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Reviews by Barbara L. (Novato, CA)

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Good Husbands
Good Husbands: A Novel
by Cate Ray
Good Husbands (3/10/2022)
The premise of this novel had me intrigued from the start. Three women receive
identical letters from a stranger accusing their respective husbands of committing sexual assault over 20 years ago.
The story evolves as each woman has to decide for herself what to do about this information. This could be a great book club selection engendering interesting discussion of "What would I do?" Or maybe more importantly "What is the right thing to do?"
I enjoyed getting to know each character as the plot developed . My only criticism is that I would have liked more depth in the development of these three wives' "before" story" to understand what led them to the choices that they made.
And They Called It Camelot
And They Called It Camelot: A Novel of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis
by Stephanie Marie Thornton
For One Brief Shining Moment... (12/7/2019)
This is a fictional account of the private and public life of Jackie Kennedy. Having grown up in the 1960's, I, along with most Americans, was mesmerized by the almost royalty of the First Family . But Jackie was always such an enigma; reserved, cool, elegant and greatly admired. To read this fictional account of her perhaps private thoughts, joys, and sorrows was just delicious!
The Girl in White Gloves
The Girl in White Gloves: A Novel of Grace Kelly
by Kerri Maher
Grace (11/26/2019)
I have been fascinated by Grace Kelly for years, so an opportunity to read the advanced copy of The Girl in White Gloves was very appealing to me! And I was not disappointed. This was a great read, full of wonderful stories of the life and loves of this movie star/ princess. What struck me most was the struggles and loneliness Grace endured during her perceived "perfect fairy tale " life. I loved it!
The Guest Book
The Guest Book
by Sarah Blake
The Gust Book (4/17/2019)
Wow... just finished this wonderful book and I miss it already. Beautifully written, this story is of love, class, race and our own individual blindness to all of these. The setting on The Island makes the perfect backdrop for the tale of sameness and change. I loved it.
Our House
Our House
by Louise Candlish
Our House (6/13/2018)
I found the premise of this story quite intriguing: a woman arrives at her own home that she is sharing with her co-parenting ex-husband, to find it devoid of all her possessions and with a new couple moving in. The story of how all this could have possibly happened makes for an interesting read. I initially enjoyed reading it to find out the back story, but felt that the last third of the book dragged on too long.
The French Girl
The French Girl
by Lexie Elliott
Secrets abound! (9/20/2017)
This is a smart, fast read! Ten years after a young woman's disappearance , her body has been found. This sets in motion a renewed investigation involving a group of friends who were the last to see her alive. Long held secrets are revealed while long held friendships are tested. You will stay up at night reading this one!
The Almost Sisters
The Almost Sisters
by Joshilyn Jackson
The Almost Sisters (6/12/2017)
I loved this novel! It is quirky, funny, and bright. I loved the sisters' relationship with each other, so close, yet so different. This is a story of unplanned pregnancy, aging, dementia, class and racial tensions, all packed into one great read!
The Book of Summer
The Book of Summer
by Michelle Gable
Summer time reading (3/15/2017)
The Book of Summer is a warm, wonderful beach read and more. Reading this story with its lovely setting on Nantucket has already prompted me to book a trip to said Island! Fans of Beatriz Williams will love this book with its historical , generational stories of the women who loved the Cliff House and its inhabitants.
The Half Wives
The Half Wives
by Stacia Pelletier
The Half Wives (1/13/2017)
Although I loved the premise of this novel as well as the San Francisco setting, I found it to be laborious reading overall. The narrative of the entire book occurred in one single day, and the action was far from compelling. I found the characters to be dull and predictable. Also, I personally did not like the style of writing which does not make use of any quotation marks in the dialogue.
Victoria
Victoria
by Daisy Goodwin
Victoria (11/9/2016)
I was of two minds regarding this novel of young Queen Victoria. I thought for the most part that it was an easy, pleasant read chronicling the early days or this 18 year old girl turned queen who had no preparation whatsoever for the task ahead. I enjoyed looking in on her relationship with Lord M, and how she began to develop as a woman.
But then I thought it really began to drag. I did not think the relationship with her cousin Albert was very well developed. I would have enjoyed more depth and insight into their union
The Book That Matters Most
The Book That Matters Most: A Novel
by Ann Hood
The power of grief (6/22/2016)
I always wonder if Ann Hood has had personal experience dealing with grief. As a widow myself, I find that her writing on the subject is right on.

This novel centers around the topic of loss and grief, not only as the result of death. But it also is all about the love of books and the profound impact they can have on us! How books help us heal and grow and understand life's mysteries.
I really liked this book and would highly recommend it to book clubs everywhere,
A Certain Age
A Certain Age: A Novel
by Beatriz Williams
A Certain Age (3/24/2016)
I love books by Beatriz Williams! This book was no exception. This author captures the gilded age in New York so well and brings to life this rarefied, wealthy world and its denizens. We are allowed to enter this world and observe a life that few of us will ever know otherwise. A great treat.
What Lies Between Us
What Lies Between Us
by Nayomi Munaweera
What Lies Between Us (11/25/2015)
I loved this book. I read it while on a romantic getaway with my wonderful husband, and found myself sneaking away to read just one more chapter!

The story line of a young girl growing up in Sri Lanka and the circumstances of her emigration to the United States was mesmerizing. The beautiful language was poetic and lyrical. Yet all the while one was reading this story, one knew there was darkness to come. But the final twist was both unexpected and satisfying.

I would recommend this book highly to all!
The Things We Keep
The Things We Keep
by Sally Hepworth
The Things We Keep (10/1/2015)
I looked forward to reading this book based on the premise of two young thirty-somethings who are both voluntary residents of an assisted living facility. It made me wonder how and why this came to be and what paths their lives there would take. I was disappointed in the results. Contrary to the ads, this was no STILL ALICE. While this book was pleasant to read, it lacked depth and was very predictable.
House of Echoes
House of Echoes: A Novel
by Brendan Duffy
House of Echoes (2/5/2015)
Moody, atmospheric,tense... this begins to describe The House of Echoes. The Crofts is an old Gothic looking estate that the Tierney family of four decide to restore and open as an inn, in an attempt to build a new life for themselves, away from New York City and the hectic lifestyle that was theirs. I devoured this novel in one day, as the story of this rather flawed but loving family unfolds with much mystery and a certain sense of foreboding. Things are not as they appear in this remote village away from it all. A great read!
Whispering Shadows
Whispering Shadows
by Jan-Philipp Sendker
Mystery in Hong Kong (1/14/2015)
I loved Sendker's "The Art of Hearing Heartbeats", so I jumped at the chance to read his new novel. This book is very different from that one, but very good in a different way. This novel has a underlying sadness to it due to a personal tragedy that was visited upon Paul, the main character . He is reluctantly brought out of his determined isolation and grief to help another grieving parent solve the mystery of her missing son. Through this investigation we the readers are brought into modern China and I was truly enlightened by what I learned! I really enjoyed this look into a very different world!
The Same Sky
The Same Sky
by Amanda Eyre Ward
The Same Sky (11/15/2014)
This is the story of Alice and Carla, both of them on a journey, but very different journeys they are. Their stories are told alternately, until their lives finally intersect. This is a story of motherhood and childhood. It is a story of longing for family. It is a tale of loss, hope, faith, and love. I loved the characters as they found the courage to determine their own futures. This is a timely story also, bringing to life the realities of the plight of many immigrant families trying to come to the U.S. In the hopes of a better life. I really liked this novel.
Accidents of Marriage
Accidents of Marriage
by Randy Susan Meyers
Accidents of Marriage (6/25/2014)
As in real life, perspective is everything. This novel tells the story of a flawed family from the three main characters points of view, each one unique, individual and sometimes self-centered. Revolving around a terrible accident, this story reveals the ramifications of this event on each member of this family helping us understand each of their individual reactions to the main event.
The Fortune Hunter
The Fortune Hunter
by Daisy Goodwin
The Fortune Hunter (4/25/2014)
I loved American Heiress by Daisy Goodwin, and was therefore very excited to read The Fortune Hunter. I must say I was a bit disappointed in it. I found that the plot unfolded very slowly. The characters, although based on real people, seemed a bit unreal. I did not get invested in them,nor did I care what happened to them. This story did not grab me at all.
The Deepest Secret
The Deepest Secret
by Carla Buckley
)h the secrets that we keep (12/4/2013)
Oh , the secrets that we keep! That is what this page turner is all about. The Deepest Secret, by Carla Buckley kept me reading into the night, even though I had Thanksgiving dinner for 20 to prepare for! I needed to know how this all was going to turn out. Eve, married and mother to two teenagers, has a really big secret. It is imperative to her that no one finds out what she did one rainy dark night. The life of her youngest child depends upon it.
But she is not the only one, it turns out, that is keeping secrets, leading us to wonder about how well we know all the people in our life.
I found the writing in this very suspenseful novel quite enthralling. My stomach clenched as I put myself in Eve's place as she lives through the days following her misdeed trying to keep her life from unraveling. I really liked this book.
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