Six Weeks by the Sea by Paula Byrne (Austenprose PR Book Tour)

 

Do you like to vacation by the sea?  Do you have any favorite seaside vacation spots?  I don’t really vacation by the ocean, but by the Great Lakes. I live in a Lake Michigan community in Wisconsin with a seasonal view of Lake Michigan.  I love to walk by the water.  Growing up in Michigan, I loved South Haven and Holland, also on Lake Michigan. 

In Six Weeks by the Sea by Paula Byrne, Jane Austen has just had to leave her beloved family home in Steventon after her brother takes over as the rector.  Before her family settles in Bath, they spend six weeks by the sea in Sidmouth, Devon, England.  There with her mother, father, and sister Cassandra, they are reunited with her beloved brother Frank who has a brief break from his naval adventures in the Royal Navy.  He has also brought along his friend, Captain Parker.  While sparks begin to fly between Captain Parker and Jane, Jane also feels herself very annoyed by a new young lawyer in town, Samuel Rose.  As she gets to know Mr. Rose and Captain Parker better, will she find true love?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This was a short, but beautifully written novel.  It had almost a dream like quality to it as I read it.

·       I was intrigued to discover that Paula Byrne had written the nonfiction book, Belle:  The Slave Daughter and the Lord Chief Justice.  I had watched the movie Belle in the past and just recently rewatched it.  Six Weeks by the Sea had elements in it that reminded me of Belle.

·       Reverand Swete’s son has returned home with his child, a daughter who doesn’t speak and who is half black.  Jane is intrigued by the girl and uses her skills as an aunt to get to know her better and draw her out.  She also notices the kind behavior Mr. Rose has towards the young girl.  This also had shades to me of Miss Georgiana Lambe, Austen’s biracial character in her unfinished novel, Sanditon.

·       Jane has prejudice against Mr. Rose at first because he is a lawyer, and she hates lawyers.  She learns over the course of the novel just what types of cases that Mr. Rose works on, and it aligns with her own opinions on the fight against slavery.  I loved how Jane’s feelings on Mr. Rose changed through the course of the novel.

·       I loved the inclusion of William Cowper’s poetry.  I didn’t know that he had written anti-slavery poetry.

·       This time period has always been a mystery in Jane Austen’s life.  Did she have a mysterious love who died?  I loved how this story filled in the gaps.  I would love to imagine that even though she never married, she had a great love of her own.

·       I always enjoy a good love triangle.  I also love thinking about Austen finding love with someone who could match her wit. 

·       This novel had small moments with the family getting together for meals, going for walks, balls, etc.  The pacing and these small moments reminded me of a Jane Austen novel.

·       I enjoyed quotes showing up from Austen’s letters and novels within this book.  Even the fictional conversations carried the same sparkle and wit one sees in an Austen novel.

·       There is a great author’s afterword at the end of the book that delves into what was real and what was fictional.  Captain Parker was a fictional character, while Samuel Rose was a real person.

Overall, Six Weeks by the Sea by Paula Byrne was a fascinating novel and look into a period of transition and change for Jane Austen that may have also included love.  I enjoyed the look into social issues at the time that Austen cared about and wrote subtle about in her novels.

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

The Shakespeare Secret by D.J. Nix (Austenprose PR Book Tour)

 

Was Shakespeare a woman?  Author D.J. Nix’s son pitched the idea to him and he then read Elizabeth Winkler’s article in the June 2019 edition of The Atlantic, “Was Shakespeare a Woman?”  This inspired D.J. Nix into writing a compelling story.

Three women in Elizabethan England share a secret – they are the true authors of Shakespeare’s sonnets and plays.  Mary Herbert, the Countess of Pembroke is a frustrated poet who has suffered a loss.  Emelia Bassano is a court musician and mistress to the Lord Chamberlain.  Jane Daggett is a seamstress for the Queen’s men’s players and invents stories of her own.  As one of the Queen’s spies (Robert Cecil) zeroes in on them, they hire an actor named Will Shakespeare to be their “face.”  Will they be discovered?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       I’ve been down and out without my computer for the past couple of weeks, so I am sadly behind on reviews.  Now that my computer is repaired, I will work on getting caught up.

·       The Shakespeare Secret has short engaging chapters and was a fast-paced historical fiction read.

·       Robert Cecil thinks the three ladies are plotting to kill Queen Elizabeth.  How do they get out of this accusation?

·       I really loved the Elizabethan time period and setting.

·       This novel made me want to read Shakespeare.  I took a Shakespeare class in high school and in college, but it has been a while.  We have a play slotted for next year for my Back to the Classics Book club.  I am looking forward to it.

·       I loved the strong women characters during this perilous time in history.

·       It was fun to read the process of them writing the plays, such as Taming of the Shrew.  I can get behind the reimagining of a terrible play and making it into a better story.  It sounds like fun.

Overall, The Shakespeare Secret by D.J. Nix was a great historical suspense novel with a feminist twist.

Book Source: Thank-you to @david.nix.author @alcovepress @austenprose for a review copy of this novel as part of the Austenprose PR Book Tour.

No Stone Unturned by Jenelle Hovde (Austenprose PR Book Tour)

 

What's a book that you wish more people knew about?

Bridget Littleton is a vicar’s daughter and loves history and antiquities.  She is very excited to find a Roman mosaic in a neighborhood farm field.  Capitan Rafe Hawthorn has returned from fighting in the Napoleonic Wars, and he is the new viscount in the neighborhood.  He confronts Bridget as he believes she is excavating on his land.  Will Bridget be able to prove she is actually on the Peterson farm, and will she be able to convince Rafe that the work is worthwhile?  Will love bloom?  Who else is trying to steal the mosaics?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This was a sweet Regency romance and a clean read.  It has a slow burn and enemies to lovers’ romance.

·       I loved Bridget. She is an educated woman who knows her own mind.  She has a passion for archeology and Roman artifacts.  She loves to read Gothic fiction and she is kind to others.

·       I also love Rafe.  Rafe had a broken childhood filled with abuse.  His mother was able to escape with him.  He also suffered a grave wound and loss of a friend in the war.  He has returned with his terrible memories to the estate, and he wants to repair the estate and help the tenants.

·       Bridget and Rafe had great banter and dialogue between them.

·       Roman archaeology is fascinating to me.  I loved reading about the dig, their finds, and early Christianity amongst the Romans.

·       I enjoyed the quotes at the start of each chapter.  Many are from Lord Byron, Seneca, and John Wesley amongst others.

·       The novel is told through a dual narrative between Bridget and Rafe. The story is told through the first-person point of view.

·       There were mysteries throughout the novel that kept me intrigued.

·       There is a great author’s note on the real Roman discoveries that occurred in England in the 18^th and 19^th century.

·       There are also great discussion questions at the end to challenge yourself with or use at a book club.

·       This was an excellent debut novel!  I can’t wait to see what Jenelle Hovde writes next!

Favorite Quote: “Leave no stone unturned.  How can we learn or grow if we do not understand the past?  How can we heal if we do not fully examine what happened to us?”

Overall, No Stone Unturned by Jenelle Hovde was a beautifully written Regency romance with great main characters and growth, interesting mysteries, and Roman archaeology. I greatly enjoyed this novel.

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

A Lesson In Proprietary by Jen Turano (Austenprose PR Book Tour)

 

What is the last comedy you’ve read or watched and enjoyed? 

Drusilla Merriweather has had a terrible time.  Her father has died, and his business partner stole his fortune.  Her fiancé dumps her, and she and her family are now cut direct by the four hundred.  Her eccentric aunt left her and her sister a castle in Chicago.  Drusilla decides to use her strengths and make it a school to teach propriety.  When she, her mother, and her sister arrive, they find a castle full of goats with an eccentric guard.  Will she be able to turn the castle around in time to keep her family afloat?  Will they find the man who stole their family fortunate?  Where is their aunt?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This was a funny and fun novel that reminded me of a madcap rom com from the 1930s.

·       Drusilla is an independent young woman who is determined to make her dream of a school become reality and to save her family.  I enjoyed her as a character.

·       The criminal underworld is trying to get the prime property that is on Lake Michigan.

·       I thought Rhenick Wittenbecker was a great romantic lead.  He is the only brother in a family of girls and seems a lot more understanding of ladies than other men of the time period.  Although he comes off the wrong way to Drusilla at their first meeting and must work to understand her.  I loved his mother and family.

·       Annalise, Drusilla’s sister, is also eccentric and loves animals.  She has three attack ferrets who also wan to help rid the castle of rats and snakes.  I laughed out loud at parts of this novel.

·       I really enjoyed the haunted castle.  Who is haunting it and why?  It reminded me a Scooby Door mystery.

·       This is the first book in a new series.  I’m interested to see where it goes next.

A Lesson In Proprietary by Jen Turano is a fun, lighthearted, historical romance with Gothic elements.  I really enjoyed this novel. 

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

Lincoln on the Verge: Thirteen Days to Washington by Ted Widmer

 

Title:  Lincoln on the Verge:  Thirteen Days to Washington

Author:  Ted Widmer

Narrated by:  Fred Sanders, Ted Widmer

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Length: Approximately 16 hours and 53 minutes

Source: Thank you @simon.audio for the audiobook version and #LincolnOnTheVerge #HistoryBuffsBookClub @History_In_Five for the physical book review copy.

What is your favorite, book, movie, or show that features Abraham Lincoln? I loved the movie Lincoln starring Daniel Day Lewis.

The United States was at a crossroads when Abraham Lincoln won the presidential election in 1860.  Southerners had vowed that his inauguration would never take place.  Lincoln boards a train to Washington DC and over the next thirteen days, he wows crowds, while also trying to foil assassination attempts.  How did he make it safely to Washington DC?

My thoughts on this book:

·       This was a truly fascinating book.  I really liked how the reader received a full snapshot of what life was like at this moment in history and through these perilous times.

·       At this point in time, democracy was on the verge of ending as it had ended in so many places before like Greece and Rome.

·       This book provided good overview of history and everything happening at that time.  I also loved the history of the cities as he traveled through them such as Cincinnati, Cleveland, etc.

·       Railroad and telegraph were transforming the nation and how information was disseminated at the time.

·       Dorothea Dix had traveled through the south and had details of a conspiracy to kill Lincoln as he traveled to DC for his inauguration.  The South would rather declare their own nation.

·       Kate Warne was a female spy who played an unsung role (like Doreathea Dix) on protecting Lincoln on the way to his inauguration.

·       Civil engineers were discussed such as who designed the bridges and tunnels for the railroad.

·       There was a sad discussion included of a real-life enslaved woman who killed her own child rather than have the child be captured and enslaved just like what happened in the fictional Uncle Tom’s Cabin.

·       The end of the book also goes through Lincoln’s train journey back to Springfield after his assassination.

·       The audiobook that had good narrator and it was very interesting to listen to. 

·       This new paperback version had a great preface by Liz Cheney on the importance of this book and of Abraham Lincoln.

·       There is a great notes section at the end of the physical book.

·       The physical book also has interesting pictures inserted throughout the text.

Overall, Lincoln on the Verge by Ted Widmer is a great history nonfiction book that tells not only the story of the perilous journey Abraham Lincoln took through America to his inauguration, but also the story of America at that time and the fight to keep our democracy.

The Collector of Burned Books by Roseanne M. White (Austenprose PR Book Tour)

 

If you could save one book from being burned, which book would you pick?

German expatriate authors gathered in Paris after Nazis started to burn books in Germany.  They opened a library that has collected together all of the banned books on the Nazis list.  When the Germans enter Paris, Christian Bauer, a former literature professor that has been drafted by the Nazis is sent to close the library of banned books and to relocate France’s other libraries.  Once there he meets Corinne Bastien, a professor and patron of the library who has been using it to help to spread these forbidden ideas.  What will happen to the library?  Will Christian be able to protect the literature that he secretly loves?  Will love blossom between the two?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       I thought this was an interesting look into an aspect of WWII that I have always found disturbing, the burning of books and limitations put on the spreading of ideas.

·       I enjoyed both the characters of Christian and Corinne.  I loved their banter and witty conversations about literature.

·       Everyone seems confused that Corinne is a professor.  They think she looks younger than she is.  The Nazis tell her she should be trying to get married and having children.  They also say that this type of job should be left to the men. Unfortunately, this rhetoric seems prevalent still to this day.

·       This novel expressed the importance of books and ideas.  If you feel you need to suppress ideas and books in order to control people, what does that say about your ideology?  We’ve seen a rise in book banning over the last few years in the United States and is concerning.

·       This book did make me ponder, what would people do if this started to happen? If a politician told you that a book was “bad”, would you throw it away or burn it and go along with the crowd? Would you hide the book?  Would you help keep the word alive?  I have consistently been against book banning when it has unfortunately cropped up in my life.

·       Christian was a complicated character.  Further into the story, his motivations are revealed.  Why would a man who loves the written word like him go along with the Nazis?  He wants to help his friends, but he also has a much deeper and more personal reason.

·       The ending of this book was perfect.

·       There is a great authors note and discussion questions at the end of the novel.  It was so interesting that there really was a library of burned books in Paris.

Overall, The Collector of Burned Books by Roseanna M. White was a thought-provoking historical fiction novel with an intriguing story and wonderful characters.

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

The Night Sparrow by Shelly Sanders (Bibliolifestyle Book Tour)

 

Title:  The Night Sparrow

Author:  Shelly Sanders

Narrated by:  Gilli Messer

Publisher: Harper Perennial

Length: Approximately10 hours and 26 minutes

Source: Thank you, Partner @bibliolifestyle @harperperennial for the review copy of physical book copy of The Night Sparrow by Shelly Sanders.  Thank-you to NetGalley for the audiobook and e-book review copies.

What genres that you are looking forward to reading this year?  I am enjoying reading lots of historical fiction.

Elena Bruskina is a university student studying German in the Soviet Union when it is invaded by Nazis.  She is Jewish and she and her family are forced into the Minsk ghetto.  After her family is killed, she escapes and vows to get revenge.  She joins an all-female sniper unit in Moscow.  She eventually also becomes redeployed as German translator searching for Hitler.  Will Elena make it through the war, and will she make a difference?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       Author Shelly Sanders used facts from real life Soviet women snipers and interpreters to write the story.  Each chapter starts with a real quote from the women that served.

·       This story really showed the horrors of war.

·       It was disturbing to learn about “front line wives” where Soviet soldiers would pick a woman to be their front-line wife even if they didn’t want to be.  These women were ostracized when they returned home.

·       Soviets were the first to discover the Eagle’s Nest.  Elena is there to witness the horrors and to help prove that Hitler is indeed dead.

·       There were unique difficulties as Elena is Jewish and witnesses the murder of her family and other Jews because of their Jewish heritage.  The Soviets didn’t identify groups there were as denial that the Nazis were targeting and killing Jews.

·       The book tries to walk a fine line to say that Elena understands that the actions that the Soviet government takes towards its people and that Soviet soldiers take on German citizens are not ethical or good.

·       I’m not sure about the time shifts in this novel.  The narrative centered on one person, Elena, but it told the story through showing different points of time during the war. It would flash from the ending of the war to the beginning when Elena was first training. I don’t think this added to the story.  It made things more confusing.  I would have liked it better if the story was just told straight through from the beginning of the war to the end.  To be honest, it made me not care as much about some of the other characters as I knew they would die.  This may have been more confusing listening to the audiobook versus reading the physical book.

·       There is a great detailed author’s note at the end of the novel as well as a very thorough bibliography. 

·       The audiobook narrator was engaging.

 Overall, The Night Sparrow by Shelly Sanders is an intriguing historical fiction novel that focuses on the little-known story of female Soviet snippers and interpreters.

The Teacher of Warsaw by Mario Escobar (Bibliolifestyle Book Tour)

 

Thank you, Partner @bibliolifestyle @harpermusebooks for the review copy of The Teacher of Warsaw by Mario Escobar.

If you could undo the death of a fictional character who would that character be?

In 1939, Janusz Korczak is sixty years old and is a well-known author and children’s advocate in Warsaw, Poland.  He runs a large Jewish orphanage and is a widely respected man.  As the Germans take over, Korczak tries his best to keep his children fed, but will he be able to keep them safe through the war?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This was my second Mario Escobar read in June and it was another heartfelt historical fiction novel set during WWII.  I really enjoyed both books and I am ready to read more.

·       Korczak was a great man and was so compassionate.  He had many times when he could have escaped and saved himself, but he stayed to help the children.  Much of the book was him trying to find any way that he could to survive and help the kids to thrive in desperate times.

·       The story is primarily told through a journal that is said to have been found that Korczak had kept.  This part of the story was put together using a short real diary that Korczak did keep in 1942 along with other facts from that time.

·       The description of the Ghetto was horrifying as people starved and turned desperate.

·       The ending of this story is seared into my mind. 

·       The end of the novel has great historical information about the real Janusz Korczak as well as references, and discussion questions.  This would make a great book club read.

Favorite Quotes:

“The Teacher of Warsaw is much more than a story about the life of Janusz Korczak and his orphanage.  It is the memory of those who, at the some of the world’s darkest moments, when evil’s grip on Europe seemed eternal, fought to turn the hellish Warsaw ghetto into a dignified, inhabitable place.” – from the author’s note

“Everything happens for a reason.  Even the greatest misfortunes can become the sweetest blessings.”

“The best lesson we can ever teach is to show love to those around us without expecting anything in return.”

“They were taking away the only noble, beautiful thing each of us has:  Our compassion and mercy.  When anything goes, nothing is worth it anymore.”

“How is the value of a human life to be measured?  Did culture or status make one person more valuable than a beggar child or an illiterate woman?”

Overall, The Teacher of Warsaw by Mario Escobar is a historical fiction WWII story that I will not forget.  Janusz Korczak lived during some of the darkest times in history in the Warsaw Ghetto, but he kept his humanity and compassion and was with his orphans until the very end.  If you love WWII historical fiction, you must read this novel.

Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney

 

Title:  Beautiful Ugly

Author:  Alice Feeney

Narrated by:  Richard Armitage and Tuppence Middleton

Publisher: MacMillian Audio

Length: Approximately 9 hours and 19 minutes

Source: Review Copy from NetGalley and checked out through Libby with the Kewaunee Public Library

Do you prefer reading books with single POV or multiple POV?

Grady Green has just found out that his latest book has made the best sellers list, but his joy is tempered as his wife Abby has not returned home to hear the news.  He receives a mysterious phone call from her and then she disappears.  A year later, Grady’s life has gone off the rails, but he has one last opportunity to get back on the right path.  His publicist has been left a writer’s retreat on a remote Scottish island that another of her famous writers used to use to write his books.  Grady can use it to crank out a book.  Once on the island, he notices that things are odd. Is he seeing his missing wife?  Why does everyone wear the same mysterious ring?  Can he leave the island?

My thoughts on this book:

·       This book had a great first chapter that pulls you in with Abby going missing.

·       I loved Richard Armitage as the main narrator of the audiobook.  There were also sound effects throughout the novel, especially with phone calls.

·       The story was primarily told through Grady’s point of view, but there are some chapters set in the past told through Abby’s point of view.

·       I loved the Scottish island setting of Amberly.  Being cut off from the rest of the world gives the story an eerie feel.

·       This novel had interesting characters.  I felt like I was losing my mind with Grady on the Island. I must admit that my favorite character though was Grady’s dog.

·       I enjoyed this thriller until the end.  There was just one too many twists and it fell into the very unbelievable category for me.  I was disappointed as I had really enjoyed the book until that point.

Favorite quote: “Sometimes I think we are all the unreliable narrators of our own lives.”

Overall, Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney had all the makings of a great thriller, but unfortunately the ending made this an overall disappointing read.

The Secrets of Thorndale Manor by Syrie James (Austenprose PR Book Tour)

 

Which author you would recommend everyone?  I have read and continue to enjoy novels by author Syrie James and I would recommend her to anyone.

Athena Taylor and her sister Selena have realized their dream of opening a school for young ladies at Thorndale Manor.  The manor has a checkered past with a recent occupant having been put to death for murdering a neighbor.  When one of their maids is discovered dead, Athena discovers that she was also linked with the past murder.  She decides to investigate the maids murder as well as the past murder.  What will she discover?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This novel picked up right after the first novel in the series, The Mysteries of Pendowar Hall.  I greatly enjoyed this novel.  You can read The Secrets of Thorndale Manor as a standalone novel, but it is even more fun to read the series in order.

·       I love historical mystery and I thought this was a really interesting mystery and suspense novel.  It had a gothic feel to the entire story as well, which I loved.  I don’t want to delve into the details and ruin it for others, but I enjoyed the twists and turns.

·       I also felt hints of Jane Eyre throughout the novel and there is a lovely author’s note in the end which discusses this as well.  I especially loved that Athena and Selena are working together to run a school for girls and are having a hard time getting students.  This seemed familiar as it was a dream of Charlotte Bronte as well to start a school and her and her sisters were also unable to get enough students to do so.

·       I loved the Victorian England setting.  I also liked getting to know the servants in the manor as well as the neighbors in the small village.

·       Ian Vernon is an architect. His family had previously owned Thorndale Manor, but he had to sell it due to the estate being so far in debt.  He is not happy about Athena investigating the old murder as his sister was convicted of it.   But as he gets to know Athena, sparks fly. I loved this romance.

·       The back of the book has a picture of the beautiful cover of the next book in the series, Danger at Darkmoor Park which will focus on Selena. I can’t wait to read it!

Overall, The Secrets of Thorndale Manor by Syrie James is an intriguing Victorian Gothic historical mystery and suspense novel.  It has great characters and a great story with many twists and turns.  I highly recommend it!

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