Dear Miss Lake by AJ Pearce

August 9, 2025

Dear Miss Lake by AJ Pearce

Emmy Lake and the other staff at Woman's Friend are still hard at work. But in the summer of 1944, Britain has been at war for five long years. While victory is coming, especially since the Americans joined the fight, between the nightly bombings raids and the ever tightening rationing, everyone on the home front is exhausted from the war. It's a challenge for the magazine staff to remain upbeat and positive while faced with constant worry about their own loved ones.

Fourth and final book in the Emmy Lake series. Pleasant historical fiction that covers life in Britain during the last year of World War II. I would recommend reading the previous books in the series as there are frequent references to events and characters from earlier books. 

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for review. 

A POW camp in Stuttgart, Germany

Death at a Highland Wedding by Kelley Armstrong

July 26, 2025

Death at a Highland Wedding by Kelley Armstrong

Time traveling detective Mallory Armstrong has been stuck in 19th century Scotland for almost a year, working as the assistant to mortician Dr. Duncan Gray, the mixed race illegitimate son of an upper middle class family. She and Duncan are invited to the wedding of his best friend's sister at her fiance's highland hunting lodge. There is tension among the wedding guests and also with the locals, which only escalates when one of the guests is found murdered on the estate grounds. Instead of being a country holiday with friends, Mallory and Duncan find themselves tying to save the groom from the gallows.

The fourth book in the Rip Through Time series. The author gives enough background that this can be read as a standalone mystery if you haven't read the previous mysteries in the series, or if you're like me and it's been a while since you read the last book. Successfully evokes the customs, attitudes, and class distinctions, as well as police methods of the time. I loved how Mallory almost melted into a puddle when one of the characters finally shows up in a kilt. Looking forward to the next book in the series. Recommended for readers of historical mysteries like the Sebastian St. Cyr or the Lady Julia Grey mysteries, or the Outlander historical series.

Many thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

Hunting lodge in the Scottish highlands

My Friends by Fredrik Backman

June 26, 2026

My Friends by Fredrik Backman

Four friends spend the last summer of their childhood together, taking refuge from their brutal home lives, giving each other a reason to dream, to love, to go on. One of the teens paints a picture that turns out to be a true work of art. Twenty-five years later, another teenager with a desperate background is determined to discover the story behind the painting. 

The latest novel from one of my favorite authors. It’s about bad ideas and everlasting friendship, the kind of memories you can only make with your friends when you are 14. A beautiful and heartbreaking coming of age story. Just go read it.

An old ocean pier, a place to make memories

The Dressmakers of Auschwitz by Lucy Adlington

January 25, 2025

The Dressmakers of Auschwitz by Lucy Adlington

An astounding story of a designer dressmaking salon run out of Auschwitz concentration camp, mostly staffed by Jewish women, patronized by the wives of high-ranking Nazis and SS officers. The Nazis were well aware of the importance of clothing to elevate or degrade people, and even in the middle of a war and clothing shortages, they and their families wanted to be well-dressed. (The Nazi culture was so bizarre, wanting to obliterate anyone who didn't fit their mold and keeping meticulous records about how they did it, yet using the talents of those same people when it suited them.) 

Sewing literally saved the dressmakers' lives, while at the same time allowing them to participate in sabotage in the camp. Many parts about the horrors of camp life and the way the inmates were treated were hard to read, but the stories of these smart, courageous women need to be told. The author had the privilege of interviewing the last surviving seamstress while researching this book. Stellar in-depth research. Recommended for readers interested in women's history and the Holocaust.

Berta Kohut and her sister Katka, two of the seamstresses of Auschwitz who survived the war

The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles

December 7, 2024

The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles

In 1939, Odile Souchet lands her dream job, at the American Library in Paris, where she finds the place she is meant to be and the friends she has been seeking. But the city is on the brink of war and when the Nazis occupy Paris, the staff at the American Library is determined to remain open and fight the Nazis with the power of books. Forty years later in a small town in Montana, a teenage girl strikes up a friendship with her reclusive neighbor, a French widow.

Another book that makes me proud to be a librarian. The novel has a dual timeline, one set during World War II and the other in 1980s Montana. Personally I found the World War II sections more interesting, since the 1980s parts have a lot of teenaged angst. Based on fact, the story honors the librarians who worked to protect the staff, the patrons and their collection. The American Library still exists today. Librarians are bad-ass - never forget it. My favorite quote: "the Nazis shot a librarian? That's like shooting a doctor!"

Recommended for readers who enjoy historical fiction set in France.

The original American Library in Paris

The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club by Helen Simonson

October 18, 2024

The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club by Helen Simonson

Constance Haverhill travels to the seaside as a companion to Mrs. Fog who has just recovered from influenza. Since she is still convalescent, most of the time she leaves Constance on her own. Constance soon meets a young woman named Poppy Wirral who rides a motorcycle and sweeps Constance into her circle of friends.

Part of the problem that I had with this novel is that I had just finished reading four really excellent books (The Women, Forgotten on Sunday, The God of the Woods, and The Song of Achilles), and this one didn't compare to any of those. Another part of the problem is that it was just a silly premise: a group of young society women in 1919 who rode around on motorcycles when they weren't going to tea dances or picnicking with eligible bachelors. There were a lot of characters and the story got bogged down somewhere in the middle. Took me forever to get through it, and I gave up and started skimming. I read and enjoyed the author's previous book Major Pettigrew's Last Stand, but this wasn't her best effort.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

Motorcycle with sidecar, circa 1919

We Love the Nightlife by Rachel Keller Croft

October 8, 2024

We Love the Nightlife by Rachel Keller Croft

In the 1970s disco scene in London, 100+ year old vampire Nicola spots Amber and knows she is her soulmate, and that she has to have her. She'll do anything for Amber, including killing Amber's husband. For her part, Amber adores the way Nicola makes her feel special. But will she feel the same way 50 years later?

Grrrl power! Usually vampire novels feature dark smoldering broody guys, but this one is about the girls who hunt the night. Imagine being trapped for eternity with someone you don't even like anymore, who will kill you if you try to leave, and you can't even ghost them because they can always find you. Vampires, toxic female friendships, disco - what's not to like?? This character driven story was part of my seasonal reading for the spooky season, recommended for readers who enjoy horror in general and vampire books in particular.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

A 1970s era disco

The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst

July 17, 2024

The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst

Kiera is a librarian at the Great Library of Alyssium, and her assistant is Caz, a spider plant who suffers from anxiety (he's especially paranoid about goats and fish). When the city is taken over by rebels and the library is engulfed in flames, Kiera and Caz flee (along with a few crates of spell books) to the far north to the island of Caltrey, Kiera's birthplace. But the village has fallen on hard times, and Kiera decides that if they are here to stay, she will need to figure out how to fix what is wrong with the village. The only problem is, it's illegal for non-wizards to perform magic spells.

Charming romantasy, perfect for a summer read on the beach or on your patio at home, although it would also make a cozy winter read, wrapped up in your favorite throw. And there are merhorses! Giant irridescent seahorses! What a wonderful creation! Plus Caz the spider plant and Meep the cactus. Highly recommended for readers who enjoy a sweet fantasy or romance, or both, also for librarians and those who respect books and knowledge.

Many thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

Merhorse!

The Wedding People by Alison Espach

June 11, 2024

The Wedding People by Alison Espach

It's right after the COVID-19 pandemic, and Phoebe is checking into a grand hotel in Rhode Island. She always wanted to stay at the hotel with her husband, but unfortunately he found a younger woman and divorced Phoebe. Between the divorce, losing interest in her job as an English professor, and the isolation of the pandemic, Phoebe sank into depression and decided there is nothing left for her. So she makes a reservation to visit the hotel by herself and end her life there - with her cat's pain killers, which taste and smell like tuna. But when she arrives, Phoebe discovers that the whole place has been booked for a week-long wedding event and that she has essentially crashed the party.

Some of the descriptions may lead you to believe this is a rom-com, but it's not. This is a delightful feel-good read, one of the best books that I've read this year, written with warmth and humor and a wonderful writing style. The storyline focuses on the connection that we all long to make with others, and that most of us are lonely inside, even when surrounded by other people. The characters are all likable, and you want them all to have a happy ending, even the self-centered bride and Phoebe's ex-husband. The dialogue has a genuine ring to it. And it's so much like a real wedding: all the weird family members, the friends that you suspect may actually be frenemies, the kids sneaking alcohol under the adults' noses, things going wrong, no matter how carefully you plan. Strongly recommended to anyone who enjoys a good story with great characters. A major studio has already picked up the film rights.

Many thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

A Rhode Island wedding

Canary Girls by Jennifer Chiaverini

September 8, 2023

Canary Girls by Jennifer Chiaverini

At the outset of World War I, three women from different backgrounds all sign up for war work at a munitions plant just outside London. Two are assigned to shell assembly while the third carves out a place in administration as welfare supervisor. Shell assembly involves handling TNT which turns the women's skin yellow and their hair orange (hence the name canary girls). To keep up morale, the munitionettes form a football (soccer) team and compete against teams from other plants.

This has been described as Rosie the Riveter meets A League of Their Own, and I think that's a fair description. It's a look at the home front during World War I: doing war work, coping with rationing, trying to keep up morale while worrying about loved one serving at the front. The story was slow moving. I'm not really into sports (especially not soccer), so I skimmed over the parts of soccer matches and plays. Also, I think I could assemble an artillery shell from the repeated descriptions of the work. I think one of the reasons that I didn't love this more is that I'm tired of World War I and World War II fiction. Recommended for readers who enjoy historical fiction or fiction about women's lives.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

Two canary girls

The House Witch by Delemhach

August 23, 2023

The House Witch by Delemhach

Finlay Ashowan is a house witch who serves as cook to the king and queen of Daxaria. Fin and his familiar, a kitten named Kraken, just want everyone to stay out of the kitchen and let him get on with putting meals on the table. Fin is able to keep it all under control and his identity under wraps, until war is looming with a neighboring country. At the same time, he is drawn to a highborn lady far above his station.

Cooking? Yes. Fantasy? Yes. Sign me up. Light romantic fantasy. A lot of the humor is on the 14 year old boy level and the writing could have been more polished (how many times does the author need to describe Annika as a black-haired beauty?). The main character also delivers a number of soliloquies on respecting others, political correctness, etc., which got old. Note to writers: show, don't tell. Recommended only if you're a diehard fantasy fan who reads only fantasy.

The art of kitchen witchery

Mrs. Porter Calling by A. J. Pearce

August 14, 2023

Mrs. Porter Calling by A. J. Pearce

Emmy Lake is working at Woman's Friend magazine as the Reader and Advice Editor. While her husband Charles is serving in the RAF, Emmy is sharing a house with her BFF Bunty, and their friend Thelma and her children are taking the empty flat in their house. Everything is going as well as it can in the middle of a war, until the mag is taken over by the Honorable Mrs. Cressida Porter ("call me Egg") who has specific ideas about changing the magazine's format, content, and audience.

The third installment in the Emmy Lake series, warm, cozy, heartfelt. Good escapist reading for a hot summer day.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

Members of the London fire service during World War II, where Emmy and Thelma work in the evenings

Learned by Heart by Emma Donoghue

August 8, 2023

Learned by Heart by Emma Donoghue

Anne Lister met Eliza Raine when they were both attending boarding school outside York. Eliza is half-Indian, the daughter of a doctor with the East India Company, sent to England with her sister to be educated. When Eliza and Lister (as she prefers to be called) are forced to share a room, Eliza finds herself unexpectedly enchanted by the unusual girl. They are also physically attracted to each other and the two become lovers and inseparable. Ten years later, Eliza is confined to a psychiatric asylum near the school. She writes to Lister, imploring her to write back and come and rescue her. 

Fascinating historical fiction based on the real lives of Anne Lister and Eliza Raine, who became entangled in a forbidden relationship during the Regency period. Lister lived and dressed as a man, preferring to be called either Jack or by her last name, and had several women lovers. I learned about Lister when I read Gentleman Jack by Sally Wainwright, a biography of her unusual life. Well-research historical fiction, fluid writing. Highly recommended for readers of historical fiction or those interested in the history of LGBTQ.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

Anne Lister (the real one, not the one from the BBC series)

The Spectacular by Fiona Davis

June 29, 2023

The Spectacular by Fiona Davis

Marion Brooks has always wanted to dance, but even though she is extremely talented, her family discourages her, pushing her toward a "normal" life as a homemaker and mother, or if she insists on working, as a teacher, secretary or nurse. When she is hired to be a Rockette, instead of being happy for her, her father threatens to disown her. Marion decides to follow her dream and loves being a Rockette, but a serial bomber attacks the theater with dire consequences for her family. The police discount Marion's information because she is a woman, but she is determined to force them to listen to a psychologist who has a theory about the bomber.

Like the author's previous books, this is a well-researched historical novel that centers on a famous building in New York. Lots of history about the Rockettes as well as information about their dance/precision style. There are dual timelines set in 1956 and 1992. Marion's father seems repressive about her life choices, but things weren't that different in the 1970s when I was growing up. Anyone who enjoys dance or crime fiction will enjoy this behind-the-scenes look at Radio City Music Hall.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

The Rockettes' famous "fall" during the Toy Soldier sequence

The Nature of Fragile Things by Susan Meissner

May 1, 2023

The Nature of Fragile Things by Susan Meissner

Sophie Whalen, an Irish immigrant living in New York, answers a newspaper advertisement for a mail order bride, then travels to San Francisco to meet the man she has agreed to marry. Martin Hocking is a handsome widower with a small child who needs a mother since he travels for business. Sophie has always wanted a child and is so happy with little Kat that she accepts her strange marriage and strange husband. But a year after their marriage, a pregnant woman shows up at Sophie's door, claiming that Martin is her husband as well, but under a different name. But Martin isn't the only one living a lie - Sophie also has secrets that she fears will destroy her carefully constructed life if they were to become known.

Well-researched historical novel set against the backdrop of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. There is wonderful detail about how the upper middle class lived in the early 20th century. Although the sociopath husband is the story's catalyst, it is predominantly about the women that he has used so carelessly, who band together and pick up their lives and go on. Most of the stories threads are wound in at the end, but it is never really clear why Martin wanted a mail order bride from the east coast or why he married Sophie - at least one character notes that he could have hired a nanny and a housekeeper. Will appeal to readers of Kate Morton and Diane Chamberlain. 

Fifth Avenue Glamour Girl by Renee Rosen

March 22, 2023

Fifth Avenue Glamor Girl by Renee Rosen

At the height of the Great Depression, Gloria Downing's father is jailed for having swindled thousands of people out of their live savings in a Ponzi scheme. Broke, homeless and basically unemployable, Gloria takes a job as a shampoo girl at a beauty salon, where she meets an enterprising young woman named Estee Lauder. Estee has created a new cosmetics line and will stop at nothing to get her products into the finest department stores and become famous in the process. Both Gloria and Estee are hiding secrets - when those secrets start catching up with them, will they be able to outrun their pasts?

Very enjoyable story about two women forced to reinvent themselves at a difficult time in American history. I love novels about the fashion and beauty industry, so this one called my name. Fans of Fiona Davis, Marie Benedict, and Jeanne Mackin (The Last Collection) will enjoy this fictionalized biography of one of the icons of the cosmetics industry.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

Estee Lauder

Juno Loves Legs by Karl Geary

March 5, 2023

Juno Loves Legs by Karl Geary

Juno and Sean (christened Legs by Juno) meet and immediately bond at the local Catholic grade school, where the parish priest abuses both of them. Neither child fits in anywhere, at home, at school, on the playground. Juno is from one of the poorest families in the parish and is distrustful, expecting constantly to be bullied. Even as a child, it's obvious that Legs is different from the other boys, and Father (the parish priest) is determined to beat his homosexuality out of him. The two children are inseparable until Legs commits a terrible act that will tear the children apart, only to find each other again many years later.

OMG, I loved this book!! I read Juno Loves Legs in a single day, it's that good, and I found it impossible to put down. I loved the characters and the story. Juno and Legs are so tender with each other. If I have a complaint, it's that the ending felt a little rushed. Read this book! As soon as it's available!

Many thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

Dublin in the 1980s

Excuse Me While I Disappear by Laurie Notaro

February 27, 2023

Excuse Me While I Disappear by Laurie Notaro

A collection of articles/essays on the joys of getting older. Laurie Notaro is known for her IdiotGirl series. I am in Notaro's age group so I feel her pain. When a woman turns 50, she gradually becomes invisible to others (this doesn't happen to guys). Especially if you stop coloring your hair like I did about ten years ago - most men don't color their hair, so why should I? Like all collections, so chapters are laugh out loud funny, others fall flat.

This isn't me, but it is my haircut and my hair color

Now is Not the Time to Panic by Kevin Wilson

November 2, 2022

Now is Not the Time to Panic by Kevin Wilson

Two misfit kids, Frankie and Zeke, are 16 and living in the small town of Coalfield. Their families are falling apart, since both fathers ran off with other women. It's summer, they're bored, so they decide to spend their summer break making art. They design a poster with a variety of images and a couple of nonsense sentences, make hundreds of copies, and hang up the posters all over town, just to see what kind of reaction they get. Everyone in town has an opinion, from cults to heavy metal bands. Then the poster spreads beyond their town, like it's taken on a life of its own. Twenty years later, a journalists unearths the truth about the poster and advises Frankie that she is planning to publish an article.

I read and enjoyed the author's previous book Nothing to See Here. I live in Chicago and I've seen similar art installations, hundreds of copies of a poster stapled to the wooden barrier around a construction site or on boarded up store windows, and wondered about the artist's intentions. The story is sweet without being cloying, and it starts out with a YA feeling but quickly evolves into so much more. The two main characters are so young, so lovingly created and so stunned at the consequences of what was basically the way to pass the summer months. Frankie's mom and brothers are wonderful characters, too. The ending was a little disappointing since the reader doesn't get to find out what happens when the article is published, but we know that Frankie and Zeke are all right. Be sure to read the author's note at the beginning about his inspiration for the story.

Many thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing an eARC.

Three Girls from Bronzeville: a Uniquely American Memoir of Race, Fate, and Sisterhood by Dawn Turner

March 11, 2022

Three Girls from Bronzeville: a Uniquely American Memoir of Race, Fate, and Sisterhood by Dawn Turner

Three African American girls grew up on Chicago's South Side in the historic Bronzeville neighborhood in the 1970's. They attend a good school and spend their childhood with the promise of greater opportunities, rights and freedoms than their parents and grandparents had. But as they begin high school, they go off in wildly different directions that include loss, displacement, drugs, alcholism, teen pregnancy, and murder.

The author is a journalist and novelist and the book is well-written. She published her novels under the name Dawn Turner-Trice, but when her marriage broke up, she began using her family name for her nonfiction writing. Turner went on to graduate from the University of Illinois, marry, and have a child, while her sister died young of alcoholism and her best friend went to prison for murder. It may have been a very different story if one of the other girls two had written it. 

Historic homes in Bronzeville