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Reviews by Debra C. (Vienna, GA)

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Crossing the River
Crossing the River: Seven Stories That Saved My Life, A Memoir
by Carol Smith
Crossing the River (2/8/2021)
What a powerful book! I find myself in total agreement with other BB First Impression reviews: well written, heart felt, enduring, and a testimony of a mother's love, but I also came away with much more than another way to examine and to cope with the loss of someone you love. Crossing the River is FULL of lessons on living life to the fullest, coping with everyday pain and disappointment, and being the best mother, father, sister, brother, friend, and neighbor you can be. I found myself marking passages that I felt would make ME more alive, more aware, and more secure in this world today. I have read many books which lend themselves to be gifted to others; this one does as well.
BUT, I will be buying copies for friends, because I will holding on to this copy of Crossing the River for myself.
The Woman Before Wallis
The Woman Before Wallis: A Novel of Windsors, Vanderbilts, and Royal Scandal
by Bryn Turnbull
The Woman Before Wallis (7/1/2020)
On the heels of reading The Queens Secret and The Splendid Vile, The Woman Before Wallis, was the perfect ending to my all things English trifecta! If you enjoy discovering new and interesting details about the royals, you will thoroughly take pleasure reading this well written piece of historical fiction. Thelma's story is intriguing and provides a straight forward easy read...never knew that she once held Prince Edwards' heart and their history and love story left me wanting to know even more. Byrn Turnbull, great work presenting such an insightful piece of history!
Daughter of the Reich
Daughter of the Reich: A Novel
by Louise Fein
Daughter of the Reich (3/5/2020)
What an insightful, well written, and compelling novel! Fein presents one of the most realistic and compelling stories that I have read concerning the rise of Hitler and the atrocities inflicted upon the European Jews and those who opposed Nazi rule. As an added bonus, an endearing love story between the strong willed daughter of Hitler's inner circle and the young Jewish man who saves her life, is artistically woven into this poignant read. At 530 pages, I found myself wanting more, which is one of the highest complements I can pay to what may be the absolute BEST novel I will read this year...thank you Louise Fein for your amazing work and to Book Browse for the opportunity to experience it!
The Secrets of Love Story Bridge
The Secrets of Love Story Bridge
by Phaedra Patrick
...Just an ordinary love story (1/1/2020)
After falling in love with the first three Phaedra Patrick novels, I was so looking forward to her fourth. Unfortunately, number four was a bit of a disappointment for me. This love story, widower with child finds romance, was so predictable, yet so unlike Patrick's previous books. Yes, the main character has an unique job, but all other characters and plots are so trite. Honestly, I felt as though I was reading, at best, an ordinary Harlequin beach read romance.
Lady Clementine
Lady Clementine
by Marie Benedict
LADY CLEMENTINE: Britain's Steel Magnolia (10/29/2019)
"The Crown" generated my interest in the Churchill family, and Benedict's LADY CLEMENTINE provided compelling insights regarding the personal and political struggles and successes of this intriguing couple. Well written and researched, Benedict captures the intimate and intricate details of the Churchill family as Britain is enmeshed in WW II. She engages the reader as a witness to, not only Winston's courage and strengths , but also the vigor, intuitiveness, and unwavering faith displayed by Clementine. Without Benedict's novel, Winston's secret weapon would remain just that...a secret. Thank you for exposing the beautiful story of a strong willed couple whose sacrifices, intensity, love of country and each other is to be admired.
The Big Finish
The Big Finish
by Brooke Fossey
The Big Finish...what a wonderful way to go! (10/6/2019)
Turning 62 this year has brought me to a new reading genre, nursing home survival novels. All joking aside, THE BIG FINISH, came to me right after I read and thoroughly enjoyed, THE GREAT UNEXPECTED; what a kismet this lovely novel was to read. Information in the cover adequately prepares you for the story line, but the story you find between the covers will fill your heart. Duffy, Carl, Josie, Alice, Anderson, Nora, the shameless Sharon, and a delightful cast of residents and caregivers, allow everyone approaching assisted living or anyone who is assisting the elderly a reason to believe that true love never dies, family and friends are forever, good, with a bit of old age wisdom, always overcomes the bad guy or a scheming woman, and life's most important lesson, as you reach the age of assistance :WHITE FLAGS ARE NEVER AN OPTION!!!

You will laugh, cry, wonder, question, and learn the importance of living your life so you too can enjoy A BIG FINISH!!!!
Ellie and the Harpmaker
Ellie and the Harpmaker
by Hazel Prior
Magically Lyrical (4/3/2019)
A sweeter or more charming love story than ELLIE AND THE HARP MAKER will be hard to find. When Ellie wanders down a road less traveled and encounters Dan, the harp maker, their odyssey to each other begins. In her captivating debut novel, Hazel Prior, with fetching dialogues, distinctive character development, and picturesque details, takes the reader on Ellie and Dan's melodic, unforgettable, and heart felt journey towards a remedy for the loneliness in each other's lives. Ms. Prior, thank you for sharing this magically lyrical love story with us, and, of course, to BookBrowse for the ARC.
So Much Life Left Over
So Much Life Left Over
by Louis de Bernieres
So Much Life Left Over (7/7/2018)
What a delight! Of the nearly 100 novels I have read in 2018, this is my most loved, enjoyed, and thought provoking read yet, and I do not believe it will be topped...unless, of course, DeBernieres releases a third book in this series. Because I previously read THE DUST THAT FALLS FROM DREAMS, my reading experience was enhanced, but this novel can stand alone.
The continuing British saga of the McCosh and Pitt families, after WWI, is crisply written and historically insightful. As you travel with these characters, observe their unique emotional journeys, and witness the bravery, honesty, happiness, sorrow, and remorse they experience, you cannot help but become captivated with every decision made as each seeks a response to the challenge,"there is a man (woman) who has more to do...who has life left over."
The Summer Wives
The Summer Wives
by Beatriz Williams
Recipe for a perfect summer read (4/18/2018)
If you are looking for a reason to settle on the New England coast with gin and tonic for a day or two, because you won't be able to stop reading, cuddle up with The Summer Wives. Beatriz Williams' best work yet, I have read and loved them all, is a recipe for a perfect summer read. The recipe is as follows: 1/4 cup The Great Gatsby, 1/2 cup any Agatha Christie novel of your choice, 3/4 cup Pride and Prejudice, 1 TBSP East of Eden, 1 TSP Jane Eyre, 2 heaping TBSP The Colony by Anne Rivers Siddons, a dash of any Gabriel Garcia Matquez novel,and a smidgen of Anna Karenina. Combine these ingredients, gently stir, read, and enjoy!!!
The Music Shop
The Music Shop: A Novel
by Rachel Joyce
If you love... (1/6/2018)
If you enjoy music, cannot resist a magically love story, believe that life is full of kismets and serendipities, and good can be found in this world of ours, read THE MUSIC SHOP!!!!!! This life of mine took on a whole new positive meaning when I finished this jewel...I bet yours will too??
Other People's Houses
Other People's Houses
by Abbi Waxman
Other Peoples' Houses- Makes me want to move!!! (11/24/2017)
Thank you BB and Abbi Waxman for making me smile so hard that my cheeks still hurt! Who said second novels usually disappoint? Other People's Houses is the BEST second novel ever! The story, the characters and voices, are well developed, entertaining,and will keep you turning pages wanting more. Francis, our narrator extraordinaire, is the BFF every woman needs, the mama every child want to go home with, and the gold medal winner for the wittiest comebacks ever spoken. She steers the neighborhood and her family,through the murky waters of adultery and illness, and the unsteady flood waters of soccer moms, lost and found children and love. Oh yeah, Francis also chauffeurs a mini van full of Larchmont's children to and from school in a timely manner. Grab your family, your best casserole, a blanket, and hurry on down to Larchmont Street for the BEST show in town. You won't be disappointed, and like me, you will want to either BE Francis or move to the neighborhood and BE WITH Francis. Do not miss this jewel of a book.
As Bright as Heaven
As Bright as Heaven
by Susan Meissner
As Bright as Heaven... (10/13/2017)
Thanks to BB and Susan Meissner for the privilege to review such an interesting and well documented novel concerning the Spanish flu pandemic/WWI in America. She chose to tell this story through the voices of the Bright women; I was amazed that their diction "grew" as the girls aged--what a feat! Meissner also more than adequately and with aplomb allows the reader to see the inside workings of a funeral home. For me, the factual and historical content as well as the characters' voices were off the charts. The "turns and twists" of their lives, though, were just stretched too far and totally unbelievable; consequently, the quality of the novel suffered.
Young Jane Young
Young Jane Young
by Gabrielle Zevin
...and they lived happily ever after. (6/28/2017)
A HUGE thank you to Gabrielle Zevin for sharing her wonderfully delightful Cinderella story which should be read by anyone who is a daughter, mother, father, grandparent, best friend, or has a chapter in their lives they don't wish to be read. Through a series of magically written narratives with equally resonating voices, Zevin gives anyone who has ever fallen from grace the gift of redemption, a happily ever after.
Small Blessings
Small Blessings
by Martha Woodroof
A Rose is a Rose is a Rose...unless it is Rose Callahan! (5/18/2014)
What a delightful reading experience! SMALL BLESSINGS holds within its pages everything a reader could want and more: well developed and hard to forget characters, golden threads of plot development, authentic voice, and more twists and turns than a county fair roller coaster. Woodroof's debut novel, an unforgettable concoction of O'Henry and Joshilyn Jackson, is hard to put down, and her characters won't soon leave you...I hope to meet them all again in a sequel. I hate that those without ARC must wait until August to discover Woodroof's amazingly wonderful menagerie of characters and the stories they have to share. Thanks Martha Woodroof!
Mimi Malloy, At Last!
Mimi Malloy, At Last!
by Julia MacDonnell
An Irish Cindrella (2/17/2014)
Although it has a fairy tale ending, Mimi's road to the dance involves more than just a palace ball. Mimi's journey, despite the dark spots of child abuse and memories lost then found, includes a functionally dysfunctional family, a Yick Yack Club, good lonely hearts, and daily Manhatten libations woven between the crooning of Frank Sinatra songs, literally snatches you in and never eases its grip until the last page.
Where You Can Find Me
Where You Can Find Me: A Novel
by Sheri Joseph
Where You Can Find Me (3/1/2013)
At first, I used the age rule: Before you put a novel down, read the number of pages equal to your age. After fifty-five pages, I made myself age another twenty years; unfortunately, as I ended the novel, I was the age of Methuselah!!! Joseph's
novel just didn't capture me - children, abduction, abuse, beautiful setting, marriage issues, and family responsibilities - suggest a great read. It never happened...too many details, too much description, and action without dialogue plagued her latest novel.
The Good House
The Good House
by Ann Leary
The Good House...a MUST READ for 2013! (12/25/2012)
Ann Leary's "The Good House" snatched me in with it's first sentence and never let me leave until it's last. Filled with freshly crisp dialogues, settings packed with rich New England details, unforgettable characters full of depth, chilling pasts, and the possibilities of unforgiving futures. Leary's tale fulfills you; the reader will laugh uncontrollably, weep without regard, smile, wonder, fret, but in the end, you truly long to give Hil a call and list your house.
A Land More Kind Than Home
A Land More Kind Than Home: A Novel
by Wiley Cash
A LAND MORE KIND THAN HOME: Simply, the Best! (3/6/2012)
As an avid reader, I encounter many good books and a few that are really good. A Land More Kind Than Home is without a doubt, one of absolute BEST that I have read. So compelling, it could be read in one sitting; so beautifully written, I found myself reading most of it twice-once for the gripping story and again as his words
are just so mesmerizing. His characters, their tales, and the story Cash weaves, will stay with you long after the novel ends; Wiley Cash is right on with his haunting debut!
The Language of Flowers
The Language of Flowers: A Novel
by Vanessa Diffenbaugh
In the language of flowers... (5/22/2011)
After reading The Language of Flowers, I now have the one and only word which so vividly describes the impact Vanessa Diffenbaugh's novel had on me and I am positive will have upon every mother and daughter who experiences this captivating and wonderfully charming novel - Alyssum.
Outlander
Outlander
by Diana Gabaldon
This Lassie is Scotland bound! (3/12/2011)
I am weary...I have been with Jamie and his lovely Claire every step of their arduous journey through Scotland trying to outsmart our arch nemesis, Lord Randall. The history, the characters, the dialogue, the descriptive scenery, the story line, and yes, the sex, are just wonderfully written. My husband and I are headed to Scotland in June, and this lassie will be searching for the Hill of Craigh na Dun. You will NOT be disappointed with this novel just sad to see the journey end!
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