Review: The Invitation

Title: The Invitation

Author: Belinda Alexandra

Publisher: Harper Collins Publishers Australia, HarperCollins - AU, 22nd October.

Pages: 416 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: General Fiction (adult), Historical Fiction.

My Rating: 3 cups

Synopsis:

The sumptuous new novel set in the Gilded Age, from Belinda Alexandra, author of Tuscan Rose and White Gardenia

Sometimes the ties that bind are the most dangerous of all ...

Paris, 1899. Emma Lacasse has been estranged from her older sister for nearly twenty years, since Caroline married a wealthy American and left France. So when Emma receives a request from Caroline to meet her, she is intrigued. Caroline invites Emma to visit her in New York, on one condition: Emma must tutor her shy, young niece, Isadora, and help her prepare for her society debut.

Caroline lives a life of unimaginable excess and opulence as one of New York's Gilded Age millionaires and Emma is soon immersed in a world of luxury beyond her wildest dreams - a far cry from her bohemian lifestyle as a harpist and writer with her lover, Claude, in Montmartre.

Emma hopes for an emotional reunion with her only family, but instead she finds herself in the vice-like grip of her charismatic and manipulative sister, who revels in the machinations of the ultra rich. As Emma begins to question her sister's true motives, a disaster strikes, and New York society is stripped bare - beneath the glittering exterior lies a seething nest of deceit, betrayal, moral corruption ... and perhaps even murder.

From the bestselling author of Tuscan Rose comes a mesmerising tale of two sisters and the dangers and seductions of excess.

My Thoughts

In her depiction of the era and detailed descriptions of extravagant clothing and luxurious residences, Belinda Alexandra’s extensive research is, evident throughout. I enjoyed reading and learning more about the time period this book was set in.

‘The Gilded Age’ refers to a period in the history of the United States that coincides approximately with the Victorian era in Britain and the Belle Époque in France. It was a time of rapid economic growth, when great fortunes were made and millions of immigrants flooded into the country. It was also a period of extreme wealth for some and destitution and abject poverty for others. The term was first coined by Mark Twain in his novel The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today. ‘Gilded’ is not the same as ‘golden’. It implies a thin, shiny patina that covers something less attractive underneath.”

It took me a few chapters to 'get into this book' but about a third of the way in I did begin to enjoy it. There are so many twists and turns and Carole, the evil sister never ceased to amaze me about what she was capable of doing to her sister and even more so to her daughter,  Isadora. Carole and Emma, her younger sister, are like chalk and cheese. Emma hasn’t seen her sister in 20 years and she summons her to get her daughter ready for entry into society. The heights Carole goes to, just to be the best she can, to keep up with the elite group in New York  and prove she has the best house and the best of everything, is a stark contrast to poor Emma. We do not find out until near the end why this is the case between the two sisters!

If you enjoy reading historical fiction and the dramas of the 19th Century, you will enjoy this book, but it wasn’t one of my favourites from Belinda Alexandra.  

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

Title: The Little Book Cafe: Emma’s Story.

Author: Georgia Hill

Publisher: Harper Impulse and Killer Reads, 21 September.

Pages: 106 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: General Fiction (adult), romance

My Rating: 3.5 cups

Synopsis:

Escape to the seaside for a new three-part series for fans of The Canal Boat Cafe and Willow Cottage

When Emma discovers that Berecombe’s fabulous book café is running a literary course for beginners, she is excited to give it a try. She’s always wanted to study more, and it doesn’t hurt that Joel, the suave and charming new teacher is pretty easy on the eye…

The more she learns, the more she starts to question whether she really wants the life she has built up. Her boyfriend of forever, Ollie, is constantly training with the RNLI, so they hardly get to see each other, and she is pretty sure Joel has a soft spot for her…

Will Joel sweep her off her feet? Or can Ollie make the most important rescue of his life?

My Thoughts

Emma’s Story is the second book in the three part series. I didn’t enjoy this one as much as the others, but still liked meeting all the characters again. Emma works with Tash in the town’s real estate agents and is quite frustrated and bored with her life.

“There was always too much noise and too many arguments going on in this house. And, at the same time, nothing ever changed.”

Emma is a member of the small book club in Berecombe, along with Tash and Amy (from the other 2 books) and some other friends. One of the members decides to run a 4 week beginner’s literature course, which Emma joins to try to counteract the boredom in her life.

“...’Look’, she began, ‘I love my job and I love living in Berecombe, but sometimes it gets a bit boring round here. Especially out of season. I just want the old grey cells rattled a bit’...”

Even though this book was an enjoyable read and all the characters were very likeable, it was very predictable so at times it was quite boring. I’m glad I read the whole three part series and I thoroughly enjoyed meeting all the characters again in each book.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

Review: True Places

Title: True Places

Author: Sonja Yoerg

Publisher: 1st January 2019 by Lake Union Publishing

Pages: 347 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: general fiction, womens fiction, contemporary

My Rating: 5 cups

Synopsis:

A girl emerges from the woods, starved, ill, and alone…and collapses.

Suzanne Blakemore hurtles along the Blue Ridge Parkway, away from her overscheduled and completely normal life, and encounters the girl. As Suzanne rushes her to the hospital, she never imagines how the encounter will change her—a change she both fears and desperately needs.

Suzanne has the perfect house, a successful husband, and a thriving family. But beneath the veneer of an ideal life, her daughter is rebelling, her son is withdrawing, her husband is oblivious to it all, and Suzanne is increasingly unsure of her place in the world. After her discovery of the ethereal sixteen-year-old who has never experienced civilization, Suzanne is compelled to invite Iris into her family’s life and all its apparent privileges.

But Iris has an independence, a love of solitude, and a discomfort with materialism that contrasts with everything the Blakemores stand for—qualities that awaken in Suzanne first a fascination, then a longing. Now Suzanne can’t help but wonder: Is she destined to save Iris, or is Iris the one who will save her?

My Thoughts

‘She didn’t have to consult her phone to know there were countless other tasks waiting to occupy that time. That was, in fact, what time was: a narrow container for a relentless succession of tasks. The container could not be expanded, but the tasks could multiply exponentially.’

How happy am I that I picked this book up! Absolutely fantastic read from beginning to end. This was phenomenal storytelling that explored a range of contemporary issues faced in this modern world by many of us. As the title suggests, this is about finding your ‘True Place’ in this life, staying true (or having to rediscover) the real you.

‘I’ve spent weeks explaining this world to her: why we buy things, why we need so many choices, why we try to get so much money, why we never sit still, why we throw so much away. I hear myself explain all this—or try to—and I can’t believe how ridiculous I sound. Suzanne swallowed hard. She took a breath and spread her arms out wide. “I can’t believe this is me.’

This is a family drama which highlights this conflict of interest when pitted against the constant stream of materialism and superficial living that soaks into our systems from our modern day living. All it took was the foster care of a young teenager to throw into chaos what the family had thought to be their perfect life. It wasn’t and Sonja Yoerg highlights this tremendously well.

‘Once their kids had started school, it was more like jumping into a fast-flowing river. You didn’t choose. You swam to keep from drowning ... Suzanne was the first to admit she had no parenting philosophy she could articulate. There didn’t seem to be time for top-down thinking; it was a minor miracle to arrive at the close of the day without significant mishap, take a deep breath, down a glass of wine, and get ready to do it all over again the next day.’

There are a number of themes masterfully addressed and presented throughout this novel. Many you will relate to, some you may not but will undoubtedly appreciate: marriage and partner roles, family living, societal pressures, adolescent issues and most importantly how to reclaim and get back on track - if you can - to the essence of who you are as an individual. I found this to be an exceptionally well written book with both setting and character development at an all time high. For example as a mother, I wanted to confront the teenage daughter but then realised that her mother, Suzanne, needed to  progress along her own journey to arrive at that destination.

‘Suzanne was as busy as before but nevertheless now found time to enter rabbit holes of self-examination and worry. Perhaps it wasn’t time, per se, but being forced to evaluate her life in order to explain it, justify it to Iris .... For far too long she had been floating along in a sea of compromise, dammed up by walls of fear. If Iris could maintain her integrity in the face of overwhelming odds, so could she.’

The writing is sublime on so many levels. It takes a remarkable author to captivate a reader through language pertaining to a range of ages and situations. I highlighted so many passages that really struck a chord with me and made me ponder. Yoerg ties it all together so beautifully, really capturing the psyche of modern day family living with the behaviour and dynamics as seen through the eyes of each of the characters (still didn’t make me appreciate the painful daughter). Then there are the rich descriptions of the landscape - the fauna and botany that were subtle ingrained throughout as well.

This novel spoke to me in a number of ways and I raced through it in no time. Sonja Yoerg shines a wonderful spotlight through engaging prose on issues that speak to many of us. For haven’t we all, at some stage, been metaphorically lost and searched for our ‘true place’? I highly recommend this book as it will draw you and not let you go until the very last page.

‘You ought to be thanking her for showing us who we truly are .... Sometimes it takes a stranger to show you what should be obvious, how far you’ve drifted from who you want to be, from what’s right for you, your true place.’

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

Review: The Last Days of the Romanov Dancers

Title:  The Last Days Of The Romanov Dancers

Author: Kerri Turner

Publisher: 21st January 2019 by Harlequin Australia, HQ (Fiction, Non Fiction, YA) & MIRA

Pages: 320 pages
How I Read It: ARC book
Genre: womens fiction, historical fiction

My Rating: 4 cups

Synopsis:

Petrograd, 1914. A country on a knife edge. The story of two people caught in the middle - with everything to lose...

A stunning debut from a talented new Australian voice in historical fiction. Valentina Yershova's position in the Romanovs' Imperial Russian Ballet is the only thing that keeps her from the clutches of poverty. With implacable determination, she has clawed her way through the ranks, relying not only on her talent but her alliances with influential men that grant them her body, but never her heart. Then Luka Zhirkov - the gifted son of a factory worker - joins the company, and suddenly everything she has built is put at risk.

For Luka, being accepted into the company fulfils a lifelong dream. But in the eyes of his proletariat father, it makes him a traitor. As civil war tightens its grip and the country starves, Luka is torn between his growing connection to Valentina and his guilt for their lavish way of life.

For the Imperial Russian Ballet has become the ultimate symbol of Romanov indulgence, and soon the lovers are forced to choose: their country, their art or each other...

My Thoughts

The Last of the Romanov Dancers is the debut novel by Aussie author Kerri Turner and is a good combination of fact and fiction on a well versed topic but with a fresh twist. An intriguing historical venture into Russian ballet during the dying days of the Romanov rule.

This is a well researched book detailing lives - both real and fiction - during pre revolution Russia and branches across all levels of the social spectrum. Struggling with their involvement in WW2, the balance between the ‘have and have nots’ was coming into stark contrast in war torn Russia. Jealousy and hate at the forefront, as the lives of the royal family (with guest appearances by Rasputin) seemingly in sharp contrast to the ordinary Russian struggling to live on the street. With a focus on the Imperial Russian ballet - something the aristocracy thought would prove a worthy distraction to the war effort - all badly backfired and was held up as the ultimate symbol of everything they were fighting against.

‘He couldn’t stand to be there any more, with people who were so ready to ignore those who had already lost so much and were desperately trying to survive off less food than was left over on the silver plates they dined from. What was more, he needed to get away from them so he could try to convince himself that he wasn’t becoming one of them.’

This is where a fresh insight is provided for this well versed period in history as it is told through the eyes of the dancers. Kerri Turner (an obvious dancer herself) presents the world of ballet with everything from Swan Lake roles, to blistered feet from pointe shoes and the various ballet movements and technique. You are taken into the heart of the Imperial Russian ballet of the day where politics, deception and intrigue rule the way.

Throw into this mix of revolutionaries and ballerinas, two lovers caught in what would prove to be, a catastrophic crossfire, and you have a well rounded story.  At its core, however, this is a love story. Luka Zhirkov - a gifted dancer but from a proletariat background and Valentina Yershova who exchanges physical relationships with a ‘Protector’ in order to have influence in the ballet company. This is perhaps the slight downfall of the novel, as undoubtedly one can hazard an accurate guess of how this story will play out and the ultimate conclusion it will arrive at.

Still, I recommend this for lovers of historical fiction, particularly for the fresh perspective it brings to this revolutionary state with the interesting cultural aspect of Russian ballet.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release

Review: The Only Woman in the Room

Title: The Only Woman in the Room

Author: Marie Benedict

Publisher: 8th January 2019 by Sourcebooks Landmark

Pages: 272 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: historical fiction

My Rating: 5 cups

Synopsis:

She was beautiful. She was a genius. Could the world handle both? A powerful, illuminating novel about Hedy Lamarr.

Hedy Kiesler is lucky. Her beauty leads to a starring role in a controversial film and marriage to a powerful Austrian arms dealer, allowing her to evade Nazi persecution despite her Jewish heritage. But Hedy is also intelligent. At lavish Vienna dinner parties, she overhears the Third Reich's plans. One night in 1937, desperate to escape her controlling husband and the rise of the Nazis, she disguises herself and flees her husband's castle.

She lands in Hollywood, where she becomes Hedy Lamarr, screen star. But Hedy is keeping a secret even more shocking than her Jewish heritage: she is a scientist. She has an idea that might help the country and that might ease her guilt for escaping alone -- if anyone will listen to her. A powerful novel based on the incredible true story of the glamour icon and scientist whose groundbreaking invention revolutionized modern communication, The Only Woman in the Room is a masterpiece.

My Thoughts

“... unless we begin to view historical women through a broader, more inclusive lens—and rewrite them back into the narrative—we will continue to view the past more restrictively than it likely was, and we risk carrying those perspectives over into the present.”

(Author’s Note)

I am so thrilled that Marie Benedict continues to write these fabulous testimonials. I read and reviewed her, Carnegie’s Maid (HERE) and couldn’t wait to read her latest on film star, Hedy (Kiesler) Lamarr. I was not disappointed as once again she delivered great insight into yet another female from history. Obviously a combination of both fact and fiction, Benedict interweaves the two seamlessly providing a fascinating spotlight on this woman. A golden years of Hollywood actress she may have been, but Hedy was also an incredibly intelligent and pioneering woman and I truly appreciated learning more about her research and discoveries with regards to her communication invention.

‘All the rage storming within me evaporated, leaving a hollow, if beautiful, shell. Perhaps the shell was all this world wanted from me. And perhaps the world would never allow me my penance.’

I remember as a child watching the old black and white movies with my Mum but I never knew Hedy was also accredited (only recently) with contributions to a radio guidance system (something that helped today's development of wifi and bluetooth technology). Benedict presents Hedy’s life from a young age in Austria to her stardom in Hollywood. Whilst I appreciated the glamour of her rise to fame, it was more the personal story that really had me engaged and following up with Google searches to learn more still. Her self doubts and resilience to persevere were inspiring.

‘I had always been alone under my mask, the only woman in the room.’

The pacing is spot on from beginning to end being told through the eyes of Hedy herself. I am glad that Benedict devoted suitable research and time in the story to the legacy that Hedy is now attributed with. Just the right about of detail with regards to patents and the incredible process - both in creation and recognition - that Hedy and George Antheil went through.

‘Time buckled and then folded back onto itself, back to the night that changed everything. That night sent me on the path I stood upon today, one fraught with overwhelming guilt, the pursuit of redemption, and, occasionally, unexpected joy.’

Thank you Marie Benedict for continuing to bring to light amazing stories of women who may have been relegated to the shadows for their achievements. You truly bought the character that was Hedy Lamarr both on and off the screen - from her escape from Nazism to her relentless pursuit to try and make a difference to the outcome of WWII - to life.  I cannot wait to see who you will lift the curtain on next.

‘Would it really be possible that in creating an invention to fight against the Third Reich, I could atone for my sins? That in saving the lives of those impacted by naval warfare, I could balance out the scales of justice for those I’d left behind in Austria? And was it possible that in the process, I might become known as more than Hedy, the “pretty face”?

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

Review: Book Love

Title:  Book Love

Author: Debbie Tung

Publisher: 1st January 2019 by Andrews McMeel Publishing

Pages: 144 pages
How I Read It: ARC book
Genre: sequential art, graphic/comic novel, nonfiction

My Rating: 5 cups

Synopsis:

Bookworms rejoice! These charming comics capture exactly what it feels like to be head-over-heels for hardcovers. And paperbacks! And ebooks! And bookstores! And libraries!

Book Love is a gift book of comics tailor-made for tea-sipping, spine-sniffing, book-hoarding bibliophiles. Debbie Tung’s comics are humorous and instantly recognizable—making readers laugh while precisely conveying the thoughts and habits of book nerds. Book Love is the ideal gift to let a book lover know they’re understood and appreciated.

My Thoughts

I have been following Debbie Tung’s cartoons on social media and was thrilled at being able to review her latest, ‘Book Love’. If you have not seen her work, you simply must check her cartoons out and if you are in any way obsessed with reading, then this truly is a must have! It was her debut of, ‘Quiet Girl in a Noisy World: An Introvert’s Story’, that first drew my attention. I have not looked back since and smile when her cartoons come up in my Instagram feed.

Debbie’s comics capture simple everyday moments that happen to us all. She has a great love of books and tea - so here at Great Reads & Tea Leaves, we are definite fangirls! This book contains absolute little gems that nail it for all of us book obsessed beings. It is a homage to books and being a lover of books. There will be undoubtedly more than one occasion when you will smile with the book loving moments Debbie captures.

Short and sweet, this book will reel you in and provide the vindication that you are not alone in your obsession. Page after page will lay before you moments and situations that will have you nodding your head in agreement, everything from fave books, to love of bookstores and more!

If you love books you must delve into the array of scenarios that will resonate so strongly. What a great gift this would make to the book lover in your life! Thank you Debbie for documenting so succinctly what many of us feel.

Short to read but guaranteed to put a lasting ‘smile on your dial’, this is a little book that must be read by all lovers of literature. Lighthearted, relatable, and full of what we all love most of all!

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release

Review: The Secrets of the Tea Garden

Title: The Secrets of the Tea Garden (The India Tea Book 4)

Author: Janet MacLeod Trotter

Publisher: 22nd November 2018 by Amazon Publishing UK Lake Union Publishing

Pages: 574 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: historical fiction, womens fiction, romance, cultural India

My Rating: 4 cups

Synopsis:

She’s gone in search of happy memories. But was her idyllic childhood in India an illusion?

After the Second World War, Libby Robson leaves chilly England for India, and the childhood home where she left her heart—and her beloved father, James—fourteen years ago.

At first Libby is intoxicated by India’s vibrant beauty: the bustle of Calcutta, the lush tea gardens of Assam. But beneath the surface a rebellion is simmering: India is on the brink of Independence, and the days of British rule are numbered. As the owner of a tea plantation, James embodies the hated colonial regime, and Libby finds herself questioning her idealised memories—particularly when she meets the dashing freedom fighter Ghulam Khan.

As Independence looms, life in India becomes precarious for Libby, James and even Ghulam. And when James reveals a shameful family secret, Libby is forced to question her past—and her future.

My Thoughts

“Libby watched the golden liquid being poured into the china cups which she helped hand around. She picked up hers and inhaled the steamy scent. The tea smelled of mango and papaya. Libby closed her eyes and sipped. Instantly, the heat and vivid colours of the tea garden were conjured up...”

I thoroughly enjoyed this sojourn to India - wonderful historical fiction. Although listed as part of a series, I have not previously read any and found it to be fine as a standalone read. Of course, some characters are carried over and many other reviewers enjoyed visiting ‘old’ friends, so it may be worth investigating. The series involves families who were either born in India or had roots back in England. This particular volume revolves around the partition of India in 1947.

In the dying days of colonial rule, this book portrays the vestiges of the British Empire in India with a small smattering of white opinions set against the new and revolutionary thoughts and actions for independence. This, I found, to be the strongest aspect of the book, the turbulent political situation, was well researched, being rich in historical detail.

The writing provides in depth accounts of place and people - sometimes a little too much detail. In my opinion, there are certain passages that went on for too long and became repetitive - there was definite room for more editing with regards to personal character plotlines and development. That being said, the larger overarching themes of Anglo-Indian relations was well done, particularly those of mixed heritage who found themselves not really belonging to either side. Even those ex-pats who had spent the majority of their life living and working in India - their struggles were likewise well portrayed.

The exotic settings were definitely well captured and presented, particularly Calcutta and the tea growing regions of Assam. Tied in with this is a study of the type of person who could adjust to such remote living. There is an array of characters that you will have to get your head around - who belongs to which family (this may be perhaps where reading previous books in the series would be an advantage). Overall, I enjoyed the historical background of this period, the time leading up to separation and independence.

‘What’s a real Indian, Ghulam?’ she demanded hotly. ‘Shouldn’t that include all the minorities here? Or don’t you want to think about the inconvenient ones –the Anglo-Indians like Flowers or my cousin Adela –or even the Indian-born Europeans like myself? Are we not pure enough for the new India?’

‘That’s not what I meant—’

‘’Cause if that’s your attitude then you are no better than the Hindu extremists who want to rid India of the Muslims and Sikhs. Because once you start excluding one group then where do you stop?’

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.