Reviews by Mary M. (Beverly Hills, FL)

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The Paris Hours
The Paris Hours: A Novel
by Alex George
A gorgeous book (5/4/2020)
I read this for the book discussion later this month but I need to say right now that it is a beautiful jewel of a book. The writing is exquisite. Definitely the best book I have read this year and it will probably hold on to that title for a long time.
Never Have I Ever
Never Have I Ever
by Joshilyn Jackson
Lots of twists (4/16/2019)
There are twists, turns and surprises galore throughout this novel. It is truly a page-turner and even though you think you may know what comes next, or think you have it all figured out, don't be so sure. Right to the very end. It will probably make a very popular movie. …more
Gone So Long
Gone So Long
by Andre Dubus III
Heartbreaking, beautiful, real (9/28/2018)
This book is a wonder. It is beautifully written and the characters are so human and so real. These characters, who have been so damaged and are so hurt by the unforgivable, are described lovingly, but without any cloying sentimentality. They struggle towards redemption and …more
The Resurrection of Joan Ashby
The Resurrection of Joan Ashby
by Cherise Wolas
A Marvelous Novel (5/30/2017)
This is an amazing, marvelous book. I haven't read something so satisfying and that gripped me so thoroughly since "The Goldfinch." Cherise Wolas has given us a complex, intelligent, extraordinary woman in Joan Ashby. She is not easy to wrap your arms around as the book …more
Before the War
Before the War
by Fay Weldon
What is the problem? (11/8/2016)
I absolutely loved this book. Apparently, several BookBrowse reviewers disliked it very much and I can't understand why. It's very funny, very witty. Fay Weldon is at her acid-tongued best. The book jacket describes the writing as reminiscent of Oscar Wilde and that is true. …more
The Good Neighbor
The Good Neighbor
by Amy Sue Nathan
Real people with Real Challenges (8/10/2015)
The Good Neighbor has a somewhat predictable plot, but that in no way detracts from the charm, the warmth, and the truth of the story. Izzy Lane, the protagonist, is newly divorced, with a small son and a self-absorbed ex-husband. She is trying to make her way in her new …more
The Art of Baking Blind
The Art of Baking Blind
by Sarah Vaughan
Perfect baking, perfect life (3/9/2015)
The five main characters in this book, four women and one man, contestants in a baking contest, all have imperfect lives. They all are trying, with limited success, to fulfill themselves, mask their self-perceived imperfections and faults, and make things "nice." They are …more
The Life I Left Behind
The Life I Left Behind
by Colette McBeth
Suspenseful and Engrossing (11/14/2014)
It is very hard to review this book without dropping plot spoilers all over the place, but I can say that is well-written, well-plotted and the characters are modern and three-dimensional. There are no cookie-cutter villains or victims; no one is all good or all bad, not …more
Buying In
Buying In
by Laura Hemphill
A complex and suspenseful plot (10/13/2013)
Initially, this book is highly reminiscent of "The Devil Wears Prada." Fresh, naive, ambitious young woman, with a sweetly altruistic boyfriend, family pressure, long hours, predatory colleagues, etc., but the protagonist, Sophie, is a very different character indeed. She …more
The Affairs of Others
The Affairs of Others
by Amy Grace Loyd
Captivatingly beautiful (7/6/2013)
This book is so beautifully written; I found myself, within the first two or three pages, going back and re-reading sentences just for the delight of them. I so wish I could write something like this: "But the day ran too high. It was radiant and boasting, making a parade …more
A Nearly Perfect Copy
A Nearly Perfect Copy
by Allison Amend
Intersecting web of deceit (3/11/2013)
This clever and witty novel tells the story of two people involved in the art world, and the lengths to which they will go, and the moral compromises they will make, to fulfill their dreams and needs. Elm Howell is a respected appraiser at an old-line art auction house, a …more
The Edge of the Earth
The Edge of the Earth
by Christina Schwarz
A Fascinating Story (10/12/2012)
The Edge of the Earth is a captivating tale of people who are not as they initially seem, and a place that is so much more than it first appears. Trudy is a young woman at the turn of the century, who is intellectually curious and bright. She is expected, however, to behave …more
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry: A Novel
by Rachel Joyce
Absolutely Wonderful (7/3/2012)
There are not enough superlative adjectives in the English language to describe this book adequately. It is marvelous, charming, touching, poignant, wise, funny . . . and on and on. I read it straight through in one sitting. I could no more put it down than Harold Fry could …more
Wife 22
Wife 22: A Novel
by Melanie Gideon
Funny, earthy, tender (4/4/2012)
This novel is a moving and creative look at the journey of one woman, and her family, to try to get back to the connections that made them a family in the first place. Alice Buckle is nearing 45, with a part-time job, two teenage children and a husband she seems to have …more
Bloom
Bloom: Finding Beauty in the Unexpected - A Memoir
by Kelle Hampton
Truly "perfect" (2/24/2012)
Kelle Hampton's memoir of her second, much anticipated, pregnancy and the birth of her second daughter is a poignant, hilarious, and ultimately enriching story of a journey to perfection. Kelle's beautiful daughter is born with Down Syndrome (not giving anything away here) …more
A Bitter Truth
A Bitter Truth: A Bess Crawford Mystery
by Charles Todd
Held my attention (8/1/2011)
This book has an intricate plot, full of twists and turns and kept me reading, even though some of the plot twists are improbable at best. Several of the characters are three-dimensional, though Bess herself is not so much, and why she, and another character interject …more
The Summer Without Men
The Summer Without Men: A Novel
by Siri Hustvedt
Not a lot of substance (4/11/2011)
This slight book is told rather in the fashion of diary entries, and this sense is reinforced because the reader is often addressed as "Dear Reader." (There are also a lot of Jane Austen allusions.) These "entries" veer between straightforward narrative, bits of poetry, …more
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