Carly by Lyn Cote

Carly is the fourth and final novel of the Women of Ivy Manor Saga. Carly is the 17-year old daughter of Leigh. She immediately has problems with her mother when she enlists in the army directly out of high school against the wishes of her family. There is great detail on boot camp, Carly’s assignment as a mechanic stateside, and then involvement in the first Gulf War. I was riveted.

This is a great novel that also rounds up characters from the first three novels and gives them resolution and finalization on their storylines. In fact, the resolutions of the character storylines are quite powerful. Family secrets can tear a family apart, it was wonderful to see the characters sit down and confront each other on past hurts and sorrows.

I’ll admit I worried about Bowie after the fate of the first loves of the past three books. You’ll have to read the book to find out what happens. I loved his Southern gentleman charm. I envisioned him like J.T. on the most recent Survivor.

The changes in these women’s lives through time were very interesting. My family timeline was slightly behind this, but I did have a Great-Grandma who was a model in 1920’s Detroit similar to Chloe as a model in 1917 NYC.

Although this book was a great series finale, I found myself wondering what happened to Carly. She is still so young at the end of the book; I want “the rest of the story!” I also would love to read prequels about Lily and the past 300-years of Ivy Manor women.

Leigh by Lyn Cote

I listened to this novel on audiobook again (Anna Fields does a great job with the reading of the Women of Ivy Manor series), but a tragedy occurred. I was at the very end of the book and the CD was banged up and stopped working. How does it end!? I ran to the library to look for the real book, but it was checked out. Luckily I finally received one through inter-library loan and found out how it ended!! Moral of the story, although I have recently loved listening to audiobooks, they have their downfall.

I have really enjoyed the Women of Ivy Manor series thus far. Each individual novel is fantastic, but I really enjoy how the entire story arc is actually played out over the course of all of the novels. Case in point - Kitty from the first novel, Chloe. I have been wondering what happened to her and felt her story line was not solved in that novel. I was very excited to see her return in this third novel and have her mystery solved. That made my day!

Leigh is the story of Bette's daughter (and Chloe's granddaughter), Linda Leigh Sinclair. Leigh is born right after WWII and comes of age during the turbulant 1960's. From witnessing Dr. King's historic march on Washington, to the turbelant Democratic Convention in Chicago in 1968, to a look at hippy San Francisco, this novel gives a great look into the 1960's and 70's. I loved Leigh's forbidden love story with Frank Dawes and then her second chance at love with a FBI agent. I like how this book also took a bold look at a scandelous event in Leigh's personal life (I don't want to say what it is and ruin the book for someone). And of course - also loved the return of Kitty and the resolution of her storyline.

The only complaint I had about the novel was Bette. I loved the novel devoted to her and it is my favorite in the series thus far. I did not like how she became an overbearing, controlling mother who seemed to have nothing in common with her daughter. It made me sad. I know it is realistic that she may have had parenting issues, but I was hoping for some sense or spark of the old Bette and never found it.

I love this series and am currently listening to the last of four books, Carly. I'll be sad to see the series end!

Bette by Lyn Cote

I made a trip to Milwaukee last week for work . . . or was it really to listen to Bette? I had been listening to it as I worked in the kitchen, but I really like listening to audiobooks during longer car trips. It makes the trip go faster, and when it is a story as engaging as Bette, it allows me to listen to much more of the story then my kitchen chores allow.

Bette is the second in "The Women of Ivy Manor" series by Lyn Cote. I wasn't sure if book number two could live up to how much I enjoyed Chloe, the first in the series, but I thought Bette was even better!

Chloe's daughter, Bette, is a beautiful young woman who has grown up at Ivy Manor during the depression. She has not had a life of privilage and faces prejudice as school because her family's sheltering of a young German-Jewish girl, Gretel. She falls in love with a popular new boy, Curtis, and they have a romance that lasts through college. Through working with the war department, Bette becomes an undercover agent to help uncover Nazi plots to find out American war time secrets. WWII changes everything . . .and I won't go further and ruin the plot!

I loved Bette's story as an undercover spy. It was riveting . . . especially with all of the true stories of Nazi's getting tours of our facilities before the war. Bette and Ted's flirtation was great. It reminded me of the 1930's movies that I love like "My Girl Friday." I also loved the story of the hardships of Jews prior to, during, and after the war. I was disturbed by the ships of Jews being turned away from America's ports and even more so when I discovered it was true. Drake and Elsa's love story was one of my favorite parts of the book - they could have easily been a book of their own.

Also - thank-you Lyn Cote for once again having an engineer in your story! Secondary character Jamie McCaslen (not sure if the spelling is correct - that is what happens when you listen to an audiobook) was an engineering major at Columbia University. It's nice to see the engineering profession out there. You always hear about doctors, lawyers, and cops - but not too much about engineers!

The only thing I didn't like was Curt, the main love interest, and his inability of accepting a working wife. But as this was true to the time period, it was just me not liking him. I also am still wondering about Kitty from book 1 and Jamie from this book. I am hoping their story continues in book 3, Leigh.

Overall, it was a great story, especially with the intriguing history that it incorporates. I love historical fiction.

Chloe by Lyn Cote

I had a trip to make to Milwaukee last weekend for work, so I picked up Chloe, the first of the four part Women of Ivy Manor saga at the library on audiobook. I really enjoyed listening to this book and actually picked up the second in the series today.

I love historical fiction and Chloe was set during a riveting part of our nation's history. Chloe was a pampered girl that grew up in the family's Ivy Manor in Maryland. She meets Theran Black, a young man who has just graduated with a civil engineering degree and has a passion for infrastructure (as a environmental/civil engineer I especially liked this part). They run off to NYC to be married and Black ships off for WWI only two days later. Chloe starts an exciting modeling career in NYC with her friend Minnie. To say more would ruin the plot, but the book ultimately takes us through WWI and it's after effects, the roaring 20's, and the beginnings of the Great Depression. The Great Depression sequences seemed particularly relevant in these times. It was an exciting look at history and I also liked the racial themes.

The only parts I didn't like were Chloe herself had troubles taking action at times, which annoyed me, but were ultimately part of the plot. I also didn't like how some storylines were left hanging - whatever happened to the Black family? Overall though it was a good book and I can't wait to "listen" to the second novel.