Review: The Woman in the Window

Title: The Woman in the Window

Author: A.J. Finn

Publisher: 25 January 2018 by Harper Collins

Pages: 448 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: fiction, mystery, suspense

My Rating: 3.5 cups

Synopsis:

What did she see?

It’s been ten long months since Anna Fox last left her home. Ten months during which she has haunted the rooms of her old New York house like a ghost, lost in her memories, too terrified to step outside.

Anna’s lifeline to the real world is her window, where she sits day after day, watching her neighbours. When the Russells move in, Anna is instantly drawn to them. A picture-perfect family of three, they are an echo of the life that was once hers.

But one evening, a frenzied scream rips across the silence, and Anna witnesses something no one was supposed to see. Now she must do everything she can to uncover the truth about what really happened. But even if she does, will anyone believe her? And can she even trust herself?

My Thoughts

This book is presented as a psychological thriller which reads at a good pace, even if the plot appears somewhat familiar. I quite liked the book as it reminded me of Alfred Hitchcock’s 1954 mystery/thriller film with James Stewart, ‘Rear Window’. Here, instead of a broken leg, we have a lead who, not only suffers from agoraphobia, but also is presented as an unreliable narrator with the amount of alcohol and prescriptions drugs consumed. Anna Fox is suffering from a personal tragedy and her connection to the outside world is through the internet and the few visitors to her home. Basically she spies on her neighbours and witnesses a crime. Or did she?

I believe the author has done a solid job here in making you a part of Anna’s world through her thoughts and fears - even at times if it is somewhat repetitive. It can be difficult to sympathise with Anna with her counting of wine bottles and daily pill intake. Whilst trying to make you fully appreciate the depths of her despair, it just makes the story drag. The writing is short, sharp and engaging, but somewhat predictable in areas, with twists that may or may not surprise you.

I did enjoy the throw back to ‘Rear Window’, especially Anna’s  love for old movies that run in the background as I have always adored the old classic Hollywood movies. There were often interesting parallels and it made you question whether something really did happen, or if Anna just saw it in a movie. Ultimately, if you're looking for a readable mystery, this one definitely fits the bill. I don't think it's one where you'll find memorable characters but it certainly keeps you turning the pages.

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 Bookworm

Title: The Bookworm

Author: Mitch Silver

Publisher: 6th February 2018 by Pegasus Books

Pages: 352 pages
How I Read It: ARC book
Genre: mystery, fiction, thriller, World War II

My Rating: 3 cups

Synopsis:

Why did Hitler chose not to invade England when he had the chance?

Europe, 1940: It’s late summer and Belgium has been overrun by the German army. Posing as a friar, a British operative talks his way into the monastery at Villers-devant-Orval just before Nazi art thieves plan to sweep through the area and whisk everything of value back to Berlin. But the ersatz man of the cloth is no thief. Instead, that night he adds an old leather Bible to the monastery’s library and then escapes.

London, 2017: A construction worker operating a backhoe makes a grisly discovery—a skeletal arm-bone with a rusty handcuff attached to the wrist. Was this the site, as a BBC newsreader speculates, of “a long-forgotten prison, uncharted on any map?” One viewer knows better: it’s all that remains of a courier who died in a V-2 rocket attack. The woman who will put these two disparate events together—and understand the looming tragedy she must hurry to prevent—is Russian historian and former Soviet chess champion Larissa Mendelovg Klimt, “Lara the Bookworm,” to her friends. She’s also experiencing some woeful marital troubles.

In the course of this riveting thriller, Lara will learn the significance of six musty Dictaphone cylinders recorded after D-Day by Noel Coward—actor, playwright and, secretly, a British agent reporting directly to Winston Churchill. She will understand precisely why that leather Bible, scooped up by the Nazis and deposited on the desk of Adolf Hitler days before he planned to attack Britain, played such a pivotal role in turning his guns to the East. And she will discover the new secret pact negotiated by the nefarious Russian president and his newly elected American counterpart—maverick and dealmaker—and the evil it portends.

My Thoughts

This book promised a lot with a forged document from World War II and its implications in a present day oil price fixing scheme between powerful countries. Therein lies the issue - whilst clever, it did perhaps try to undertake too much for the one book. Without a doubt, it is a fascinating concept but overall due to the intricate complications, there just lacked a greater depth to both characters and subplots. Towards the end there was a lot of action but it all seemed to come together a little too neatly. I also found the short, sharp chapters did nothing to help in the required elaborations.

Present day figures of American and Russian leaders were easy to recognise, as with the historical figures ranging from Churchill to Kennedy. The conspiracy theory is quite involved with a young JFK suggesting a war on both fronts, to present day oil dealings - be prepared to go with the outrageous ideas and pay attention as, at times, it gets a bit confusing. Personally, I would have preferred the focus to remain on the British attempt to trick Hitler as that in itself was engaging and to have left out the contemporary political dealings.

So whilst an interesting read it did not strongly deliver. The idea of the forged book was extremely clever - even to have it tied in with a present day unveiling. However, the problem was undertaking too vast an arena of characters and ideas and getting lost in modern day espionage. The Alaskan component, Lara’s brother and even her estranged husband were difficult to understandably incorporate - especially Lara’s final decision which was just utterly ridiculous given her thoughts throughout.

If you are at all interested in past or present espionage and conspiracy theories, then you will find this an engaging read. For me, it just tried to do too much and ended up lacking substance in the necessary areas. Much like Lara, the book was ‘pulled in too many directions’.

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 Taster

Title: The Taster

Author: V.S. Alexander

Publisher: 30 January 2018 by Kensington Books

Pages: 337 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: historical fiction, world war II

My Rating: 4 cups

Synopsis:

Amid the turbulence of World War II, a young German woman finds a precarious haven closer to the source of danger than she ever imagined—one that will propel her through the extremes of privilege and terror under Hitler’s dictatorship . . .

In early 1943, Magda Ritter’s parents send her to relatives in Bavaria, hoping to keep her safe from the Allied bombs strafing Berlin. Young German women are expected to do their duty—working for the Reich or marrying to produce strong, healthy children. After an interview with the civil service, Magda is assigned to the Berghof, Hitler’s mountain retreat. Only after weeks of training does she learn her assignment: she will be one of several young women tasting the Führer’s food, offering herself in sacrifice to keep him from being poisoned.

Perched high in the Bavarian Alps, the Berghof seems worlds away from the realities of battle. Though terrified at first, Magda gradually becomes used to her dangerous occupation—though she knows better than to voice her misgivings about the war. But her love for a conspirator within the SS, and her growing awareness of the Reich’s atrocities, draw Magda into a plot that will test her wits and loyalty in a quest for safety, freedom, and ultimately, vengeance.

Vividly written and ambitious in scope, The Taster examines the harrowing moral dilemmas of war in an emotional story filled with acts of extraordinary courage.

My Thoughts

“You are one of fifteen.”

I shifted in my seat. “Fifteen what?”

“Tasters who work for the Führer at his headquarters.”

Having read a great deal of historical fiction, I had never come across or really thought about this aspect of Hitler and his regime. I was intrigued. Of course I had read of attempts made on Hitler’s life, but never through this means. The author does note that it can be loosely tied into the account of a real life taster that Hitler employed, although it must be stressed, this is a work of fiction. Accounts of the time were kept confidential until the taster was almost 100 years old. Once again, intriguing and most worthy of a book.

Therefore, if you enjoy historical fiction as I do, you will enjoy this tale - a young girl at the height of Hitler’s power, gaining access into Hitler’s inner circle and all the time truly despising the man! It made for an interesting perspective, as those of us on the outside question how so many Germans could seemingly follow such a monster as Hitler was. This sheds light on the fact that perhaps there were those who were not complicit and in fact, tried within the means available to them, to prevent the horror that was unfolding before their eyes.

“We were trapped in a make-believe world propagated by the Reich while all around us battles were being fought, troops slaughtered and innocents butchered.”

The author does an excellent job in detailing the various locations where Hitler stayed - everything from the scenic ‘Berghof ‘to the claustrophobic ‘Wolf’s Lair’. At times it was as if you too were sick of being locked away and the atmospheric setting was successfully conveyed. I found the bombing of Berlin and the Russian invasion of that city in the final throes of war, to be terrifying. A more real tale of destruction could not be found.

“Your mother, who thinks washing dishes is still important while the world burns, believes the Reich will win the war. She has no idea about the rumors that circulate. I fear the worst for us all, Magda. It’s like we live in some manufactured world that’s shrinking day by day. I can feel the walls tumbling on Germany, on Berlin, on us.”

My only fault lay in some of the characters themselves. Magda is an interesting character but I just found that her relationships at times were a little wooden - especially with  her husband Karl. There was just that something lacking - real emotion and depth of feeling - both with concerns to the tragic and romantic. At times I found some relationships, especially with Karl to be artificial and mechanical, no passion and lacking that next level of engagement. One must also allow some fictional leverage in interactions with Hitler and Eva Braun, that at times, I found difficult to allow. More detail with secondary characters such as Karl, Eva and especially Magda’s father, would really have added that compelling ingredient. Still, it made for an interesting story with detail and location compellingly portrayed.

Overall, I would recommend this book - allow a little latitude to some plot developments and wishful of more character development, but on the whole it provided a fresh perspective and a really interesting angle on a well versed topic.

‘Soon I had eaten enough for a meal. “Now what?” I asked Cook. “Now you wait.” She said these words simply and without emotion, as clinically as a heartless physician telling a patient she only had a short time to live.’

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 Space Between Us: a Boxer Romance

Title: The Space Between Us: a Boxer Romance

Author: Alyne Hart

Publisher: 31 January 2018 by Amazon Digital Services LLC

Pages: 320 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: Fiction, Contemporary Romance

My Rating: 4 cups

Synopsis:

Love isn’t always simple. And it’s definitely not as predictable as aspiring ballet dancer Emma Winchester’s life. Or at least the way her life used to be until Dean King forced his way into her world and heart – now there’s no turning back.

Emma returned to her hometown of Evansdale after leaving for college when tragedy struck. She and her brother Forrest are now the sole owners of Winchester Estate Orchards – but the apple business has never been Emma’s passion. Dancing is. Until she bumps into Dean King, her older brother’s ex-best friend and the object of her teenage crush and her whole world changes. She knows she’ll hurt her brother if she keeps seeing Dean, but she can’t stay away. He took her virginity, and how he's taken her heart.

Tall, handsome and tattooed boxer Dean King is nothing out of a fairy tale. He’s brooding and moody, and he doesn’t believe in love. But when he runs into Emma at the diner she works at, something ignites inside of him. A fire. A desire that’s all but consuming in a way he doesn’t understand.

Dean’s life has never been simple, and it’s never been predictable. Coming from a poor family and having an alcoholic and neglectful mother left him with scars he’d just as soon forget. He left Evansdale to get away from the memories and reputation that have haunted him – until his grandmother Rose, the only person who’s ever told him they loved him is dying. Dean will do whatever it takes to take care of his Mama Rose. Even if it means selling his soul.

Fate brings them together. Burning passion binds them. When the fires get too hot, can love save them? 

This novel is a standalone in the Men of Evansdale County series. No cheating. No cliffhangers and a guaranteed HEA. Contains adult material including, but not limited to: scenes of violence (boxing matches) sex and language.

My Thoughts

There is nothing more satisfying than a second chance romance, unless, it is a second chance romance between a rough around the edges, bad boy boxer and a dainty and loving aspiring ballerina. Dean struggles to keep the demons of his past under control with his fists and by keeping everyone at a distance with his less than charming personality. Returning to take care of one of the few people he cares about, his grandmother Mama Rose, he wants nothing more than to train at his mentor Tony's Gym and fight, hard and bloody .  Then he sees Emma Winchester again and instead of the scrawny 14 year old with braces and frizzy hair that he grew up with, she is all grown up, beautiful, dainty and sweet. The sister of his ex-best friend, innocent and in love with him since she was a child, Emma is everything that Dean shouldn't want, but he does want her, bad. Forbidden fruit has never been so tempting and Dean gives in to the allure of her love even knowing he is selfish to do so.  But of course the road to true love never runs smoothly and they will have a fight on their hands, both in the ring and out of it. 

Alyne Hart's The Space Between us, is a well written contemporary romance that explores the emotional turmoil that results when two very different people are drawn to each other, in spite of their perceived differences.  They have so little in common. Dean is fire and Emma is rain.

He is an emotionally damaged, live in the moment, tattooed boxer from the wrong side of town,  with a bad attitude, lots of anger, and some seriously well developed distancing skills, while Emma is the much loved second child of orchard owners, who is driven to succeed as a dancer, a perfectionist, a life planner, and an innocent in every sense of the word.   I found this story to be an honest and gritty portrayal of a couple who want so much to be everything to each other but who struggle to overcome all the things that are infesting the space between them.

"Maybe I did grown up a little ... privileged or whatever it is that you think puts a space between us. But why does it even matter? Because you know that when we're together, nothing else matters. I've seen your soul, Dean. .....It just made me love you more".

The support characters of Dean and Emma's best friends Vin and Siobhan, Dean's brother, restaurateur Flinn, and Emma's brother (and Dean's ex-best friend) Forrest are engaging and well developed and I am looking forward to finding out more about them and reading their stories. 

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

Review: Heart on Fire

Title: Heart on Fire (Kingmaker Chronicles #3)

Author: Amanda Bouchet

Publisher: 2 January 2018 by Hachette Australia/Piatkus

Pages: 448 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: fantasy, romance, mythology, magic

My Rating: 4 cups

Synopsis:

The riveting conclusion to the Kingmaker Chronicles!

Who is Catalia Fisa?

With the help of pivotal figures from her past, Cat begins to understand the root of her exceptional magic, her fated union with Griffin Sinta, and Griffin's role in shaping her destiny.

Only Cat holds the key to unlocking her own power, and that means finally accepting herself, her past, and her future in order to protect her loved ones, confront her murderous mother, and taking a final, terrifying step--reuniting all three realms and taking her place as the Queen of Thalyria.

What doesn't kill her will only make her stronger...we hope.

My Thoughts

I was very satisfied with the ending to this series - I really enjoyed it. My review of A Promise of Fire here and my review of Breath of Fire here will help get you up to speed with the series so far. I loved the first book in the series, was a little disappointed in the second book but found the third left me very satisfied. If you are a lover of fantasy and magic, romance and mythology - then this is the series for you. The author has created an amazing world with super strong characters and action aplenty.

‘Oh Gods. I don’t just represent Elpis. I am Elpis—the personification and spirit of hope.’

In this third installment, many loose threads and questions are addressed and tied up - I don’t want to reveal any of the plot, but suffice to say there is still the recipe of betrayal and friendship, love, trust and hope. It really is an all round series with solid storylines and compelling action. Heart on Fire sees Cat mature and take the journey towards learning how to wield the power and magic she has. This is a new and mature Cat who is growing and learning with the ever reliable Griffin by her side.

‘I had all the pieces. I just didn’t know how to put them together before now.’

This is a most worthy conclusion to the Kingmaker Chronicles as the final confrontation with Cat’s mother is looming and the realms attempt to unite as one. The aspect I found appealing about this book was the inner growth, not just of Cat, but all your favourite and well loved characters. I am sure the author will in time, venture back into this amazing world she has created.

‘I know there are things I’ll do, things I won’t, and things I’ll always struggle with. And in the perpetual gray of Tartarus, I take a deep breath and finally decide that that’s okay.’

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: Million Love songs

Title: Million Love Songs

Author: Carole Matthews

Publisher: 4th January 2018 by Hachette (Australia), Sphere

Pages: 400 pages
How I Read It: ARC book
Genre: womens fiction, chick lit

My Rating: 4.5 cups

Synopsis:

After splitting up with her cheating ex-husband, Ruby Brown is ready for a change. She's single again for the first time in years and she's going to dive into this brave new world with a smile on her face and a spring in her step. The last thing she's looking for is another serious relationship.

Mason Soames represents everything Ruby wants right now: he's charming, handsome, and perfect for some no-strings-attached fun, and yet Ruby can't help feel that something is missing. Joe Edwards on the other hand is also lovely and handsome but he comes with the sort of baggage Ruby wants to avoid: an annoyingly attractive ex-wife and two teenage children.

Ruby soon has some very tough decisions to make. Is she ready for a relationship of any kind, and what type of life does she really want? Because while Ruby may think she knows what she wants, is that what she needs to be truly happy?

My Thoughts

‘Life should get easier once you leave the playground, but it doesn’t. Then you think you’ll have it sorted in your teens and you don’t. So you hurtle into your twenties when you’re sure you’ll crack the meaning of life. Yet here I am in my late thirties and I’m still all at sea.’

When you are looking for a solid, reliable read with some quality escapism, then Carole Matthews will always provide. This is a highly entertaining read with many a humorous moment. As Matthews says, it’s just about an ordinary woman trying to discover what is right for herself with lots of bumps along the way. You have to admire the lead character Ruby as she tries to work through things:

‘I was a little bit frightened of change. That’s no reason to stay anywhere, is it?’

I always enjoy Mathews humour, there is much to smile about whilst reading - everything from Ruby’s friend pursuit of the boy band, to her search for potential hobbies, their ‘muffin top’ laments and just some great one liners that really resonated with me, thus making the characters and story relatable:

‘I’m fretting about catching pneumonia or pleurisy by going out with damp hair –the things that your mother tells you leave scars for life .’

‘I try to pull it down at the sides. ‘If you’ve got it, flaunt it,’ Charlie instructs.

‘I don’t think I have got it. I’m pretty sure it went a long time ago.’

The two love interests for Ruby could not be more different - but I guess that was the point. Whilst I appreciated her indecision, sometimes her decisions were perplexing. But again, standing at the side, it’s easy for me to draw rational conclusions - this was Ruby’s journey I guess and she had to go through all the highs and lows. I also loved the whole 80s boy band saga but at times this too was drawn out just a tad too much for my liking.

Overall this is a fun book with much to endear itself to the reader. Do yourself a favour, take a break from the craziness of life and spend some time getting to know Ruby and the gang.

‘I’m content for the first time in a long time. Sometimes we hurtle through life, don’t we? I’m rushing off to work or racing round the supermarket, doing a dozen other things that I really don’t want to be doing and it’s easy not to stop and simply take a breath.’

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 Alice Network

Title: The Alice Network

Author: Kate Quinn

Publisher: 22 May 2017 by Harper Collins Australia

Pages: 503 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: historical fiction, world war

My Rating: 5 cups

Synopsis:

In an enthralling new historical novel from national bestselling author Kate Quinn, two women—a female spy recruited to the real-life Alice Network in France during World War I and an unconventional American socialite searching for her cousin in 1947—are brought together in a mesmerizing story of courage and redemption.

1947. In the chaotic aftermath of World War II, American college girl Charlie St. Clair is pregnant, unmarried, and on the verge of being thrown out of her very proper family. She's also nursing a desperate hope that her beloved cousin Rose, who disappeared in Nazi-occupied France during the war, might still be alive. So when Charlie's parents banish her to Europe to have her "little problem" taken care of, Charlie breaks free and heads to London, determined to find out what happened to the cousin she loves like a sister.

1915. A year into the Great War, Eve Gardiner burns to join the fight against the Germans and unexpectedly gets her chance when she's recruited to work as a spy. Sent into enemy-occupied France, she's trained by the mesmerizing Lili, the "Queen of Spies", who manages a vast network of secret agents right under the enemy's nose.

Thirty years later, haunted by the betrayal that ultimately tore apart the Alice Network, Eve spends her days drunk and secluded in her crumbling London house. Until a young American barges in uttering a name Eve hasn't heard in decades, and launches them both on a mission to find the truth ...no matter where it leads

My Thoughts

“I don’t want to just be pretty when I grow up. I want to do something different. Write a book. Swim the Channel. Go on safari and shoot a lion ....”

I have been eager to sample a Kate Quinn novel and finally I  know why. Wow! Books like this are the reason why I love historical fiction so much. This is one compelling and powerful story that confronts you with war and the role of women in espionage roles based on actual people and events. Quinn effortlessly takes you from 1915 to 1947 as she recounts the story of one of the most successful spy rings called the Alice Network.

“She slipped her hand through Eve’s elbow. “Welcome to the Alice Network”.

Both stories are strongly told through riveting female leads and are shockingly confrontational in both honesty and vigour. The research is faultless as is the backdrop of the French countryside - whether you be in war torn Lille in 1915 or driving across the French countryside in 1947. Incredible female leads in both time periods, supported by an amazing cast of supporting characters. You will be shocked. You will be horrified. And your heart will break with all that unfolds. Given the strong factual base, Quinn is amazing in the life she brings to both fiction and non fictional characters. Seamlessly she takes you from events in 1915 as the suspense builds, to 1947 as you await to see just how this will all be played out. The way the chapters symmetrically reflect time and location is spellbinding.

“I wanted to say to the figure hunched in the backseat, I’m sorry - but words were just air, useless after a tale like that.”

I dare you not to be chained to your chair as your fate seems intrinsically linked to Charlie’s journey and growth in 1947 as she desperately searches for her cousin, to the slow revelations of Eve’s role in the Alice Network in 1915 - how the stories are linked is just too good to be true. Eve, so bitter and damaged, driven by revenge, is truly magnificent. An ‘Author’s Note’ clearly accounts for who and what occurred in real life and you will be truly surprised on just how much truth lay in this incredible tale. The story is fascinating and riveting as you learn of real life heroines who risked it all in a display of true strength and courage, Quinn going to great lengths to ensure their tale would not be forgotten.

“If I were a man you’d be calling me patriotic for wishing to continue in my duty to my country .... a woman wants the same thing and she’s suicidal”.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough and commend Quinn in her thorough and rich portrayal of the sacrifices and injustices that war delivered to these people that were, ‘The Alice Network’.

“War. Such a small, hopeless syllable to cover so much loss”.

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