dating Theo, her boss at the Blue Parrot cafe and who happened to be Lexie’s husband. Daryl’s best friend and Connor’s godfather. Daryl is meanwhile in Japan with ambitions of opening up a Japanese restaurant in England and is training to be chef in Japan. Connor meanwhile is confused as he has both feelings towards girls and boys–Sophie and Oli. This book talks mainly about friendship, trust and unity among the family members and friends.

I really liked the plot, it was really enjoyable and the characters are all likable particularly, I really like Connor! He is so sweet and caring and I really do like the stepmom relationship between Lexie and Connor. I also like how romance developed between Lexie and Theo, who happens to be Connor’s godfather and Daryl, Lexie’s estranged husband. The writing was good, the author did a good job drawing the reader into the story and I do enjoyed this book. I do like the ending!

Overall, this was actually a good book! Worth four stars!

Lisa Swift grew up in rural West Yorkshire in the UK, right in the heart of Brontë country… and she’s still there. After graduating from Durham University with a degree in English Literature, she dallied with living in cities including London, Nottingham and Cambridge, but eventually came back with her own romantic hero in tow to her beloved Dales, where she first started telling stories about heroines with flaws and the men who love them.

Lisa also writes romantic comedies under the pen name Mary Jayne Baker.

Mattie and Ashlee — The Girl at the Back of the Bus , ARC Book Review

The Girl at the Back of the Bus: An absolutely heart-wrenching historical novel by [Suzette D. Harrison]

I watched in awe as Miz Rosa stopped those men on the bus with her clear, calm “no” and I thought about that word. What if I said no? What if I refused to follow the path these White folks wanted for us? What if I kept this precious baby?

Montgomery, Alabama, 1955
On a cold December evening, Mattie Banks packs a suitcase and leaves her family home. Sixteen years old and pregnant, she has already made the mistake that will ruin her life and disgrace her widowed mother. Boarding the 2857 bus, she sits with her case on her lap, hoping that the driver will take her away from disaster. Instead, Mattie witnesses an act of bravery by a woman named Rosa Parks that changes everything. But as Mattie strives to turn her life around, the dangers that first led her to run are never far away. Forging a new life in a harsh world at constant risk of exposure, Mattie will need to fight to keep her baby safe.

Atlanta, Georgia, present day
Ashlee Turner is going home. Her relationship in ruins, her career held back by prejudice, she is returning to the family who have always been her rock. But Ashlee’s home is not the safe haven she remembers. Her beloved grandmother is dying and is determined to share her story before she leaves…

When Ashlee finds a stack of yellowing letters hidden in her nana’s closet, she can’t help the curiosity that compels her to read, and she uncovers an old secret that could wreak havoc on her already grieving family. As she tries to make sense of what she has learned, Ashlee faces a devastating choice: to protect her loved ones from the revelations, or honor her grandmother’s wishes and follow the path to the truth, no matter where it may lead.

For readers of The Help, Orphan Train and Before We Were Yours comes a beautiful and heartbreaking novel about redemption, family secrets and the spirit of survival found at the hardest time.

No. of pages:- 310 pages

Date published:- 8th February 2021

Genre:- Historical fiction

1956- Mattie is sixteen, colored and pregnant–with a White boy child. She also witnessed Rosa Parks getting arrested for sitting at the white section, one of the pivotal moments in the Civil Rights History. Though Mattie is pregnant she is actually very studious and wants to become a writer…
Present Day – Ashlee is a successful lawyer but loses her promotion in the law firm to someone else. She is also in a relationship with Brad, who is White. She then gets the news that her Nana is on the deathbed and then rushes to be by her.

This story really moved me. I have studied about the civil rights movement in the American history and so the story it self was emotional and gripping. I like the lifestyle Mattie Banks had back when they are segregated and Ashlee who is able to live in privilege. The story is well written and the author did a good job, catching the reader into the story. The characters to me are all likable, particularly Mattie. This story reminded me a little from the book The Help, where at that time, in the South, Black women worked as maids to the White people houses. Mattie’s mother worked as a maid in Stanton Household, a privileged white family and their son, Edward was the father of Mattie’s unborn child. I mean, I couldn’t literally believe that many years ago, these things happened in real life, the segregation, the racial injustice but thanks to civil rights, Black people are able to live freely though still there is some racial injustice. The story is so realistic that sometimes, you couldn’t believe that things happened in real life.

Overall I rate this book as five stars!

Suzette D. Harrison, a native Californian and the middle of three daughters, grew up in a home where reading was required, not requested. Her literary “career” began in junior high school with the publishing of her poetry. While Mrs. Harrison pays homage to Alex Haley, Gloria Naylor, Alice Walker, Langston Hughes, and Toni Morrison as legends who inspired her creativity, it was Dr. Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings that unleashed her writing. The award-winning author of Taffy is a wife and mother who holds a culinary degree in Pastry & Baking. Mrs. Harrison is currently cooking up her next novel…in between batches of cupcakes.

Who is she really? Stranger in the House–Book Review

A Stranger in the House: From the bestselling author of The Couple Next Door by [Shari Lapena]

Why would you run scared from a happy home?

You’re waiting for your beloved husband to get home from work.

You’re making dinner, looking forward to hearing about his day.

That’s the last thing you remember.

You wake up in hospital, with no idea how you got there. They tell you that you were in an accident; you lost control of your car whilst driving in a dangerous part of town.

The police suspect you were up to no good. But your husband refuses to believe it. Your best friend isn’t so sure. And even you don’t know what to believe . . .

*****

No. of pages:- 296 pages

Date published:- July 27th 2017

Genre:- Psychological/Domestic thriller

Karen Krupp seemed to be having a happy married life with Tom Krupp. But one day, while preparing dinner for her husband, she suddenly barged out of the house and had gone to a sketchy area and got herself into a car accident. Tom didn’t understand what and why Karen was at that questionable place and what she was really doing there. Then detectives come into the house and start asking questions about a murder that happened in an abandoned restaurant, the day Karen got into the accident and not far from where Karen had her accident…

How much do you know your wife?

The plot of the story was good. However, it was not fast paced like I expected it to be and not much of twists and turns you would expect in a thriller. The author’s writing was however simple and not very complicated which was actually a good thing. And the other thing it was, the story was way too predictable so for me, it was just an OK thriller, not a die hard thriller.

Overall I give this book as three stars

Women and Children….The Girl from Silent Lake Book Review

The Girl from Silent Lake: A totally gripping and heart-pounding crime thriller (Detective Kay Sharp Book 1) by [Leslie Wolfe]

“Please, not in front of my daughter,” she pleaded. “She’s just a little girl.” He leaned closer, so close she felt his heated breath on her face. The blue jays that had been filling the valley with their chirping fell silent all at once when the woman’s cry ripped through the clear mountain air…

Detective Kay Sharp vowed she’d never return to her childhood home. On the night of her thirteenth birthday her broken family was shattered beyond repair, and leaving was the only option. Unable to fix her own past, she’s been an FBI profiler for over a decade, desperate to save others.

But now Kay’s back and only she can solve the crime that has rocked the tight-knit community of Mount Chester to its core. A dead woman has been found by Silent Lake under the dew-covered Fall leaves, her hair braided and her body wrapped in a blanket. This small town may be a stranger to murder, but Kay recognizes the signs of a serial killer. She’s certain that the ritualistic nature of the scene means it’s just a matter of time until he strikes again––unless she catches him first.

As yellow do-not-cross tape flaps in the biting wind, another woman is reported missing. Kay leads a frenzied search for out-of-towner Alison Nolan and when she locates her car, Kay’s blood turns to ice as she shines her flashlight on the backseat and sees a teddy bear. Alison’s six-year-old little girl, Hazel, has vanished too.

Kay knows the missing-person investigation could turn into a murder case at any second. But as she hunts for the culprit, her own past closes in on her. Can she find the killer before it’s too late? And will the secret she thought she’d buried stay that way?

A totally gripping and utterly addictive new crime thriller series for readers who love Lisa Regan, Robert Dugoni and Kendra Elliot. The Girl From Silent Lake gives “unputdownable” a whole new meaning!

No. of pages:- 373 pages

Date published:- 19th February 2021

Genre:- Psychological Thriller

Wow!!! That’s the word I am using to describe this book. It’s simply put my breath away that I finished this book in one go!

A series of abduction and murder of women were happening in Kay Sharp’s hometown. Kay is a FBI profiler who is working in San Francisco “resigns” from her job and moves to her childhood hometown, when her younger brother Jacob was put in jail for six months for punching someone at a bar. Kay being an experienced profiler had heard about these serial murders and had sent a letter to the local police, assessing what she profiled about the serial killer. With that Detective Elliot stops over at Kay’s house and together they work to find the serial killer before another woman goes missing…

This book literally threw my breath away! I couldn’t simply put the book down. The writing was intense and well written and kudos to the author, who did a good job drawing the reader into the story. Kay is a likable character and I was instantly warmed up to her character and I do like the partnership between Kay and Elliot–they seemed to be perfect! This book is also fast paced, which I like about the thriller books and there were unexpected twists and turns that you didn’t expect!

Overall, this was actually really good thriller that is unputdownable, with twists and turns and fast paced thriller. This is the first book of the Kay Sharp series and looking forward to read more books from this author. Worth five stars! Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC! This review is based on my honest opinion.

Leslie Wolfe is a bestselling author whose novels break the mold of traditional thrillers. She creates unforgettable, brilliant, strong women heroes who deliver fast-paced, satisfying suspense, backed up by extensive background research in technology and psychology.

Leslie released the first novel, Executive, in October 2011. It was very well received, including inquiries from Hollywood. Since then, Leslie published numerous novels and enjoyed growing success and recognition in the marketplace. Among Leslie’s most notable works, The Watson Girl (2017) was recognized for offering a unique insight into the mind of a serial killer and a rarely seen first person account of his actions, in a dramatic and intense procedural thriller.

Leslie enjoys engaging with readers every day and would love to hear from you.

The Lost Mother – ARC Book Review

The Lost Mother: A beautiful and heartbreaking World War 2 historical novel by [Catherine Hokin]

She looked at the empty cradle where her baby had been. Her heart felt tattered and empty, like the hollow streets of Berlin after its people began to live in fear.

Berlin, 1934. Homes once filled with laughter stand empty as the Nazi party’s grip on the city tightens. When AnnaTiegel’s beautiful best friend catches Reich Minister Goebbels’ special attention, an impulsive act to save her brings Anna under his unforgiving scrutiny. First, she loses her job, then slowly, mercilessly, she finds her life stripped away. After her father is killed by the Nazis, Anna’s final hope is to escape to America with her boyfriend Eddy, but when she reaches his apartment on the agreed date, she finds it deserted. Alone and pregnant, the future feels terrifying, but she must try to protect the life inside her.

Rhode Island, 1957. Peggy Bailey stares in shock at the faded photograph of two laughing women which her beloved adoptive mother struggled to pass on to her before she died, whispering ‘It was inside your baby blanket when we brought you home’. As Peggy continues to stare, she realises that she has seen one of the girls before, in the most unlikely of places… Bursting at the realisation, she embarks on a mission which takes her across America to find the truth behind her heritage. Nothing, however, could prepare her for the tragic story her actions uncover…

A poignant and beautiful World War Two story about survival and a mother’s enduring search for her child against all the odds. A heart-breaking read for fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, We Were the Lucky Ones and The Alice Network.

No. of pages:- 361 pages

Date published:- will be published on 28th January 2021

Genre:- Historical Fiction

The story is divided into Present Day set in 1957 and 1934 during the Nazi rule in Germany. In 1957, Peggy realizes that she was adopted when her adopted mother Joan gives her a picture of two women who happened to be German–and one of them is the famous Hollywood actress, Louise. As she flies all the way from Rhode Island to L.A. to cover about her birth mother did she finds out more about the history of her mother…

I do love historical fiction, mainly based on WWII and Holocaust, and this was actually a different kind of historical novel I read. Really do like the plot line. The writing was gripping and intense, the author did a good job drawing the reader into the story. There were some parts where it was too emotional and heartbreaking particularly Anna Tiegel who went through hardships after she left Berlin to escape from Goebbels’s revenge and that she was part Jewish to America, where she still couldn’t escape the fact that she was German. It was so heart wrenching and too sad. Overall, this book reminds me of We Were the Lucky Ones–emotional gripping and utterly wrenching story that will make you cry.

Worth five stars!

Welcome to my Amazon page and – if you’ve been here before – my brand new author image which was taken by my very brave husband (I’m not an easy person to catch with a camera). I seem to have followed a rather meandering career, including marketing and teaching and politics (don’t try and join the dots), to get where I have always wanted to be, which is writing historical fiction. I am a story lover as well as a story writer and nothing fascinates me more than a strong female protagonist and a quest. Hopefully those are what you will encounter when you pick up my books.
I am from the North of England but now live very happily in Glasgow with my American husband. Both my children have left home (one to London and one to Berlin) which may explain why I am finally writing. If I’m not at my desk you’ll most probably find me in the cinema, or just follow the sound of very loud music.
I’d love to hear from you and there are lots of ways you can find me, so jump in via my website https://www.catherinehokin.com/ or on my Cat Hokin FB page or on twitter @cathokin

Take A Hint, Dani Brown – Book Review

Take a Hint, Dani Brown: A Novel (The Brown Sisters Book 2) by [Talia Hibbert]

Named one of the Best Romances of 2020 by Apple, Kirkus, PW, Washington Post, NPR, BookPage, OprahMag, EW, Insider, Buzzfeed, Bustle, and Amazon!

USA Today bestselling author Talia Hibbert returns with another charming romantic comedy about a young woman who agrees to fake date her friend after a video of him “rescuing” her from their office building goes viral…

Danika Brown knows what she wants: professional success, academic renown, and an occasional roll in the hay to relieve all that career-driven tension. But romance? Been there, done that, burned the T-shirt. Romantic partners, whatever their gender, are a distraction at best and a drain at worst. So Dani asks the universe for the perfect friend-with-benefits—someone who knows the score and knows their way around the bedroom.

When big, brooding security guard Zafir Ansari rescues Dani from a workplace fire drill gone wrong, it’s an obvious sign: PhD student Dani and former rugby player Zaf are destined to sleep together. But before she can explain that fact to him, a video of the heroic rescue goes viral. Suddenly, half the internet is shipping #DrRugbae—and Zaf is begging Dani to play along. Turns out his sports charity for kids could really use the publicity. Lying to help children? Who on earth would refuse?

Dani’s plan is simple: fake a relationship in public, seduce Zaf behind the scenes. The trouble is, grumpy Zaf is secretly a hopeless romantic—and he’s determined to corrupt Dani’s stone-cold realism. Before long, he’s tackling her fears into the dirt. But the former sports star has issues of his own, and the walls around his heart are as thick as his… um, thighs.

The easy lay Dani dreamed of is now more complex than her thesis. Has her wish backfired? Is her focus being tested? Or is the universe just waiting for her to take a hint?

No. of pages :- 376 pages

Date published :- June 23rd 2020

Genre:- Interracial Romance

I have always wanted to read this book and had been on my want to read book list for a while. So when I found the audiobook on Scribd, I immediately grabbed a chance to read the book!

This is the second book of the Brown sisters but it’s not necessary to read the first book to go to the second book. This book is centered on one of the Brown sisters, Danika, known as “Dani” who is a professor at the university. While doing a fire drill exercise, she was carried by a handsome security officer Zaif, a British-Pakistani man and someone had taken a picture of the two and had posted all over Instagram. Zaif who is a rugby coach part time asks Dani if she could pretend that she is dating him, for some rugby charity. And soon, their fake dating soon turns into a romance.

I really like the interracial romance stories–you hardly get these types of novels so this was kind of new to me. This book was funnily written that there were parts where I actually did burst into laughing. I do particularly like the character of Zaif–he seems to be a gentle type of person and so he became one of my favorite characters in the book. There were steamy romance scenes in the book but then I did like how relationship between Zaif and Dani. I must say, I really do like the author’s style of writing and she did a good job, engaging the reader into the story! This book is really unputdownable, cheesy sort of romance that will make you laugh and cry!

Overall, I give this book as five stars!

Talia Hibbert is a USA Today bestselling author who lives in a bedroom full of books. Supposedly, there is a world beyond that room—but she has yet to drum up enough interest to investigate. She writes steamy stories of passion, love, and sarcasm, then hawks them online because she just can’t help herself.

Want to keep up with Talia’s sexy, diverse romances? Follow her online:

★ Newsletter ➙ https://www.taliahibbert.com/viplist/

★ Website ➙ https://taliahibbert.com

The Catch – Book Review

The Catch: The perfect escapist thriller from the Sunday Times million-copy bestselling author of Richard & Judy pick The Holiday by [T.M. Logan]

She says he’s perfect. I know he’s lying . . .

He caught me watching, and our eyes met. That was when it hit me.
There was something not quite right about my daughter’s new boyfriend . . .

The doting father

Ed finally meets his daughter’s boyfriend for the first time. Smart, successful and handsome, Ryan appears to be a real catch. Then Abbie announces their plan to get married.

The perfect fiancé

There’s just one problem. Ed thinks Ryan is lying to them.

Who would you believe?

All of Ed’s instincts tell him his daughter is in terrible danger – but no-one else can see it. With the wedding date approaching fast, Ed sets out to uncover Ryan’s secrets, before it’s too late . . .

The Catch is such utterly compulsive reading you just *have* to talk about it. it broke all records for the number of comments left when serialised by Pigeonhole.

No. of pages:- 339 pages

Date published:- April 30th 2020

Genre:- Psychological Thriller

I had always wanted to read T.M Logan’s books as I have heard many raving views about his book. This book was no exception and I finally got this book.

Abbie, Ed’s beloved daughter and only child introduces her boyfriend Ryan Wilson to her parents, Ed and Claire. When Ryan proposes to Abbie and wants to marry her in a month’s time, both Ed and Claire were shocked and surprised at their sudden engagement and their sudden plan to get married soon in a matter of weeks. While Claire seemed to warm up to Ryan, Ed was suspicious about Ryan and thinks that something is hidden underneath Ryan’s perfect character…

Personally, I did like the book but I didn’t die hard for the book. The first part of the story was a bit boring but it started to build up its climax gradually from the middle towards the end. Some parts of the story was a bit unrealistic–for example, I do understand Ed’s concern about Ryan but then who on earth would risk on their own job to stalk behind Ryan? That part was a bit unrealistic. But other than that, the ending was a nail biting scene and over all it was actually a great thriller.

Worth four stars in my opinion!

CCSD Schools Earn High Marks for School Climate - Dean Rusk Middle School

TM Logan’s thrillers have sold more than a million copies in the UK and are published in 19 countries around the world including the USA, South Korea, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Poland, Hungary, Serbia, Romania, Greece and the Netherlands.

Tim’s latest thriller, THE CATCH, is out now in paperback, e-book and audiobook. THE CATCH is about a father who becomes convinced his daughter is about to marry a man with terrible secrets. Terrified that his cherished only child is about to marry a man who is not what he seems, Ed sets out to uncover the truth – before it’s too late…

His novel THE HOLIDAY was a Richard & Judy Book Club pick and spent ten weeks in the Sunday Times paperback top ten. THE HOLIDAY takes place over a sweltering summer week in the south of France, as four best friends see the holiday of a lifetime turn into a nightmare of suspicion, betrayal and murder. Tim’s debut LIES was one of Amazon’s biggest selling e-books of 2017 and was followed by 29 SECONDS in 2018.

His next thriller, TRUST ME, will be published in the UK on 18th March, 2021.

Tim was a national newspaper journalist before turning to novel-writing full time. He lives in Nottinghamshire with his wife and two children, and writes in a cabin at the bottom of his garden.

For exclusive writing, new releases and a FREE deleted scene from Tim, sign up to the Readers’ Club: http://www.bit.ly/TMLogan. You can also follow him on Twitter @TMLoganAuthor, find him on Facebook at /TMLoganAuthor, on Instagram @TMLoganAuthor or on his website at http://www.tmlogan.com

The Shadow Man – ARC Book Review

The Shadow Man: The most gripping crime thriller of 2021 from the bestselling author of books like Perfect Remains by [Helen Fields]

The brand new crime thriller from the bestselling author of the Perfect series – Helen Fields is back with her first stand-alone novel!

He collects his victims. But he doesn’t keep them safe.

Elspeth, Meggy and Xavier are locked in a flat. They don’t know where they are, and they don’t know why they’re there. They only know that the shadow man has taken them, and he won’t let them go.

Desperate to escape, the three of them must find a way out of their living hell, even if it means uncovering a very dark truth.

Because the shadow man isn’t a nightmare. He’s all too real.

And he’s watching.

Helen Fields is back with a heart-pounding new book, perfect for fans of Cara Hunter and Stuart MacBride.

No. of pages:- 400 pages

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

Genre:- Psychological Thriller

A man kidnaps a woman, a child and a young man as he wanted to create a family and is delusional. The victims, Elspeth, Meggy and Xavier are all locked up in an apartment by some one named Fergus and only Fergus could let him go. And while they find a way to escape from his apartment, they realize that they were not the first victims as they find skeletal remains on the floorboard…

I really do like the plotline of the story–this type of plot is really rare and it was creepy, disturbing and horror, like I felt as if I am watching some kind of horror story. I do like how the three victims unite together to try to attack their abductor and escape and the descriptions about the abductor, Fergus sounded creepy and weird to me. Really, I felt like I am in some sort of horror movie. Only thing is, I felt (my personal opinion) that the police details were not really necessary.

Overall, I rate this book four stars!

Helen Fields lives in Hampshire with her husband, three children and two dogs. Originally having studied law at UEA, Helen spent thirteen years working as a criminal and family law barrister. She co-owns and runs a media company – Wailing Banshee – with her husband David. Her debut crime novel, Perfect Remains, was released in January 2017 and quickly became an Amazon bestseller. This is a Scottish set detective series, the second book ‘Perfect Prey’ coming out on 27 July 2017. The third book will be released in 2018. Previously Helen had self-published cross-over fantasy books, The Immolation of Eve and The Vengeance of Legion, just to flew her newly forming writing muscles. She enjoyed the process so much that she decided to take it to the net step. As a result she is now represented by Caroline Hardman at the Hardman & Swainson agency, and is published by the Avon imprint of HarperCollins. Helen can be reached via Twitter if you have any questions or comments, on @Helen_Fields. If you really like her, send her liquorice!

The Girl from the Mountains – ARC Book Review

The Girl from the Mountains: Absolutely heartbreaking and gripping World War 2 historical fiction by [Chrystyna Lucyk-Berger]

The story of one young woman’s exceptional courage in the darkest of times, set in the stunningly atmospheric mountains of Czechoslovakia during the Second World War.

1938: Magda has led a sheltered life in her small village until the day she is forced from her home by the invading Nazi army. Torn away from her family and the only place she has ever known, she is offered refuge in an alpine villa owned by brilliant Dr Tauber and his talented, beautiful wife.

But despite having friends in high places, the Jewish Taubers are living on borrowed time. When the Gestapo come to arrest them, Magda is asked to protect something more precious than the silver and jewels they leave behind. Their newborn son Samuel.

Magda turns to the local Resistance, who hide Samuel nearby. Determined to help them and save her country, Magda remains in the house to serve the Nazi commander, passing messages and supplies to the secret network. But when she is caught, Magda is forced to flee into the high mountains with a price on her head.

With the Nazis in pursuit, and nothing left to lose, Magda takes up arms with a band of partisan fighters in the hope of rescuing the Taubers and reuniting them with Samuel. Even if it might mean laying down her life to win the freedom of those she loves…

This heartbreaking wartime epic of love, bravery and survival will stay with you long after you have turned the final page. Perfect for fans of My Name is Eva, The Alice Network and The German Midwife.

No. of pages:- 324 pages

Date published:- will be published on February 3rd 2021

Genre:- Historical fiction

This story is based on during WWII but instead, it talks about the courageous and brave partisans who fought against the Nazis. Based in Czechoslovakia between 1938 to 1945, Magdalene who is known as Magda goes to work as a sort of governess to a rich Jewish family, the Taubers. However with the Nazis taking over Europe, Taubers due to their Jewish background were sent off to the ghettos. But not before Frau Tauber entrusts their baby son, Samuel into Magda’s care. Magda then soon becomes a part of partisans group, rebelling against the Nazis while at the same time her heart aching for Samuel.

This is actually really a powerful and emotional story. What makes this story more special to me was, we know these events did take part in real life–the Nazi brutality, the treatment towards Jews and Partisans and the members of the Partisans willingly sacrifice their own lives to fight against the Nazis. To me, Magda is such a truly inspirational, courageous and brave girl, who is willing to risk her own life to protect her loved ones. This book actually kept me all night and I finished this book with tears in my eyes after I read the ending! It was really good and emotional as well!

This book is a powerful, gripping story and unputdownable that will make you cry and support all those brave and courageous men and women who fought against the Nazis and defeated them. Worth five stars!

Thank You Netgalley and Bookouture for this ARC! The review is based on my honest opinion.

Free 5 Star Png, Download Free Clip Art, Free Clip Art on Clipart Library

IPPY Book Award 2020 silver medal winner for SOUVENIRS FROM KIEV: Ukraine and Ukrainians in WWII.

Long-listed in the Flash500 Novel Competition 2017 for No Man’s Land/The Breach

Winner of the Flash500 Short Story Competition with an extract from Bolzano.

Winner of the Coffee Pot Book Club Book Award Box and Box Set of the Year 2019 for the Reschen Valley Box Set.

A Discovered Diamond, shortlisted for Book of the Month July 2019, Reschen Valley Box Set
Reader’s Favorite 5-star reviews for Bolzano, The Smuggler of Reschen Pass, and Magda’s Mark (featured in The Road to Liberation Collection).

HNS International Short Story 2nd Place Winner 2014 for Souvenirs from Kiev (short story in the Souvenirs from Kiev collection)

Chrystyna Lucyk-Berger was born in Minnesota in 1969 and grew up in the culture-rich neighborhood of “Nordeast” Minneapolis. She started her writing career with short stories, travel narratives, worked as a journalist and then as a managing editor for a magazine publisher before jumping the editor’s desk and pursuing her dreams of writing and traveling. In 2000, she moved to western Austria and established her own communications training company. She has won several awards for her short stories and novels and now primarily writes historical fiction. During a trip into northern Italy over the Reschen Pass, she stood on the edge of Reschen Lake and desperately wanted to understand how a 15th-century church tower ended up sticking out of the water. What stories were lying beneath? Some eight years later, she launched the “Reschen Valley” series with five books and a novella releasing between 2018 and 2021, in parallel to her WW2 novels and short story collections.

For more on Chrystyna, dive in at inktreks(dot)com.