The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau by Kristin Harmel

 

Title:  The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau

Author:  Kristin Harmel

Narrated by:  Madeleine Maby, Kristin Harmel

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Length: Approximately 11 hours and 25 minutes

Source: Thank-you to @simonaudio for the review copy.

Do you have a favorite piece of jewelry?  I have a necklace my Great Grandma gave me when I was young that I love and still wear often.

Colette Marceau was trained as a thief by her mother as a child in France before WWII.  Her family is descended from Robin Hood, and they take their duty of robbing from the rich and morally corrupt and helping the poor seriously.  Colette’s mother, Annabel, helped the resistance during WWII, but she was arrested, and Colette’s four-year-old sister Liliane disappeared.  Annabel was executed and Liliane was found floating in a river with the valuable bracelet that Annabel had sewn into her nightgown, missing. Colette has spent her life continuing her mission to steal from the rich and help the poor, while also trying to determine who killed her sister and why. When her sister’s bracelet shows up at a museum display, will Colette, now an elderly lady, find the answers she seeks?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       I read this book in September for the Brenda Novak Book Group.  Brenda Novak had a great interview with the author as part of the book group meeting. You can still watch it on Brenda Novak’s Facebook page.

·       This was a riveting WWII mystery.

·       The story was told in a dual timeline.  Colette in 2018 at almost 90 and Colette as a young girl during WWII were the two timelines.

·       The characters were well developed.  I loved them all especially Colette and her friend Aviva. 

·       I love Kristin Harmel’s novels.  This was fast paced and engaging like previous novels.

·       I liked the romance between the two different sets of characters.

·       My only disbelief in the story was that there was so many very elderly characters who were all sharp and traveling around fine.  I know there are some 90 years old and older folks out there that are traveling around the world, but they are in the minority.

·       Loss and grief are explored in the novel.

·       It has a satisfying conclusion.

Overall, The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau by Kristin Harmel is a riveting and engaging WWII historical mystery and worked wonderfully on audiobook.

 

Love’s a Witch by Tricia O’Malley

 

Title:  Love’s a Witch

Author:  Tricia O’Malley

Narrated by:  Imogen Church, John Hartley

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Length: Approximately 12 hours and 14 minutes

Source: Thank-you to @simonaudio for the review copy.

Did you read any books for Halloween?  I love reading magical books during the Halloween season.

Sloane MacGregor has returned to Briarhaven in Scotland to celebrate her twenty-fifth birthday, which is the birthday where a witch receives her powers.  She also hopes to work with her sisters to break a curse that haunts their bloodline.  Mayor Knox Douglas does not want the MacGregors in town causing problems, but he once had a crush on Sloane, and those feelings may still linger.  Will the curse be crushed?

My thoughts:

·       This was a cozy contemporary fantasy novel.

·       This novel was the first in the new Scottish Charms series.

·       My favorite character was Blue, the fire breathing ember wolf.

·       The story was told through a dual point of view with Sloane and Know narrating alternating chapters.  Narrators Imogen Church and John Hartley did an excellent job capturing the tone and narrating the novel.

·       This book had all the makings of a story that I would love, but it fell short for me and didn’t engage me.  I think the plot moved too slowly for me as it was setting up further books in the series.

·       I did enjoy the strong female characters and the entire town.

Overall, Love’s a Witch by Tricia O’Malley was a good cozy contemporary fantasy novel but didn’t quite engage me fully.

 

The Wedding People by Alison Espach

 

Title:  The Wedding People

Author:  Alison Espach

Narrated by:  Helen Laser

Publisher: Macmillan Audio

Length: Approximately 12 hours and 13 minutes

Source: Checked out from the Kewaunee Public Library through Libby.

What book have you recently read due to Instagram?  I kept seeing The Wedding People by Alison Espach on Instagram last year and I finally got around to reading it last month.

Phoebe Stone has arrived at the beautiful Cornwall Inn in Newport, Rhode Island.  The hotel has been taken over by “the wedding people,” and everyone has assumed that Phoebe is there for the wedding.  She is not, and she’s the only non-wedding person there.  Why is Phoebe visiting this hotel by herself?  What will the wedding people do with a stranger in their midst?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       I thought it was interesting when Phoebe thought about that it was a gift that random strangers give you is that you can say anything you want to, and it doesn’t matter.

·       This was a Read with Jenna book selection.

·       The characters were great with surprising depth.  I loved the characters and they felt real.

·       This was a character driven story

·       Sometimes chance encounters can change our life.

·       It was an interesting side look into adjunct professor versus professors.  Adjuncts do all of the work of a professor, but for less pay and no benefits.  It’s a strange system.

·       Depression, infertility, divorce, cheating, death of a cat, and loss of friendship are all problems that Phoebe is dealing with.  The wedding people are also dealing with a lot of issues as well including the loss of father, wife, mother.

·       Lila (the bride) decides to prevent Phoebe’s suicide as it will ruin her wedding.

·       This was a weighty book, but funny at times.  I loved how Phoebe felt free to finally voices her feelings amongst these strangers.

·       I loved the setting.  Newport was just in The Gilded Age this summer as well.  I would love to visit.

 

Overall, The Wedding People by Alison Espach was a great character driven story that will be one of my top reads of the year.

 

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

 

What is your favorite book of 2025 so far?  Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt is one of my favorite reads for 2025.

Tova Sullivan started working the night shift at Sowell Bay Aquarium after her husband passed away.  She still grieves the mysterious death of her son 30 years ago.  At the aquarium, she strikes up an unlikely friendship with Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus.  When a young man, Cameron, moves to town, will Marcellus and Tova be able to help him with his own investigations and putting his life back together?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       I read this novel in September for the Page-turners Book Group at the Kewaunee Public Library. The entire book club that was at the meeting loved it.  While we enjoyed Marcellus the octopus it was important to note that this was not a book about a talking octopus.  It was a book about relationships and life.

·       This book was surprisingly a debut novel.  I can’t wait to see what Shelby Van Pelt writes next!

·       This was a Read with Jenna selection and was also a Goodreads Choice Awards Winnter for Best Fiction 2022.

·       There was a major theme of grief in this story and how to deal with it.

·       It was a unique way to tell a story.  It was told mainly through Tova and Cameron’s point of views with Marcellus having short chapters to further the progress of the story.  His chapters may have been short, but he brought a lot to the story.

·       I heard the audiobook was great and that there will be a movie version soon.  I can’t wait to watch it.

·       I loved Tova.  She was a great character learning to deal with loneliness and grief.  I loved her group of friends too and the small town that they lived in.

·       Cameron annoyed me at first, but I loved his growth throughout the novel.

·       The characters felt real.

·       This story had a bit of magical realism with a talking octopus.  He is “talking” in that he narrates his chapters and communicates with people with objects that he finds.

·       I liked the Puget Sound setting.

Overall, Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt was a beautifully written heartwarming story with a great ending. 

Book Source:  I had already purchased this book before book club with a gift card and was waiting to read it with one of my book clubs.

A Moment to Love by Tracie Peterson (Austenprose PR Book Tour)

 

Which book would you love to live in?  I love historical fiction and while reading this book, I wanted to live in 19^th century Cheyenne.

Dr. Carrie Vogel is a driven and gifted young woman who is a doctor at age 24 in a time when there were not many women doctors.  She is engaged to another doctor, Oswald, 15 years her senior due to their mutual interest in medical research.  After he steals her research and calls it his own, Carrie decides she is going to break the engagement and leave Chicago to return to her hometown of Cheyenne. Her friend Spencer Duval travels with her. Spencer is a Pinkerton agent searching for the criminal who killed his father.  Carrie agrees to marry Spencer to provide him cover while on his mission.  Will they become more than friends?  Will Spencer be able to quench his desire for revenge?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This novel is a clean read and sweet romance.

·       I love the trope of marriage of convenience, and this was a good story in that trope.

·       I enjoyed the theme of forgiveness.

·       Maybe it was my love for Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman as a teen, but I loved that Carrie was a doctor and the medicine and science that was included in the story.

·       The Cheyenne setting was great, especially as juxtaposed with the Chicago setting at the start of the novel.

·       I liked getting to know Carrie’s family better when they moved back to Cheyenne.

·       The romance between Carrie and Spencer was wonderful.  I like how they both supported in each in their different endeavors.

·       This novel is the third in “The Hope of Cheyenne” series.  It can be read as a standalone, but it is also enjoyable as part of the series (I read the first book).

Overall, A Moment to Love by Tracie Peterson was an engaging sweet romance with unforgettable characters.

Book Source:  Thank-you to @authortraciepeterson @bethanyhousefiction @austenprose for a review copy of this novel as part of the Austenprose PR Book Tour. 

Familia by Lauren E. Rico

 

Title:  Familia

Author:  Lauren E. Rico

Narrated by:  Frankie Corzo, Robb Moreira, Victoria Villarreal

Publisher: Recorded Books

Length: Approximately 11 hours and 3 minutes

Source: Checked out from the Kewaunee Public Library through Libby and review copy through @Netgalley.  Physical copy from Kensington Books and Between the Chapters Book Club.  Thank-you!

Have you taken a DNA test to try to track your genealogy?  It’s on my list of things to do, but I haven’t done it yet.

Gabby DiMarco is a fact checker for a magazine.  For an article, she does a genealogy test.  The results point to her having a full blood sister and being Latina rather than Italian.  Gabby’s parents have passed away and she doesn’t have any family to ask.  When Isabell Ruiz reaches out to tell her she might be her missing sister, Gabby travels to Puerto Rico to discover whether the lab has made a mistake or whether she is not who she always thought she was.

My thoughts on this book:

·       This book is something my Grandma would have called a “good story.”  It was a great family drama that kept me fully engaged.

·       I read this book earlier this month for Hispanic Heritage Month.

·       There were many Great twists and turns in this story.  I really wanted to know who had kidnapped baby Marianna and why.  I love reading about cold cases.

·       I loved the setting in Puerto Rico.

·       Gabby has no family left and I so wanted her to be open to becoming part of her biological family.

·       The book had great characters.  Gabrielle and Isabella are both well-developed three-dimensional characters with both flaws and loveable attributes.  I especially loved Isabella’s husband Mateo – he was a gem!

·       I loved the mystery as well as the family drama as Isabelle and Gabby develop a relationship. 

·       This book would be a great movie or show.

·       The audiobook narrators were engaging.

·       The story was mostly told through the point of views of Gabby and Isabella, but there were other characters point of views who helped further the mystery.

Overall, Familia by Lauren E. Rico was an engaging mystery and family drama.

Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote

 

Title:  Breakfast at Tiffany’s

Author:  Truman Capote

Narrated by:  Michael C. Hall

Publisher: Audible Studios

Length: Approximately 2 hours and 50 minutes

Source: Purchased from Audible

What is your favorite breakfast?  I love omelets, but oatmeal is the breakfast I eat the most.

 Young writer is trying to get his start in New York City when he meets his eccentric neighbor, Holly Golightly.  Holly is a young woman in her late teens who “socializes” with older rich men to make her living.  As the author gets to know her more, he finds surprising depth.  Who is she and what will she become? 

My thoughts on this book:

·       Michael C. Hall was a great narrator of the audiobook.

·       I read this in September for the What the Dickens Book Club on Facebook.  I hadn’t read this for over 20 years ago for a classics book club I was in while I lived in Milwaukee.  It was great to read it again.  Unfortunately, the What the Dickens Book Club was paused, and we did not discuss this book.

·       This was a novella and a short read.

·       I was not sure if I liked Holly Golightly.  Is she a prostitute?  She seemed like a manic pixy girl to me.  She was very unique and different which drew men to her.

·       There was some rough language in this novella about those of different ethnicities and sexuality.

·       This story was set in the WWII era.  Holly’s brother Fred serves overseas.

·       Holly was a child bride after her parents died and she and her brother Fred were put with abusive relatives.  They ran away and made their own way in the world.

·       The story was sanitized for the 1960s movie starting Audrey Hepburn.  I need to rewatch it – it’s been a while since I’ve seen it!

·       I couldn’t hardly stand it when Holly throws her cat out and kicks it to make it run away before she leaves the country.  The cat in a way seemed to symbolize Holly.  She was “kicked” in life, but always lands on her feet.

·       The story was well written and had true observations on life.

·       I can understand Holly’s yearning for a better life.

·       This was first published in 1958.

Overall, Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote is a unique story and a great snapshot in time of New York City in the 1940s.

Murder in Matrimony by Mary Winters (Austenprose PR Book Tour)

 

Are you addicted to a particular genre, or you do read all sort of genres?

Countess Amelia Amesbury keeps herself busy writing an anonymous column.  A blackmailer has threated to reveal her identity.  Her sister, Marge, has announced her engagement and asks to hold her wedding breakfast at Amelia’s home.  As Amelia helps to plan the wedding, she is stunned when her friend and vicar, Mr. Cross, is found murdered.  Who murdered Mr. Cross and why?  Will Amelia uncover the blackmailer?  Will Amelia’s relationship with Simon move to the next level?  With all of this going on, can she plan and host a high society wedding that involves her large family?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This novel was the 4^th in the Lady of Letters mystery series.  I have just read the third novel in the series, and I need to go back and read the first two.  This novel starts right where the 3^rd novel ended.  It is probably best to read this after book #3 as a major plot point is from the previous novel. 

·       I enjoyed this cozy historical mystery.  It was a perfect book to read during a stressful month.

·       Lady Amelia is a delightful character.  I loved that she is a strong woman who wants to keep her own independence.

·       There was a great romance and chemistry between Simon and Amelia.

·       This was a clean romance.

·       There was a lot going on with family drama.  I loved Lady Tabitha versus Amelia’s family.  I also loved that Lady Tabitha took on planning the wedding breakfast.

·       The mystery was intriguing and engaging.

·       I enjoyed the Lady Agony letters at the start of each chapter.

·       I loved the great ending.

·       Will there be another book in this series?  I hope so.

·       The acknowledgements section described the sad real historical event that was the inspiration for the mystery.

Overall, Murder in Matrimony by Mary Winters was a witty and engaging historical mystery with great characters.

Book Source:  Thank-you to @marywintersauthor @severnhouseimprint @austenprosefor a review copy of this novel as part of the Austenprose PR Book Tour. 

The Heart of Bennet Hollow by Joanne Bischof DeWitt (Austenprose PR Book Tour)

 

What is your favorite thing about fall?  I love when the temperatures get crisp and the leaves turn beautiful colors.  We may be at peak colors where I live, my town and the countryside look beautiful.

In New River Virginia in 1904, Lizbeth Bennet lives on her family’s farm on the outskirts of an Appalachian coal mining town.  Together with her parents and four sisters, they work to make the ends meet.  As the mine in New River goes up for sale, coal barons arrive in town to size up the mine and make offers. The deluxe private train car, the Pemberly, arrives with its mysterious owner William Drake who is evaluating the mine for purchase.  Callum Brydolf, Drake’s best friend and lawyer, quickly finds himself smitten with Lizbeth’s oldest sister, Jayne.  Will true love find its way between the wide gap in classes between them?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       The cover is absolutely beautiful.  I love the fall colors.

·       I thought this was a unique and inventive retelling of the Pride and Prejudice story.  I really loved the Appalachian setting and the fact that Pemberly was now a deluxe train car.

·       I enjoy reading stories about mining, so I loved the coal mining details in this book, although I kept thinking about the poor mules who lived underground in mines. 

·       The romance was delightful between Lizbeth and Drake and Jayne and Brydolf.  The story remained true to the original but gave new aspects to the characters in their new time and setting. I enjoyed it.

·       I loved the Mr. Bennet was a geologist who worked for the mine, while also farming on the side.

·       Having the ball become a barn dance was a lot of fun.

·       The story was told through a dual point of view from Lizbeth and William’s perspective.  I enjoyed the story being told in this fashion.

·       This is a clean read and a sweet romance.

·       There is a great afterward that describes how the author was inspired to write this novel through her love of the original Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.

·       The novel also included fun book club questions.

Overall, The Heart of Bennet Hollow is a charming historical romance that retells the story of Pride and Prejudice in a new and delightful way.  It’s been a hectic month for me at work and in life, and this cozy read was a nice way to end my day and relax.

Book Source:  Thank-you to @joannebischofdewitt @tyndalehouse @austenprose for a review copy of this novel as part of the Austenprose PR Book Tour. 

The Elopement by Gill Hornby (Austenprose PR Book Tour)

 

What is your favorite fall flavor?  I love pumpkin everything, especially baked goods.

Miss Fanny Knight of Godmersham Park was Jane Austen’s beloved niece.  As the eldest in a large clan of eleven children, she found herself running the household after her mother’s death when she was fifteen.  Now at age twenty-seven, she has received an offer from a widowed neighbor, Sir Edward Knatchbull.  She wants time to think upon it, but soon finds herself quickly wed to a domineering man.  She wants to love her stepdaughter, Mary Dorothea, but can’t warm to the girl.  Mary Dorothea grows up into a lovely young woman. Will she follow her family wishes when it comes to love, or will she take destiny into her own hands?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This novel was a slow burn read that I slowly immersed myself into.  I enjoyed reading it and felt I couldn’t put I down as I got closer to the end.

·       The book was told in four sections.  Section 1 was Fanny’s proposal and marriage, Section 2 was Mary Dorothea growing up, Section 3 was Mary Dorothea’s proposal and elopement, and Section 4 was her marriage and life.

·       I felt for Fanny at first, but I was disturbed that if Sir Edward or Fanny did like a match for any reason, they could break up a happy couple.  It did not seem fair. 

·       I loved that Cassandra Austen was in the novel at times, especially in the last section.

·       I felt immersed in the world of Austen’s family as it continued on after her death.  Fanny was her beloved niece, but seemed to veer off the path that she was on during Jane Austen’s life.

·       Childbirth was so dangerous for women back then.  These were real women and so many lost their lives.

·       I liked that Mary Dorothea went for her happiness.

·       There is a great author’s note at the end of the novel that gives information on the real history.

·       I also enjoyed Miss Austen and Godmersham Park by this author.  I can’t see what she writes next!

Overall, The Elopement by Gill Hornby is an excellent novel with riveting characters that makes one feel that they have stepped into the world of Jane Austen’s family.  I highly recommend it for all Jane Austen or historical fiction lovers out there.

Book Source:  Thank-you to @gill.hornby @pegasus_books @austenprose for a review copy of this novel as part of the Austenprose PR Book Tour.