Review: Code Name Helene by Ariel Lawhon

Code Name Helene

by Ariel Lawhon

Publisher: Doubleday Books

Pages: 451

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  It is 1936 and Nancy Wake is an intrepid Australian expat living in Paris who has bluffed her way into a reporting job for Hearst newspaper when she meets the wealthy French industrialist Henri Fiocca. No sooner does Henri sweep Nancy off her feet and convince her to become Mrs. Fiocca than the Germans invade France and she takes yet another name: a code name.

As LUCIENNE CARLIER Nancy smuggles people and documents across the border. Her success and her remarkable ability to evade capture earns her the nickname THE WHITE MOUSE from the Gestapo. With a five million franc bounty on her head, Nancy is forced to escape France and leave Henri behind. When she enters training with the Special Operations Executives in Britain, her new comrades are instructed to call her HÉLÈNE. And finally, with mission in hand, Nancy is airdropped back into France as the deadly MADAM ANDRÉ, where she claims her place as one of the most powerful leaders in the French Resistance, armed with a ferocious wit, her signature red lipstick, and the ability to summon weapons straight from the Allied Forces.

But no one can protect Nancy if the enemy finds out these four women are one and the same, and the closer to liberation France gets, the more exposed she--and the people she loves--become.

Kritters Thoughts:  Based in truth on a real woman, Nancy Wake lead a heroic life contributing her entire life to fighting for justice for individuals and a group of people and this book was an epic tale that made me want to read more about this woman.  Nancy Wake took on many names and personas to survive the war and not only did she survive but she impacted the war and people who were also trying to survive.  

For me, the pacing of this book wasn't consistent and there were times where I felt as though it lagged a bit and it was hard for me to keep my attention focused on the book.  I think after finishing the book, I could say that there are a few parts that could have been edited out and the flow of the book would have been spot on.  

On the flip side, what I loved most about this book is seeing a woman take command of not only her life but gaining the respect of others and Nancy had the respect of a whole host of men who saw her as the commander of their unit.  Watching her take a skill and become a pro and then use it to outsmart the German army was very fun to read.  

My first Ariel Lawhon book and after reading this one, I would love to catch up on her backlist.  I love how she writes empowering women and shines a light on their story when they may have not made it into the traditional history books.    

Rating: definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row

Ebook 2023 Challenge: 5 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Netgalley.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: The Madwomen of Paris by Jennifer Cody Epstein

The Madwomen of Paris

by Jennifer Cody Epstein

Publisher: Ballantine

Pages: 400

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads: A young woman with amnesia falls under the influence of a powerful doctor in Paris’s notorious women’s asylum, where she must fight to reclaim dangerous memories—and even more perilously, her sanity—in this gripping historical novel inspired by true events, from the bestselling author of Wunderland.

“I didn’t see her the day she came to the asylum. Looking back, this sometimes strikes me as unlikely. Impossible, even, given how utterly her arrival would upend the already chaotic order of things at the Salpêtrière—not to mention change the course of my own life there.”

When Josephine arrives at the Salpêtrière she is covered in blood and badly bruised. Suffering from near-complete amnesia, she is diagnosed with what the Paris papers are calling “the epidemic of the age”: hysteria. It is a disease so baffling and widespread that Doctor Jean-Martine Charcot, the asylum’s famous director, devotes many of his popular public lectures to the malady. To Charcot’s delight, Josephine also proves extraordinarily susceptible to hypnosis, the tool he uses to unlock hysteria’s myriad (and often sensational) symptoms. Soon Charcot is regularly featuring Josephine on his stage, entrancing the young woman into fantastical acts and hallucinatory fits before enraptured audiences and eager newsmen—many of whom feature her on their paper’s front pages.

For Laure, a lonely asylum attendant assigned to Josephine’s care, Charcot’s diagnosis seems a godsend. A former hysteric herself, she knows better than most that life in the Salpêtrière’s Hysteria Ward is far easier than in its dreaded Lunacy division, from which few inmates ever return. But as Josephine’s fame as Charcot’s “star hysteric” grows, her memory starts to return—and with it, images of a horrific crime she believes she’s committed. Haunted by these visions, and helplessly trapped in Charcot’s hypnotic web, she starts spiraling into actual insanity. Desperate to save the girl she has grown to love, Laure plots their escape from the Salpêtrière and its doctors. First, though, she must confirm whether Joséphine is actually a madwoman, soon to be consigned to the Salpêtrière’s brutal Lunacy Ward—or a murderer, destined for the guillotine.

Kritters Thoughts:  Historical fiction is a genre that I fall back on especially during times when my attention span is having a hard time connecting and reading is difficult - diving into someone else's story and being swept into another time and place helps me escape the chatter of the here and now.  Going back in time to Paris when a woman had very little rights, even over her own healthcare (hmmm. . . .) women were sent to a psychiatric hospital for the smallest thing and then while there were being used a test subjects while doctors tried to figure out what was wrong with them!  

Laure graduated from the asylum having what I seem to be cured from hysteria, but doesn't have anywhere to go, so she ends up staying and becoming an attendant until a fateful day when Josephine arrives and they bond and change each other's lives forever.  It was both heartbreaking and insightful to read about what these women went through as they were battling their demons in these horrific conditions.  My favorite experience is when I am lead to search and find more about a subject or person based on my reading of a book and I wanted to read so much more about this doctor, this hospital and the people that passed through these kind of places.  

This was my second Jennifer Cody Epstein read and I have two of hers in the backlist that I want to read.  I would love to get caught up with her soon and hope for more from her in the future.  

 

Rating: definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row

Ebook 2023:  4 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Netgalley.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: A Good Man by PJ McIlvaine

A Good Man

by PJ McIlvaine 

Publisher: Bloodhound Books

Pages: 317

Format: eARC 

Buy the Book: Amazon 

Goodreads: Decades after a brutal childhood trauma, a famous novelist finds his life shattered once again, in this unsettling psychological mystery thriller.

After years of turmoil, Brooks Anderson is sober and has a stable life with his wife and two kids. He should be enjoying life, but the persistent nightmares and sleepwalking tell a different story.

As hard as he’s tried, Brooks can’t run away from the defining event of his life: the senseless murders of his mother and brother during a vacation in Montauk. An eight-year-old Brooks was the sole survivor of the carnage, which left him in a catatonic state. He buried his pain and eventually overcame his demons. Or so he believed.

Now an unscrupulous journalist is threatening to write about the deaths. Fearful that the truth will be twisted to suit sordid ends, Brooks decides to write his own book, despite the grave misgivings of his agent, wife, and father.

However, when the journalist is brutally killed, Brooks finds himself in the authorities’ crosshairs. To prove his innocence and exorcise the past, he digs deeper into his psyche and that fateful summer. His relentless pursuit of the truth soon leads Brooks down a slippery slope that challenges everything—and brings him face-to-face with the real monster of Montauk . . .

Kritters Thoughts:  What a mystery read where the bodies kept dropping chapter by chapter!  Brooks Anderson is about to write the book that he has had churning his entire life.  A traumatic event that happened when he was just a young boy has stayed with him and with the threat of someone else writing his story he decides now is the time.  

What a ride!  While I may have known from the very beginning the culprit and maybe a bit of the how, I was not disappointed to take the ride and see how it would all unfold.  It reminded me of my romance reads where you know where you will end up, but the ride is just as fun!  And still there were some twists and reveals that took me by surprise and I wanted to talk them through with someone immediately.  

I may be a little partial in that I tend to steer myself to read books with female main characters and ones that are near my age range, I still enjoyed reading Brooks' point of view and watching him contemplate where he was at in his life and what he wanted his legacy to be.  I hope PJ McIlvaine has more up their sleeve as the writing style and pacing were just right for me.  

Rating: definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row

Ebook 2023: 5 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Laura Marie Public Relations.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

August an eventful month!

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August was an eventful month with a few birthdays to celebrate, a list of house projects to attend to, and a long end of summer to do list!  I am loving reading a book in my new lake community and spending time with my toes in the sand and my brain in a good book!  

1.  The Art of Making Memories by Meik Wiking

2.  Twilight at Blueberry Barrens by Colleen Coble

3.  Dollhouse by Kourtney, Kim and Khloe Kardashian - one of those books I wanted to read and pass on!

4.  American Black Widow by Gregg Olsen (audiobook)

5. Tom Lake by Ann Patchett

6. The Madwomen of Paris by Jennifer Cody Epstein

Total pages read, clicked and flipped: 2,023

Where Have I Been Reading?:

Maine

Colorado

Michigan

Review: Twilight at Blueberry Barrens by Colleen Coble

Twilight at Blueberry Barrens

by Colleen Coble

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Pages: 352

Format: ARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads: “I need you to keep these girls safe . . .”

Kate Mason has devoted herself to caring for her family’s blueberry barrens. But after her fields stop producing fruit, she’s forced to come up with alternative ways to make a living.

Renting out the small cottage on her property seems an obvious choice, but it won’t be enough. When entrepreneur Drake Newham shows up looking not only for a place to rent but also for a nanny for his two nieces, it’s almost too good to be true. And maybe it is—because Drake brings with him dangerous questions about who might be out to kill his family.

The more time Kate spends with Drake and the girls, the more difficult it becomes to hide her attraction to him. But a family crisis isn’t exactly the ideal time to pursue a romance.

Meanwhile, Kate learns that her uncle—in prison for murder—has escaped. Add to that a local stalker who won’t leave her alone, and Kate is looking over her shoulder at every turn. With threats swirling from multiple directions, she wonders if her blueberry fields will ever flourish again . . . or if this twilight is her last.

Kritters Thoughts:  The third in a series and while this book centers around a different character than the first two, I would still read these in a row, so pause what you are doing and go grab the first one - The Inn at Ocean's Edge.  

This book centers around Kate Mason who has forgone her own dreams in order to put her family first.  Her sister lives close by and plays a big part in the book and she was the main character in book one, again go read that one!!  Kate is living on her family's property and wondering what is next for herself when Drake Newham shows up with his two nieces in tow.  Drake is trying to keep his nieces safe and also take a much-needed break from work and Kate's guest house and attention for his nieces is exactly what they all need.  

As we all know from the beginning that we will end up with a happily ever after but the twists and turns to get there will be worth it completely.  At one point, I may have felt as though there was just a little too much mystery, but because it all resolved in the end, I could keep it straight and enjoy the ride.  

I was already a Colleen Coble fan before starting this book and was excited to complete the series, so grab this one if you have already read book one and two and feel the joy of completion.    

Rating: definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Thomas Nelson.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: True Crime Story by Joseph Knox

True Crime Story

by Joseph Knox

Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark

Pages: 400

Format: eARC and audiobook

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  The thrilling story of a university student's sudden disappearance, the woman who became obsessed with her case, and the crime writer who uncovered the chilling truth about what happened...

In 2011, Zoe Nolan walked out of her dormitory in Manchester and was never seen or heard from again. Her case went cold. Her story was sad, certainly, but hardly sensational, crime writer Joseph Knox thought. He wouldn't have given her any more thought were it not for his friend, Evelyn Mitchell. Another writer struggling to come up with a new idea, Evelyn was wondering just what happened to all the girls who go missing. What happened to the Zoe Nolan's of the world?

Evelyn began investigating herself, interviewing Zoe's family and friends, and emailing Joseph with chapters of the book she was writing with her findings. Uneasy with the corkscrew twists and turns, Joseph Knox embedded himself in the case, ultimately discovering a truth more tragic and shocking than he could have possibly imagined...

Kritters Thoughts:  A book that throughout felt like a piece of non-fiction as the twists and turns of this "case" unfolded and I tried to find out who would want this young woman with a bright future to be gone - there were many likely suspects!  Zoe Nolan went missing one night from her apartment building in Manchester and there are many people who could be involved with her disappearance.  An author Evelyn Mitchell is interested in investigating and writing a book and along with Joseph Knox they bring this story to life, but some of that is fiction and some non fiction!  

I knew very little before going into this book and I hope to keep that way for you as I loved my reading experience going in blind and not knowing where this book will go.  I read this book mostly via audiobook and I completely recommend reading this one that way as they had a great cast of characters that really made this book come alive.  And also, reading in this form made it feel as though this book was a series of podcasts episodes and for me that was a big plus.  I have a hard time with audiobooks and listening to it as if each chapter was a podcast worked so well for me!

Rating: definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Netgalley.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: Elsewhere by Alexis Schaitkin

Elsewhere

by Alexis Schaitkin

Publisher: Celadon Books

Pages: 240

Format: ARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Vera grows up in a small town, removed and isolated, pressed up against the mountains, cloud-covered and damp year-round. This town, fiercely protective, brutal and unforgiving in its adherence to tradition, faces a singular affliction: some mothers vanish, disappearing into the clouds. It is the exquisite pain and intrinsic beauty of their lives; it sets them apart from people elsewhere and gives them meaning.

Vera, a young girl when her own mother went, is on the cusp of adulthood herself. As her peers begin to marry and become mothers, they speculate about who might be the first to go, each wondering about her own fate. Reveling in their gossip, they witness each other in motherhood, waiting for signs: this one devotes herself to her child too much, this one not enough—that must surely draw the affliction’s gaze. When motherhood comes for Vera, she is faced with the question: will she be able to stay and mother her beloved child, or will she disappear?

Kritters Thoughts:  A place where girls know that their mothers may not be here tomorrow and women know that there is no guarantee for tomorrow.  Once a woman becomes a mother there is a chance that they may just disappear.  

The story centers around Vera who at the beginning of the book is a young girl and eventually she will fall in love and become a mother, but the best thing about this book is it doesn't end when she disappears, the reader gets to see what happens after she disappears and for me that was the moral of the story.  

While I am not a mother, I may not have picked up on all the things, but for me the big theme of women disappearing as motherhood becomes their identity was really something to read.  And then for these women to wind up in a different atmosphere and try to find themselves again really made me think about the roles women take throughout the years of their lives and how some of those phases a woman can really lose her identity.  

With maybe hints of dystopia I liked this book.  I had access through netgalley to the ebook and audiobook and I enjoyed having both forms to read and I would completely suggest either form as they were both enjoyable.  

Rating: definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Celadon Books.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: Notorious by Allison Brennan

Notorious

by Allison Brennan

Publisher: Minotaur Books

Pages: 336

Format: ARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Maxine Revere has dedicated her life to investigating murders that the police have long since given up any hope of solving. A nationally renowned investigative reporter with her own TV show and a tough-as-nails reputation, Max tackles cold cases from across the country and every walk of life. But the one unsolved murder that still haunts her is a case from her own past.

When Max was a high school senior, one of her best friends was strangled and another, Kevin O'Neal, accused of the crime. To the disgrace of her wealthy family, Max stood by her friend, until she found out he lied about his alibi. Though his guilt was never proven, their relationship crumbled from the strain of too many secrets.

Now Max is home for Kevin's funeral―after years of drug abuse, he committed suicide. She's finally prepared to come to terms with the loss of his friendship, but she's not prepared for Kevin's sister to stubbornly insist that he didn't kill himself. Or for an elderly couple to accost her at the airport, begging her to look into another murder at Max's old high school. Max is more interested in the cold case at her alma mater than in digging around Kevin's troubled life, but she agrees to do both. As Max uncovers dark secrets, she finds herself caught in a complicated web of lies that hit far too close to home. And it's becoming increasingly clear that someone will do whatever it takes to make sure the truth stays buried.

Kritters Thoughts: The first in a series and before even starting this one, I was already a big Allison Brennan fan, so I knew this book would be a great addition to my beach bag this summer.  While published nine years ago, I am a stickler for starting a series from the beginning so I picked this one up and enjoyed it on the beach.

Maxine Revere is an investigative journalist that ends up getting caught up in a few mysteries while visiting her hometown for a funeral of a friend.  When I say a few mysteries, I mean a few and while reading I kept thinking there was too much to keep straight, but when it all came together I wouldn't have taken one out, so just know that there are a few mysteries to keep straight with characters in each one.  

While this is the first in a series, there were a few moments where I thought that I was missing something because it felt as though the author was referring to previous happenings, but this is book one!  Maybe its just me, so I am excited to move on to book two and read more about Maxine and see what mysteries she gets into next. 

Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Minotaur Books.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: The Light After the War

The Light After the War
 by Anita Abriel

Publisher: Atria Books

Pages: 320

Format: ARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  It is 1946 when Vera Frankel and her best friend Edith Ban arrive in Naples. Refugees from Hungary, they managed to escape from a train headed for Auschwitz and spent the rest of the war hiding on an Austrian farm. Now, the two young women must start new lives abroad. Armed with a letter of recommendation from an American officer, Vera finds work at the United States embassy where she falls in love with Captain Anton Wight.

But as Vera and Edith grapple with the aftermath of the war, so too does Anton, and when he suddenly disappears, Vera is forced to change course. Their quest for a better life takes Vera and Edith from Naples to Ellis Island to Caracas as they start careers, reunite with old friends, and rebuild their lives after terrible loss.

Kritters Thoughts:  Two women who have barely survived the war and this book is their recovery from it all.  Vera and Edith have been best friends since birth and through the swift thinking of their mothers they were spared a trip to Auschwitz and with the help of some strangers they made it through the war.  Throughout the book they move around to find their new normal and hopefully put down some roots.  

I have read so many books on World War II and I keep thinking I have read it all.  I loved that in this book the action takes place after the war and you are seeing these two young women pull themselves together and try to figure out how they want their post war life to be.  I am so thankful the author put two characters together who are both similar and different - they come from the same neighborhood and are the same age, but going into the war were in different places in life and have reacted so differently to the life they are now trying to build.  

My first Anita Abriel read, but will surely not be my last and thankfully I have all of her others books on netgalley, so can pick up my kindle and read them very soon!  

Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Atria Books.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Reading recap - April - June 2023

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As the second half of the year of 2023 begins, I wanted to do a quick recap of my reading so far, which is less than I would want to admit, but I am hoping that the second half will pick up.  Between buying a house and spending many hours making it my own and my professional job being quite busy, my reading hours have been greatly impacted.  

In April, I completed my fourth book of the year - Amanda in France by Darlene Foster.

My reading in June picked up thankfully due to some extra time spent enjoying the sunshine:

1. Notorious by Allison Brennan 

2. The Light After the War by Anita Abriel

3. Misprints of America Burke by Adonia Holden-Dunivan

4. The Evening Spider by Emily Arsenault

5. Please See Us by Caitlin Mullen 

I will be reviewing a few of the above in the next few weeks as I am hoping to get the blog back up and running!  

Review: Your Table is Ready by Michael Cecchi-Azzolina

Your Table is Ready

by Michael Cecchi-Azzolina

Publisher: St Martin's Press

Pages: 304

Format: audiobook

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  A front-of-the-house Kitchen Confidential from a career maître d’hotel who manned the front of the room in New York City's hottest and most in-demand restaurants.

From the glamorous to the entitled, from royalty to the financially ruined, everyone who wanted to be seen―or just to gawk―at the hottest restaurants in New York City came to places Michael Cecchi-Azzolina helped run. His phone number was passed around among those who wanted to curry favor, during the decades when restaurants replaced clubs and theater as, well, theater in the most visible, vibrant city in the world.

Besides dropping us back into a vanished time, Your Table Is Ready takes us places we’d never be able to get into on our own: Raoul's in Soho with its louche club vibe; Buzzy O’Keefe’s casually elegant River Café (the only outer-borough establishment desirable enough to be included in this roster), from Keith McNally’s Minetta Tavern to Nolita’s Le Coucou, possibly the most beautiful room in New York City in 2018, with its French Country Auberge-meets-winery look and the most exquisite and enormous stands of flowers, changed every three days.

From his early career serving theater stars like Tennessee Williams and Dustin Hoffman at La Rousse right through to the last pre-pandemic-shutdown full houses at Le Coucou, Cecchi-Azzolina has seen it all. In Your Table Is Ready , he breaks down how restaurants really run (and don’t), and how the economics work for owners and overworked staff alike. The professionals who gravitate to the business are a special, tougher breed, practiced in dealing with the demanding patrons and with each other, in a very distinctive ecosystem that’s somewhere between a George Orwell “down and out in….” dungeon and a sleek showman’s smoke-and-mirrors palace.

Kritters Thoughts:  In the middle of a reading season that is similar to a drought, so trying different things to bring reading back into my life.  While on a car trip, I decided a non fiction audiobook could be a great companion and it was.  

I enjoyed the behind the scenes look at the restaurant scene in New York City and while I was never a waitress, I have enjoyed a plethora of restaurants in New York City and beyond, so it was fun to hear all the things that you don't see while dining!  My favorite stories were the dealings with not just the celebrities but the known in New York City and the negotiations about dining times and tables - may have rolled my eyes a few times!

A fair warning that this book had moments that made me blush!  A few penis stories with some sexual harassment on the side and some drugs and excessive drinking, but I appreciated the honesty of it all.  I would recommend this one to those who love the food memoirs as this perspective from someone other than the owner or chef made it feel unique.      

Rating: enjoyable, but didn't leave me wanting more

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Netgalley.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: A Groovy Kind of Love by Karen Wojcik Berner

A Groovy Kind of Love
by Karen Wojcik Berner

Pages: 316

Format: book

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads: After placating to his father’s demands that he play Little League baseball and major in computer programming in college rather than his beloved English literature, Thaddeus assumed that several years into his career, he would finally get some peace and quiet.

Then he met Spring Pearson, the younger, free-spirited daughter of hippy parents, at a book club meeting. Instantly smitten, Thaddeus finally worked up the courage to ask Spring out. But will an old college pinkie-swear promise Spring made fifteen years ago get in the way of this bibliophilic romance?

Kritters Thoughts:  The third in a series that I have been meaning to finish for the longest time and I was so glad I took the time to curl up with it and complete this series.  Each book in the series centers around a character or two from this book club and I have loved making the rounds around this group and finishing this one.  

Thaddeus and Spring are the center of this book.  Starting with Thaddeus' childhood and then going into Spring's we see each of these characters and how their younger years shaped them into the adults that showed up in the book club.  I loved how this story started and how the reader really got to know each of them slowly and surely and they each had such a full back story before they even met each other.  

Without spoiling the story too much, this was a great closed door romance with some sweet scenes not only between Thaddeus and Spring, but this great cast of characters.  And all of the book references made me want to write a few down and may have even lengthened my TBR!  

After finishing this one, I was excited to see there is a Christmas novella to read, so will be holding onto that one for the holiday season!

Rating: definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row

Review: The Undercover Secretary by Ellie Midwood

The Undercover Secretary

by Ellie Midwood

Publisher: Bookouture

Pages: 254

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  France, 1942. “I forced myself to hold his gaze. My heart thrashed inside my chest like a bird battering its wings. They knew who I was. They knew what I’d done.” This heartbreaking and unputdownable World War Two novel tells the incredible true story Dora Schaul, who risked her life by coming face-to-face with enemy—the monsters who killed her loved ones.

Dora has lost everything to the Nazis. Her dearest friends have disappeared into thin air. Her parents have been imprisoned in concentration camps and murdered for the crime of simply existing. She has no idea if her darling husband, the devoted and brave Alfred, is still alive.

Though her world is crashing and burning around her, Dora refuses to give in to Hitler’s tyranny. The Nazis may have broken her heart, but they will not break her spirit.

Secretly working for the underground network in France, Dora risks her life on the most dangerous mission in the history of the local resistance. She goes undercover as the secretary of the Head of Gestapo; a soldier with a brutal reputation. A cold-blooded killer.

She is tasked with leaking the names of the SS to the British press. Every day, she rubs shoulders with the enemy. She makes coffee for the people she despises. She types letters for the monsters who killed her family. At any second, she could be found out…

Can she survive, turning the tide of the war and saving thousands of lives? Or will those she loved the most in the world, and millions of other innocent people, have died in vain?

Kritters Thoughts:  While I feel as though I have read every book and every aspect of World War II, this book gave me a unique glimpse at another person's journey through this hard time in history.  When I read a historical fiction book, I typically rate my experience by my need to google and find out more and with this one I kept finding myself wanting to learn more than what was on the page.  

Dora a young woman who leaves her family in hopes of being able to create a life that they may join in the future takes a large leap of faith and the journey is epic.  I found myself holding my breath and while a chapter would end, I was "flipping the pages" (read on a kindle) quickly to get into the next chapter.  While at times it was difficult to read knowing there was truth underneath it all, Ellie Midwood wrote a story that needed to be shared and highlighted within this sub genre of World War II fiction.  

My third Ellie Midwood read and for sure will not be my last.  I love the way this author uses a story rooted in complete truth, but keeps me reading with plot and characters that I care about from early on in the book.  This author is quickly becoming a must read for me and I will wait not so patiently for her next one!  

Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Bookouture.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

2023 Reading Goals

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2022 ended up being the craziest of years with a new job and a major life change.  I was excited to see the calendar switch to a new year and I know that there are a lot of fun things coming up ahead, so hoping that 2023 will be full of more books and more ramblings!   

So with that here are my goals for my reading life for 2023.  

1. I want to read a minimum of 123 books.  I am taking my goal significantly down from the past just knowing what is coming, but hoping to increase my reading from 2022.  

2. I am switching up my order of my goals this year, and next I want to increase my Netgalley percentage and sadly it went down this past year, so I have a large hill to climb.  I want to keep this goal and challenge myself to aim high to get my percentage up to at least 25%.  

3.  While I said in goal 2, I would like to increase my Netgalley percentage, I would also love to increase my reading of my physical library this year.  I miss curling up with literal pages in my hand and I hope to do more of this in 2023!

And the challenge that I love to do each year is:

Where Are You Reading?

In this challenge, I keep a Google Map and place a pinpoint at each spot where a book takes place.  The link to my google map will also be in the sidebar all year round, so anyone can check out where I have been reading!

If you would like to participate - check out Book Journey.  She hosted this challenge in the past, not sure if she is hosting again, but as this is my favorite thing to do, I am continuing!