So, I got this inspiration from another blog and since I have been reading books set in different places around the world that I would love to visit some day!
XOXO- Axie Oh
SEOUL SOUTH KOREA
The story is set between Seoul and Los Angeles but I have always wanted to visit Seoul, South Korea.
2. What Happens in Greece – Sue Roberts
Crete Island, Greece
3. Paris Apartment – Lucy Foley
Paris France
4. The Henna Artist – Alka Joshi
Rajasthan India
I have been to India twice–once to Bangalore and Chennai and the second time I visited Delhi and Agra. I have always wanted to visit Rajasthan because of its rich history and culture.
5. The Sanatorium – Sarah Pearse
Switzerland
Have always wanted to visit Switzerland since I was a kid.
So many of the places I wanted to visit are in Europe but stay tune for part 2 as there are other places around the world I want to visit!
You can save hundreds of lives. Or the one that matters most.
A claustrophobic thriller set over twenty hours on one airplane flight, with the heart-stopping tension of The Last Flight and the wrenching emotional intensity of Room, Hostage takes us on board the inaugural nonstop flight from London to Sydney.
Mina is trying to focus on her job as a flight attendant, not the problems of her five-year-old daughter back home, or the fissures in her marriage. But the plane has barely taken off when Mina receives a chilling note from an anonymous passenger, someone intent on ensuring the plane never reaches its destination. Someone who needs Mina’s assistance and who knows exactly how to make her comply.
It’s twenty hours to landing. A lot can happen in twenty hours.
Clare Mackintosh is the multi-award-winning author of New York Times bestseller I LET YOU GO, and Sunday Times bestsellers I SEE YOU, LET ME LIE and AFTER THE END. Translated into forty languages, her books have sold more than two million copies worldwide, and have spent a combined total of 50 weeks in the Sunday Times bestseller chart.
Her new thriller, HOSTAGE, comes out in June 2021.
Clare is the patron of the Silver Star Society, an Oxford-based charity which supports the work carried out in the John Radcliffe Hospital’s Silver Star unit, providing special care for mothers with medical complications during pregnancy. Clare lives in North Wales with her husband and their three children
So this is the fourth Clare Mackintosh book I have read and after reading her debut novel “I LET YOU GO”, I was determined to read all her novels.
HOSTAGE is very different type of thriller from the psychological thrillers that Clare Mackintosh usually writes. In this novel, Mina, a flight attendant is getting on the inaugral non stop flight from London to Sydney when she gets a threatening note from an anonymous person, asking her to do something for them if she wants to save her daughter Sophia. Meanwhile back in London, Mina’s husband, Adam with the daughter Sophia is locked up in the cellar by the babysitter Becca.
To me, this felt more like an action packed thriller with a mysterious Passenger 1G who seemed to be in charge of the hijacking situation. The scenes in the plane was so dramatic that I actually feel like watching a blockbuster movie. The story is told from Mina’s and Adam’s perspectives, each of them carrying a secret of their own–Adam’s gambling addict and the fact that he owed money to loan sharks and Mina’s past. The ending felt like a heart beater as the reader was put on the edge of the seat, wondering what is going to happen next and the Epilogue was completely and totally unexpected and I must say, I did like how the author ended the book.
Overall, if you like an action packed thriller that will keep you on the edge, try this book out–worth four stars!
Date published:- will be published on September 27th 2022
Publisher:- Thomas and Mercer
No. of pages:- 290 pages
Genre:- Psychological Thriller
Rating:-
Plot:-5/5
Writing:- 4.5/5
Overall Rating:- 4.5/5
Such a quiet and ordinary wife and mother. Who will even notice what she’s done?
Lillian Smith leads an unexceptional life, writing obituaries and killing time with her inattentive husband and disconnected son. Then she meets David, a handsome stranger, in a coffee shop. Lured into an affair, she invents a new persona, one without strings, deadlines, or brooding husbands.
Lillian has never felt so reckless, unpredictable, or wanted. But as her affair with David intensifies, she withdraws from everything that’s real, even her closest friend. When evidence of her life as a secret lover finds its way onto her son’s social media, she risks ruining much more than her marriage or reputation.
As lies beget lies, Lillian’s two worlds spiral dangerously out of control. And betrayals run deeper than she imagines. Because Lillian isn’t the only one leading a double life
A.R. Torre is a pseudonym of Alessandra Torre and is her dark alter ego. While Alessandra enjoys spicy romances, A.R. love twisted stories filled with secrets, suspense, drama, and danger.
Alessandra/A.R. is a multi-time Goodreads Choice Nominee. Her books have hit the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and Amazon Charts bestseller lists. Over a million readers have enjoyed her novels in more than thirty countries.
This is such a gripping psychological thriller that I nearly stayed up all ngiht finishing this book! And still my mind is reeling on what I have just read!
This is the second book I have read from this author. The story starts with Lillian Smith who writes obituaries and killing time by posting murder trivia on the Twitter. She is having an inattentive husband Mike and a son Jacob who seems disconnected to her. Then she meets handsome man named David and begins a love affair with him. But soon, with the affair, Lillian’s life soon spiral out of control.
The story was told from Lillian’s and Mike’s perspectives and both the characters are kind of unreliable. The first part of the story was a few weeks before the “DEATH” of someone–we do not know who is going to die but we do know that it has to be one of the characters. Then when you reach the middle of the book, you soon find out who has died and that’s when the story starts getting interesting. There are so much twists and turns and I feel like I was watching a very interesting criminal show that is putting me on the edge of my seat! So much of unexpected moments something that I did not expect showed up in the book, including the fact that Mike too had flaws and had an affair with someone. The ending was what completely blew me away when the killer was finally revaled.
So if you are looking for a nail biting thriller that will put you on the edge with twists and turns, then this book is one for you–worth 4.5 stars!
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.
Date published:- will be published on September 3rd 2022
Genre:- Historical Fiction
Rating:-
Plot:- 5/5
Writing:- 5/5
Overall rating:- 5/5
A bloodcurdling drama unravels in the shadow of Mengele’s dark, twisted obsession.
Ernst must face his nemesis as he battles to save Shoshana, Bluma, Perle, and ultimately, his heart.
Marcel Petoit has weaponized Gisele’s dark secrets. Will she escape his evil grip?
Will Herschel and Naomi ever see their girls again?
The Auschwitz Twins is a thrilling finish to Roberta Kagan’s gut-wrenching WW2 historical series set within the grim walls of the dreaded Nazi killing floor.
This is the third book of the Auschwitz series and the final book of the series
PS, it would be better if you read the second book of the series so you could be familiar with the background before reading this third book.
The story continues with Ernst bringing his new wife Gisele to the house where Ernst is working as a doctor at Auschwitz under Dr. Mengele known as the “Angel of Death”. Gisele meanwhile is trying to find a way to talk to Dr. Mengele who she believed is her biological father. Eli helped Naomi to escape and while running, she meets a deserted soldier Friedrich with whom she developed a friendship. Shoshana and her sisters are at the Auschwitz camp and Shoshana and Ernst become friends.
The story is beautifully written and is emotional. To me the most interesting part was reading about Ernst’s slow developing friendship with Shoshana and about Gisele how she used Ernst and at the same time have mixed feelings towards him. Overall, the medical experiments that were carried out on the twins, Dr. Mengele’s cold hearted nature and indifference to death was too shocking and disturbing to read, and the fact that it happened in real life…too emotional to read.
Overall, this book will make you cry and emotional, and will keep you on the edge–worth five stars.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.
I’m an American writer of Jewish and Romany decent. I write Historical Fiction and Historical Romance, most of which is set during the holocaust. Although I never discount the horrors of the time period, the main focus of my work is on ordinary people who prove to be strong heroic characters in unfathomable circumstances.
So there are are books that will make you laugh but there are also books that will make you cry. So here are the five books (in my opinion) that made me almost cry.
Reminders of Him – Colleen Hoover
Why this book made me cry?
The story itself made me cry–Ledger’s kindness towards Kenna, Kenna’s yearn to see her daughter and the fact that she is guilty of her boyfriend Scott’s death all made me cry
2. It Ends With Us – Colleen Hoover
Why this book made me cry?
Another one of Colleen Hoover’s books that made me cry. I cried for Atlas’s sad story of how he became homeless and how he always took care of Lily. And I cried at Lily’s abusive relationship with Ryle.
3. Me Before You – Jojo Moyes
Why this book made me cry?
The ending was what made me cry.
4. A Man Called Ove – Frederick Backman
Why did this book make me cry?
The ending I suppose. One of the most beautiful stories I have read.
5. A Fault In Our Stars – John Greene
Why this book made me cry?
Hazel’s story as a cancer patient and her romance with the fellow cancer patient made me cry. Truly a heart breaking and emotional story
Date published:- will be published on 6th September 2022
Publisher:- Bookouture
No. of pages:- 310 pages
Genre- Historical Fiction
Rating:-
Plot:-5/5
Writing:- 5/5
Overall rating:- 5/5
New Hampshire, 1796. “My name is Ona Judge,and I escaped from the household of the President of the United States. I was the favored maid of George and Martha Washington, but they deemed me a slave and thought me property, and I hear ten dollars is offered as reward for my capture. Now I must write the truth that I have lived, and tell my story…”
Chincoteague, Virginia, present day. Rain soaks Tessa Scott as she runs from her car to the old, vine-covered property she has been called to survey. She’s too busy to accept a new job, but doing this favor for the grandmother of her childhood sweetheart delays a painful decision she must make about a future with her controlling boyfriend.
But when Tessa finds a tattered journal carefully hidden inside the house’s ancient fireplace, the tragic story of how Ona was ripped from her mother’s arms to live and work in the palatial Mount Vernon, and the heart-shattering betrayal that led her to risk her life and run, has Tessa spellbound. Could discovering this forgotten scandal at the heart of her nation’s history force her to confront her own story? As she races to reach the final page, will anything prepare her for the desperate moment when Ona’s captors find her again? Will it inspire Tessa to take ownership of her own life and set herself free?
A completely heartbreaking tale of love, loss and redemption, based on an astonishing true story from the founding of America. Perfect for fans of Before We Were Yours, Marie Benedict and America’s First Daughter
Suzette D. Harrison, is an award-winning author of 10 books celebrating African American life and culture. A native Californian and the middle of three daughters, Suzette grew up in a home where reading was required, not requested. Thanks to a culinary degree in Pastry & Baking, when not busy on her next novel, you might find Suzette whipping up a batch of cupcakes.
This is the third book I have read from this author and every time she writes a book, it gets better and better!
Ona Judge is based on the true life of the maid of the first President of the United States and is the favored one as well. Ona then escape from the slavery and the Washingtons post a reward post, demanding Ona’s return. Ona writes a diary, detailing about her life as a slave under the Washingtons. Back to the present day, Tessa Scott finds a journal written by Ona Judge. Tessa is helping out the grandmother of her childhood sweetheart and she was dealing with a controlling boyfriend. As she read the journal detailing about how Ona was separated from her mother and sisters and her daring escape from the Washingtons, the story made Tessa feel courageous if she can get out of the abusive relationship.
To me, what I enjoyed most was reading Ona’s story. The author must have done tremendous research about Ona Judge’s life making it as realistic as possible even though the book itself is fictional. There were parts where there were scenes of slaves being brutally treated–whipped for escaping and making the slaves work without a break. The fact that this did happened many years ago was too sad as we read how slaves were treated in plantations back then. However, we also see how the Washingtons, particularly Martha Washington, known to Ona as “Mistress” treated Ona and she was considered as Mistress’ favorite maid. The most interesting part was how Ona escaped and considered herself a freed slave even though she was known as “fugitive” slave. And Ona got married and had three children and died in Mount Vernon. I also enjoyed how Ona’s story inspired Tessa to leave behind her controlling boyfriend.
Overall, if you want to read and get inspired by Ona’s story, then try this book out–worth five stars!
Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.
Date published:- will be published on 30th August 2022
No. of pages:- 297 pages
Genre:- Literary
Rating:-
Plot:- 5/5
Writing:- 4/5
Overall rating:- 4.5/5
In a deeply emotional novel of family, cultural heritage, and forgiveness, estranged sisters wrestle with the choices they’ve made and confront circumstances beyond their control.Nona “Peaches” Davenport, abandoned by the man she loved and betrayed by family, left her Natchez, Mississippi, home fifteen years ago and never looked back. She’s forged a promising future in Chicago as a professor of African American Studies. Nona even finds her once-closed heart persuaded by a new love. But that’s all shaken when her father’s death forces her to return to everything she’s tried to forget.Julia Curtis hasn’t forgiven her sister for deserting the family. Just like their mother, Nona walked away from Julia when she needed her most. And Julia doesn’t feel guilty for turning to Nona’s old flame, Marcus, for comfort. He helped Julia build a new life. She has a child, a career, and a determination to move on from old family wounds.Upon Nona’s return to Natchez, a cautious reunion unfolds, and everything Nona and Julia thought they knew—about themselves, each other, and those they loved—will be tested. Unpacking the truth about why Nona left may finally heal their frayed bond—or tear it apart again, forever.
This is a story between two estranged sisters–Nona known fondly as “Peaches” and Julia. Nona left the small town of Natchez after feeling betrayed by her former lover Marcus and moved to Chicago, working as a professor .. When her father dies, Nona returns back to the small town. Julia meanwhile wasn’t very welcoming as Nona left Julia when she needed the most and wasn’t forgiving.
The writing was really great and the story is told between Nona’s and Julia’s perspectives. The description of the Natchez town felt like I was actually in the small town with the characters. Initially, maybe it was just me, the first portion of the story was slightly confusing but as I started reading, it got interesting. I do like the setting of the other characters and how they are all connected to both Nona and Julia in some way–Marcus who was Nona’s lover and Julia’s husband, Jayden, and all the other characters. I also like the funeral scene the most. The only thing is, maybe again it’s just me, I don’t understand why Nona was called peaches and the connection it has with the peaches tree. The ending was really great.
Overall, I enjoyed reading this book–a story about two estranged sisters and how their relationship grew towards the end. Worth 4.5 stars!
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.
Date published:- will be published on 1st September 2022
Publisher:- Lake Union
No. of pages:- 220 pages
Genre:- Literary
Rating;
Plot:- 3.5/5
Writing:- 3.5/5
Overall rating:- 3.5/5
In this tale of fresh starts in the Escape to France collection from bestselling author Fiona Valpy, Gina has lost everything. Can a crumbling old cottage offer her a new life, new love—and new hope?
Gina’s London life lies in tatters: she has lost her father, her steady job as a wine buyer and her suave but unfaithful boyfriend. When she also suffers the loss of her beloved aunt, a silver lining dawns in the shape of an unexpected legacy: Aunt Liz has left Gina her beautiful, if slightly ramshackle, house in the heart of Bordeaux wine country. With nothing left to lose, Gina takes a chance on a fresh start.
Throwing herself into her new life in the beautiful French countryside, Gina discovers the warmth of a close-knit—sometimes too close-knit—rural community and the exhausting exhilaration of the grape harvest under the late-summer sun. But just as she is beginning to feel like she belongs in her crumbling but charming home, she uncovers a long-hidden secret that makes her question the one person she used to trust the most. While she’s worrying that this is a sign to pack her bags and run, a storm blows a hole in the roof, and Gina finds herself with nowhere else to turn except her neighbour’s capable son for help.
Before long Gina finds herself admiring handsome Cédric for more than just his stonemasonry skills…But everyone she’s ever held dear has left her or betrayed her. And as the grapes ripen on the vine, can Gina find her way to forgiveness, and could it finally be time for her to open her heart to love again?
Fiona Valpy spent seven years living in France, having moved there from the UK in 2007. She and her family renovated an old, rambling farmhouse in the Bordeaux winelands, during which time she developed new-found skills in cement-mixing, interior decorating and wine-tasting.
All of these inspirations, along with a love for the place, the people and their history, have found their way into the books she’s written, which have been translated into German, Norwegian, Czech, Slovenian and Turkish.
Fiona now lives in Scotland, but enjoys regular visits to France in search of the sun.
Gina moves to France and inherits her aunt’s house in Bordeaux. She finds out that many years ago, her aunt Liz used to have an affair with her father, way before her father married her mother. Meanwhile, Gina meets handsome Cedric and as Gina is a bit insecure, she kind of has been distrusting people.
What I liked about this book is I liked reading about the beautiful scenic descriptions of Bordeaux France, that made me feel like I was in France with the main character. . Also this is a quick read and so if you are lookingto read a quick read historical or literary fiction, then this book is recommended. I also enjoyed reading about the wine making process in the story.
But the story is far predictable as I predicted most parts of the story. Other than that, it was beautifully written. Worth 3.5 stars.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.
Date published:- will be published on 2nd September 2022
Publisher:- Bookouture
No. of pages:- 304 pages
Genre:- Psychological Thriller
Rating:-
Plot:- 5/5
Writing:- 5/5
Overall rating:- 5/5
All it takes is four words to shatter everything: “Your sister is dead.” Someone set fire to her house and my niece is the only survivor. With trembling hands, I reach for the window and rip open the blinds. Everything remains quiet. But deep down I know: they’re coming after me next.
When I left my parents’ home in Kentucky, I never thought I’d see my sister again. For years we kept a terrible secret and eventually it tore us apart.
But when I get the call to say that my sister has been killed and my teenage niece Hannah is coming to live with us, I leave the past behind. Hannah is family and I need to keep her safe. I know what could happen to her if I don’t.
When my niece arrives, she bonds with my daughter Cassie instantly. But then I hear a scream from the girls’ bedroom. And in the garden, someone has lit a fire. It’s a warning.
Then the note arrives. “I’m coming for you.” In that moment I know that if I want to keep us alive, we have to leave everything behind.
Someone from my past won’t let me forget what I did all those years ago. They will stop at nothing. But are they closer to me than I could have ever imagined?
Author of ONE NIGHT and NANNY NEEDED with Bantam, Penguin Random House, and author of THE STEPDAUGHTER, THE MISSING WOMAN, and THE GIRL IN YOUR HOUSE with Bookouture, Hachette Publishing.
This was such a gripping psychological thriller that kept me on the edge all the time!
Tara receives the most horrible news. Her estranged sister, Beth had died in a fire and someone had put the fire in her house. The only survivor of the arson was Beth’s sixteen-year-old daughter Hannah. Now Tara, knows that she will be next. As she and her daughter Cassie is preparing to welcome Hannah into their new home, Tara must keep the secret that she and Beth promised to keep, all those years ago…a secret that may be connected to the fire…
This was really fast paced from the start to the finish. I couldn’t simply put the book down as I yearned to know what is going to happen next. The story is told mainly in Tara’s POV and towards the middle of the book, you get to know the secret that Tara and Beth had been hiding after all those years. There were some twists and turns which actually made the whole book interesting and the ending was clearly unexpected that I was actually surprised at this unexpected twist–did not really see it coming! Overall, this book kept me on the edge and there was so much family drama in this book and the twists that will keep you guessing till the end.
Overall, this is a fast paced unputdownable thriller that will put at the edge of your seat–worth five stars!
Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.
When Tate Collins meets airline pilot Miles Archer, she knows it isn’t love at first sight. They wouldn’t even go so far as to consider themselves friends. The only thing Tate and Miles have in common is an undeniable mutual attraction. Once their desires are out in the open, they realize they have the perfect set-up. He doesn’t want love, she doesn’t have time for love, so that just leaves the sex. Their arrangement could be surprisingly seamless, as long as Tate can stick to the only two rules Miles has for her.
Never ask about the past. Don’t expect a future.
They think they can handle it, but realize almost immediately they can’t handle it at all.
Hearts get infiltrated. Promises get broken. Rules get shattered. Love gets ugly.
International and #1 New York Times bestselling author of romance, YA, thriller, women’s fiction and paranormal romance.
I don’t like to be confined to one genre. If you put me in a box, I’ll claw my way out.
My social media username is @colleenhoover pretty much everywhere except my email, which is colleenhooverbooks@gmail.com
I think I am beginning to read a lot of CoHo books and this is my fifth Colleen Hoover book that I have read.
I am not going to say much about this book as I am sure some of you have read it. Let me put this way–there’s so much hype on this book like It Ends With Us. I do like the story. It talks about heart break, loss of a baby, and the struggles of falling in love. I do like the chemistry between Tate, a nurse and Miles, an airline pilot. I do like how Hoover had written Miles’ POV in a form of a poem. However, I read this book and was really engrossed into this book that I simply couldn’t put the book down. Miles’ relationship with Rachel, then Tate was well written, which explained Miles’ insecurities of falling in love which in the end he eventually works out his past and insecurities. There were too much of steamy sex scenes that I found myself just skimming at those pages.
Overall, I enjoyed reading this book–worth 4.5 stars!
Tropical Girl Reads 