Tropical Girl Reads

Aunt Ivy’s Cottage – Book Review

Aunt Ivy's Cottage: A totally gripping and emotional page turner by [Kristin Harper]

Clearing out the attic, Zoey opens the carved trunk and smiles as she picks up the small, leather-bound diary hiding inside. Curious, she leafs through the pages, and realises this will change everything…

All Zoey’s happiest childhood memories are of her great-aunt Ivy’s rickety cottage on Dune Island, snuggling up with hot chocolate and hearing Ivy’s stories about being married to a sea captain. Now, heartbroken from a breakup, Zoey escapes back to the island, but is shocked to find her elderly aunt’s spark fading. Worse, her cousin—next in line to inherit the house—is pushing Ivy to move into a nursing home.

With the family clashing over what’s best for Ivy, Zoey is surprised when Nick, a local carpenter and Ivy’s neighbor, takes her side. As Zoey finds comfort in his sea-blue eyes and warm laugh, the two grow close. Together, they make a discovery in the attic that links the family to the mysterious and reclusive local lighthouse keeper…

Now Zoey has a heartbreaking choice to make. Nick’s urging her to share the discovery, which could keep Ivy in the house she’s loved her whole life… but when Zoey learns that Nick and her cousin go way back, she questions if the man she‘s starting to have feelings for really has Ivy’s best interests at heart. Will dredging up this old secret destroy the peace and happiness of Ivy’s final years—and tear this family apart for good?

No. of pages:- 294 pages

Date published:- 7th December 2020

Genre:- Literary

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

Zoey returns back to the Dune Island to her aunt, Aunt Ivy’s cottage after her failed relationship and her loss of job. She loves hearing stories from Aunt Ivy particularly her whirlwind romance with a Captain Denny. When her other Aunt Sylvia dies, Zoey temporarily moves into Aunt Ivy’s cottage taking care of Aunt Ivy. Meanwhile, her cousin, Mark is determined to lease out the cottage as her thinks Aunt Ivy is old and forgetful and needs to be in a care home and Zoey’s niece, Gabi joins them from California.

I really enjoyed reading this book–I really like the sister relationship particularly between Jessica and Zoey, and Ivy and Sylvia. I also like the slow budding romance between Zoey and Nick, who is the handyman and who repairs around Aunt Ivy’s Cottage, This story is warm filled with family drama that will keep the reader into the story as if they were a part of the Winslow family. I also like that in between all the drama is a mystery about Mark as well.

Overall, this is a good, family story, talking about the bonding and relationship with family and a book that you wouldn’t want to put down. Worth four stars! I really enjoyed reading this book that I couldn’t put the book down!

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

If this book interests you, you can pre-order your copy now on Amazon as it will be released on December 7th 2020!

Death on West End Road- Book Review

Finally I am back with a book review! Death on West End Road by Carrie Doyle is a part of Hampton Murder series.

Death on West End Road (Hamptons Murder Mysteries Book 3) by [Carrie Doyle]

There are two things Hamptons innkeeper and sleuth Antonia Bingham can’t resist—carbs and an unsolved murder!

Despite a busy high-season schedule and an inn booked to capacity, Antonia has agreed to investigate a cold case in her beloved adopted hometown, East Hampton, NY: the killing of Susie Whitaker, whose brutal 1990 slaying on a tennis court in the poshest part of town was never solved.

And the person who has hired Antonia? Prime suspect Pauline Framingham, a manipulative pharmaceutical heiress from a powerful family. As Antonia attempts to unravel the mysteries of the past she unearths even darker secrets and ultimately wonders if it would have been best to let sleeping dogs lie. To make matters worse, past acquaintances and love interests reappear in the Hamptons, disrupting Antonia’s world and causing her to scurry to the fridge for comfort.

Join Antonia for this gripping new installment in the Hamptons Murder Mystery series from Carrie Doyle! Death on West End Road is an entertaining mystery that will keep you guessing right up until the end.

No. of pages:- 352 pages

Date published:- November 24th 2020

Genre:- Cozy thriller

Thank You Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book! This review is based on my honest opinion.

This is the third book of the Hampton Murder Series but this is the first time I have read from Carrie Doyle and the first time I am reading the book. The book is based on Antonia, who owns an inn and who part time acts sort of a Nancy Drew solving murder mysteries. First of all, I really like the cover design of this book so five stars for the

In this book, Pauline Framingham, who is actually a wealthy but manipulative woman hires Antonia initially to solve the murder case of her friend Susie, who was murdered in the Franmingham’s tennis court back in 1990. The main suspect at that time was Pauline but due to her father’s wealth and reputation status, she was able to get away from the case. Antonia, along with Larry tries to find the killer behind Susie’s murder and at the same time, Antonia running and dealing with the drama in the inn. To be honest, I really enjoyed reading the book. It was cozy and the author did a good job engaging the reader into the story. It was also funny in some parts and nearly everyone in the book was a suspect that you don’t really know who is the actually killer! Overall this is actually an enjoyable and fun mystery thriller to read and you will soon hooked into the story. Four stars!

Carrie Doyle was the founding Editor-in- Chief of the Russian edition of Marie Claire Magazine. She is currently a Contributing Editor of Hamptons Magazine and has written extensively for Harper’s Bazaar, Town & Country and has also written for Women’s Health and Avenue on the Beach. With Jill Kargman, Carrie co-wrote the film Intern (which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 1999), as well as several screenplays sold to Showtime, Paramount Pictures, Nickelodeon Films and the Oxygen Network. Carrie and Jill co-wrote five books together, including three teen books for HarperCollins and two bestselling women’s fiction books, The Right Address and Wolves in Chic Clothing (Broadway Books). Carrie also penned the popular novel The Infidelity Pact (Broadway Books). Carrie lives in New York City with her husband and two children and is currently at work on an animated series for broadcast as well as her new series, the Hamptons Murder Mysteries.

Long Time No See

I know I have not been posting any blogs for the past few days. That’s because, I was a bit busy with my online classes (for those of you don’t know me, I am a piano teacher) and I have been a bit too lazy to read these days. But don’t worry, I’ll be back with blog posts more soon!

Her Sister’s Child – Book Review

Her Sister's Child: A heart-stopping psychological thriller with an incredible twist by [Alison James]

She rolls over and reaches for her instinctively: her baby. Her hand hits air and flaps redundantly. She stumbles out of bed and switches on the light. But this only confirms it. The baby is gone. Someone has taken her.

Sixteen years ago, Lizzie Armitage woke to find her newborn baby gone. Just days later, Lizzie was dead.

Her sister Paula swore she would do everything she could to find the child. If she hadn’t promised to keep Lizzie’s pregnancy secret, maybe the baby wouldn’t have disappeared. And maybe Lizzie would still be alive. But, in nearly a decade, Paula’s never found any trace. Until now…

When Paula bumps into an old friend from the past, she realises she wasn’t the only one who knew about her sister’s child. Someone knows what happened that day. Someone knows where Lizzie’s baby went.

But can Paula find out the truth before another family is ripped apart?

No. of pages:- 351 pages

Date published :- 26th November 2020

Genre:- Psychological Thriller

Thank You Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC! This review is strictly based on my honest opinion.

Paula Armitage along with Johnny finds that her sister’s child has been missing and they both try to find the child. Meanwhile, a girl named Charlie was pregnant and wants to keep the baby though her parents want her to abort the baby.

To me, I do like the plot line. The plot was really intriguing and gripping and has you guessed till the end. However, at some points, I was confused in some of the pages. The story is told from Paula, Charlie and a woman named Marian’s perspectives and there’s a change in the time line from 2003 to the Present. There were also too many characters in the book so I was left confused about the characters. However, the good thing is, it was a good thriller, quiet fast paced and is intriguing–worth four stars!

I’ve been a fan of crime writing and thrillers since I was in my teens, and I still love reading new crime fiction.

I studied criminal law and worked for several years as a paralegal on serious crime cases including rape, murder and fraud. This meant my working day involved liaising with police detectives and watching them solve cases. It was only some years later, after a stint writing for TV drama, that I realised my experience working in crime qualified me to write police procedurals myself.

After a few attempts at coming up with characters, Detectives Rachel Prince and Mark Brickall came into being, and their first three cases will all be published in 2018. There’ll be more of them to come in 2019, so watch this space!

Wildflower Graves – Book Review

Sorry guys I was delayed! There was an issue with the internet but I am back and so here’s my review!

Wildflower Graves: A totally gripping mystery thriller (Detective Ellie Reeves Book 2) by [Rita Herron]

The darkness closed around her. She tried to clear her vision, but there was no light, no noise, nothing. Only the emptiness, the echoing sound of being alone. Fear pulsed through her. The man had come out of nowhere. Who was he? Blinking away tears of frustration, in the pitch black she felt the floor and walls surrounding her. Cold. Steel. Bars.

Detective Ellie Reeves heads into the wilds of the Appalachian Mountains when she wants to get lost––to forget the whispers chasing her and the past that keeps her up at night. She’s sick of having to prove herself to her small town.

But hiking in the endless miles of woods isn’t the escape she was hoping for. One night, as dusk falls, a gust of wind blows some petals on to Ellie’s path. Following the trail, she finds a golden-haired young woman dead on a bed of daffodils, with a note: Monday’s child is fair of face.

When Ellie emerges from the forest, there is a message on her phone. Someone has sent her a picture of her colleague, Officer Shondra Eastwood, with the words: Can you find her, Detective Reeves? Ellie is racked with guilt––while she was busy hiding from life a killer was on the loose, and he has taken her beloved friend.

The wilderness, and its shadows, are the perfect hunting ground for a criminal––but what does the sinister nursery rhyme mean? It soon becomes clear when another dead woman, Tuesday’s Child, is found.

Ellie is up against a serial killer who will claim a victim for every day of the week, and in the next twenty-four hours there will be another body. As this ruthless murderer closes in on her, can she save more innocent women––and Shondra––from his clutches? Or will he get to Ellie first?

An utterly gripping and completely breathless crime thriller for fans of Lisa Regan, Kendra Elliot and Melinda Leigh. You’ll have trouble falling asleep after this heart-pounding page-turner!

No. of pages:- 439 pages

Date published:- will be published on 3rd December 2020

Genre:- Thriller

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

This is the continuation of the Detective Ellie Reeves’ series. The first book, The Silent Dolls, was really good that it had me reading up till night–it was really good. So when this second book came along, I was excited too and couldn’t wait to read it. And I must say, I was not disappointed.

A man is murdering women brutally each day, based on the infamous nursery rhyme. And he is specifically targeting Ellie as he tells them where the women’s bodies are. Ellie must find out the “Weekday Killer” and then the search for the killer became more urgent when the killer kidnaps Deputy Shondra Eastwood and Ellie realized that time is running out before he kills Shondra.

I was so hooked into the story! It was intriguing, gripping as if I was riding in a roller coaster ride with Ellie Reeves. It had me at the edge of the seat and I read it in one go! A truly fast paced psychological thriller, that will keep you awake at night, scary and gruesome too some parts, and doing guessing games as to who would be the so called killer. I really enjoyed this book and I felt this book is better than the first book. Of course, while Ellie is investigating the serial killer case, she has to deal with how the town is coping with the fact that her parents had been almost helping Hiram, the killer in the first book and how she is dealing with her relationship with her adopted parents.

Overall, I had to say–I was not disappointed. It had me guessing at the end, which I really like, quiet a page turner with tons of twists and turns you will not expect and had you keep awake at all night wanting more–completely worth five stars in my opinion!

USA Today Bestselling and award-winning author Rita Herron fell in love with books at the ripe age of eight when she read her first Trixie Belden mystery. But she didn’t think real people grew up to be writers, so she became a teacher instead. Now she writes so she doesn’t have to get a real job.

With over ninety books to her credit, she’s penned romantic suspense, romantic comedy, and YA novels, but she especially likes writing dark romantic suspense and crime fiction set in small southern towns.

For more on. Rita and her titles, visit her at http://www.ritaherron.com. You can also find her on Facebook/ritaherron.com and Twitter @ritaherron.

The Stranger in My Bed – Book Review

The Stranger in My Bed: An utterly gripping psychological thriller by [Karen King]

‘We have a patient who has been involved in a serious accident. We believe he’s your husband.’

When Freya first met Phil, she thought he was the man of her dreams. He bought her roses every week, booked surprise trips to sun-soaked destinations, and showed her affection like she’d never experienced before. But over time the dream has become a violent nightmare. And now Freya is packing her bags, knowing it’s time she escaped their increasingly broken marriage.

But then Freya gets a visit from the police. Phil’s been in a horrific car crash and – as he comes around – it becomes clear that he remembers nothing since their blissful honeymoon two years before, back when their relationship was perfect. All he wants is to be happily married again.

Freya knows giving him another chance could be dangerous. But now he’s the one who needs her, it’s a chance to turn the tables, and to change the outcome of their relationship once and for all. After all, he will only know what she chooses to tell him…

But what really happened during those two years of marriage? And as they start over again, who is safe? And whose life is in danger?

Fans of The Girl on the Train, Behind Closed Doors and Date Night, who are looking for a dark, gripping psychological suspense novel, will love The Stranger in My Bed.

No. of pages:- 295 pages

Date published – will be published on 23rd November 2020

Genre:- Domestic Thriller

Thank You Netgalley, Bookouture and Karen King for the ARC of this book! The review is based on my honest opinion.

Freya seems to be having an abusive marriage with Phil, her husband. She was going to leave him when Phil meets with an accident and then doesn’t remember the past two years of his life–literally the time of their marriage. Will Phil remain that kind, doting husband she used to love or will he return back to his normal angry self?

For me, this story started out great at first. The story is told from the perspectives of Freya, Phil, and Daisy. As a result, we don’t know which character is telling the real story here as different characters are telling from their point of view and the reader is left confused. However, towards the end of the chapter, it was a bit predictable and the ending to me was a bit lame. There were no twits and turns you would expect in a thriller and sadly, this book is not really my cup of tea. I knew how the story was going to turn out to be.

Overall, it was an OK thriller–worth three stars.

Karen King is a multi-published bestselling author of fiction for both adults and children. She has also written several short stories for women’s magazines.

Currently published by Bookouture and Headline. Karen has recently signed a two-book deal with Bookouture to write psychological thrillers. The first one will be out in November, and the second one in 2021. She is also contracted to write three romance novels for Headline, which will be out in 2021 and 2022

Trust Me – Book Review

Trust Me: An absolutely gripping and unputdownable psychological thriller by [Sheryl Browne]

Emily and Jake are the perfect couple. Or so everyone says. But Emily just read a letter that has shattered her perfect world. Now she only has one thing on her mind… which one of her friends is sleeping with her husband?

Emily watches Jake as he makes small talk with their children, still the perfect man she married years ago. But when the phone rings and he answers before quickly putting it down again, she sees the look on her husband’s face – guilt. She knows the signs – after all, she’s been lying to him for years.

Working with Jake at the local doctor’s surgery, Emily starts to listen at closed doors and read things she shouldn’t, hoping to find the truth about her husband. Soon she learns that hers isn’t the only family telling lies to each other. Is there anyone Emily can trust? And who is behind the letter to Jake?

When a second letter, revealing a wife’s hidden pregnancy, is sent to the woman’s husband, it has disastrous consequences. And as more angry letters revealing people’s biggest secrets begin to appear, fingers point at Emily. After all, she’s the one with access to everyone’s private history, and she’s the one with a score to settle. Emily says she didn’t do it. But this isn’t the first time Emily has lied. What happens next will have you questioning everything…

You might have already decided that Emily is guilty, but as each twist is revealed, you’ll begin to doubt everyone in this quiet little town. This is a psychological thriller that will keep you up all night!

If you enjoyed The Girl on the Train, My Lovely Wife and Behind Closed Doors, you will love this thrilling psychological thriller from bestselling author Sheryl Browne. Trust Me will have you hooked from the start.

No. of pages:- 338 pages

Date published:- will be published on 20th November 2020

Genre:- Thriller

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

Emily and Jake Meridian are perfect couple in everyone eyes in the village. But Emily has a secret as she blames herself for the death of her twin sister Kara. And then one day, Emily gets an unknown email, claiming that Jake is having an affair…

This is the second book I have read from this author, the first book The New Girlfriend was really good so I was looking forward to read this one. This was good–the story was a bit fast paced, there’s some sort of thrill going on in the story and we are actually wondering as a reader what Emily’s secret is.. The series of letters that are received afterwards causing rifts between the other families as well as causing havoc in Emily’s marriage with Jake so we are wondering who is sending these letters. There are suspects as well so as a reader we could guess. The ending was however unexpected, though I thought it was a bit lame in my opinion.

Overall it was a good thriller, though not gripping and sort of thriller that will keep you on the edge of the seat…worth three stars!

Bestselling Author, Sheryl Browne, writes taut, twisty psychological thriller. A member of the Crime Writers’ Association and the Romantic Novelists’ Association, Sheryl has several books published and two short stories in Birmingham City University anthologies where she completed her MA in Creative Writing. Sheryl has also obtained a Certificate of Achievement in Forensic Science and – according to readers – she makes an excellent psychopath. Sheryl’s latest psychological thriller THE NEW GIRLFRIEND comes to you from fabulous BOOKOUTURE. Her previous works include the DI Matthew Adams Crime Thriller series, along with contemporary fiction novels, The Rest of My Life and Learning to Love published by ChocLit.

Sheryl lives in Worcestershire UK with her husband and her timid rescue dog, Brie, whose little back legs were pinned after a road accident. She expects her family to grow, however. imminent arrivals being other rescue dogs with disabilities who need that extra special bit of love and care.

To find out more about Sheryl’s novels, go to http://www.facebook.com/SherylBrowne.Author/ or follow @SherylBrowne on Twitter. To find out more about Sheryl, go to http://www.sherylbrowne.com

Game of Cones – Book Review

Game of Cones (A Lickety Splits Mystery Book 4) by [Cynthia Baxter]

As stormy weather puts a freeze on business at Lickety Splits, Kate McKay doesn’t waffle around scooping up new clientele at a historic hotel. But her hopes of becoming the Hudson Valley’s reigning ice cream queen melt fast when murder checks in . . .

From the moment Kate arrives at the imposing Mohawk Mountain Resort, not even luggage brimming with hot fudge can sweeten her stay. Instead of savoring alone time with her on-again boyfriend Jake and leading workshops on whipping together delectable frosty treats, she finds herself stranded at the isolated hotel with a small group of nutty characters—and a dead body.

When the corpse of wealthy cosmetics executive Bethany La Montaigne is suddenly found following a blackout, any of the five strangers trapped with Kate and Jake could be the killer. Chilled to the core, Kate vows to discover whether the victim’s mortal enemy was a smooth-talking playboy, bubbly millennial, mousy librarian, charming Englishman, or the Mohawk’s creepy general manager . . .

Bethany’s life was chock full of scandals and there’s little doubt that someone refused to endure another taste. With just a sprinkling of clues, it’s up to Kate to bring justice to a culprit who believes that revenge is a dish best served cold . . .

Includes mouthwatering ice cream recipes from the Lickety Splits Ice Cream Shoppe!

No. of pages :- 220 pages

Date published:- will be published on November 24th 2020

Genre:- Mystery

Thank You Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the ARC! This review is based on my honest opinion.

Kate McKay owns an ice cream shop and together with her boyfriend, Jake goes to Mohawk Hotel, which is said to be sort of haunted and owned by an eccentric Mrs. Moody. However, there was a storm and a large tree fell across the road, preventing them from leaving the place. Kate is hosting an ice cream workshop at the place and there were other people who also came to attend the workshop–Bethany and her boyfriend Jake, Yoko, Fanny and Naveen. Then a power goes off and Bethany was found murdered, stabbed. Who has killed Bethany?

I kind of enjoyed reading this book. This book is more like a cozy mystery thriller with Kate acting as as Nancy Drew. Each of the people in the workshop had their own vendetta against Bethany so it was kind of interesting to know who would be the killer. Also, learning about the different types of ice cream particularly the history of ice cream was interesting and I kind of learned a bit about ice cream. However, it was not really fast paced, a little bit of unnecessary parts but it was good thriller and quiet enjoyable and also sometimes funny.

Overall, this is a good thriller–learning about ice cream history is a plus factor and which I actually enjoyed reading. Worth four stars!

CCSD Schools Earn High Marks for School Climate - Avery Elementary School

Cynthia Baxter is the author of three mystery series. In addition to her current series, the Lickety Splits Ice Cream Shoppe mysteries, she wrote the Reigning Cats & Dogs mystery series, featuring Long Island veterinarian Jessica Popper, and the Murder Packs a Suitcase mysteries, which feature travel writer Mallory Marlowe.

Cynthia dreamed of being a writer ever since she was six years old and discovered that she loved books and reading more than anything else.

She grew up on Long Island, New York, graduated from Bryn Mawr College, got an MBA from the Sloan School at MIT, and spent three and a half years working for large corporations–and hating every minute. She was therefore thrilled when she got her first book published at age 27 and decided to try writing full-time.

Cynthia has also written more than forty novels under the name Cynthia Blair. And books and reading are still her favorite things in the world.

The Violinist of Auschwitz – Book Review

The Violinist of Auschwitz: Based on a true story, an absolutely heartbreaking and gripping World War 2 novel by [Ellie Midwood]

Auschwitz, 1943: In the depths of hell, can hope rise? And can love triumph over hatred?

Based on the unforgettable true story of Alma Rosé, The Violinist of Auschwitz brings to life one of history’s most fearless, inspiring and courageous heroines. Alma’s bravery saved countless lives, bringing hope to those who had forgotten its meaning…

In Auschwitz, every day is a fight for survival. Alma is inmate 50381, the number tattooed on her skin in pale blue ink. She is cooped up with thousands of others, torn from loved ones, trapped in a maze of barbed wire. Every day people disappear, never to be seen again.

This tragic reality couldn’t be further from Alma’s previous life. An esteemed violinist, her performances left her audiences spellbound. But when the Nazis descend on Europe, none of that can save her…

When the head of the women’s camp appoints Alma as the conductor of the orchestra, performing for prisoners trudging to work as well as the highest-ranking Nazis, Alma refuses: “they can kill me but they won’t make me play”. Yet she soon realizes the power this position offers: she can provide starving girls with extra rations and save many from the clutches of death.

This is how Alma meets Miklos, a talented pianist. Surrounded by despair, they find happiness in joint rehearsals, secret notes, and concerts they give side by side––all the while praying that this will one day end. But in Auschwitz, the very air is tainted with loss, and tragedy is the only certainty… In such a hopeless place, can their love survive?

This devastatingly heartbreaking yet beautifully hopeful tale proves that even in the darkest of days, love can prevail––and give you something to live for. Fans of The Choice, The Tattooist of Auschwitz and The Orphan Train will lose their hearts to this magnificent tale.

No. of pages:- 356 pages

Date published:- will be published on 18th November 2020

Genre:- Holocaust/Non Fiction

Thank You Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC! This review is based on my complete honest opinion.

This book is based on the true story of a talented violinist, Alma Rose, an Austrian violinist who is in Auschwitz. She is a Jew. This story tells about how Alma, creates a Music Block at Auschwitz and had saved many girls from the Quarantine Block so they could be a part of the girl’s orchestra that she has created. This story talks about Alma’s courage, bravery and her willingness to do whatever she wants even if it involves befriending SS soldiers.

This story is truly emotional and the ending made me cry. What makes this story so powerful and gripping is in fact that this story is based on a true story. The descriptions of Auschwitz camp in particular was too disturbing at times to read that I have to pause and try to understand how much cruelty and brutality these Jews and other prisoners had to face from ruthless SS people. The exchange of luxurious goods to bread or a chocolate bar, the hard conditions, the conditions in the hospital…it was all at time too disturbing and sometimes I had a hard time as to how such brutality existed. But what made this story standing is the fact that Alma would negotiate with the SS leaders–particularly the well known “Angel of Death”, Josef Mengele–the girls who are in her orchestra will be kept alive and they had to perform in front of the SS leaders at Auschwitz. Through the Author’s note, this story was told from the survivors, who was a part of Alma’s orchestra at Auschwitz.

As usual, many Holocaust books I have read, this one is the most emotional and heartbreaking books I have read after Diary of a Young Girl – Anne Frank. The ending left me in tears but Alma’s story is worth telling to the world–her courageous and determination to keep the girls alive by making them train and perform in her orchestra. Worth five stars.

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.

Readers’ Favorite – winner in the Historical fiction category (2016) – “The Girl from Berlin: Standartenführer’s Wife” (first place)

Readers’ Favorite – winner in the Historical fiction category (2016) – “The Austrian” (honorable mention)

New Apple – 2016 Award for Excellence in Independent Publishing – “The Austrian” (official selection)

Readers’ Favorite – winner in the Historical fiction category (2017) – “Emilia”

Readers’ Favorite – winner in the Historical fiction category (2018) – “A Motherland’s Daughter, A Fatherland’s Son”

Escape to the French Farmhouse–Book Review

Hey friends! I know I have been away from blogging for a while–it’s been raining, thundering and lightening so I was unable to post anything online:(. But today, I am able to –a romantic novel, Escape to French Farmhouse by Jo Thomas

Escape to the French Farmhouse: The most refreshing, feel-good story of the summer by [Jo Thomas]

Can Del find her recipe for happiness?

Del and her husband Ollie moved to a beautiful village in Provence for a fresh start after years of infertility struggles. But six weeks after they arrive, they’re packing the removal van once more. As Del watches the van leave for England, she suddenly realises exactly what will make her happier…a new life in France – without Ollie.

Now alone, all Del has is a crumbling farmhouse, a mortgage to pay and a few lavender plants. What on earth is she going to do? After discovering an old recipe book at the market run by the rather attractive Fabian, Del starts to bake. But can her new-found passion really help her let go of the past and lead to true happiness?

No. of pages:- 347 pages

Date published:- May 7th 2020

Genre:- Holiday Romance

Del and Ollie doesn’t seem to be having a happy married life but when Ollie is planning to move back to U.K from France, Del decided to remain behind hence ending her marriage with Ollie. Her house in France known as Le Petit Mas and she remains in that house. She comes across a recipe book, written in French and decides to try her hand in baking and cooking by using the lavender flowers in her garden. And soon, Del’s baking and cooking becomes popular in this small town of France and she makes friends with Henri, a bistro owner, Carine, the estate agent, Stephanie who is a homeless teenager and who moves in with Del with her son Tomas and Fabien with whom she develops romantic feelings.

The story is well written and I felt like I was in the countryside of France with Del! It was funny, warmly written and the author did a good job drawing the reader into the book! I like the community in that small town where everyone gets together and also the descriptions of the baked goods made me want to eat them! I also like the almost mother-daughter relationship between Stephanie and Del and the budding romance between Fabien and Del. Overall, it was a good summer reader filled with fun, joy and talks a lot about friendship and love. Worth five stars!