Review: The Last Truehart

Title: The Last Truehart

Author: Darry Fraser

Publisher: 2nd December 2020 by Harlequin Australia, HQ (Fiction, Non Fiction, YA) & MIRA

Pages: 402 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: historical fiction, romance, Australia

My Rating: 4 cups

Synopsis:

A woman alone and a charismatic private detective are caught up in a dangerous quest to discover her true identity in this thrilling historical adventure romance set in 19th century Victoria, from a bestselling Australian author.

1898, Geelong, Victoria. Stella Truehart is all alone in the world. Her good-for-nothing husband has died violently at the hands of an unknown assailant. Her mother is dead, her father deserted them before she was born, and now her kindly Truehart grandparents are also in their graves.

Private detective Bendigo Barrett has been tasked with finding Stella. He believes his client's intentions are good, but it is evident that someone with darker motives is also seeking her. For her own part Stella is fiercely independent, but as danger mounts she agrees to work with Bendigo and before long they travel together to Sydney to meet his mysterious client where they discover more questions than answers.

What role do a stolen precious jewel and a long-ago US Civil War ship play in Stella's story? Will sudden bloodshed prevent the resolution of the mystery and stand in the way of her feelings for Bendigo? It is time, at last, for the truth to be revealed...

My Thoughts

Darry Fraser has proven yet again that she is a master at writing Australian historical fiction. The Last Trueheart is another wonderful tale to immerse yourself in with a strong female lead in male dominated colonial Australia. I love the fact that in each of her novels, Darry takes her female lead and explores with them at a time when women were on the cusp of acquiring some form of independence. Into this Darry can always be relied upon to weave intriguing, maybe even forgotten historical facts, that all up result in a worthy tale. 

‘Leo Smith was her father. Mrs Parks had sent Bendigo Barrett to find her, and now Stella would learn why.’

It is not only the female leads that are inspiring. On this occasion both Stella and Bendigo (yes ... named after the city) are strong and believable 19th century characters. There is not just a romance but a partnership between the two to explore and consolidate a place in society. The secondary characters likewise offer insight into a lifestyle long gone, particularly Bendigo’s sisters. Darry, as always, undertakes research to produce both a time and place that gives her readers a real sense of what life would have been like at that time. 

The Last Truehart is an enjoyable and well written tale - a great yarn, a dashing hero and a real sense of place in the evolution of Australian society of the time. 

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

Review: The Night Portrait

Title: The Night Portrait

Author: Laura Morelli

Publisher: 25th September 2020 by HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter

Pages: 384 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: historical fiction

My Rating: 3 cups

Synopsis:

Milan, 1492: When a 16-year old beauty becomes the mistress of the Duke of Milan, she must fight for her place in the palace—and against those who want her out. Soon, she finds herself sitting before Leonardo da Vinci, who wants to ensure his own place in the ducal palace by painting his most ambitious portrait to date.

Munich, World War II: After a modest conservator unwittingly places a priceless Italian Renaissance portrait into the hands of a high-ranking Nazi leader, she risks her life to recover it, working with an American soldier, part of the famed Monuments Men team, to get it back. 

Two women, separated by 500 years, are swept up in the tide of history as one painting stands at the center of their quests for their own destinies.

My Thoughts

The Night Portrait sounded intriguing with a focus on art theft in the Reich during WWII. With two timelines and four perspectives, there is a great deal going on in this book but unfortunately, it did not really work for me as a piece of fiction. However, there are a lot of good historical details included within - two varying perspectives of WWII and two historical figures from 15th century Italy, one being Leonardo da Vinci. 

‘Edith’s eyes immediately went to the portrait of Cecilia Gallerani, as if the nearly 500-year-old girl could impart some of her own serenity to a situation teetering on the brink of disaster.’

The blurb is somewhat misleading as I thought there to be only two character viewpoints. It was slightly ambitious to have four character voices spanning centuries even though the theme of beauty and finding your way in dark times is solid. Sadly, I found it to be too much and with strangely varying and short chapter lengths, I was struggling with the read overall.

I found the WWII story to be the most engaging and admit to glancing over the da Vinci chapters with Cecelia (The Lady with the Ermine) being a rather irksome character. I wanted to maintain focus on what I found to be the stronger of the two tales - art theft. The book as a whole takes a long time to evolve and not until well past half way do things pick up. In some ways it felt like four separate stories as the connections were tenuous at best and that, I felt, was the downfall.

‘Dominic could hardly believe his ears. How could the American president be worried about art when thousands of people were losing their lives? But at the same time, he couldn't deny his wonder. “You mean these… Monuments Men… are just focused on saving art? How are they doing that?”

Art lovers, however, should rejoice in this read, with loads of details to consider (both fictional and otherwise). I really appreciated Edith’s efforts at preservation and learning a bit more about the famous Monuments Men of WWII. Fans of da Vinci and Renaissance art may appreciate his fictional voice with a possible history offered behind this famous painting. For me, sadly, there was too much going on, it dragged out and I had trouble focusing outside of Edith’s tale. 

“My father always taught me that art was one of the things that gave people something to live for, and so we have to preserve it, to share it. I never understood why someone could presume to possess a piece of the past like that - a piece of the past that belongs to all of us.”

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

Review: The Tearoom on the Bay

Title: The Tearoom on the Bay

Author: Rachel Burton

Publisher: 1st October 2020 by Aria & Aries

Pages: 416 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: contemporary romance, holiday, Christmas, women’s fiction

My Rating: 4.5 cups

Synopsis:

It's time for Ellie to return home and rediscover the past she left behind...

After a tough break-up, Ellie returns to the only place she's ever really felt at home – the coastal town of Sanderson Bay. A year later, she's living her dream, brewing delicious artisan teas and selling them at her very own café. And when the mysterious and brooding Ben walks into her tearoom, Ellie finally dares to dream of true love.

But then her ex shows up in the Bay, and just as Ellie discovers some tragic truths about her family's past, she learns Ben might be hiding an unwelcome secret of his own...

Can Ellie let go of her past and brave a future with Ben?

My Thoughts

‘I sit down placing the teapot in front of me. The tea has brewed for exactly four minutes and I pour the reddish-brown liquid into my favourite blue and white striped china mug. No milk, no sugar. Just tea. I sit and watch the steam curling off the surface of the liquid as I allow it to cool and I wait for the subtle aroma of bergamot to hit me.’

The Tea Room on the Bay ticked so many fun boxes for me - great getaway escapism - and I was engaged from the very first page (quote above). If you love tales from tiny English villages full of community spirit and with a sweet romance thrown in - then you will love what Rachel is offering here. Added into this mixture is the recipe of overcoming those often tough hurdles life throws at you and how it is worth it when you follow the path meant for you and find true happiness. 

‘Maybe there isn’t such a thing as the right time. Maybe there is just time. You can make all the plans in the world but the “right time” happens by chance when you turn up in the same place as somebody or something else. Some people call it fate.’

Of course all of the above is appealing when looking for that light read, however, what an added bonus that this one also involved TEA! If you are a tea lover then look no further! The Tea Room on the Bay has a wonderful assortment of teas, pots and cups. In fact, the tea room owner Ellie, has this gift of assigning a tea blend to those she meets! Now, that’s fun - ‘Do you ever stop thinking about tea?’ she asks. ‘Not really,’ I reply. I so want to go to Ellie’s tea rooms, sit in a cosy corner reading for a while whilst sipping whatever tea blend she believes is a perfect fit for me. 

‘I think there’s a tea for everyone,’ I say. ‘Even people who say they don’t like tea.’

I really enjoyed escaping to Sanderson Bay and getting to know many of the wonderfully entertaining characters in this heartwarming tale. Of course you know how it ends - that is why you sign up for these books in the first place. However, it is the journey Rachel takes you on to get there that makes this the perfect holiday read with just enough ‘what if ...’ moments to keep you entertained right to the very end. 

So if you are after something light and entertaining, a tale about taking a chance to find the place where you belong, then take this trip to The Tea Room on the Bay - you can’t go wrong with a nice cup of tea in a quaint English seaside village at Christmas time.

‘After years of worrying what people thought, after years of trying to live up to other people’s expectations of me, I’m trying to do my own thing. I’m trying to make myself happy and healthy. Some days it even feels like it might be working.’

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

Review: Letters from Berlin

Title: Letters from Berlin

Author: Tania Blanchard

Publisher: 7th October 2020 by Simon & Schuster (Australia)

Pages: 448 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: historical fiction

My Rating: 4.5 cups

Synopsis:

From the bestselling author of The Girl from Munich and Suitcase of Dreams comes an unforgettable tale of love, courage and betrayal inspired by a true story

Berlin, 1943

As the Allied forces edge closer, the Third Reich tightens its grip on its people. For eighteen-year-old Susanna Göttmann, this means her adopted family including the man she loves, Leo, are at risk.

Desperate to protect her loved ones any way she can, Susie accepts the help of an influential Nazi officer. But it comes at a terrible cost – she must abandon any hope of a future with Leo and enter the frightening world of the Nazi elite. 

Yet all is not lost as her newfound position offers more than she could have hoped for … With critical intelligence at her fingertips, Susie seizes a dangerous opportunity to help the Resistance.

The decisions she makes could change the course of the war, but what will they mean for her family and her future? 

My Thoughts

Tania Blanchard continues to enthral her audiences with high quality wartime sagas. Inspired once more by facts from her own family’s history, she captures all the brutality of WWII but from the often overlooked German perspective. I have read and reviewed all Tania’s books - The Girl from Munich and Suitcase of Dreams - and Letters from Berlin is equally engaging. 

‘Take the moments of joy whenever you can get them. They’ll sustain you through the difficult times that are a part of life.’

What I enjoyed most about this story was the inside perspective of life in Berlin during this volatile time. Tania slowly lays out all the pieces on her story board - history, plot, characters - and then weaves her writer’s magic to present a compelling tale that will keep the reader engaged to the very end. 

What you see here is the slow demise of the Nazis and how they all began to turn on one another with the Russians and Americans advancing on two fronts. Berlin and its people were trapped and betrayed with often madness ensuing in an effort to eliminate any and all evidence. No one could be trusted as desperation overtook the Nazis and their followers. So many German citizens longed for Hitler’s downfall and the characters Tania includes are strong and determined to stand up for all that is right and just.  

‘We knew what the Nazi racial policy involved only too well. I felt ashamed to be German.’

My only concern (and loss of half a star) was the opening and closings of the book -it just did not sit comfortably for me. In some respects, I could have done without these short ‘bookends’, as I felt it detracted from a strong wartime saga. The modern day link did not add enough and the quick closure for the leads in the present day was not satisfying after all I had been through with them. However, do not let this distract you from a wonderful wartime read. 

‘There wasn’t always a right and a wrong. Life was more complicated than that. It was about the shades that lay in between. I was beginning to learn what people were prepared to do for the right reasons.’

Letters from Berlin simmers with authenticity because of Tania's inside knowledge and you will appreciate this when you read her endnote. I congratulate Tania for providing us with German perspectives in such a time of uncertainty, with characters who are resilient and believable. I highly recommend this book for historical fiction lovers. 

‘We each have a way of surviving, a way of keeping our soul intact. We need hope to live.’

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

Review: The Charleston Scandal

Title: The Charleston Scandal

Author: Pamela Hart

Publisher: 24th November 2020 by Hachette Australia

Pages: 383 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: historical fiction

My Rating: 4.5 cups

Synopsis:

If you devoured THE CROWN you will love this exuberant story of a young Australian actress caught up in the excesses, royal intrigues and class divide of Jazz Age London, losing her way but reclaiming her heart in the process

London, 1920s: Kit Scott, a privileged young Australian aiming to become a star, arrives in the city to find the Jazz Age in full swing. Cast in a West End play opposite another young hopeful, Canadian Zeke Gardiner, she dances blithely into the heady lifestyle of English high society and the London theatre set, from Noel Coward to Fred Astaire and his sister, Adele.

When Kit is photographed dancing the Charleston alongside the Prince of Wales, she finds herself at the centre of a major scandal, sending the Palace into damage control and Kit to her aristocratic English relatives - and into the arms of the hedonistic Lord Henry Carleton. Amid the excesses of the Roaring Twenties, both Zeke and Kit are faced with temptations - and make choices that will alter the course of their lives forever.

Readers of Natasha Lester's A KISS FROM MR FITZGERALD will love THE CHARLESTON SCANDAL. Bestselling author Pamela Hart's energetic, masterful storytelling will have you glued right until the end.

My Thoughts

‘She’d yearned for a world where people could be themselves, even if it was only here, behind closed doors, among friends. But if she were herself would they like her? Or would she be too dull and respectable for them?’

One is always guaranteed a great read with a Pamela Hart story and her latest release lived up to expectation. Listening to a podcast, Pamela explained how it was time to move on from the war years and into the 1920s - it was time to celebrate! Pamela brilliantly captures all the glitz and glamour of the era along with the push to break with long held traditions. 

I enjoyed reading Kit’s story as she tries to break free from her upper class upbringing in Sydney to the stage and lights of London. Pamela introduces real time events and people such as Noel Coward and the Astaire’s from the entertainment side, to royalty with the Prince of Wales and his circle of friends, adding a real depth to the story. Kit finds herself torn between two lifestyles and two men representative of each way of living. Pamela perfectly portrays the hedonistic partying lifestyle of dancing and drinking but balances it with a more reflective aspect of cutting ties of past lives and ways of living. The ‘scandal’ itself is not simply the one off capture on film but rather, how women especially struggled to forge a new path from the ashes of war. 

Within this seemingly lighthearted tale, I appreciated the spotlight Pamela shone on issues such as the role of women, LGBT clubs, alcoholism and domestic abuse and the fictional likelihood of living the life of royalty and landed gentry. Testament to Pam’s writing is how seamlessly she interweaves all of the above to produce a complete and engaging tale. 

I congratulate Pamela for stepping away her war year novels and producing this compelling read of life after the war in London. It captures the emotions and perfectly portrays everything from the growth of fashion and music, to politics and social conventions. This is a wonderful tale of historical fiction that I thoroughly enjoyed. 

‘Zeke was right, and yet ... there was still a place for formality and etiquette in the world, wasn’t there? To make things run smoothly, the way they should. ‘All these rules,’ he said, leaning comfortably against the wall and watching the crowd with shrewd eyes. ‘They’re just to make sure you can exclude people who aren’t your class. That’s all etiquette is.’ There was truth to that. But surely there was more to it?

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

Review: The Christmas Swap

Title: The Christmas Swap

Author: Sandy Barker

Publisher: 16th October 2020 by One More Chapter

Pages: 400 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: contemporary romance, holiday, Christmas, chick lit

My Rating: 4 cups

Synopsis:

Chloe, Jules, and Lucy meet at a Maui resort kids' club, aged 11, forging a lifelong friendship spanning two decades and three continents.

Twenty-two years later, they decide to swap Christmases, none of them expecting the hilarity and romantic escapades that will ensue.

Chloe from Melbourne spends her Christmas with Lucy's mum and dad in a sleepy village in Oxfordshire, England, stunned to the core when she discovers who grew up across the road from Lucy.

Lucy, who has jetted off to snowy Colorado for her dream-come-true white Christmas, is taken into the fold of Jules's loud and brash family, discovering more about herself in a few short days than she has in years.

And Jules leaves the cold climes of Colorado to spend a balmy 'Orphan's Christmas' with Chloe's friends in Melbourne, finding that time away from her mundane life is just what she needed.

Join these three lovable women as they each get a Christmas to surpass their wildest dreams.

My Thoughts

It’s that time of year (especially so in 2020) to prepare for Christmas and lose yourself in a little romance. The Christmas Swap is just the answer with its fun, feel good Christmas romance to get you in the mood. With family and friends, love and laughter, sun or snow and three great couples it is sure to fill your festive bucket. 

‘When she had proposed the Christmas swap back in July, all Chloe had wanted was a traditional English Christmas. She had no way of knowing then how much the hamlet of Penham would come to mean to her in just a few short days, or how much an English Christmas would feed her soul.’

If you enjoyed the film, The Holiday, then you will appreciate this book. Three friends from around the globe deciding to swap Christmas experiences. Jules wanting to escape the chill of a Colorado winter, Lucy looking for such snow and Chloe seeking a more traditional English fair. Throw in three SNAGs (sensitive new age guy) leading men and you get three sweet romances for the price of one. 

‘They stared at each other awkwardly, like they were in a Jane Austen novel, or something. Any moment now, Archer would ask if she wanted to take a turn around the drawing room.’

A little more depth is provided through a focus on different cultures and cuisine for the festive season. I so enjoyed partaking in three different Christmas celebrations and all the yummy foods on offer. Each girl also finds herself on a journey of self discovery, so despite the insta love they do grow as individuals. This is what I sign up for - sweet romance, minimal angst and a whole lot of lovin’. 

‘It was a rare moment for Jules, being totally unguarded, and she could almost feel herself sloughing off the layers of her staid existence.’

So if you are looking for a cosy Christmas read, look no further. What better way to prepare for a Covid Christmas than with some excellent armchair travel - choose your own adventure - Melbourne, Colorado or Oxfordshire - and while away the hours with a smile on your dial. 

‘She could never have known how much her life would change because of her Christmas swap with the girls.’

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

Review: The Grand Tour

Title: The Grand Tour

Author: Olivia Wearne

Publisher: 2nd December 2020 by Harlequin Australia

Pages: 352 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: contemporary, women’s fiction

My Rating: 3 cups

Synopsis:

This vivid story of campervans, stowaways and mischief at any age is essentially about families: the ones you have and the ones you make.

 

When Ruby and Angela embark on a Grey Nomads road trip, the last thing they expect is a tiny stowaway; one who will turn them from unsuspecting tourists into wanted kidnappers and land them in a world of trouble. As their leisurely retirement plans unravel, Angela's relationship with her brother Bernard goes from bad to worse.

 

Bernard has his own problems to contend with. Adrift in life, his career as a news presenter has been reduced to opening fetes and reading Voss as an audio book (a seemingly impossible task). His troubles are compounded when his wife starts dating a younger man and a drink-driving incident turns him into a celebrity offender.

 

As Angela and Ruby set about repairing burnt bridges and helping their unexpected guest, and Bernard attempts to patch together his broken life, they discover that even after a lifetime of experience, you're never too old to know better.

My Thoughts

‘He held his phone at arm’s length for Lucas to see. ‘She sent me a photo as well. It’s her and a friend, on a road trip apparently.’ ‘Very Thelma and Louise! Mia, having crept up behind to view the screen, startled them both. ‘Let’s hope they don’t run off a cliff.’

The Grand Tour is a quirky Australian tale of a rather eclectic group of people who, through the circumstances they find themselves in, try to make the best of some rather unusual situations. 

Ruby and Angela, two retirees, decide to go on a road trip together whilst their units are being renovated. Herein lies my first disappointment - it’s not really that much about the road trips as they don’t really venture that far. This is much more a character driven tale with a weird and wonderful assortment of people you can come across in life. It’s also a story of the journey the main leads find themselves on (figuratively speaking) as they search for meaning through either age, lost spouse, lost career, lost family ties or all of the above.

‘A road trip.’ Ruby bobbed to let Angela hook an arm around her shoulders. ‘For someone who can’t stand somebody, you spend a lot of time worrying what he thinks. Precisely. Now do a big smile and make it look like we’re having the time of our lives.’  

So whilst I was hoping for a good road trip story, the focus is more on working through the ups and downs of relationships and how meeting new people can ultimately show you how you can adapt to the many changes life can throw at you. The story perspectives jump around somewhat, some characters are hard to like and it's a tale that just trundles along with no real strong, key factor. I would also have loved a more engaging ending with closure, particularly for Ruby and her family. 

If you are after a lighthearted and easy read, full of quirky and eccentric people and places then give The Grand Tour a go. 

‘She’d equated motor homes with freedom: safe, comfortable, manageable freedom. She’d fore- seen spontaneity and adventure, something to stop her from stagnating. The idea now seemed oppressive. Escape was never on the cards; you can’t break free from yourself.’

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