Sign up for our newsletters to receive our Best of 2024 ezine!

Reviews by Barbara B. (Holbrook, NY)

Order Reviews by:
At the Edge of the Haight
At the Edge of the Haight
by Katherine Seligman
Wonderful (11/8/2020)
I have never read a book such as this. I also never thought I would say I loved this book, considering the subject. But, be that as it may, I found myself admiring the characters at the same time feeling that their life is so hard. I highly recommend this book.
He Started It
He Started It
by Samantha Downing
He Started It - Samantha Downing (3/16/2020)
I was in the middle of this book when all of this news about the Coronavirus really began to escalate. This was able to allow me to escape (for a time) the scary news surrounding all of us. Not that this novel didn't have it's share of psycho and twisted events. Never knew how it was going to end. The ups and downs of this book were incredible. I truly loved it and highly recommend it to fans of the psychological thriller with some major surprises thrown in.
You Were There Too
You Were There Too
by Colleen Oakley
You were there too (8/30/2019)
I cannot say exactly what was so special about this book but it struck a chord in me and made me love it. The premise is most definitely original but the writing is exquisite. Every smell that was described I could smell as well, I could hear the sounds from the garden. It was an amazing read. I loved it.
Never Have I Ever
Never Have I Ever
by Joshilyn Jackson
Never Have I Ever (4/29/2019)
This was the first time I was thankful for not feeling well and having this book to keep me company and my mind off my problems. What a read!! Secrets that are long hidden, twists and turns at every turn of the page. What starts as a game becomes a dark and edgy story of betrayal and deception and leaves the reader on the edge of a cliff, it seems. This is a wonderful, suspenseful, exciting book. I encourage everyone to read it. I loved it.
The Last Collection
The Last Collection: A Novel of Elsa Schiaparelli and Coco Chanel
by Jeanne Mackin
Fascinating Rivalry (3/4/2019)
Excellent story of the legendary designers Coco Chanel and Elsa Schiaparelli and their intense back and forth fight for the top designer in Paris. Such different styles they both have and then enters a young widow who gets ensnared in their escalating war with one another. The historical backdrop makes this book not only entertaining but a learning experience. It is a fast read and I highly recommend it.
Our House
Our House
by Louise Candlish
Our House (6/21/2018)
I enjoyed this book but I did find the texts annoying. This was written by Fi in a crime blog and her husband Bram wrote it in a document style. It did take me awhile to get used to this format but after really getting involved in this mystery I didn’t notice it anymore. The texts were critiques of Fi’s blog. This story had a lot of ups and downs that kept my curiosity going and I really did want to know how their situation got to the point it did. I would recommend this as a good quick summer read and I did enjoy it.
Sometimes I Lie
Sometimes I Lie
by Alice Feeney
Sometimes I Lie (11/8/2017)
The first two pages of this book had my palms sweating, my heart racing, and I was actually panting. I have never reacted to a book like this before. I have read a ton of suspense and psychological suspense books before. Of course, some of them made me a little jumpy. Or i made sure I wasn't alone when i was reading them. Nothing prepared me for how wonderful twisty and suspenseful this book was. Some are comparing it to Gone Girl. Absolutely not. This book gets going right out of the gate and never stops. I loved how it grabbed me and never let me go. This plot is crazy and I have never read anything like it. It really was wonderful. Kudos to the author.
The French Girl
The French Girl
by Lexie Elliott
THE FRENCH GIRL BY LEXIE ELLIOTT (9/24/2017)
At first I thought this was going to be a book reminiscent of Amanda Knox. But a few pages in and that thought went down the drain. Memories it seems are forever with us. The older we get or the uglier the memory, in this case the disappearance of a friend and what happened to her, can start to really erode friendships. Trust, betrayals, and not being sure of who is deceiving who makes for a really suspenseful story. The ups and downs and backs and forths when they do find out what happened to their friend is written so well and so descriptive that I was just carried along. This was a truly suspenseful book.
Seven Days of Us
Seven Days of Us: A Novel
by Francesca Hornak
Seven Days of Us Francesca Hornak (5/22/2017)
In the entire time I was reading this book, I kept thinking about my own family in a situation such as this and many times i found myself making comparisons. I think anyone who,reads this book will do the same. This was a beautiful book that I feel had it all. It touched me in every way possible. I think the mother had a heck of a lot more patience than I could have mustered up, but that was what made this story so entertaining. I also loved the writing. That is what always catches me first, on the first page I will always know; am i going to struggle through this book or fly right through. I haven't been wrong yet.This will just keep you going,on and on on. It is a beautifully written book with all the elements that make a great story.
The Half Wives
The Half Wives
by Stacia Pelletier
The Half Wives by Stacia Pelletier (1/13/2017)
Between tears, as there is much sadness and grief in the story, the writing is so beautiful and the time in our history is described so precisely one feels like you are there. Regardless of the theme of grief and loss, this is a beautiful novel which does have an ending that is uplifting. I highly recommend it and intend to read the author's previous novel.
The Comet Seekers
The Comet Seekers
by Helen Sedgwick
the comet seekers (9/12/2016)
I was very excited to get this book to read. And that is what I tried to do. I had a very difficult time with this book and I feel bad about that. I would read a number of pages and then go back to the beginning and start again because it really wasn't resonating with me. The writing was beautiful but this wasn't my type of book or perhaps I wasn't in the right frame of mind.
Miss Jane
Miss Jane
by Brad Watson
Miss Jane by Brad watson (4/13/2016)
It took me so long to write this review because I read it as slow as possible to savor it and the writing. It is a beautiful story with sadness but tenderness and bravery as well. I truly loved this book.
The Midnight Watch
The Midnight Watch: A Novel of the Titanic and the Californian
by David Dyer
the midnight watch by David Dyer (2/10/2016)
Wow, what a novel. You know the expression woulda, coulda, shoulda is best applied to this story. I have alway been fascinated by tales of shipwrecks and especially the well known Titanic. This is both an entertaining and shocking story. It is a must read and again I thank BookBrowse for the opportunity to read this book ahead of time.
The Two-Family House
The Two-Family House
by Lynda Cohen Loigman
The Two Family House by Lynda Cohen Longman (12/2/2015)
This was an excellent read concerning 2 sisters related by marriage who shared a secret and thus created a tight bond. I thought I knew the secret from the beginning but this took nothing away from continuing on. I love reading novels from earlier times, and this was the same years as a Tree Grows In Brooklyn, which was a favorite of mine. The language of the book flows so well and it just grabs you and makes the reader want to keep on reading and reading. I loved this book and highly recommend it. Thanks once again for the advance copy. It is always a joy to find out you received a book to read and review.
The Last Days of Rabbit Hayes
The Last Days of Rabbit Hayes
by Anna McPartlin
last days of rabbit hayes (6/29/2015)
as soon as I read the first page, I debated with myself for awhile whether to continue or not. I didn't know how I would fare with this type of book. but I made a commitment to read and review this novel, and I am so glad that I did. beautiful, heart-wrenching, funny, sentimental are only some of the words that I can use to describe this wonderful wonderful book. using such an ugly subject matter and making it into this, is short of miraculous. I laughed, cried, thought of my mom and sister and still came out the other end loving this book.
The Shore
The Shore: A Novel
by Sara Taylor
the shore- Sara Taylor (6/3/2015)
this is exactly the type of book I like to read. weaving back and forth in time and between characters, then all the loose ends are brought together. you can actually be transported to this island off the coast of Virginia, smell the decay and be there in the moment. From beginning to end I was in awe of the author's talent to utilize words and prose and create such a beautiful and strange novel. Thank you for the opportunity to receive this book ahead of time BookBrowse.
The Well
The Well
by Catherine Chanter
The Well (3/11/2015)
This book is so beautifully written. A mystery, yes, but so much more. It has so many levels to it and just made me keep on wanting for more. I believe this would be a great book for a book club because there are so many layers to discuss and would elicit many opinions.
The Secrets of Midwives
The Secrets of Midwives
by Sally Hepworth
The secrets of midwives (12/6/2014)
Being one of four sisters, none of us a midwife, the family dynamics and relationships between mother and daughter and grandmother were in many ways very familiar. It is hard to describe in so many words about secrets and how they are played out between these females, but again knowing firsthand the impact it can have on trust issues struck a chord in me while reading this book. I flew through this book and it will stay with me for a very long time.
The Nightingale
The Nightingale
by Kristin Hannah
The Nightingale (9/29/2014)
The descriptive words took me to every inch of this story. I could smell the places, feel the peoples' emotions. At first I was afraid this was going to be a boring novel, whose plot had been done so many times before. But the author had me at the first page and I was lost. Read this beautiful book and savor it.
Brutal Youth
Brutal Youth
by Anthony Breznican
Brutal Youth (5/13/2014)
I found this book to be a difficult read only because it really made me think and stop reading. I don't know if there is a lesson to be learned from it or it is just a good and exciting horror story in a way. This is why I stopped and thought.
  • Page
  • 1
  • 2

Top Picks

  • Book Jacket: Small Rain
    Small Rain
    by Garth Greenwell
    At the beginning of Garth Greenwell's novel Small Rain, the protagonist, an unnamed poet in his ...
  • Book Jacket: Daughters of Shandong
    Daughters of Shandong
    by Eve J. Chung
    Daughters of Shandong is the debut novel of Eve J. Chung, a human rights lawyer living in New York. ...
  • Book Jacket: The Women
    The Women
    by Kristin Hannah
    Kristin Hannah's latest historical epic, The Women, is a story of how a war shaped a generation ...
  • Book Jacket: The Wide Wide Sea
    The Wide Wide Sea
    by Hampton Sides
    By 1775, 48-year-old Captain James Cook had completed two highly successful voyages of discovery and...

BookBrowse Book Club

Book Jacket
In Our Midst
by Nancy Jensen
In Our Midst follows a German immigrant family’s fight for freedom after their internment post–Pearl Harbor.
Who Said...

The only real blind person at Christmas-time is he who has not Christmas in his heart.

Click Here to find out who said this, as well as discovering other famous literary quotes!

Wordplay

Big Holiday Wordplay 2024

Enter Now

Your guide toexceptional          books

BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.