Category Archives: Mira

Review: Sisters of the Great War by Suzanne Feldman

Title: Sisters of the Great War by Suzanne Feldman
Publisher: MIRA
Genre: Historical, World War I, Fiction
Length: 400 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Inspired by real women, this powerful novel tells the story of two unconventional American sisters who volunteer at the front during World War I

August 1914. While Europe enters a brutal conflict unlike any waged before, the Duncan household in Baltimore, Maryland, is the setting for a different struggle. Ruth and Elise Duncan long to escape the roles that society, and their controlling father, demand they play. Together, the sisters volunteer for the war effort—Ruth as a nurse, Elise as a driver.

Stationed at a makeshift hospital in Ypres, Belgium, Ruth soon confronts war’s harshest lesson: not everyone can be saved. Rising above the appalling conditions, she seizes an opportunity to realize her dream to practice medicine as a doctor. Elise, an accomplished mechanic, finds purpose and an unexpected kinship within the all-female Ambulance Corps. Through bombings, heartache and loss, Ruth and Elise cherish an independence rarely granted to women, unaware that their greatest challenges are still to come.

Illuminating the critical role women played in the Great War, this is a remarkable story of resilience, sacrifice and the bonds that can never be vanquished.

Review:

Sisters of the Great War by Suzanne Feldman is a powerful novel that highlights the dangerous jobs undertaken by women during World War I.

In 1914, sisters Ruth and Elise Duncan live with their widowed father and grandfather in Baltimore. Both young women have unconventional choices for their careers. Elise is mechanically inclined and her physician father indulges her by allowing her to work on his car. During her childhood, Ruth tagged along father to his medical practice and she wants to follow in his footsteps. Her dream is dashed by his insistence women are nurses not doctors. The sisters’ grandfather introduces them to John Doweling, the son of  a British family friend. As World War I intensifies, John completes medical school early in order to join the military. As Ruth contemplates her future, she and Elise volunteer to work at the temporary hospital in Ypres, Belgium. Close to the brutal fighting, Ruth and Elise’s lives are forever altered by their experiences.

Ruth is bitterly disappointed at her father’s decree that she become a nurse. Meeting John is transformational in more than one way and she yearns for the opportunity to pursue her career aspiration. Ruth can never seem to please her father, so after an angry encounter, she sets her plans in motion to work as a nurse in Ypres. But nothing in her life can prepare for the conditions she finds at the field hospital. Terrified yet committed, Ruth’s aptitude for surgery is put to use as wounded soldiers pour into the operating room. She and John are reunited and their friendship soon turns much deeper.

Elise’s interest in working on cars is unorthodox yet she cannot give up doing what she loves. She will not allow Ruth to go to Ypres on her own and they set off on their journey together.  Elise has never really experienced any type of hardship so she is shocked at the conditions she finds upon her arrival.  She is a hard worker and her fellow ambulance drivers soon come to rely on her mechanical abilities. Elise forms a close friendship with fellow driver Hera Montraine and the two are soon inseparable.

Sisters of the Great War is a riveting novel that is incredibly fascinating. The sisters’ anguish, the unbearable conditions and heartrending decisions play out against the vivid backdrop of the hospital and raging battles at the front. Ruth and Elise and well-developed characters that grow and evolve during their transformational years during World War I. Suzanne Feldman’s meticulous research results in an educational and unforgettable novel about women who volunteered to fill precarious jobs during the Great War.

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Filed under Fiction, Historical, Mira, Rated B+, Review, Sisters of the Great War, Suzanne Feldman, World War I

Review: The House Guests by Emilie Richards

Title: The House Guests by Emilie Richards
Publisher: MIRA
Genre: Contemporary, Women’s Fiction
Length: 496 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Two women. Two families. Two lifetimes’ worth of secrets.

In the wake of her husband’s sudden death, Cassie Costas finds her relationship with her teenage stepdaughter unraveling. After their move to historic Tarpon Springs, Florida, Savannah hates her new town, her school and most of all her stepmom, whom she blames for her father’s death. Cassie has enough to contend with as she searches for answers about the man she shared a life with, including why all their savings have disappeared.

When Savannah’s rebellion culminates in an act that leaves single mother Amber Blair and her sixteen-year-old son homeless, Cassie empathizes with the woman’s predicament and invites the strangers to move in. As their lives intertwine, Cassie realizes that Amber is hiding something. She’s evasive about her past, but the fear in her eyes tells a darker story. Cassie wonders what the woman living under her roof is running from…and what will happen if it finally catches up to her.

Review:

The House Guests by Emilie Richards is a multi-layered novel about family, friendship and new beginnings.

Cassie Costas and fifteen-year-old daughter of her heart Savannah have recently relocated to Tarpon Springs, FL from New York. Following the devastating loss of husband and dad Mark Westmoreland, Cassie and Savannah’s once close relationship is going through a very rough spot. Savannah is resentful, hurt and angry and refuses to talk to her stepmother. Cassie is trying to understand what was bothering Mark in the months leading up to his death. She is also trying to understand her new financial situation. With the assistance of her beloved Aunt Roxanne and the rest of their family, Cassie hopes to make a new life for her and Savannah.

Amber Blair and her sixteen-year-old son Will have fallen on tough times in the past, but their current situation is very unexpected. Cassie’s recent illness coupled with lack of income have left them in dire straits. Amber is grateful for Will’s understanding as they find themselves unexpectedly homeless. She wants to do the best she can for Will but begins to wonder if it might be time for them to move on.

Once Cassie discovers exactly how badly Savannah’s latest rebellion has hurt Amber, she is determined to make it up to her and her son. Despite Amber’s reservations, she agrees to Cassie’s invitation to move in with her and Savannah. While they tiptoe around one another at first, Cassie and Amber become very close friends. And much to Cassie’s relief, Savannah has settled into her new school and becomes friends with Will and two other girls. While Savannah’s hostility toward her has dimmed a bit, their relationship is still quite strained.

Cassie wants answers to questions about a few things that happened before Mark died. She hopes to finally get explanations for the sudden changes in his behavior and his inexplicable decisions. Cassie also continues trying to repair her relationship with Savannah but will she lose patience following her stepdaughter’s latest misstep?

Amber has lived her life looking over her shoulder for so many years she cannot imagine living without fear. She has managed to prevent Will from delving too deeply into the past, but she knows a day of reckoning is inching near. Amber is uncertain about living with Cassie and Savannah, but she knows it is the right choice for now. As she continues shielding Will from the past, is Cassie underestimating his desire for the truth?

The House Guests is an emotionally compelling novel with a hint mystery and a dash of intrigue. Cassie and Amber are vibrantly developed women with relatable strengths and all too human foibles. Will and Savannah are typical teenagers who believe they are more mature than they are. Trouble ensues as they make well-intentioned but ill-advised decisions that do not always work out as planned. The two story arcs are well-written and perfectly illustrate the consequences of keeping secrets. With interesting twists and unanticipated turns, Emilie Richards brings this captivating novel to a realistic conclusion.

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Filed under Contemporary, Emilie Richards, Mira, Rated B+, Review, The House Guests, Women's Fiction

Review: The Stepsisters by Susan Mallery

Title: The Stepsisters by Susan Mallery
Publisher: MIRA
Genre: Contemporary, Women’s Fiction
Length: 400 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

#1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery pens a love story of a different sort…a heartfelt tale of friendship between two women who used to be sisters.

Once upon a time, when her dad married Sage’s mom, Daisy was thrilled to get a bright and shiny new sister. But Sage was beautiful and popular, everything Daisy was not, and she made sure Daisy knew it.

Sage didn’t have Daisy’s smarts—she had to go back a grade to enroll in the fancy rich-kid school. So she used her popularity as a weapon, putting Daisy down to elevate herself. After the divorce, the stepsisters’ rivalry continued until the final, improbable straw: Daisy married Sage’s first love, and Sage fled California.

Eighteen years, two kids and one troubled marriage later, Daisy never expects—or wants—to see Sage again. But when the little sister they have in common needs them both, they put aside their differences to care for Cassidy. As long-buried truths are revealed, no one is more surprised than they when friendship blossoms.

Their fragile truce is threatened by one careless act that could have devastating consequences. They could turn their backs on each other again…or they could learn to forgive once and for all and finally become true sisters of the heart.

Review:

The Stepsisters by Susan Mallery is a thought-provoking novel about family, forgiveness and self-discovery.

Daisy has her hands full between her job, two wonderful children and one checked out husband. So, the last thing she wants or needs is to reconnect with her former stepsister Sage or her half-sister Cassidy.  At first, Daisy can ignore the fact Sage is back in town. However, this changes after her father asks her to allow Cassidy to stay with her while she recovers from a hiking accident. Suddenly Sage is around more often and both she and Cassidy are connecting with Daisy’s kids. Over the course of several weeks, Daisy, Sage and Cassidy move from an uneasy détente to a surprisingly close relationship. Their bond is tenuous and an unconscionable decision might destroy their newfound closeness.

Daisy and Jordan have been married for over a decade.  She has no inkling he is unhappy until he abruptly moves out and refuses to tell her why. Although Daisy is willing to put in the work to save her marriage, a reconciliation is far from certain. With Cassidy in residence and Sage dropping by to spend time with her, their paths cross on a fairly regular basis. Daisy has every reason to be wary of both women, but she gradually lets down her guard. She is grateful for their support during such an uncertain period in her life.

During high school, Sage was popular but that did not stop her from deliberately hurting Daisy. After graduating, she impetuously leaves for Paris and continues living in various European countries. Three divorces later, Sage decides to return to Los Angeles to start over. Forced to live with her mother, Sage is working in a high-end boutique while she decides  her future. She reconnects with Adam, an old friend whom she lost contact with long ago. Sage accepts responsibility for her previous behavior and she is trying to end her self-destructive impulses.

Cassidy is a bit immature when she first arrives at Daisy’s. But as she heals from her injuries, she enjoys getting to know her niece and nephew. Cassidy also starts to understand exactly what happened to destroy her relationship with Daisy when their father and her mother divorced. After a lifetime of running away, Cassidy has a decision to make about the man who loves her.

The Stepsisters is a heartfelt novel of healing, new beginnings and self-discovery.  Daisy, Sage and Cassidy are well-drawn characters with untapped strengths and relatable flaws. The storyline is engaging with realistic issues and emotional baggage to overcome. Each of the characters undergo phenomenal growth as their relationship strengthens. Individually, they each begin to recognize and understand the motivation for their actions.  Susan Mallery brings this family-centric novel to an uplifting and surprising conclusion.

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Filed under Contemporary, Mira, Rated B+, Review, Susan Mallery, The Stepsisters, Women's Fiction

Review: The Bookstore on the Beach by Brenda Novak

Title: The Bookstore on the Beach by Brenda Novak
Publisher: MIRA
Genre: Contemporary, Women’s Fiction, Romance
Length: 432 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

How do you start a new chapter of your life when you haven’t closed the book on the previous one?

Eighteen months ago, Autumn Divac’s husband went missing. Her desperate search has yielded no answers, and she can’t imagine moving forward without him. But for the sake of their two teenage children, she has to try.

Autumn takes her kids home for the summer to the charming beachside town where she was raised. She seeks comfort working alongside her mother and aunt at their bookshop, only to learn that her daughter is facing a huge life change and her mother has been hiding a terrible secret for years. And when she runs into the boy who stole her heart in high school, old feelings start to bubble up again. Is she free to love him, or should she hold out hope for her husband’s return? She can only trust her heart…and hope it won’t lead her astray.

Review:

The Bookstore on the Beach by Brenda Novak is a multi-layered family-centric novel.

Mary Langford is thrilled her daughter Autumn Divac and her teenaged grandchildren Taylor and Caden are spending the summer with her. Autumn and the kids have been through a very difficult eighteen months due to her son-in-law Nick’s unexplained disappearance.  Her daughter has exhausted every avenue trying to uncover the truth about what happened to him, but she cannot bring herself to stop looking for him. Seventeen-year-old Taylor is struggling more than her sixteen-year-old brother Caden is with their father’s disappearance. She is also keeping a worrisome secret that she knows will upend her plans and upset her family. Will the summer along at the beach be just what the Divac family needs to heal?

Autumn is worn out with her unending search for her husband and the dearth of new information. She is ready to give up looking for him but she feels very conflicted about whether or not she is making the right choice. Autumn wants to do what is best for her children, but she feels like she cannot continue to live the way they have been for the past eighteen months. Easily settling into a comfortable routine, she is finally beginning to relax when she runs into her old crush from high school, Quinn Vanderbilt. Much to her dismay, Autumn quickly realizes she still has feelings for him. How will she react when she discovers Quinn feels the same way about her?

Taylor is living with regrets about a choice she made that might have lasting repercussions. Trying to push aside her anxiety, she quickly becomes close friends with Sierra. She greatly admires the plainspoken, free spirited young woman and they are soon inseparable. Sierra is very mature for her age and comfortable in her own skin. When Taylor knows it is time to face up to her mistakes, Sierra’s support proves to be invaluable.

Mary is unexpectedly forced to deal with a period in her life she would rather leave in the past. She has always been very tight-lipped about Autumn’s father and her life before moving to Sable Beach. Despite her reluctance to discuss the past, Mary realizes it is time to reveal her secrets to her daughter. But  will she find the strength to tell Autumn the truth?

The Bookstore on the Beach is a compelling novel that deals with true to life issues.  The topical storyline is engaging, thought-provoking and fast-paced. The characters are three-dimensional and very easy to like. The seaside town is tranquil and springs vibrantly to life. With a stunning plot twist, Brenda Novak brings this captivating novel to a heartfelt, gratifying conclusion. I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend this wonderful novel.

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Filed under Brenda Novak, Contemporary, Mira, Rated B+, Review, Romance, The Bookstore on the Beach, Women's Fiction

Review: Just My Luck by Adele Parks

Title: Just My Luck by Adele Parks
Publisher: MIRA
Genre: Contemporary, Domestic Mystery
Length: 384 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

It was supposed to be the lottery win they’d always dreamed of…

For fifteen years, Lexi and Jake have played the same six numbers with their friends. Over drinks, dinner parties and summer barbecues, the three couples have discussed the important stuff—kids, marriages, careers—and they’ve laughed off their disappointment when they failed to win anything.

But then the unthinkable happens. There’s a rift in the group. Someone is caught in a lie. And soon after, six numbers come up that change everything forever.

Lexi and Jake have a ticket worth millions. And their friends are determined to claim a share.

#1 Sunday Times bestselling author Adele Parks returns with a riveting look at the dark side of wealth in this gripping tale of friendship, money, betrayal and good luck gone bad…

Review:

Just My Luck by Adele Parks is a wickedly clever domestic mystery.

For fifteen years, best friends Lexi and Jake Greenwood, Jennifer and Fred Heathcote, and Carla and Patrick Pearson get together on weekends for dinner. They also chip in every week to purchase a lottery ticket. They sometimes win small sums but they have never hit the jackpot.  One weekend, one the of the men bash the lottery and declares he is finished playing. Another couple chimes in and agrees him.  Lexi still purchases the ticket using the same numbers she always selects.

The following weekend, Lexi gets the feeling they are being brushed off by their friends.  Saturday evening, she runs an errand and she arrives home to discover that she holds the winning ticket for that week’s nearly eighteen million pound jackpot. Since the other couples opted out, Lexi and Jake tell their two children, Logan and Emily, to keep quiet about their win. But once word leaks out, the Heathcote’s and Pearson’s demand their share. The situation begins to spiral out of control as the Greenwoods refuse to divvy up the winnings.

Lexi and Jake make much less money than their friends so the lottery win is a very welcome windfall. Lexi is the family’s main breadwinner since Jake frequently changes jobs. She continues working and she wants to donate money to charity. Lexi is absolutely shocked at Jake’s reaction to the having so much money. He allows their kids, fifteen-year-old Emily and thirteen-year-old Logan, to buy whatever they want. At first, Emily eagerly shops both in person and online but this is just a panacea for the loss of her boyfriend, Ridley Heathcote and her best friend, Megan Pearson.

As Lexi begins to wonder if she knows her husband at all, the situation between their former friends worsen. All of the publicity has a negative impact on her job and she is dismayed at the fallout.  Lexi is threatened by people demanding money which plays into Jake’s hands. She manages to keep her objections to herself as he and Emily throw themselves into their latest (extravagant) project.  Lexi’s worries are soon proven to be true when a loved one finds themselves in an increasingly dangerous situation.

Just My Luck is a riveting mystery that is a shocking portrayal of greed.  The storyline is well-written with unexpected plot twists. The characters are a mix of likable and downright disagreeable. With plenty of secrets, hidden agendas, and avarice, Adele Parks brings this mesmerizing domestic mystery to a stunning conclusion. Absolutely loved and highly recommend!

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Filed under Adele Parks, Contemporary, Domestic Mystery, Just My Luck, Mira, Mystery, Rated B+, Review

Review: Her Dark Lies by J. T. Ellison

Title:Her Dark Lies by J.T. Ellison
Publisher: MIRA
Genre: Contemporary, Psychological Thriller, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 416 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Fast-paced and brilliantly unpredictable, J.T. Ellison’s breathtaking new novel invites you to a wedding none will forget—and some won’t survive.

Jutting from sparkling turquoise waters off the Italian coast, Isle Isola is an idyllic setting for a wedding. In the majestic cliff-top villa owned by the wealthy Compton family, up-and-coming artist Claire Hunter will marry handsome, charming Jack Compton, surrounded by close family, intimate friends…and a host of dark secrets.

From the moment Claire sets foot on the island, something seems amiss. Skeletal remains have just been found. There are other, newer disturbances, too. Menacing texts. A ruined wedding dress. And one troubling shadow hanging over Claire’s otherwise blissful relationship—the strange mystery surrounding Jack’s first wife.

Then a raging storm descends, the power goes out—and the real terror begins…

Review:

Her Dark Lies by J. T. Ellison is an atmospheric and suspense-laden mystery.

Artist Claire Hunter and her wealthy fiancé Jack Compton are met with the stunning news that remains have found as they arrive at his family’s home on Isle Isola. Having just experienced a traumatic experience before traveling to Italy from the US, Claire is shaken by this unexpected information. Although she and Jack are just days away from exchanging their vows, she is still hoping for more details from him about his deceased wife, Morgan Fraser. With storms bearing down on them and ominous occurrences that leave everyone on edge, will Claire and Jack make it to the alter?

Claire is ten years younger than Jack but her life experiences provide her with the maturity to not push her fiancé for answers to her questions. She has plenty of secrets in her past which she would rather not see the light of day so she respects his boundaries. Although a little intimidated by Jack’s family, Claire is up to the challenge of becoming a Compton.

Jack is laid-back but when he is crossed? He is quick to unleash his anger. But when it comes to Claire, he is completely in love and protective of her. But behind his mostly calm façade, Jack is keeping secrets about both his personal and professional lives. When the family business comes under siege, Jack, his family and their security team are ruthless as they try to unmask the enemy targeting them.

With fiendishly clever twists and turns, Her Dark Lies is an absolutely compelling mystery. The characters are very well-drawn with realistic strengths and weaknesses. The storyline is positively chilling as the body count continues to pile up while storms rage around the island. With plenty of secrets in both their pasts, will Claire and Jack unearth the truth about who is targeting them and his family? J. T. Ellison provides the answer to this question with a jaw-dropping, dramatic conclusion. I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend this psychological thriller to readers of the genre.

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Filed under Contemporary, Her Dark Lies, JT Ellison, Mira, Mystery, Psychological Thriller, Rated B+, Review, Suspense