Josh and Gemma make a baby–ARC Book Review

Josh and Gemma Make a Baby by [Sarah Ready]

Title:- Josh and Gemma Make a Baby

Author:- Sarah Ready

No. of pages:- 371 pages

Date published:- will be published on 25th Janaury 2022

Genre:- Romance

Rating:-

New Year’s Resolution:
Have a baby
Preferably with Josh Lewenthal

Meet Gemma Jacobs. She’s driven, energetic, and a positive thinker. She has a great career working for famed self-help guru Ian Fortune, she lives in a cute studio apartment in Manhattan, and her family is supportive and loving (albeit a little kooky). Her life is perfect. Absolutely wonderful.

Except for one tiny little thing.

After a decade of disastrous relationships and an infertility diagnosis, Gemma doesn’t want a Mr. Right (or even a Mr. Right Now), she just wants a baby.

And all she needs is an egg, some sperm, and IVF.

So Gemma makes a New Year’s resolution: have a baby.

Josh Lewenthal is a laid back, relaxed, find-the-humor-in-life kind of guy. The polar opposite of Gemma. He’s also her brother’s best friend. For the past twenty years Josh has attended every Jacobs’ family birthday, holiday, and event – he’s always around.

Gemma knows him. He’s nice (enough), he’s funny (-ish), he’s healthy (she thinks) and he didn’t burn any ants with a magnifying glass as a kid. Which, in Gemma’s mind, makes him the perfect option for a sperm donor.

So Gemma wants to make a deal. An unemotional, businesslike arrangement. No commitments, just a baby.

To Gemma’s surprise, Josh agrees.

They have nothing in common, except their agreement to make a baby and their desire to keep things businesslike.

But the thing about baby-making…it’s hard to keep it businesslike, it’s nearly impossible to keep it unemotional, and it’s definitely impossible to keep your heart out of the mix. Because when you’re making a baby together, things have a way of starting to feel like you’re making other things too – like a life, and a family, and love. And when the baby-making ends, you wish that everything else didn’t have to end too.

This is such a cute story and I simply loved it! Though not a huge fan of romance novels, this book is totally an exception and I simply couldn’t put the book down.

Gemma has a perfect life–she has a perfect job, lives in a nice place. But there’s one thing–she is infertile. Yet her New Year Resolution was to have a baby…preferably with Josh Lowenthal, who is her brother’s friend. Then Gemma label out her plan to Josh and thought he would disagree..but he soon agrees to help her make the baby. The story is all comedic, funny romance with Gemma slowly starting to fall for Josh…

I simply loved this story! The plot itself is unusual which differentiates from other romance novels I have read. I was a bit skeptical reading this book at first but gradually, I found myself dwell, deeper into the book and got so hooked into the story that I couldn’t put the book down! I found Gemma, the main protagonist of the story funny but at the same time understanding and she seems to have a close friendship with her relatives. There were some parts which were hilarious and I really loved those moments! The ending was expected but still, I really like the fact that they ended up together!

Overall, if you like a funny, cheesy romance novel that will make you laugh, then this book is for you–worth five stars!

Many thanks to Netgalley and publisher for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

Am I Allergic To Men? ARC Book Review

Am I Allergic to Men?: A completely laugh-out-loud and addictive page-turner by [Kristen Bailey]

Title:- Am I Allergic To Men?

Author:- Kristen Bailey

No. of pages:- 305 pages

Date published:- will be published on 3rd February 2022

Publisher:- Bookouture

Genre:- Romance

Rating:- 2.5/5 stars

You think you’ve got it bad? I lost my memory, I’m so single I’ve basically got an allergy to men, and my own cat despises me.

‘Lucy! If you can hear me, squeeze my hand!’

That’s the first thing I hear when I wake up in hospital. Then my sister drops a bombshell: I’ve been in a coma.

It gets worse. In my head, it’s 2009 and I’m seventeen. Somehow, I need to remember the last decade…

Plan A: Track down my exes. Highlights include a one-night stand with someone in a Batman costume, and balcony sex that gave the neighbours a nervous breakdown.

Plan B: Get flirty. Lowlights include a fling with someone hairier than a yeti.

Plan C: Figure out why I have more exes than underwear. Am I allergic to men?

As I piece together my past, I find a mysterious note: Oscar, 9th February. Determined to work out what it means, I uncover a secret I’ve been hiding from everyone.

When the truth comes out, will my memory return? Will I get my life back? And will I ever find the cure to my singledom?

The front cover appealed to me and this is the first time I am reading a book written by this author. Though the book is supposedly a funny romantic novel, this wasn’t my cup of tea.

Lucy is one of the Callaghan sisters. She gets hits by a bus and then have lost her memory, she is allergic to men and her cat despises her. With the help of her sisters, she tries to regain a memory. While trying to work out a memory, she discovers a note with Oscar and the date 9th February–is there a significance to that name?

Let’s start with the good ones–the writing was really good and I do like the author’s style of writing–it was truly engaging. But here’s the thing–the story was too bland for me. I felt like I was watching this soap opera on the TV with baseless plot, too much dialogue that kept me distracted and there were some parts in the story that I was left a bit confused. Nonetheless, despite the negativity, there were some funny parts in the book that will make the reader laugh out loud.

For ones who enjoy cheesy romance with unrealistic plot, then this book is one for you. Worth 2.5 starts in my opinion.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

Mother-of-four, rum-drinker, binge-watcher, receipt hoarder, enthusiastic but terrible cook. Kristen also writes. She used to write short fiction before her first two novels were published in 2016.

In 2019, she was long listed in the Comedy Women in Print Prize and has since joined the Bookouture family. HAS ANYONE SEEN MY SEX LIFE?, CAN I GIVE MY HUSBAND BACK? and DID MY LOVE LIFE SHRINK IN THE WASH? follow the Callaghan sisters and are a fresh take on modern life, love and family. Apparently, they’re funny but her husband likes to tell her different.

She lives in Hampshire, UK. She also is a whizz at world capitals and thinks pineapple belongs on pizza. Don’t fight her on this.

The Trivia Night – ARC Book Review

The Trivia Night: the shocking must-read novel for fans of Liane Moriarty by [Ali Lowe]

Title:- The Trivia Night

Author:- Ali Lowe

No. of pages:- 320 pages

Date published:- will be published on 22nd February 2022

Publisher:- Hodder and Stoughton

Genre:- Psychological Thriller

Rating:-

Question: How long does it take to tear someone’s life apart?
Answer: Sometimes just one night.

From the outside the parents of the kindergarten class at Darley Heights primary school seem to have it all. Living in the wealthy Sydney suburbs, it’s a community where everyone knows each other – and secrets don’t stay secret for long.

The big date in the calendar is the school’s annual fundraising trivia night, but when the evening gets raucously out of hand, talk turns to partner-swapping. Initially scandalised, it’s not long before a group of parents make a reckless one-night-only pact.

But in the harsh light of day, those involved must face the fallout of their behaviour. As they begin to navigate the shady aftermath of their wild night, the truth threatens to rip their perfect lives apart – and revenge turns fatal.

THE TRIVIA NIGHT is agripping, domestic page-turner full of shocking reveals, perfect for fans of Liane Moriarty and Sally Hepworth.

Content Warning:- Sex, Domestic Violence

Big Little Lies and Desperate Housewives meet each other creating The Trivia Night! I only have one word to describe this book–WOW.

Four couples, their children attending Kingdergarten at Darley Heights Primary School, and they are all wealthy families living in the suburbs of Sydney. The school arranges a fund raising event, called the Trivia Night where the parents dressed mostly as characters from Harry Potter. The four couples, Amanda and Ted, Paul and Alice, Zoe and Miles and Lara and Luke sit together at a table. However, they soon decide to have a little fun by exchanging their partners and experience sexual endures with each other. However, a woman named Victoria, who is Amanda’s nemesis had taken pictures of that fateful night and threatened to post these pictures online. And soon, the day after the four women threaten Victoria, she disappeared.

This was actually a fast paced thriller! It was so unputdownable that I was hooked up into the book and stayed up all night reading the book! Though the first bit was slightly boring, it started getting really intriguing and interesting that I was literally drawn into the story. Besides the “thriller” in the book, there were some funny parts that made me laugh out loud! There were some twists and turns and the ending was slightly unexpected as well! I do like the four mothers, Amanda, Alice, Lara and Zoe and their friendship sounds like a scene from the Desperate Housewives.

The story is told from the perspectives of Amanda, who is the main character of the story, Alice in her draft on a visit to her therapist (as it seems) and Zoe in the form of letter to her sister named Phoebe so it was actually interesting to read all their thoughts and personalities through reading the book. You can see that every marriage has issues and problems, secrets being revealed and the friendships being threatened. I do like Amanda’s issue with alcohol was labeled in the book, which was the cause of why her former friendship with Victoria was ruined and how it also affected her marriage. This was actually well written.

If you have read Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty and liked it, then you would most certainly like The Trivia Night as well–

  1. Both books are set in wealthy suburbs of Sydney, Australia,
  2. One of the mothers is suffering from domestic violence,
  3. One having marital issues…and they are both well written and keeps the reader hooked into the story.

Overall, this is a fast paced thriller filled with family drama and revenge that will keep you up all night–worth five stars!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Hodder and Stoughton for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

Ali Lowe has been a journalist for 20 years. She has written for magazines, newspapers and websites in London and then Australia, after she moved to Sydney sixteen years ago on a trip that was meant to last a year. She was Features Editor at OK! in London, where she memorably stalked celebrities in Elton John’s garden at his annual White Tie and Tiara ball.

Ali lives on the northern beaches of Sydney with her husband and three young children.

The White Rose Network – ARC Book Review

The White Rose Network: Based on a true story, an unputdownable and utterly heartbreaking World War 2 page-turner by [Ellie Midwood]

Title:- The White Rose Network

Author:- Ellie Midwood

No. of pages:- 281 pages

Date published:- will be published on 9th February 2022

Publisher:- Bookouture

Genre:- Historical Fiction

Rating:-

1943, Germany: “I won’t be able to live if anything happens to you,” she whispered into his ear as they said goodbye, not knowing if they would ever see each other again. The White Rose Network brings to life the incredible true story of Sophie Scholl––one of history’s bravest women, who risked everything to lead a revolution against darkness.

Sophie was born to be a rebel, raised by parents who challenged the brutal Nazi regime. Determined to follow in their footsteps, she leaves for university, defying Hitler’s command for women to stay at home.

On her first day in Munich, Sophie’s brother Hans introduces her to his dear friend. When she meets Alexander, with his raven-black hair and brooding eyes, she knows instantly that she isn’t alone. There are more courageous souls like her, who will fight against evil.

Together, and with others who also refuse to back down, they form the White Rose Network. In an underground vault, Sophie and Alexander conspire in whispers, falling in love as they plot against Hitler. Promising her heart to Alexander is the most dangerous act of all––with each risk they take, they get closer to capture.

As snowflakes fall on a frosty February morning, Sophie and her brother scatter Munich University with leaflets calling for resistance: “We will not be silent; we will not leave you in peace!”

But their lives hang in the balance, with the secret police offering a reward to anyone with information on the White Rose Network. It is only a matter of time before the Gestapo closes in… And when Sophie is imprisoned in an interrogation room, staring a Nazi officer in the eye, will she take their secrets to her grave? Will she sacrifice her freedom for love?

Even before reading this book, I have heard of The White Rose Network, which comprises of young Germans, run by brother and sister, Hans and Sophie. This network is a resistance group against the Nazis who opposed Nazis’ brutality against the Jews and other minorities and did not agree with its principles. This book is of such story.

The author has done tremendous research on this story and I have to give kudos to the author for writing this story, making the story realistic as possible. The parts about the interrogation was the ones that interested me most along with how Sophie, who came to study at the University of Munich became involved with the resistance movement by printing and distributing the pamphlets around the university. As a person who did German history, I know how the Nazis tried everything to stop resistance as much as possible, even though the young, brave and courageous men and women like Sophie did not stop their work and continued with their resistance. The story is told mainly from Sophie’s point of view as a third person as she is the central character in the book.

This was also an emotional and heartbreaking read as well, as this is based on the true story. I just simply couldn’t even believe that despite their youth, the way they fell in love and romance blossoming, they would not sop fighting against the Nazis and Hitler and so this was a page turning book as well. Really amazing and this will make you cry particularly the ending.

Worth five stars!

Many thanks to Netgaley and Bookouture for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

Ellie Midwood is a USA Today bestselling and award-winning historical fiction author, whose works have been translated into 14 languages. 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 two dogs.

Black Orchid Girls (Detective Amanda Steele series Book 4) – ARC Book Review

Black Orchid Girls: A completely nail-biting and gripping crime thriller (Detective Amanda Steele Book 4) by [Carolyn Arnold]

Title:- Black Orchid Girls

Author:- Carolyn Arnold

No. of pages:- 316 pages

Date published:- will be published on February 10th 2022

Publisher:- Bookouture

Genre:- Thriller

Rating:-

The first rays of sun filter through the tall trees, casting a faint light on the girl lying at the water’s edge. Her tears have frozen on her pale face, a black orchid rests against her cold white skin.

When hikers find the body of a beautiful young girl on the banks of the Potomac River, Detective Amanda Steele is shaken and confused. What is the significance of the delicate flower resting on the girl’s torso? A sign of affection, or a twisted killer’s calling card?

The girl is Chloe Somner, a local nineteen-year-old ecology student well-known to the park rangers and loved by all her classmates. Searching Chloe’s home, Amanda can’t work out who could have tempted her to the water in the early hours of the morning, but a long night hunting through cold cases gives her a possible lead: twenty years ago another local girl was murdered, a red rose left on her body. But why would this killer strike again now?

Focused on the past, the last thing Amanda expects is the news that Chloe’s roommate has been found dead, another black orchid left. Terrified that more innocent victims will follow, can Amanda uncover the significance of the flowers and stop this cold-hearted killer before he returns for the next orchid girl…?

A totally compulsive crime thriller! Perfect for fans of Angela Marsons, Robert Dugoni and Rachel Caine.

Detective Amanda Steele is back with another crime!

Chloe Somner, a college student who is an environmentalist was found stabbed seven times, naked with a black orchid resting on her chest. Detectives Amanda Steele and her partner Trent were assigned to the case and finds many suspects who had a motive to kill Chloe–Josh, her ex-boyfriend, Ashton, who was bullied by Chloe and Josh back in high school, Luke and Stephanie, who thought Chloe was a competition. Luke had feelings towards Chloe who rejected him. Amanda also finds a similar case that happened almost twenty years ago to another college student who died in the similar fashion. Is there a serial killer on loose or does someone have a vendetta against Chloe Somner.

This is the fourth book of the Detective Steele case and so far, this book had been one of my favorite series! Too many viable suspects that you are clueless as to who would have a motive to kill Chloe, the drama, the romance…I felt like I was watching a movie, sitting at the edge of my seat, wondering what is going to happen next. The writing is spot on, the author does a good job of keeping the reader interested and immersed into the story. The forensics, the autopsies all looked like I was watching an episode of CSI or Law and Order and I couldn’t actually wait to see who would be the killer. The killer turned out to be a complete surprise and unexpected that I did not expect that ending. This was a fast paced thriller filled with twists and turns that you didn’t expect.

Overall, this is an unputdownable thriller that will keep you awake at all night! Worth five stars!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

CAROLYN ARNOLD is an international bestselling and award-winning author, as well as a speaker, teacher, and inspirational mentor. She has several continuing fiction series and has many published books. Her genre diversity offers her readers everything from cozy to hard-boiled mysteries, and thrillers to action adventures. Her crime fiction series have been praised by those in law enforcement as being accurate and entertaining. This led to her adopting the trademark: POLICE PROCEDURALS RESPECTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT™.

Carolyn was born in a small town and enjoys spending time outdoors, but she also loves the lights of a big city. Grounded by her roots and lifted by her dreams, her overactive imagination insists that she tell her stories. Her intention is to touch the hearts of millions with her books, to entertain, inspire, and empower.

The Matzah Ball–Book Review

The Matzah Ball: A Novel by [Jean Meltzer]

Title:- The Matzah Ball

Author:- Jean Meltzer

Date published:- September 28th 2021

Publisher:- Mira

No. of pages:- 416 pages

Genre:- Jewish Fiction/Hanukkah

Rating:- 3.5/5 stars

Oy! to the world

Rachel Rubenstein-Goldblatt is a nice Jewish girl with a shameful secret: she loves Christmas. For a decade she’s hidden her career as a Christmas romance novelist from her family. Her talent has made her a bestseller even as her chronic illness has always kept the kind of love she writes about out of reach.

But when her diversity-conscious publisher insists she write a Hanukkah romance, her well of inspiration suddenly runs dry. Hanukkah’s not magical. It’s not merry. It’s not Christmas. Desperate not to lose her contract, Rachel’s determined to find her muse at the Matzah Ball, a Jewish music celebration on the last night of Hanukkah, even if it means working with her summer camp archenemy—Jacob Greenberg.

Though Rachel and Jacob haven’t seen each other since they were kids, their grudge still glows brighter than a menorah. But as they spend more time together, Rachel finds herself drawn to Hanukkah—and Jacob—in a way she never expected. Maybe this holiday of lights will be the spark she needed to set her heart ablaze. 

Reading Jewish fiction is like my favorite genre. I love reading anything about Jewish culture and so this book was something different from the usual Christmas romance novels I read–this is a Hanukkah romance novel.

Meet Rachel Rubinstein Goldblatt, a Jewish woman, who poses as Margot and write best selling Christmas romance novels. But why is she posing under a different name? She comes from a strict Jewish family who doesn’t believe in all these cheesy Christmasy stuff. But her writing career is threatening when the publishing house she is under contract asks her to write a novel, based on Hanukkah. Now Rachel must seek help from her childhood nemesis, Jacob Greenberg, who is arranging one of the largest Matzah Ball in New York to get a ticket to go to Matzah Ball.

Well, let’s start with good things–the story is funny and there were some laugh out moments. The writing was spot on, well written. And since I am not Jewish, as a non Jewish person, I learned so much about the Jewish culture and traditions, the way the Jews observe Sabbath, celebrating Hanukkah and of course all those kosher Jewish cuisine.

Now, the bad side of this is, this to me is more like a Hallmark Romance movie with a cheesy setting–more like Bollywood romance, where the girl and boy can’t stand each other, then they fall for each other, then break up and finally reunite in love and everyone lives happily ever after. Ending like any romance novels is predictable. So yeah that kind of ruined things. Plus, the main character, Rachel sounded to me more like a spoilt protagonist so that made me dislike her character.

Overall, for ones who like cheesy Hallmark romance novels, with a Jewish setting, then this book is one for you–worth 3.5 stars!

Jean Meltzer is a nice Jewish girl with a not-so-secret love of Christmas. After a childhood steeped in Jewish tradition, kosher food, loving bubbes, and awkward Jewish summer camp romances, she found her way to NYU Tisch, where she studied dramatic writing and earned numerous awards for her work in television, including a daytime Emmy. She spent five years in rabbinical school, finally discovering the magic of Hanukkah for herself, before her chronic illness forced her to withdraw, and her father told her that she should write a book—just not a Jewish one because no one reads those. The Matzah Ball is her first novel. It combines all of the things she loves: warm and supportive families, tight-knit Jewish communities, Ashkenazi baked goods, big and swoony endings, Jewish shtick and humor, Judaism… and, of course, Christmas.

The Hidden Village- ARC Book Review

The Hidden Village: An absolutely gripping and emotional World War II historical novel (Wartime Holland Book 1) by [Imogen Matthews]

Title:- The Hidden Village

Author:- Imogen Matthews

Date published:- (already published 2017) will be published on January 17th 2022

Publisher:- Bookouture

No. of pages:- 352 pages

Genre:- Historical Fiction

Rating:-

A Nazi soldier slams his rifle into her father’s head. From her hiding place, Sofie stifles a scream as tears roll down her face. Suddenly she can’t take it any more. ‘Stop, stop!’ she sobs, rushing out and pushing the soldier away. And then freezes, as he snarls and whips the gun round to point at her…

Holland, 1943: the Nazis are in occupation. German soldiers patrol the streets, and each week more families disappear without trace, never to be seen again. So when armed soldiers storm Sofie’s house and threaten her father at gunpoint, she knows their time – and luck – has run out.

Fleeing in the middle of the night to hide in a neighbour’s secret attic, the constant threat of a German raid means they can’t stay long. So Sofie’s parents make the heart-rending decision to send their daughter away. Concealed in the woods is a secret village, built by the town as a haven for Jewish families like Sofie’s. Remote, cold and bleak, yet filled with the hopeful laughter of children playing, it is the one place Sofie has the chance to live.

But rumours of the hidden village have been swirling, and the Nazis are determined to find it. As soldiers patrol the woods in ever-greater numbers, snow cuts the villagers off from the outside world and starvation sets in. Sofie knows what she must do, even though it means putting herself in danger. And when the worst happens, Sofie is faced with a terrible decision – save the village, or save herself…

An absolutely heart-breaking and gripping WWII historical novel based on the true story of an entire town who put themselves in danger to keep strangers safe. What happens will restore your faith in humanity. Fans of Fiona Valpy, The Tattooist of Auschwitz and The Choice will never forget this incredibly moving tale and the real-life heroes who inspired it.

After reading, The Girl Across the Wire, I got this as an ARC from the publisher, although this book was published before.

The story takes place during the WWII in Holland in 1943. One night, Sofie flees to a hidden village named Berkenhaut. The Germans have no idea about the existence of this village.and Sofie lives in this village, away from her family and friends. Meanwhile, Jan, a small young boy comes across an American pilot known as Donald and befriends with him. The story is told from the multiple perspectives, where many Jews hidden in this village. Eventually, with the rumors of the village being circulated around, the Germans would do anything to find the village.

This is an emotional read. The book is beautifully written and the author has done a good job, captivating the reader into the story, making the reader feel like they are also a part of the story. There were some heart wrenching moments, the sense of OMG moments when the Nazi soldiers roam through the woods where the hidden village is located. I do like how the whole community in this village will get together and help out each other, which shows the unity. I do like all the characters in the book though.

Overall, this is an emotional and heartbreaking ride that will captivate you as a reader–worth five stars!

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

The Dust Bowl Orphans – ARC Book Review

The Dust Bowl Orphans: A completely heartbreaking and unputdownable historical novel by [Suzette D. Harrison]

Title – The Dust Bowl Orphans

Author:- Suzette D. Harrison

Date published:- will be published on February 7th 2022

Publisher:- Bookouture

No. of pages:- 368 pages

Genre:- Historical FIction

Rating:-

The dust cloud rolls in from nowhere, stinging our eyes and muddling our senses. I reach for my baby sister and pull her small body close to me. When the sky clears, we are alone on an empty road with no clue which way to go…

Oklahoma, 1935. Fifteen-year-old Faith Wilson takes her little sister Hope’s hand. In worn-down shoes, they walk through the choking heat of the Dust Bowl towards a new life in California. But when a storm blows in, the girls are separated from their parents. How will they survive in a place where just the color of their skin puts them in terrible danger?

Starving and forced to sleep on the streets, Faith thinks a room in a small boarding house will keep her sister safe. But the glare in the landlady’s eye as Faith leaves in search of their parents has her wondering if she’s made a dangerous mistake. Who is this woman, and what does she want with sweet little Hope? Trapped, will the sisters ever find their way back to their family?

California, present day. Reeling from her divorce and grieving the child she lost, Zoe Edwards feels completely alone in the world. Throwing herself into work cataloguing old photos for an exhibition, she sees an image of a teenage girl who looks exactly like her, and a shiver grips her. Could this girl be a long-lost relation, someone to finally explain the holes in Zoe’s family history? Diving into the secrets in her past, Zoe unravels this young girl’s heartbreaking story of bravery and sacrifice. But will anything prepare her for the truth about who she is…?

Content Warning:- Attempted rape, miscarriage

After reading The Girl At The Back of the Bus, by the same author, I was excited to receive the ARC of her latest novel, The Dust Bowl Orphans, set during the Great Depression time.

The story is told from the perspectives of two women–Faith is a fifteen year old girl from a poverty ridden farm town in Oklahoma who with her little sister Hope tries to move to California to start a new life, set during 1935 and back in the present day, a woman named Zoe in California is trying to work out her own family tree when someone claims that she looks like a mirror image of Faith.

Though the story is fictional, the story is based on true events, set during the Great Depression time when many farmers from Oklahoma migrated to California in the hopes of better future. Reading about the Faith’s story actually brought tears into my eyes–the hardships she went through living in poverty, how she had to bear responsibility of looking after her younger sister Hope and all the racist chants she had to face when segregation was still in place at that time. I also like how Faith’s own life was rebuilt when she migrated to California, where she soon found her love and became a singer. I do like her relationship with her baby sister, Hope and also her friendship with the white boy named Micah.

I also liked reading Zoe’s part as well. Zoe is clearly a likable character, going through an ugly divorce and working as a curator. After discovering the picture of Faith who looks like the mirror image of herself, Zoe sets about to find answers of her own family. DNA testing, how her family supported during her hard time when she is going through the divorce and the slow budding romance between her and the photographer, Shaun.

The writing was great, captivating and the author did a good job drawing the reader into the story and making the reader feel like they are a part of the story. It was too heartbreaking and emotional, and tear jerking reading Faith’s story, and despite the fact that it was fictional, I couldn’t help but feel, this must be how African-Americans felt and lived in the life of poverty like that. I was glad how things ended for Faith. The ending was great and I kind of expected that time of ending.

Overall, this was an emotional roller coasted ride, that will make you cry and laugh at the same time. This is an unputdownable historical fiction that will take you back to the life during the Great Depression and make you feel like you are a part of that life–worth five stars!

Many thanks to Netgalley and publisher for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

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.

The Midnight Library – Book Review

The Midnight Library: The No.1 Sunday Times bestseller and worldwide phenomenon by [Matt Haig]

Title:- The Midnight Library

Author:- Matt Haig

Date Published:- April 13th 2020

No. of pages:- 295 pages

Genre:- Contemporary Fiction

Rating:-

Nora’s life has been going from bad to worse. Then at the stroke of midnight on her last day on earth she finds herself transported to a library. There she is given the chance to undo her regrets and try out each of the other lives she might have lived. Which raises the ultimate question: with infinite choices, what is the best way to live?

This is one of the unique books I have read. Nora Seed’s life is going from bad to worse–on the stroke of midnight, she tries to commit suicide and ends up being transported to a place called The Midnight Library, where her old librarian Mrs. Elms is in charge. Throughout this book, Nora tries to undo her life and tries to live in a life she wishes she had been living.

The writing was unique and the author did a good job of drawing the reader into the story. The plot itself is unique and I have never read something like this before. I like how Nora is transported into different lives–from being a supportive wife, to being a famous rock start, to an Olympian to a researcher–and she gets a taste of her life in each of these different lives. I really liked reading this book and was so immersed into the story! The story is of course told mainly from Nora’s perspective and along Nora’s life journey, I also felt like I was in this part of the journey too. The ending was slightly predictable but I liked it.

If you haven’t read the Midnight Library yet, you should get one–worth five stars!

Matt Haig is the number one bestselling author of Reasons to Stay Alive, Notes on a Nervous Planet and six highly acclaimed novels for adults, including How to Stop Time, The Humans and The Radleys. His latest novel is The Midnight Library and the audiobook edition is read by Carey Mulligan. Haig also writes award-winning books for children, including A Boy Called Christmas, which is being made into a feature film with an all-star cast. He has sold more than a million books in the UK and his work has been translated into over forty languages.

The Lost Apothecary – Book Review

The Lost Apothecary: A Novel by [Sarah Penner]

Title:- The Lost Apothecary

Author:- Sarah Penner

Date Published:- March 2nd 2021

No. of pages:- 319 pages

Genre:- Historical Fiction/Thriller/Womens Fiction

Rating:-

A forgotten history. A secret network of women. A legacy of poison and revenge. Welcome to The Lost Apothecary…

Hidden in the depths of eighteenth-century London, a secret apothecary shop caters to an unusual kind of clientele. Women across the city whisper of a mysterious figure named Nella who sells well-disguised poisons to use against the oppressive men in their lives. But the apothecary’s fate is jeopardized when her newest patron, a precocious twelve-year-old, makes a fatal mistake, sparking a string of consequences that echo through the centuries.

Meanwhile in present-day London, aspiring historian Caroline Parcewell spends her tenth wedding anniversary alone, running from her own demons. When she stumbles upon a clue to the unsolved apothecary murders that haunted London two hundred years ago, her life collides with the apothecary’s in a stunning twist of fate—and not everyone will survive.

With crackling suspense, unforgettable characters and searing insight, The Lost Apothecary is a subversive and intoxicating debut novel of secrets, vengeance and the remarkable ways women can save each other despite the barrier of time.

Content Warning:- Murder, Poisoning

I have heard so many raving reviews on this book and got so excited when it was available in Scribid. And truth to be told, I was a bit skeptical about this book, as I am not really a fan of books based on Eighteenth-century historical fiction.

But, to my own utmost surprise–I actually enjoyed reading this book.

The story divides between the present day–told on the perspective of an American woman named Caroline, who comes to London on her own on what happened to be her anniversary trip with her husband, and the past, told from the perspectives of two women–Nellie who makes secret poisons and potions for the elite women to poison their spouses and Eliza, a twelve year old working for a family who comes to Nellie’s shop to buy a poison for her mistress to kill her husband. The connection? Well Caroline comes across an empty bottle with the word Bear Alley which is connected to unsolved murder cases two hundred years ago. And Nellie was the creator.

Truth to be told, Caroline’s part was slightly boring but then it got intriguing and interesting in the middle. What drew me into the story is actually Nellie’s and Eliza’s story–reading their stories, pulled me into the lives of them in the eighteenth century and I felt like I was living in the eighteenth century. The writing was really great, the author doing a good job of drawing the reader into the story. What makes it most interesting is the thrill that develops by the middle of the story when Nellie was asked and threatened to make poison for someone that she wouldn’t dream of doing–poisoning a lady when in fact she was actually poisoning the men. I also like the companionship between Eliza and Nellie and I really was saddened at the death of Eliza in the end (I actually began to like her character).

I like however, how the ending turned out for Caroline.

I really, enjoyed reading this book and for those who haven’t read this book yet, I hugely recommend you to read it–worth five stars!

Sarah Penner is the New York Times bestselling author of THE LOST APOTHECARY (Park Row Books/HarperCollins), available now wherever books are sold. THE LOST APOTHECARY will be translated into two dozen languages worldwide. Sarah and her husband live in St. Petersburg, Florida with their miniature dachshund, Zoe. To learn more, visit SarahPenner.com.