The Manhattan Confessions by Jocelyn Green

 

What catches your eye on book covers?  I loved the blue dress of the character on the cover of The Manhattan Confessions by Jocelyn Green.  I thought it was very striking and eye catching.

Ivy Malone works for the New York historical society as a librarian.  Society matron, Adeline King, reveals her history to Ivy in order to preserve it.  When this explosive story gets published without Ivy’s approval, two men appear and say they have claims to Adeline and want to know her true identify.  Are these men telling the truth and how can Ivy keep Adeline safe?

Ivy is also having problems with her cousin Gina as she tried to immigrate from Italy.  She is detained at Ellis Island and Ivy employs the help of immigrant services to help get the paperwork issues solved.  As difficulties arise, who can she trust?

My thoughts on this project:

·       This story is set in the 1920’s in New York City.

·       I loved the deep look into immigration problems of the 1920s, many which still exist today.  People tried to keep the Italians out as they were the unwanted immigrants of the time. They take advantage of the immigrants to make money off them directly or by forcing them into prostitution.

·       There was a great overarching theme – do you believe that people can change to be better people?  Do you deserve forgiveness after a life of crime?

·       This is the last book in the “On Central Park” series but can be read as a standalone.  Each book is the story of a roommate.  Characters from the previous books appear.

·       I liked Gina’s story escaping from fascist Italy.

·       I really enjoyed the great multilayered characters in this story.

·       There was a great romance in the book between Ivy and Tom as well as mystery and suspense.

·       This was a clean read and inspirational.

·       It really showed the power of friendship and family.

·       This was one of my favorite reads in April.

·       There are great discussion questions at the end for book clubs.

·       There was also a great author’s note at the end on the real historical details and the sites one can visit in New York City that are in the book.

Overall, The Manhattan Confessions by Jocelyn Green was an inspiring historical fiction novel about second chances.  I enjoyed it and highly recommend it.

Book Source:  Thank-you to @author_jocelyn_green @bethanyhousefiction @greatreadsbookpromo for a review copy of the novel as part of the Great Reads Promo Book Tour.

The Hudson Collection by Jocelyn Green (Austenprose PR Book Tour)

 

Do you like birds?  Do you enjoy watching them at a bird feeder or do you like them as subjects of art or science?

Elsa Reisner is an ornithologist at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.  She puts together displays of birds including skeletons and taxidermy of birds.  An older lady who has just passed away has left her collection of taxidermy rare birds to the museum. Elsie is sent by her boss to inventory the collection at the estate.  Elsa makes new friends at the estate and together they start a treasure hunt for a missing rare, illuminated manuscript from the middle ages that can help secure the servants’ futures when the estate is sold.  Will they find the manuscript?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This novel is set in 1926.  I loved the descriptions of New York City during this time frame and what a night out on the town for young people would be like.

·       Elsa has a handicapped leg from having polio as a child.  She must work through illness and issues with her handicap.  I thought it added an interesting dimension to the story.

·       I also found Elsa’s job fascinating at the museum.  I learned a lot about being an ornithologist and about birds in general.  It made me really want to visit the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.

·       Luke is a World War I veteran and an architectural salvage dealer.  He is working at the estate at the same time as Elsa.  He is still dealing with his own internal issues from the war.

·       I also thought it was interesting that a young girl in the novel, Danielle, displays symptoms of what now would be called autism, but it was not well understood in that time period. 

·       I enjoyed the sweet and clean romance between Elsa and Luke.  The romance was slow burn which is one of my favorite tropes.

·       This novel had an overall theme of forgiveness.

·       There was an interesting discussion of eugenics in the novel.  It was a hot topic during that time period.  The characters all had imperfections, but they were made in the image of God.  I thought this was a powerful theme of the book.

·       I enjoyed the very informative author’s note at the end of the novel.  A lot of the story was based in fact and some of the characters were real people from history.

Overall, The Hudson Collection was a powerful story of forgiveness and acceptance.  I enjoyed the characters, time period, setting, and romance.  It was a unique story, and I would love to read more by this author.

Book Source:  Review copy from Bethany House Books as part of the AustenprosePR Book Tour. Thank-you!  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

 BOOK DESCRIPTION

Step into the beguiling world of 1926 New York and discover the power of resilience, friendship, and love from award-winning author Jocelyn Green.

Elsa Reisner's lifelong dream of working as an ornithologist at the American Museum of Natural History is fading as the job begins to drain her passion. But fate takes an unexpected turn when she is assigned to catalog the bequest of a recently deceased patron whose Gothic country mansion holds secrets and treasures waiting to be discovered.

As Elsa delves into her task, she forms an unlikely bond with the estate's delightful gardener and her daughter, as well as an architectural salvage dealer who still bears scars from the Great War. Together, they embark on a thrilling treasure hunt for a missing relic intended to safeguard the servants' futures before the estate is sold. At the same time, Elsa's body seems to betray her with new symptoms from a childhood disease that isn't through with her yet.

With the brooding veteran and her handsome colleague joining the search, Elsa must navigate the tangled web of secrets and hidden motives along with the changing state of her health. As her deadline looms ever closer, will she be able to secure a new life for her friends before the estate slips from their grasp?

AUTHOR BIO

Jocelyn Green (JocelynGreen.com) inspires faith and courage as the bestselling author of numerous fiction and nonfiction books, including the Christy Award-winning The Mark of the King and Drawn by the Current and her On Central Park series.