I enjoyed Good Husbands by Cate Ray but had some reservations about this book. I really enjoyed the three women- Jess, Stephanie and Priyanka and liked finding out about their lives and families. The plot kept you reading to find out how these women would handle the explosive letter they received. I thought the ending worked but I didn't understand the last few pages.
An interesting read but not my favorite.

I really wanted to like/love this book but could not get into it. I love the cover and was excited to read about Olga Romanov and the fall of the Tsar and the Russian revolution. I did not care for the back and forth telling of the story and just did not care about any of the characters. I usually love historical fiction but this was not for me.

I absolutely loved The Funny Thing About Norman Foreman by Julietta Henderson. The road trip that the unlikely trio of Norman, Sadie, his mum and Leonard (the grandfather everyone would love to have) is the best adventure ever!!! Norman is a wonderful kid and Sadie his mum has a big heart but has made some poor choices in her life due to unresolved grief about her father. Leonard is such a stellar character- he is the quirky grandfather everyone needs. These three characters will stay with me for a long time and I loved the ending. The author has a wonderful sense of humor. I loved everything about this book but I think it needs a better title.

I loved Raft of Stars by Andrew J Graff and it was my book of the Fall 2020. The author made me care about the six main characters but especially the 2 boys- Fisher "Fish" Branson and Dale "Bread" Breadwin. Fish's grandfather Teddy and his mother Miranda are such strong wonderful people as is Sheriff Cal and Tiffany who is sweet on Cal. This story is such an adventure and was a real page turner.
The advice Miranda gives Fish is particularly perfect for this time of pandemic...... she says, "Just for a minute, just enjoy your pillow, just rest, let it go. Close your eyes and sail away from troubles on a raft made of stars!" Just change the word pillow to book and that is what we need now.......
The writing is beautiful and the book ends with words from Fish's grandfather, you are strong and you are good, and you are not alone." Amen.

I love historical novels so I was thrilled to receive The Woman Before Wallis by Bryn Turnbull. I really enjoyed this book and I liked the main character, Thelma, Lady Furness. She led such an interesting life and I was intrigued to find out where her choices would lead her. I was slightly disappointed that there was not enough written about Wallis and her stunning betrayal of Thelma in taking up with David, the Prince of Wales. The Prince comes off as a playboy who would not have made a good king.
I really enjoyed this book and would recommend to anyone who would like a good read about the Royals!

I loved Daughter of the Reich by Louise Fein. The story of Hetty, the daughter of a German SS officer who falls in love with Walter, a Jew is so human and so engaging. It is a coming-of-age story where Hetty comes to understand how Hitler and other Germans in command could indoctrinate a whole nation to hate Jews and others. The fact that this story is based in the author's history makes it all the more meaningful. In this book Kristallnacht and the Kindertransport come to light for the reader. The plot moves quickly and there are some really satisfying plot twists. The ending was amazing and I could not recommend this book more highly. This book would be great for book clubs- I will be suggesting it to several. Well done.

I loved The Secrets of Love Story Bridge by Phaedra Patrick and will enjoy telling others about it. Mitchell and his daughter Poppy are trying to get over the loss of Anita, Poppy's mother. The first part of this story is so sad but realistic and the way these two lovely people move on had me cheering for them the whole way.
I think this is the perfect book to read while drinking tea (the author lives in the UK). I thank BookBrowse for the gift of this lovely book- it was so good!

I was thrilled to receive a copy of The Girl in White Gloves by Kerri Maher, a historical novel about Grace Kelly. I was very disappointed in the novel as it brought out how sad Grace was throughout her life. It portrayed her feelings of insecurity all through her life and how she felt dominated by her father and unhappy with her husband. There was no joy in this novel- surely Grace felt some happiness in her life. I found reading this book a chore. Even in the retelling of her wedding to Rainier in which she became Princess Grace, the author found no joy in this event but portrayed Grace as just wanting it over. I cannot recommend this book.

I loved The Big Finish by Brooke Fossey. Duffy and Josie and Carl will stay with me a long time and I'm glad they will. I love all of the residents of the Centennial assisted living home where this story is set and the way they interact and the story plays out is so real and compelling. However, Duffy and Josie steal the scene throughout. This book is one you can't put down and the ending is so perfect yet hard to anticipate. I will be talking and thinking about this one for quite some time. The ending was just what I wanted and more.

I loved You Were There Too by Colleen Oakley. This book has a very strange premise which drew me in from the start. I really liked Mia and felt her struggles were true to life. This story had a depth which I did not expect and I loved how it all worked out. I will be thinking and talking about this book for a while - the mark of a good read. Highly recommended.

I wanted to like this book as it had a curious plot but didn't really like Lillian. She did change as the book progressed and her relationship with the kids did redeem her but not enough for me to really care about her. I did want to find out how the book would end but Lillian was too flawed for me. Cannot recommend.

I loved Ellie and the Harpmaker by Hazel Prior. It was a lovely story and I came to really care about Ellie and Dan. Dan's outlook on life was so uplifting. The world needs more books like this! I found all the characters believable and their back story helped you understand them and their actions. So glad Ellie stood up for herself and our two main characters got the ending they deserved. I agree- this one is special!