The Jilted Countess by Loretta Ellsworth

 

Title:  The Jilted Countess

Author:  Loretta Ellsworth

Narrated by:  Caroline Hewitt

Publisher: Harper Audio

Length: Approximately 8 hours and 24 minutes

Source:  Thank you, Partner @bibliolifestyle @harperperennial for the review copy of the paperback copy The Jilted Countess by Loretta Ellsworth.  Audiobook copy purchased from Audible.com.

What is your favorite Valentine’s Day candy?  I am a fan of chocolate myself – dark or milk chocolate!

Roza Meszaros was a ballerina in Vienna and a Hungarian Countess.  WWII destroyed the opera house, and the communists have taken the family estate.  Her father never returned after being taken by the Nazis. The one bright spot is her fiancé, Joe, an American GI.  After falling in love and becoming engaged, Joe returned to the US.  They continued to write and figure out how to get Roza to the United States.  Two years later, she arrived in Minneapolis, ready for marriage with Joe, but he doesn’t show up.  She soon discovered he has married another.  Needing to find a husband in just under two weeks to stay in the US, Roza tried a desperate bid and told her story to the Minneapolis Star newspaper.  She received over 1,000 offers of marriage.  Who will she marry, and will it work out?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       How terrible to travel all the way to the United States to marry your GI American fiancé, only to find him married to his former American sweetheart.

·       This book was set in St. Paul and Red Wing, Minnesota. This was the second book that I read within two weeks to mention a date at Como Zoo in St. Paul.  I visited that zoo once when my kids were small, but it made me want to visit again. 

·       This was a very engaging story; I didn’t want to stop listening to the audiobook!  The narrator was fantastic.

·       I loved how the letters and dates made it seem like an old-fashioned bachelorette.

·       Roza is a fish out of water in Red Wing Minnesota living a very different life than what she grew up with as an aristocrat.  I loved how she was able to make a life that worked for her with starting a ballet school.

·       This historical romance had one of my favorite tropes of marriage of convenience. 

·       The romance was closed door.

·       Finn has PTSD after losing his entire platoon in WWII.  He has invisible wounds that no one can understand except for Roza.

·       Finn has a degree in mechanical engineering and works for the railroad.

·       I was very annoyed by some of the poor choices that Roza made, but I loved the ending.

·       There is a fascinating author’s note at the end about the real-life countess who inspired the story.  It was interesting that there is no trail for what really happened to her after she was married.

Overall, The Jilted Countess by Loretta Ellsworth is an engaging historical romance that shows how life can go on with a marriage of convenience when two people work together on their relationship. 

Mists Over the Channel Islands by Sarah Sundin

 

If you could choose a group of fictional friends, which characters would be a part of your group?  I would love to have the group of fictional friends and family found in Mists Over the Channel Islands by Sarah Sundin.

Dr. Ivy Picot is a new practicing doctor when her father, mother, and other family members evacuate Jersey island for England.  She stays behind with her sister and brother to help keep the family practice afloat during the German occupation of the Island during WWII.  She meets and is attracted to Dutch Civil Engineer Gerrit van der Zee, but as he works for the Nazis, she knows they cannot be together.  As the years pass, Ivy realizes that everyone must chose a side.  Will she side with the resistance or with the Nazis?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       Mists Over the Channel Islands by Sarah Sundin is a very engaging story.  I read this book quickly and greatly enjoyed it.

·       I enjoyed that characters from Midnight on the Scottish Shore by Sarah Sundin made an appearance at the end of the novel.  I loved that book!

·       The setting was a unique and integral part of the story.  The Island seemed beautiful, but it was slowly marred by the concrete structures built by the Nazis to reinforce the island.  There was a great author’s note at the end that states that there are tours of some of the structures mentioned in the book.  I love to visit Jersey and see these structures!

·       I was sad to learn that all the diabetics on the island really did die due to lack of insulin.  The rations and doing without were very hard during the occupation on an island.  They only received five ounces of meat for an entire week!

·       The chemistry between Ivy and Gerritt was alive.  They were attracted to each other but couldn’t show it.

·       Ivy and her sister Fern’s relationship seemed very realistic.  Fern is the older sister and can’t accept that as the doctor, Ivy is the boss.

·       I didn’t know why Fern wouldn’t have left the island with her husband and sons.

·       I loved that Gerritt was a civil engineer.  I am an environmental engineer, and my husband is a civil engineer.  It makes sense that he would be the perfect person for espionage to get plans to the allies.

·       This was a clean read with Christian content.  The main characters struggle with finding the path that God wants them to follow, and how to treat all people with empathy and compassion when it is not allowed by the authorities.

·       There are great book club questions at the end.  This would be a good read for a book club that enjoys WWII fiction

·       I also enjoyed the excerpt at the end of the new Christmas WWII novella by Sarah Sundin at the end as well. It will be realized this fall and looks great.  I can’t wait – I love Christmas historical fiction!

Overall, Mists Over the Channel Islands by Sarah Sundin was an engrossing WWII historical romance with a unique setting, story, and characters.  It was a very enjoyable read!

Book Source:  Thank-you to @sarahsundinauthor @revellfiction @greatreadsbookpromo for the review copy of this novel as part of the Great Reads Book Promotion Tour.

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

 

Title:  Wuthering Heights: With an Introduction and Student Guide (As Told by Emily Bronte) and Bonus Material by Lord Byron and Alison Larkin

Author:  Emily Bronte with bonus material by Lord Byron and Alison Larkin

Narrated by:  Alison Larkin, Andrew Wincott

Publisher: Alison Larkin Presents

Length: Approximately 14 hours and 41 minutes

Source:  Review copy from Alison Larkin Presents.  Thank-you!

Are you planning on going to see the new Wuthering Heights movie?  It’s on my list, but I am probably going to wait until it comes to streaming.

Lockwood is a new tenant at Thrushcross Grange in Yorkshire, England. Due to weather, he is forced to take shelter at the neighboring estate, Wuthering Heights, the home of his landlord, Heathcliff.  He meets the curious inhabitants. The housekeeper at Thrushcross Grange, Nelly, is able to fill him in on the history of the two families.  Heathcliff was a foundling who was raised with the Earnshaw siblings, Catherine and Hindley.  When Mr. Earnshaw dies, he is treated poorly by Hindley. Heathcliff fell in love with Catherine, but she chooses to marry their neighbor, Edgar Linton of Thrushcross Grange.  Heathcliff spends his life exacting revenge.

My thoughts on this classic novel:

·       I read Wuthering Heights for The Classic Buddy read for January @Dees.reads.  I didn’t finish the book up until February, but I had read it a few other times in my life, so I still enjoyed the group discussion which largely focused on what terrible people the characters were and how it is not a very romantic book.

·       Alison Larkin is a wonderful narrator of this audiobook. She does different distinct voices for all the different characters.  She is one of my favorite audiobook narrators.  She wrote the introduction and study guide at the end.  It was very interesting and puts the book into context.  A poem by Lord Byron was also included.

·       Wuthering Heights is a classic as it looked at childhood trauma and how that trauma could impact a person throughout their life.  Heathcliff takes this trauma and turns it to vengeance on every person he thinks has wronged him, including the one person he loved the most in this world.  He continues this vengeance on the next generation.  Luckily, the book shows that the trauma cycle can be broken, and the next generation can have a new chance.  I think most movies miss the entire point of this book as they focus on the “romance” and most don’t even show the entire second half of the novel.

·       This was Emily Bronte’s only novel.  This novel was different than most Victorian novels of the day which were morality tales.  This Gothic novel had a Byronic hero and intense passionate feelings.

·       I always think of Hindley as an all-bad character, but on this reread, I was reminded that he truly loved his wife Frances and fell apart after her death.

·       It seemed that many of the characters in this novel had mental health problems.  It made me wonder if a lot of the characters could be helped in current times with therapists and modern medicine.  What mental health problems did Emily see within her own family or neighbors that inspired this book?  I also think it’s based a lot on her brother Branwell with his excessive drinking, sleeping with his employer’s wife, etc., but it could have been others as well.

·       Wuthering Heights is a strange novel.  Cathy and Heathcliff are terrible selfish people who do not think about the impact their actions have on everyone else around them.

·       SPOILER ALERT:  I have always wondered – how does Cathy will herself to death?  Does she starve herself to death? SPOILER END

·       The book has an interesting narration as it is a story within a story.  It starts and ends with Mr. Lockwood telling the story and then Nelly Dean taking over for the entire middle section of the story.

·       I wish Heathcliff would have left and never came back.  Catherine, Edgar, and Isabella were happy before his return.  Poor Mr. Earnshaw didn’t realize that he was destroying his family for generations by bringing Heathcliff home.  Heathcliff clings to his hate and bitterness and is a terrible person.

·       Why is this book considered a great romance?  I don’t think Heathcliff really loves Cahterine.  He is obsessed with her but is toxic and would rather destroy her and her family than accept that she has moved on without him.

·       Why didn’t Nelly keep Edgar informed sooner on Young Catherine’s shenanigans?

·       I had gotten about the lawyer’s duplicity.  He was paid off by Heathcliff not to make it to Edgar’s side before his death.

·       Everyone is too alone out there on the moor.  They really needed to socialize with more people.

·       Even though I disliked pretty much everyone in this book, I couldn’t stop reading it.

Favorite Quotes:

“He's more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same.”

“Be with me always - take any form - drive me mad! only do not leave me in this abyss, where I cannot find you! Oh, God! it is unutterable! I cannot live without my life! I cannot live without my soul!”

“My love for Linton is like the foliage in the woods: time will change it, I'm well aware, as winter changes the trees. My love for Heathcliff resembles the eternal rocks beneath: a source of little visible delight, but necessary. Nelly, I am Heathcliff! He's always, always in my mind: not as a pleasure, any more than I am always a pleasure to myself, but as my own being.”

Overall, Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte is an unforgettable beautifully written classic that shines a lot on how early trauma can impact lives through generations.

 

100 Rules for Living to 100: An Optimist's Guide to a Happy Life by Dick Van Dyke

 

Title:  100 Rules for Living to 100: An Optimist's Guide to a Happy Life

Author:  Dick Van Dyke

Narrated by:  Tom Bergeron, Dick Van Dyke

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Length: Approximately 7 hours and 27 minutes

Source:  Review copy from NetGalley.  Thank-you!

What is your favorite Dick Van Dyke movie or show?  That is a hard one for me as I love so much of his work.  I would say Mary Poppins, The Dick Van Dyke Show, and Diagnosis Murder are my top favorites.

Have you met anyone who lived to a 100?  My oldest relative was my Great Grandma Kile who lived to be 97.  There have been some people who lived to 100 in my local community.

Dick Van Dyke just recently turned 100.  In this book, he gives tips for staying healthy and making the most out of life.  He tells great stories from his long life.

My thoughts on this audiobook:

·       Dick Van Dyke reads the intro to his audiobook himself and narrator Tom Bergeron takes over for the rest of the book.  Tom Bergeron sounds so much like Dick Van Dyke that I kept thinking it was him as I listened.

·       I enjoyed the background of how Van Dyke created the old man Mr. Dawes character in Mary Poppins.

·       I loved his short stories and vignettes about his life and career.  I found myself laughing and smiling throughout this book.

·       It was sad that all his lifelong friends are now all gone.

·       He talked lovingly about working with Carl Reiner and how he was a great boss who stood up for everyone.  He said in today’s world, we need more Carl Reiners.

·       I have loved Dick Van Dyke my entire life and have enjoyed his shows and movies.  He also always reminded me of my late Grandpa Stone.  They looked alike with the same tall slim build and had a similar sense of humor.  My Grandpa was a year younger than Dick Van Dyke, but sadly passed away 23 years ago from a brain tumor.

·       Cary Grant would call Van Dyke when he was on an LSD trip and would just talk.  It was odd and funny and then just randomly stopped.

·       He talked about his bad British accent in Mary Poppins and joked that when he was asked to be James Bond, he responded, have you heard my British accent?  They hung up the phone on him!

·       He discussed his past problem with alcoholism and going to AA meetings.  He made a movie called The Morning After about alcoholism.  I need to find it.  When he admitted his real problem to the world, he received a lot of support.  Admitting he had a problem saved his life. I had no idea until this book that he had been an alcoholic.

·       The book is up to date as he discusses evacuating his home due to the fires last year and also about making the Coldplay video.

·       I was sad for him when he discussed how he loved to read but can no longer physically read.

·       He had a funny story about giving up his license.

·       I need to read his full autobiography!  Has anyone read it?

100 Rules for Living to 100: An Optimist's Guide to a Happy Life by Dick Van Dyke is an entertaining memoir and self-help book.  It was lighthearted and a fun read. I highly recommend it, especially for fans of Dick Van Dyke.

Marrying the Matchmaker by Jody Hedlund

 

Do you like stories that feature a matchmaker?  Do you wish that matchmakers were more of a thing in modern day society?

Zaira is the middle child in the Shanahan family, and she dreams of becoming a published author.  She keeps this dream from her family, but when she involves herself in a scandal by asking local matchmaker Bellamy McKenna to kiss her so she will know how to write about it, her life is about to change.  Zaira and Bellamy are forced into an engagement to cover up the scandal.  Will these two fall in love?  Will they be able to help those in need in their community?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       I enjoyed this novel’s setting in St. Louis, Missouri in 1849.

·       There is a spark and great chemistry between the two leads, Zaira and Bellamy.

·       This historical romance has the fake relationship and friends to lovers’ tropes. There was great tension with the fake romance, but with each kiss, real feelings would form.

·       The story was told through Zaira and Bellamy’s point of views in alternating chapters.  I loved how these two characters could be themselves with each other.

·       This novel is the conclusion to the “A Shanahan Match” series.  I wish this series could continue.

·       I loved the look into the Irish community in St. Lous and Irish matchmaking.  My Great-Great Grandparents came from Ireland.  At this point in time, the Irish are immigrating to S. Louis because the potato famine and are living in terrible conditions.  Zaira and Bellamy help a pair of orphans.

·       The McKennnas as a matchmaking family are good at making matches for others, but not for themselves which has made Bellamy hesitant to match with Zaira.

·       Cholera is spreading through St. Louis, which is scary at the time, especially as they didn’t know what caused it.  They thought it might be in the malt used to make beer or in the air as a miasma.  Unfortunately, they didn’t realize it was contaminated drinking water.

·       There was some action and tension towards the end of the book where the two main characters find themselves inadvertently mixed up in a bank robbery.

·       This book was a clean and inspiring read.  It focused on a theme of telling the truth.

Favorite Quote:

“Was it because she cared more about what people thought of her and pleasing them than doing what was right and pleasing to God?”  - This was an interesting and very thoughtful quote.

Overall, Marrying the Matchmaker by Jody Hedlund was a quick read and a very romantic historical romance.  I enjoyed this book, and it was a great read for the Valentine’s season.

Book Source:  Thank-you to @jodyhedlund @bethanyhousefiction @greatreadsbookpromo for the review copy of this novel as part of the Great Reads Book Promotion Tour.

A Forty Year Kiss by Nickolas Butler

 

Title:  A Forty Year Kiss

Author:  Nickolas Butler

Narrated by:  Richard Poe

Publisher: Recorded Books

Length: Approximately 8 hours and 46 minutes

Source:  Libby through the Kewaunee Public Library

What is your favorite second chance romance book or movie?

Forty years ago, Charlie and Vivian divorced after forty years of marriage, mostly due to Charlie’s alcoholism.  He has regretted this divorce and now finds himself retired and alone.  He returns to Wisconsin to look for Vivian.  Will these two find a second chance at romance after a lifetime has passed?

My thoughts on this audiobook:

·       This novel has two triggers in it:  alcoholism and abortion.

·       I liked the western Wisconsin setting. 

·       This was a very slow-moving novel.  It was a second chance romance and also domestic fiction for genres.

·       It was the February pick for the Page-turners Book Club at the Kewaunee Public Library.  We meet next week, and I’ll see what the rest of the book club thought about this one.

·       I figured out a plot twist almost right away, but it did overall play out differently than expected.

·       I listened to this on audiobook. The narrator was good, but I did bump up my listening speed to 1.5 as the story was so slow moving.

·       I enjoyed getting to know Viv’s daughter, Melissa, and her grandkids.

·       The writing in this novel was inconsistent.  Charlies is made out as being a more caring and compassionate man, but he also makes statements like that from Viv’s picture on social media, he can tell she takes care of herself because she dyes her hair.  Then later he talks about how he doesn’t dye his hair.  I really hate this type of sexist talk on women’s looks and expecting more than you are willing to give yourself.

·       The alcoholism storyline was weird as they divorced because of Charlie’s alcoholism, and he is still an alcoholic all these years later.  It seemed unrealistic that he would just be able to drop it after all this time.

·       Abortion is a hard topic, and I did not enjoy this storyline at all.  I especially didn’t like the keeping of secrets.

·       The book is mostly made up of conversations and not much action.

·       I did like that the book featured a love story between two mature, retired people.

Overall, A Forty Year Kiss by Nickolas Butler was a slow moving second chance romance that didn’t quite resonate with me.

Beyond the Clouds by Elizabeth Camden

 

Are you addicted to a particular genre, or you read all sort of genres?  I am addicted to historical fiction, but I do like to read all sorts of genres.

Delia and Finn fell in love as teenagers at an orphanage.  Their romance ended when Finn left with Delia’s savings.  Now, years later, Finn has returned to the United States after flying with the Lafayette Escadrille in France to help in WWI before the United States has entered the war.  They are forced to work together to raise funds for Belgian refugees.  Will Delia and Finn be able to put aside differences and find love again?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       I love aviation and enjoyed the discussions about Finn’s flying including the specifics of  his plane and famous aviators from that time period.

·       Delia is a pacifist and feels that Finn is a warmonger at the start of the novel.

·       Delia and Finn grew up flying kites together and dreamed of opening a kite shop until Finn steals Delia’s money.

·       I liked how the focus of the book was Delia and Finn trying to help with humanitarian efforts with Belgian refugees to help alleviate human suffering.  It was interesting to me also as an Agatha Christie fan as Hercule Poirot is a Belgian refugee from WWI in the first Agatha Christie novel, The Mysterious Affair at Style.

·       Delia and Finn also travel to Belgium in the novel and experience peril while there.

·       This was a clean read.

·       This book has the tropes of second chance romance and enemies to lovers.

·       There was a great author’s note at the end detailing the true history.  It was fascinating.

·       I loved that Herbert “Bertie” Hoover was in this book.  I didn’t realize who “Bertie” was until they said his entire name near the end of the novel.  Herbert Hoover is usually remembered as a poor president due to the Great Depression, but he was an engineer and was able to help with many humanitarian crises during his career.  I really need a biography on him.

·       Catholic faith is mentioned in throughout the novel.  There is a Catholic priest in jail with Finn in Belgium that provides hope and inspiration.  Finn and Delia grow up in a Catholic orphanage together and Mother Superior was an inspiration for them both.

·       There was a theme of forgiveness throughout the novel and realizing when you have committed a sin or error and working to overcome it.

·       This is the third and find book in the Women of Midtown trilogy.  This entire series is spectacular but can be read as standalone novels.  Characters from the books do make brief crossover appearances throughout which is fun.

·       The characters in this novel and the entire trilogy are well written and have the plus and minuses of real people.  I loved Delia and Finn.

Favorite Quotes:

“I used to love flying kites with you because I could daydream about what it would be like to soar above and beyond the clouds.  Instead of flying for joy, you do it to kill people.  You took the best of us and turned it into something hideous.”

“A wave of painful nostalgia rose in his chest.  They offered Finn shelter for six weeks, and he saw the best of humanity in them – in their generosity, in their sacrifice for each other and for their nation, and in their shared commitment.”

“In times like these, we must confront the danger, or inaction will harm our cause more than the enemy every could.”

“It seemed God made some people to be warriors, while others were destined to work quietly behind the front lines.  Both roles had their purpose, she supposed, and there was honor in each one.”

Overall, Beyond the Clouds by Elizabeth Camden is an intriguing historical romance set during WWI with great characters and empathy for those suffering during WWI.

Book Source:  Thank-you to @authorelizabethcamden @bethanyhousefiction @greatreadsbookpromo for the review copy of this novel as part of the Great Reads Book Promotion Tour.

It’s Not Her by Mary Kubica

 

Happy #bookbirthday to It’s Not Her by Mary Kubica!

What is the best thriller or mystery that you have read lately?

Courtney Gray is vacationing with her family and her brother’s family in the Northwoods of Wisconsin.  The mostly peaceful family vacation is shattered when she discovers that her brother and sister-in-law have been murdered and her niece Reese is missing.  Did Reese have anything to do with the murders?  Where is Reese? Why were her parents murdered?

My thoughts on this book:

·       The story is told with short chapters from alternating viewpoints that keep the action moving.  It was a very engaging story.

·       Reese’s point of view (POV) is from the start of the vacation moving forward while Courtney’s POV is from the murder forward.  It was an interesting way to change the viewpoint.

·       Reese hates Wisconsin and describes everything at the resort as terrible.  I thought Mary Kubica did a great job of getting into the mind and character of a sullen teenage girl.

·       There were a lot of twists, turns, and red herrings that kept me surprised up until the end. 

·       I have enjoyed other Mary Kubica books in the past and this one was another great one by her. 

·       This novel was a great suspense thriller and domestic drama.

·       Courtney really starts to wonder if she can trust anyone.

·       I don’t want to spoil the book by going into more details, but it was excellent, and I couldn’t put it down.

Overall, It’s Not Her by Mary Kubica is a riveting suspense thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Book Source:  NetGalley.  Thank-you!