fiction – Page 2 – The Spine View

One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle

I wished I had enjoyed this book. Other readers did enjoy this book very much; therefore, I am going to chalk this one up to just not my tastes. While I explain my reasoning for my rating, keep an open mind because the things that bothered me may not be a big deal to you.

Katy’s mother, Carol, has just died and she is left without her rock, her best friend and supporter. To say Katy has lost everything thing is an understatement. She depended on her mother for everything despite being a grown, married woman herself.

Carol’s death happened just two weeks before their planned trip to Positano, Italy to celebrate Carol’s 60^th birthday. At a loss on how to live without her mother, Katy decides to take the trip alone. Once there she discovers a much younger version of her mother. She sets out to discover more about this version of her mother she never knew existed.

Before I delve into the parts I didn’t like, I would like to talk about the things I did like. First, I loved the descriptions of the Italian coast, the food and life. It made me want to drop everything, pack a bag and go see for myself all the delights of this lovely seaside town.

I enjoyed the plot (for the most part) and thought the pacing was good. However, I was not a fan of how the time travel was handled. It read as an afterthought or that it just thrown in to make the plot work. If you time traveled, wouldn’t you notice things like old cars everywhere that looked new, no cell phones, that people dressed funny. I guess there was a time bubble just around Katy?? Yeah, I know it is fiction, but it has to be at least plausible in some parallel universe.

Then we had the relationship between Katy and Carol. Katy was so clingy it was to the point of being unhealthily. It felt like Katy, couldn’t wipe her own behind without asking her mother for permission. The relationship described was well beyond clingy going into the scary and creepy territory. I’m still shuddering to think about it.

In short, I was disappointed in what could have been a great story. Though I feel uncomfortable recommending this book, I know a lot of people will enjoy it. Therefore, I suggest you decide for yourself.

I received a free copy, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.

All I Want For Christmas Is the Girl Who Can’t Love

This book, though mostly not set during the holidays, still has the special magic that only the holiday season can bring. It is an imaginative coming-of-age story and will definitely warm your heart.

Savannah meets Jordan at the start of the semester when he offers to help her carry her mattress to her dorm room. In the days following move in, they keep running into each other and before long a friendship develops, but Jordan wants more. However, Savannah is convinced that true love does not exist. She thinks love is just a primitive response to mating. This is only reinforced by her mother and grandmother’s experiences.

Jordan is not without wanting to put off love because his career goals come first. However, as the semester progresses, Jordan and Savannah are drawn to each other. They just seem to click and Jordan becomes determined to prove to Savannah that true love does exist. When they find a collection of letters from the revolutionary war between a solider and the woman he loved, Jorden uses this as the opportunity to prove the existence of true love. The question is. will this be enough to prove to Savannah that true love exists?

The characters in this story were fabulous. They are genuine and the dialog was what I would expect from young adults. I liked how the author used Savannah’s challenges with empathy. Because Savannah is challenged, the author was able to highlight how strong and intelligent she is, with a fierceness about her that many her age don’t have.

I also loved that the tension slowly built in the story and there could not have been a better setting for this book. The historical element of the letters added a nice layer to the story and helped moved the plot along. I wanted to find out what happened to everyone and it had me rushing to finish.

This book was charming, and had a strong feel-good vibe. I highly recommend it to lovers of YA and romance. It is not only a great holiday read, but would make a great beach read because a lot of the book takes place outside of the holidays.

I received a free copy from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.

Christmas With Hamish by Sophie Penhaligon

I am always a sucker for books that have animals in them. I am so glad I happened to run across this one on NetGalley. It satisfied my need to read a happy holiday story where animals played an important role. This is just what I wanted!

Verity has been dreading the trip to Vancouver for her sister’s wedding. She has always been an outsider and her sister and mother treat her more like a servant than family. She consoles herself knowing she will have a ski vacation to enjoy with her friends after the wedding. However, when her sister’s dog sitter cancels at the last minute, she gets roped into dog sitting.

Dog sitting is totally outside Verity’s comfort zone. Fortunately, the neighbor down the hall, Nikau and his dog Chunk, come to the rescue. Before long Verity is an unofficial dog Aunt. In addition, to learning all things dog, she has an instant connection to Nikau and a budding romance begins.

This is a typical feel good romance with a happy ending. I liked the characters a lot. I was especially happy with Nikau. He was loving and protective but not smothering. There needs to be more people like him in real life!

The story was good and the plot moved nicely. There was a bit of tension in the story that keep me interested. Overall, very well done.

I recommend this books for fans of romance. I also think readers who love a Christmas story will enjoy this too. Yet, it is not only a great holiday story, it is a story feel good story for any time of year.

I received a free copy, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.

Adelia by Dan Barron

This book is a skillfully told story about love, regrets and second chances. Filled with wonderful imagery and a touching story, it will make you believe in true love again.

Jack Landen is a total mess since his wife’s suicide. He is overwhelmed by guilt and can’t take care of himself, let alone his two young daughters. He is desperate and wishing he could go back in time and do things different. He wants, more than anything, to be the man his wife, Adelia, deserves.

Someone must have heard him because he wakes up in the past when he was a single musician and just cruising through life without a care. When he realizes what has happened, he immediately sets off to find Adelia. He is determined to find her and change the course of events that will ultimately lead to Adelia’s death.

Jack was a likeable (though not at first) and relatable character. He is flawed; yet, strong enough to recognize it and man enough to want to do something about it instead of continuing to whine about it like most people would do. At first, I thought he was just a self-centered ass; but, I changed my mind as I get deeper into the story. So, kudos to the author for managing that in a realistic way. I also liked the character of Adelia and the author’s thoughtful use of her character to show how jealous can break us down over time.

The plot was well executed, not too serious and not too trivial, and with enough tension and action to keep me interested. I thought the subplot tied all the parts together nicely and the little twist was cool too. I was definitely routing for Jack and Adelia.

There was a lot to take away from this book. For me, the biggest one is love is never easy. There were other themes throughout that made the story more interesting, jealously being another big one as well as forgiveness. Because of this, the book is perfect for a book club discussion.

If you like stories that make you think, this is one you should put on your to-be-read list. I highly recommend.

I received a free copy from the author in exchange for my honest review.

The Santa Suit by Mary Kay Andrews

The Santa Suit, by Mary Kay Andrews, is the perfect feel good story for the holidays about a young, recently divorced women who is starting over in a small town in North Carolina. It made for a marvelous and entertaining read everyone is sure to enjoy.

After her divorce, Ivy Perkins, decides a change of scenery is just what she needs and purchases an old farm house on a couple of acres sight unseen. She arrives at her new home with her dog Punkin, some baby chicks, and what few possessions she has managed to pack into her car. A far cry from her life in Atlanta as the co-owner of a PR firm.

She is meet by Ezra, the helpful real estate agent, who sold her the property and just happens to be her neighbor. A very good looking neighbor and he turns out to be very handy with the little problems that crop up. The first problem is all the furniture and things from the previous owners.

Ivy starts settling in and going through some of the things left behind. During this process she runs across an old Santa suit with a crumbled note in the pocket. The old note is from a girl asking for her father to return from the war. This note intrigues her and she can’t resist the urge to find out more about this girl. It leads her to many new friends and allows her start healing her broken heart.

This story has so many good things going for it. I loved the plot and the setting of a small, rural community which was perfect for this type of story. The mystery of the note was a fantastic plot device that helped the story move along in a believable way.

Loved Ivy and her unflappable attitude and strong sense of person. She is a take life by the horns type of person. Just the type of strong, yet feminine character, I enjoy reading about. The supporting characters were just as good and they complimented the story and Ivy’s character wonderfully.

Everyone needs a little dose of the Christmas magic throughout the year and this is the book to give you that. I highly recommend it for all those who love stories with feeling. I received a free copy from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.

Come Back to Me by Jody Hedlund

The troupe of time travel is by no means new. However, Come Back to Me, by Jody Hedlund, is a fresh take on the tried and true. A mix of medieval history, romance, fantasy, and mystery. The story at points reminded me of Outlander and The Time Traveler’s Wife mixed together with a bit of pixie dust thrown in for good measure.

Marian Creighton is a research scientist looking for a cure to a rear disease that her mother died from and her sister has inherited. Her work is interrupted when her father falls into a coma after drinking a vial of holy water thought to contain traces of the Tree of Life. After reviewing clues her father left behind, she determines that he has gone back in time looking for more of this holy water that is reported to have cured all ailments. This is just what Marian needs to save her sister’s life.

She decides to follow her father back in time. All the way back to Medieval times she goes searching for the holy water and its cure. Upon arrival she discovers the harsh reality of the times. Women where property and treated as such. Fortunately, she has a savior in the form of a knight by the name of Lord William Durham. William has just returned from the ongoing war with France, known later as the 100 years’ war. He has business to attend to at his estate and just happens to chance upon Marian at the convent his sister is a member of.

The nuns have not treated her very nicely, and in order to rescue her, William offers to marry her. Thinking this is a simple and very temporary solution to her problem, she accepts his offer. However, nothing is as simple as it seems. The peasant uprising and her growing affection for William are vastly complicating things and she is running out of time.

I wish I had the space in this short review to compare and contrast this book with Outlander. I saw a lot of similarities and a lot of differences and it would be an interesting discussion. Just suffice it to say that while the time periods are different the main characters face very similar trials. As with Outlander, the drama is what makes the book such an interesting read. Given the fact that the events of the time period are real this added an extra layer of suspense and believability to the story.

The first thirty to forty pages were a bit slow because the real action does not start until Marian goes back in time. Once in the past, all kinds of trouble ensues and the action picks up and I had a hard time putting the book down. I also enjoyed the blend of real history with fiction. The plot worked very nicely with the time period.

I loved the characters of William and Marian. William is the essence of a valiant, gentlemanly knight. The fact that the tragedies in his life so far had shaped him into the man is was made for a relatable character. Marian’s character worked well in the story also. She had just the right amount of bravery, mixed with femininity, to draw William in. Too strong of a character would not have worked in this book. The author did a good job of fashioning someone who fit both time periods.

There was a little bit of everything in the tale and a lot to love about it. I recommend this one for lovers of romance with a twist. I received a free copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Song of Gabrielle by John Anthony Miller

Song of Gabrielle is a historical fiction novel, set in medieval times. It is full of romance, sorcery and wonderful prose. I found it to be well researched and highly imaginative. I was totally absorbed from start to finish.

Gabrielle’s story is told by a traveling Troubadour years later and begins in Normandy, France in 1216 where she has just arrived at a convent that sits along the coast. The English are raging a war upon France and the French forces are scattered and retreating. Montague of Rouen, a solider of the king, asks the Reverend Mother to shelter Lady Gabrielle a lady of the king’s court and his love. The convent is well known to Lady Gabrielle and her to the convent. Therefore, the request is easily granted and Montague leaves, to reassemble the scattered forces of the king, knowing she will be sheltered and safety away from the English.

Unfortunately, the English army come upon the convent and ask that the nuns help treat the injured soldiers. Gabrielle is a skilled healer and helps the nuns in administering treatment to injured and dying men. Despite the nuns disguise the Reverend Mother insists Gabrielle wear to hide her identity, she is recognized by Captain Carney the leader of the English army of Sir Michael Marston. By a stroke of bad luck, she is now a prisoner of war and becomes a pawn in the power struggle between two great forces.

Captain Carney knows what the value of Lady Gabrielle will be to the English. They can hold her as a political pawn to their advantage. Unhappily, Gabrielle is shipped off to Marston as a political prisoner of war. Once she reaches England she is treated kindly and with respect by Marston even though she is truly a prisoner. However, there is much a foot in England and several forces are converging on Marston’s castle with goals that will have a far reaching affect if they are achieved. Marston may not be able to protect Gabrielle, a women he is attracted to and maybe even beginning to love.

This is just the type of story that I crave and love to lose myself in. There is political intrigue, wizards, magic and all sorts of nefarious people that had me cringing hoping that they would be the ones on the short end of the stick. The plot was fast paced and there were enough surprises that I was never bored.

In addition, I felt a connection with Gabrielle because the author did an amazing job with the character development. I loved that she was a strong character and though she pined to be in France, in the arms of Montague, she did not let it cloud her judgement. She was able to recognize the goodness in Marston despite her circumstances.

I would not do this book justice if I did not mention how much I enjoyed the prose. It was descriptive but not overly so that it over shadowed the action and characters. It is such a fine line to do enough to help the reader understand the setting without bogging the story down in overly flowery and totally unnecessary language.

There is something to love in this book for most every reader. However, I think readers of Historical Fiction and Romance will find this book especially enjoyable. Highly recommend!

I received a free advanced copy from the author in exchange for me honest review.

The Last Green Valley by Mark T. Sullivan

The Last Green Valley is an amazing story of courage, family, hope and survival. Just as with Sullivan’s earlier novel Beneath a Scarlet Sky, this book is based on the true story of the Martel family and how they escaped the advancing Russian army with nothing but the few possessions they could pack into a single wagon.

The war is in full force in Europe. The Germany army is retreating on both fronts and the Martel family must decide if they want to stay in the Ukraine and again be under Stalin’s rule or as “pure” Germans be relocated to Germany. For Emil, the decision is easy. He knows what it is to live under Russian rule and he wants to be free and dreams of a better life in the West. He even dares to dream about immigrating to the United States.

However, to make his dream come true he will have to move his wife and two young sons through the war ridden countryside. The family, along with other refugees, follow the Germany army as they retreat before the oncoming Russians. While the Germans have offered to resettle them, their help will come at a price. The Martels will face many trials in their journey to freedom in the West.

This is such a moving story. I can’t begin to imagine how hard it was to survive during WWII. The tenacity of Emil and Adeline was incredible. Most would have given up their dreams and just lived under Stalin’s rule when faced with the hardships and unknown.

The story is well researched and told with beauty and compassion. The prose was descriptive and I felt he did justice to the characters. In short, it was outstanding and it is books like this that fuel my passion for historical fiction.

A must read for all lovers of history and historical fiction. In addition, this is a great book club pick because the topics this book covers a vast array of topics of the time that are still relevant today.

The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz

The Plot is most definitely one of those books you just can’t put down. Such a lovely slow burn and the ending, well it just smacks you in the face. Highly inventive and truly addictive!

Jacob “Jake” Finch Bonner is a ‘has been’ writer. He wrote one novel that was received well by the critics and had lukewarm commercial success followed by a couple more that should never have been published. He is now drowning in self-pity and unable to write another book worthy of print. Instead of writing, he is now teaching writing at a MFA program at Ripley. One of his students is an arrogant asshole but he does have a killer idea for a novel that is sure to be an instant success.

Years go by and the book is never published. Jake stars wondering what happened. By doing a little research on his computer, he discovers that his former student is dead. Such a shame to let a fabulous idea go to waste and he rationalizes that a plot can’t be copywrited. He will not use any of his student’s words, not that he can remember much after all this time has passed, everything will be his own except for the basic plot. No will ever know, until they do.

The day he has been dreading has finally arrived. While on the road to promote the book, aptly named “Crib”, he receives a message through his author website that simply says, “You are a thief.” Other messages follow, then a Facebook post, even a message at his home. The cat is out of the bag and there is no way to put it back. Jake is now obsessed with finding out more about his former student. What he uncovers is shocking and leads to a chilling conclusion.

This is not one of those thriller that you are totally engrossed in from page one. It was more like a speeding train, it took time to build up energy but once it got going there was no stopping it. I appreciated that the author took her time with this story because it allowed the reader to get an in-depth look into the life and mind of Jake. Something I miss in some thrillers and just the kind of pacing I adore.

I felt the character of Jake was perfect for the story. It needed a character that was self-doubting and so insecure as to be cringe worthy in order to make the story really sing. While the whining would have normally driven me crazy, in this case it gave me feelings of empathy for Jake and I found him very relatable.

Fabulous story, great characters and the pacing is just the way I like it. I was starting to get bored with thriller type novels; however, this book has reawaken my love for the genre. Highly recommend to all readers.

I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.

People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry

People We Meet On Vacation is a lively rom-com from author Emily Henry. The familiar troupe of opposites attract drives this heartfelt story of two people who just can’t seem to get it right. So glad I made this my Book of the Month pick.

Poppy and Alex meet during freshman orientation and there is no connection. Poppy is everything Alex is not, loud, fun loving and a total extrovert with a passion for travel. Then she hitches a ride home with him and everything changes. They become best friends and stay in contact despite Alex still living in the same small town in Ohio and Poppy living in NYC. Every year they take a vacation together and it is always a grand adventure, until it isn’t.

They screwed up the friendship and have not spoken for two years. Now Poppy wants to give it a try again. She reaches out to Alex and to her surprise he answers. She convinces him to take another vacation with her. This time she wants to not only patch up their friendship but finally tell Alex how she really feels about him. Will it work, so much could go wrong.

The opposites attract troupe worked so well in the story because the characters were perfect. Yes they are opposites and yet they complement each other so well. They just go together like PB&J and the author did a fabulous job of showing this to the reader. The character development was perfect.

Though the story is character driven, there is plenty of tension to make the reader want to keep turning the pages. In fact, there were some places that the tension was almost unbearable. Sometimes I felt like shouting at the characters in order to get them to speak honestly and from the heart. It would have saved them so much heartache if they had.

The plot was all about this slow buildup of tension. Of course, there was the sexual tension between Poppy and Alex. However, that tension is overshadowed by the buildup to the crest when the reader finally finds out what caused the rife in their relationship. I kept wondering if they slept together on that last trip and something awkward happened that they could not reconcile the event. So many possibilities went through my mind as I read and I had to know what happened.

This is the rom-com you have been waiting for if you liked When Harry Met Sally. It has all the elements of wonderfully slow burn of a story. This is most definitely one of those books that you want to rush through to see what happens and yet dread to finish because you are not ready to say goodbye to the characters. Highly recommend.