Review: Breathless by Celeste Bradley and Susan Donovan

 

 

 

 

 

 

Synopsis:

A sensuous, delightful romantic women’s fiction novel from New York Times bestselling authors Celeste Bradley and Susan Donovan!

She was “the Swan.” London’s premiere courtesan. Men want to be with her. Women loathe her success and yet admire her beauty, her riches, her independence. But when the jealous wife of her lover moves to have the Swan banished from her home on the high seas, she winds up crashed against Spain’s rocky coast with no shoes, no clothes-and no name. Taken in by a tortured, sensuous man known as The Artist, the Swan comes to know the woman she wants to be—her artist’s siren.

When Art Professor Brenna Anderson is in danger of losing her post at Harvard, the rule-following, prim professor is at a loss of how to salvage the shreds of her life. But when a new painting in the mysterious Siren collection is discovered in a dusty old house in France, Brenna does the unthinkable—hops on a plane to uncover the identity of the beautiful, enigmatic woman who is the subject of the paintings.

There’s just one hitch—the frustrating, irritating, bold and beautiful art hunter, Fitch Wilder, is also looking for the Siren. He’s been a thorn in Brenna’s professional side for years, but when their individual quests lead them to team up despite being enemies, a whole new sumptuous world of art and culture opens up for the two of them. And with it, they enter a realm of passion and love…

Rating: 5-stars

Review:

Breathless by both Celeste Bradley and Susan Donovan is a book unlike any other. A contemporary romance that brings a story about erotic art paintings to life. In this story, I got to learn more about this modern like art that would appear to be just sexual in form to me. But to those who really know art, it really wasn’t about the sex appeal. It was more than just that. That’s where an academic woman scholar and a sexy male art hunter come together to find out more about The Swan paintings. These paintings have a story that needs telling. The art portraits themselves, sound so appealing and realistic that it was like being there seeing and experiencing what the characters got to experience firsthand.

Breathless is more than just a sexy romance that burrowed deep into my skin. It caught my attention and held it fast. The journey from the present to the past of the woman courtesan, who was painted as The Swan, was a woman who lived many lives. She had to find herself and that happened when she found and fell in love with the male painter. Following her historical journey from England to the Americas was fascinating. I felt disinterested as first, but after learning more, I could not stop reading.

The modern cast of characters include Brenna Anderson. She’s clever, gorgeous, and talented. Her former lover is an idiot and loses her by his betrayal. Then, there’s the work issues about the subject of art that Brenna is teaching to her students. Some parents who fund the art program were complaining about her choices. Brenna wanted to tell them to stick their opinions…but the university has its hands tied. And that is where her life journey begins…chasing after a portrait that may link The Swan series and letters to the life of the woman whose protairt is the talk of the century. But she might have to work with a man who defies what she normally trusts.

Fitch Wilder is the next modern day character who makes this a lot of fun to read. He was vibrant, sexy as hell, and adventurous. Sometimes he broke the rules but finding out more on the identity of the woman in The Swan painting was worth the risks. Even if the led him to the fiery yet most engaging woman he has ever met…Professor Brenna Anderson.

The Courtesean in the paintings somehow has brought two modern people together. Finding a love tha burns as deeply as the one she experienced. Love, sex, history, and art are all found in this epic tale. A journey of survival, loss, and new beginnings. I loved it. Overall, I would recommend this novel to all readers. It was the best thing that I have read in a long time.

 

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Review: Wallflower Most Wanted

 

 

 

 

 

Synopsis:

THE PICTURE OF ROMANCE

A dedicated painter, Miss Sophia Hastings is far more concerned with finding the right slant of light than in finding Mr. Right. But when an overheard conversation hints at danger for another local artist, Sophia is determined to get involved. Even if it means accepting help from an impossibly good-looking vicar who insists on joining her investigation—and threatens to capture her heart…

Reverend Lord Benedick Lisle knows that Sophia is no damsel in distress. But he won’t allow her to venture into peril alone, either. . .especially since he finds Sophia’s curious, free-spirited nature so alluring. But protecting her from harm is becoming more difficult than the vicar could have expected as he and Sophia confront their fiery mutual passion. Who could have known that the art of love would prove so irresistible?

Wallflower Most Wanted by Manda Collins is a page-turning Regency romance and part of the Studies in Scandal series.

 

 

Rating: 5-stars

Review:

Wallflower Most Wanted by Manda Collins is an interesting tale. This historical romance, brings out the most unusual characters for this genre. Beautiful yet exceptionally talented women who are looked at as strange among the society of their time period. However, their family and closest friends love them for who they are. Then, there are the men they meet…seduction, heat, and passion are mixed into the atmosphere creating a raw and unforgettable story.

The men can’t resist temptation in the form of the these exciting women. Strong, independent, talented and smart women…who know what they want in life. It was hard not to love the especially the main characters focused in this novel. Miss Sophia Hastings has been made an heir. Her talent is painting. She’s an outstanding artist that can make people think and feel what she has painted. I loved her fiery spirit. Her strong will and determination came from her Aunt who is a force to beware of…

Miss Sophia Hastings ends up injuring her leg and meets the dashing yet remarkable vicar in her area. Every lady wants to marry him. His good looks cause for the flock of women to surround him. Yet Miss Hastings isn’t flocking him despite how attracted she is to his looks and charms. When Reverend Lord Benedict Lisle pulls his full on charms, there’s no resisting him…

Reverend Lord Benedict wants to help people. He has no stomach for war yet he can defend himself and those he cares about…especially, the wallflower known as Miss Hastings. Both him and her suffer with the opposite sex coming to them for attention. Neither one enjoys this. Yet as their chance meeting happens, so does the danger. Over hearing a crime plot, both characters end up pulling closer than they ever dreamed. Maybe, they’ll find their match after all…unless the danger gets to them first.

Wallflower Most Wanted by Manda Collins is a super sweet, funny, and charming book. I couldn’t resist it. The temptation was too great. The characters were lovable. Each one had a personal connection to the situations happening and their personalities made the story that much better. It was believable. Manda Collins beautifully wove this tale into a romance unlike any other. Overall, I highly recommend it to all.

Review: Artania

Synopsis:

Eleven-year-old Bartholomew Borax III can’t go to school, play outside or worst of all, make art… so he sketches in secret. After he meets the skateboarding painter, Alexander DeVinci, they’re yanked into another realm by a magical painting.

Their own world is nothing in comparison to Artania: a world with living paintings and sculptures. But Artania is on the verge of destruction, and Bartholomew’s art is the only thing that can save it.

With Egyptian gods and goddesses at his side, Bartholomew braves battles, duels and skateboarding escapes. With his growing powers, Bartholomew is the only one who can defeat the evil Sickhert’s army and bring art back to the world.

Rating: 4-stars

Review:

Artania by Laurie Woodward is a world of fantasy and adventure. The main themes include art, being oneself, and bullying. A young boy loses his grandfather. The only one who understood his art. Then, he and his mom are forced to move. There, his journey begins. Meeting another boy, Alexander, they are soon taken from one realm into another. Challenges, friendship, and exploring art made this an interesting book. I loved how Laurie Woodward combined themes and yet made it feel so real. The connection to the characters were easy. Their stories held my attention from the start. Loss, hope, and belief play an important role for these two boys. Overall, I recommend this story to all.

Review: Danny and the Dreamweaver

Synopsis:

Danny is a grumpy video-game junky. He daydreams in school and has a long-standing rivalry with his neighbor.
Yet Danny soon finds himself ensnared in a bizarre dream. Controlling his dream is Nostrildamus, an odd-looking creature with a huge nose and no eyes, yet can oddly see into the future.
Taken on a time-traveling hunt to solve an art-related mystery, Danny meets strange looking artists, like Hippopotamus Bosch and Michelanjello, while Nostrildamus tries to impart subtle pearls of wisdom.
Yet, what does it all mean? And what effect, if any, will all this have on Danny?

Find out in “Danny and the DreamWeaver,” an imaginative adventure of criminal intrigue, time travel, and art history, infused into a bizarre dream that will have you scratching your head and smiling, until the end! 

Rating: 4.5-stars

Review:

Danny and the Dreamweaver by Mark Poe is one of the most unusual books I’ve ever read. The cover also caught my attention. It was strange looking and made me wonder what it was about…

Inside this intriguing yet fascinating story, was a teen who meet a nose figure in a dream. From there, the main character, a teenage boy, learns a lot about famous artists as well as life. I love art and this story covered it in an interesting way. Mark Poe was creative. His book took me on an adventure. It was part fantasy and part time travel. Educational yet entertaining. I would recommend this book to YA readers everywhere. 

Review: Expresso and Evil

Synopsis:

The 6th book in the BESTSELLING Peridale Cafe Cozy Mystery series!

When a coffee shop opens in the village, Julia is surprised when her customers flock to the new business, leaving her café almost empty. A failed protest against the corporate chain store leaves Julia wondering if her café can survive, but she suddenly has bigger fish to fry when the owner of the coffee shop is poisoned, and she is framed for his murder.

As Julia attempts to clear her name, she is stopped in her tracks when an unwanted familiar face arrives in Peridale. Her past and present crash together, threatening to jeopardise her blossoming relationship with Barker. Julia’s history is back to haunt her, and she is forced to deal with the consequences of her actions before it is too late. Somebody is trying to frame Julia for her rival’s murder, but can she juggle her most challenging case yet with her complicated love life before she loses more than just her café?

Book 6 in the Peridale Cafe Cozy Mystery series! Can be read as a standalone but will be enjoyed more as part of the series. A light, cozy mystery read with a cat loving and cafe-owning amateur female sleuth, in a small village setting with quirky characters. Written in British English and 48,000 words long. No cliffhanger, swearing, gore or graphic scenes! 

Rating: 5-stars

Review:

Expresso and Evil: A Peridale Cafe Mystery by Agatha Frost is another brilliant mystery! I was hooked instantly. This, is the sixth book in the A Peridale Cafe Mystery series. I don’t know how Agatha Frost manages it, but she delivers a clean, hilarious, and intriguing tale every time. I haven’t found a bad book by her yet…

Inside Expresso and Evil, I followed the main character and her close knit group as another mystery tumbles literally into their own territory. In fact, it happens inside of Julia South’s bakery. Her well-know enemy is found dead in her cafe. As the facts pour forth, it looks like someone has been going to a lot of trouble to frame Julia. Her bakery is also suffering a major loss due to her customers going to her enemy’s cafe. Then, to add to the drama, mystery, and trouble, her ex husband has a surprise for her…then, there’s the technical issue with their divorce that puts Julia and Barker at a distance. So much action, mayhem, and sparks flying everywhere. Julia is my favorite sleuth. She’s kind, caring, and smart. Plus, her baking is out of this world….

Agatha Frost combines a lot of genres into one marvelous read. Her series of cozy mysteries are addictive. Once, I start a new book of hers, I can’t stop reading. Then, I wait in anticipation for the next novel to be released. Fun, charming, and plenty of laugh-out-loud moments. This book was also heartfelt in many ways. Expresso and Evil suits this novel well. Coffee and murder…overall, I recommend this book to readers everywhere. 

Review: A Portrait of Emily Price

Synopsis:

Art restorer Emily Price has never encountered anything she can’t fix—until she meets Ben, an Italian chef, who seems just right. But when Emily follows Ben home to Italy, she learns that his family is another matter . . .

Emily Price—fix-it girl extraordinaire and would-be artist—dreams of having a gallery show of her own. There is no time for distractions, especially not the ultimate distraction of falling in love.
But Chef Benito Vassallo’s relentless pursuit proves hard to resist. Visiting from Italy, Ben works to breathe new life into his aunt and uncle’s faded restaurant, Piccollo. Soon after their first meeting, he works to win Emily as well—inviting her into his world and into his heart.
Emily astonishes everyone when she accepts Ben’s proposal and follows him home. But instead of allowing the land, culture, and people of Monterello to transform her, Emily interferes with everyone and everything around her, alienating Ben’s tightly knit family. Only Ben’s father, Lucio, gives Emily the understanding she needs to lay down her guard. Soon, Emily’s life and art begin to blossom, and Italy’s beauty and rhythm take hold of her spirit.

Yet when she unearths long-buried family secrets, Emily wonders if she really fits into Ben’s world. Will the joys of Italy become just a memory, or will Emily share in the freedom and grace that her life with Ben has shown her are possible?

Rating: 5-stars

Review:

A Protriat of Emily Price by Katherine Reay is one that readers don’t want to miss. It’s vibrant and full of life. Life isn’t perfect and neither is the main character’s life. Drama and choices go hand-in-hand in both reality and fiction. I loved how Katherine Reay made her characters real. She portrayed everything perfectly. From traveling to foreign places, experiencing a new culture, and meeting new people…there’s quite a bit for everyone to enjoy. The food, new beginnings, and romance spark an intrigue that doesn’t end even with the last page. I was immediately hooked. A Protrait of Emily Price was the first novel of Katherine Reay’s that I have read. I was pleased with her novel and I look forward to reading more of her novels in the future. The combination of art and food plus, the difference in cultures was a brilliant mix. Exciting, adventureous, and hilarious. This was definitely one romance I will never forget. Overall, I recommend it to readers everywhere. 

Review: The Lesser Bohemians

 

Synopsis:

One night an eighteen-year-old Irish girl, recently arrived in London to attend drama school, meets an older man – a well-regarded actor in his own right. While she is naive and thrilled by life in the big city, he is haunted by more than a few demons, and the clamorous relationship that ensues risks undoing them both.

A captivating story of passion and innocence, joy and discovery set against the vibrant atmosphere of 1990s London over the course of a single year, THE LESSER BOHEMIANS glows with the eddies and anxieties of growing up, and the transformative intensity of a powerful new love.

Rating: 5 stars

Review:

The Lesser Bohemians by Eimear McBride is a beautifully written piece of literature. I found it intriguing from start to finish. The tale instantly wraps around me. Dragging me further into the interesting plot. A plot that moves rather quickly. The action is realistic. I can feel and see things through the the characters’ point of view. It switches viewpoints but is still being shown in first person. I can definitely see why this second novel is a hit. The writer’s talent shines through every page. The images are vivid. The emotions created by the characters’ situations leads me to being highly entertained. A love affair that happens out of nowhere. Neither character was expecting anything to happen. Both taken in by the moment. That first moment and onward. However, there is much more than just the present moment and raw chemistry that burns between them. There’s their pasts. So much of it can make or break them easily. This is the suspense that carries me through to the end. Wondering, guessing, and hoping. Not ever truly knowing what will happen until the ending. Raw, brilliant, and definitely exciting. The Lesser Bohemians by Eimear McBride is indeed a must read for all.. The young Irish woman studying art and and an older man who is a famous actor will have the time of their lives as readers follow their journey. I loved reading this book. Overall, I highly recommend it to readers worldwide and look forward to the next novel by Eimear McBride.

Review: One Christmas in Paris

 

Synopsis:

They say Paris is the City of Love, so bring your je ne sais quoi and don’t forget the mistletoe!

Ava and her best friend Debs arrive in Paris just as the snow starts to fall. The Eiffel Tower glitters gold and the scent of spiced wine is all around, but all Ava can think about is Leo, her no-good, cheating ex.

Debs is on a mission to make Ava smile again, and as they tour the Christmas markets, watch lamplight glittering on the river Seine, and eat their body weight in pain-au-chocolat, Ava remembers there’s more to life than men … Until they cross paths with handsome, mysterious photographer Julien with his French accent and hazelnut eyes that seem to see right inside her.

Ava can’t ignore the intense chemistry between them, but her fingers have been burned before and she can’t forget it, especially when her ex, Leo, starts texting again. Can Ava really trust Julien – and what exactly is his secret?

Will Ava go home with a broken heart, or will she find true love amongst the cobbled streets of Paris?

Join Ava and Julien in the most romantic city in the world this Christmas, as they discover the importance of being true to themselves, and learn how to follow their hearts.

Rating: 5 stars

Review:

One Christmas in Paris by Mandy Baggot is a beautifully written tale. I loved how the characters came from different backgrounds. That’s definitely one item that always catches my eye. When reading this new novel, I fell in love immediately. It talked about art. Different forms of art. Take two different kinds of artists and put them together. It creates an intensity that draws readers in deeper. I loved the fighting and the chemistry that forms between the two. Mandy Baggot brings readers a woman model who has two issues. One a mom that won’t stop pushing her to continue modeling and a boyfriend who betrayed her. Ava decides to go all out by defying her mother. Super short bright blonde haircut and a trip to Paris. There, she and her best friend engage in a secretive mission, meet two amazing French men, and fight for what they want. Ava learns to no longer do what her mother wishes. She goes after what she wants. She soon bumps into one particular French man. He instantly irritates for no particular reason and then he riles her up faster than one can blink. It was funny to watch. The warmth and other, set of emotions felt real. Mandy Baggot has a talent in creating three-dimensional characters that will pull in readers, everywhere. One Christmas in Paris is highly entertaining, hilarious, and romantic. Overall, I recommend this novel to all.

 

Review: Roman Crazy

 

Synopsis:

A delicious, sexy, laugh-out-loud modern romance about a newly single woman and her journey to find love again, from New York Times bestselling author Alice Clayton and debut author Nina Bocci.

Avery Bardot steps off the plane in Rome, looking for a fresh start. She’s left behind a soon-to-be ex-husband in Boston and plans to spend the summer with her best friend Daisy, licking her wounds—and perhaps a gelato or two. But when her American-expat friend throws her a welcome party on her first night, Avery’s thrown for a loop when she sees a man she never thought she’d see again: Italian architect Marcello Bianchi.

Marcello was the man—the one who got away. And now her past is colliding with her present, a present where she should be mourning the loss of her marriage and—hey, that fettuccine is delicious! And so is Marcello…

Slipping easily into the good life of summertime in Rome, Avery spends her days exploring a city that makes art historians swoon, and her in nights swooning over her unexpected what was old is new again romance. It’s heady, it’s fevered, it’s wanton, and it’s crazy. But could this really be her new life? Or is it just a temporary reprieve before returning to the land of twin-set cardigans and crustless sandwiches?

A celebration of great friendship, passionate romance, and wonderful food, Roman Crazy is a lighthearted story of second chances and living life to the fullest.

Rating: 5 stars

Review:

As I just finished reading, Roman Crazy, I felt my heart race with all the possibilities of true love. Once it’s found, it there planted firmly. Never leaving. Imagine getting the chance of a lifetime to go to a foreign country and study abroad. While their fate has brought a man who is perfect in every way…both inside and out. Time flies by and a deep love formed. Yet life calls back, and back one goes. Just when everything was mapped out, life dumps unexpected surprises once more and time is lost.

Until Avery goes to see her husband and sees him dicking around in a way that he never has with her. He’s creative, passionate and just raw energy. But then the anger comes out and without a second thought she hits him with a bat. Her husband…messedaroundn with his personal assistant. Ouch! Mega ouch…but Avery won’t stand to be around a man who doesn’t love her. A friend calls her to Rome. There she has a life she’s missed out on in nine years. But then fate knocks her off her feet once more.

An unexpected person is now, among her mist. A friend of her friend. But all those memories from nine years ago come rushing back in…the time and love feels fresh again. Giddy as a teen, Avery has a lot to handle. Divorcing her cheating husband, enjoying spending time with a past lover who’s not sure if she’s there to stay or leave him again. Avery isn’t sure herself. But once she’s spending more time with the man of her heart, how can she leave? Roman Crazy is a feel-good romance with travel, food, and family too. Finding love and happiness that just a bonus. However, both Alice Clayton and Nina Bocci, have left the fate of Avery and her lover to themselves. Will they work out or fall apart once again? I highly suggest readers dig in and read. I loved this journey and following the characters. Charming, sweet, and truly a page turner. Overall, I recommend Roman Crazy to readers worldwide.

 

Review: Remembrance of Blue Roses

 

Synopsis:

Remembrance of Blue Roses follows a man and a married couple in New York City, whose intricate relationship oscillates among friendship, love, love-triangle, and even obsession. Its romantic ambience is interwoven with classical music, opera, art, family legend, and international affairs, illuminating the lives of international civil servants at the United Nations and the UN peacekeeping mission in Sarajevo, and those with direct experience of the Israel-Palestinian conflict and the Holocaust. Mark, the narrator and an American, works for the United Nations in New York as a personnel officer; his friend, Hans, German, also works for the UN as an economist; and Yukari, Japanese and Hans’s wife, is a professional violinist. One day Mark encounters Hans and Yukari in a museum. As Hans enjoys opera singing and Mark is into painting, the three foster their friendship through classical music, opera, and art. Mark resists feeling drawn to his friend’s wife. One evening over dinner, they discover that their families were acquainted generations ago. This bonds them together. During the summer, inspired by the beauty of Yukari in her light blue dress at the UN garden, Hans and Mark secretly plant blue roses there for Yukari. The blue roses later blossom sumptuously. The three enjoy their blue roses, the symbol of their friendship and bond. The story becomes complicated by the involvement of two other women: Mark’s ex-wife, Francine, a Swiss, who is remarried to another of Mark’s friends in the UN, Shem Tov, an Israeli; and Mark’s high school sweetheart, Jane, to whom he was briefly engaged. Francine encourages Mark to be happy with Yukari, while Jane now wants to marry Mark. Yukari becomes pregnant with Hans’s child and happily settles into her role as

During the summer, inspired by the beauty of Yukari in her light blue dress at the UN garden, Hans and Mark secretly plant blue roses there for Yukari. The blue roses later blossom sumptuously. The three enjoy their blue roses, the symbol of their friendship and bond. The story becomes complicated by the involvement of two other women: Mark’s ex-wife, Francine, a Swiss, who is remarried to another of Mark’s friends in the UN, Shem Tov, an Israeli; and Mark’s high school sweetheart, Jane, to whom he was briefly engaged. Francine encourages Mark to be happy with Yukari, while Jane now wants to marry Mark. Yukari becomes pregnant with Hans’s child and happily settles into her role as

One day Mark encounters Hans and Yukari in a museum. As Hans enjoys opera singing and Mark is into painting, the three foster their friendship through classical music, opera, and art. Mark resists feeling drawn to his friend’s wife. One evening over dinner, they discover that their families were acquainted generations ago. This bonds them together. During the summer, inspired by the beauty of Yukari in her light blue dress at the UN garden, Hans and Mark secretly plant blue roses there for Yukari. The blue roses later blossom sumptuously. The three enjoy their blue roses, the symbol of their friendship and bond. The story becomes complicated by the involvement of two other women: Mark’s ex-wife, Francine, a Swiss, who is remarried to another of Mark’s friends in the UN, Shem Tov, an Israeli; and Mark’s high school sweetheart, Jane, to whom he was briefly engaged. Francine encourages Mark to be happy with Yukari, while Jane now wants to marry Mark. Yukari becomes pregnant with Hans’s child and happily settles into her role as an expectant mother. Mark, Hans, and Yukari celebrate New Year’s Eve at the height of their friendship and happiness. … Then a series of tragedies shatters their joy and alters their future forever.

Rating: 5 stars

Review:

Remembrance of Blue Roses by Yorker Keith is about loyalty, friendship, and love. The story swept me off my feet and into a beautiful yet sad tale. The ending brought back a little bit of peace to my heart. This literary novel is well-written. The characters are well-developed. Their friendship, betrayal, and desires will keep readers hooked. Friends stay true to another even until the end. A man who lusts after another man’s wife tries keeping the couple together. Soon the three are happy again. But then fate has a way of knocking down our doors. Two friends are taken away from this world but leave behind a gorgeous little girl. Almost an exact remembrance of her mother. The same mother who before she died was going to finally divorce her husband and marry the husband’s friend. They held so much in common. I felt like I was almost reading Romeo & Juliet in a way. Two lovers about to be together forever then taken from one another. However one dies and one still lives. Remembrance of Blue Roses symbolizes the blue roses that two male friends planted and soon become three friends. They would visit these blue roses and in the ending, a visit is made again to these blue roses in honor of the two people who died. Sad yet bittersweet but almost peaceful too. Yorker Keith’s writing has a way of drawing readers into his world of fiction. I couldn’t stop reading once I opened the novel. Overall, I highly recommend this title to readers everywhere.

 

 

 

Review: Anywhere You Are

 

Synopsis:

As the daughter of a music legend, Grace Davingham, knows all too well what it’s like to be burned by the media’s glare. Now all she wants is to be left to do her painting and conservation work in peace, with no intention of returning to the spotlight. But after she sprains her ankle hiking and a handsome real-estate mogul comes to her rescue, Grace once again finds herself in the public eye.

Sexy, successful, and averse to any attachments, Marcus Colby thrives on rigid discipline in order to manage both his real-estate investment company and his personal life. Marc has no time for fun and no patience for crazy. Which is why meeting Grace—and inheriting an enormous Great Dane who won’t listen to a word he says—has turned Marc’s carefully constructed world upside down.

Only when Grace and Marc square off over a local controversy do they realize how different they really are. But if opposites attract, their love is destined to bind them together—forever.

Rating: 5 stars

Review:

Anywhere You Are by Elisabeth Barrett is funny, sweet, and exciting romance. I felt an instant connection to the main characters. Both from opposite worlds yet both are the same kind of person despite the lives they live. One comes from a rich lifestyle the other works his butt off to make good money. One is happy making enough to live on while the other is stressed out from work. He doesn’t realize that work is eating at him. Until a certain woman pops into his life. A charming gorgeous woman that he can’t shake out of his mind. The woman has a supermodel’s looks but is content living with a low quiet life. An artist who enjoys life. Both of these characters will drive readers crazy in a good way.  The plot is fast-paced. I enjoyed following the characters journey. Anywhere You Are is a story about finding a love that makes one happy. Anywhere the loved one is so too will the other half be. Happy, content, and thrilling. The tale was super sexy. Elisabeth Barrett’s writing is addictive and well-done. Overall, I highly recommend this novel to readers everywhere.

Review: Jazz Moon (A Novel)

 

Synopsis:

In a lyrical, captivating debut set against the backdrop of the Harlem Renaissance and glittering Jazz Age Paris, Joe Okonkwo creates an evocative story of emotional and artistic awakening.

On a sweltering summer night in 1925, beauties in beaded dresses mingle with hepcats in dapper suits on the streets of Harlem. The air is thick with reefer smoke, and jazz pours out of speakeasy doorways. Ben Charles and his devoted wife, Angeline, are among the locals crammed into a basement club to hear jazz and drink bootleg liquor. For the aspiring poet, Ben, the swirling, heady rhythms are a revelation. So is Baby Back Johnston, an ambitious trumpet player who flashes a devilish grin and blasts jazz dynamite from his horn. Ben finds himself drawn to the trumpeter—and to Paris where Baby Back says everything is happening.

In Paris, jazz and champagne flow eternally, and blacks are welcomed as exotic celebrities, especially those from Harlem. It’s an easy life that quickly leaves Ben adrift and alone, craving solace through anonymous dalliances in the city’s decadent underground scene. From chic Parisian cafés to seedy opium dens, his odyssey will bring new love, trials, and heartache, even as echoes from the past urge him to decide where true fulfillment and inspiration lie.

Rating: 5 stars

Review: 

Jazz Moon by Joe Okonkwo will make readers question everything they read and feel. Nothing like a novel about jazz that brings out the poetic side to everyone especially the characters. A debut novel that brings, to life, the action, drama, and passion of 1925. Times where everything beckoned and called to those who hearts wanted more. Inside this title, readers will get a glimpse into a poet’s lifestyle. He has a devoted wife but is angry with her…he soon find himself attracted to another who brings out the heat of raw animalistic desire deep within his blood. A stirring unlike any other. Paris is a place where art, passion, and desire come in abundance and that’s where both Ben and his new lover find themselves. Joe Okonkwo brings readers the best world of fiction readers will find. Race, jazz, and travel are deep topics easily explored within this exciting well-written plot. Overall, I highly recommend this new novel, Jazz Moon, to readers everywhere.

Review: Charlotte (A Novel)

 

Synopsis:

The gorgeous, haunting, and ultimately redemptive bestselling French novel, recounting the tragic life of artistic visionary Charlotte Salomon, who died in Nazi gas chambers at the age of 26

Two artists, two obsessions. Charlotte Salomon―born in pre-World War II Berlin to a Jewish family traumatized by suicide―was obsessed with art, and with living. She attended school in Germany until it was too dangerous to remain, fled to France, and was interned in a bleak work camp from which she narrowly escaped. Newly free, she spent two years in almost total solitude, creating a series of autobiographical pictures―images, words, even musical scores―which together tell her life story. The result is a unique, relentlessly complete artistic expression. In 1943, a pregnant Charlotte was taken to Auschwitz and gassed, but not before she entrusted her life’s work to a friend, who kept it safe until peacetime. Entitled Life? Or Theatre?, it was exhibited in fragments in the 1960s; a 1998 exhibition of the complete work in the London Royal Academy became a sensation and eventually published in book form.

David Foenkinos, himself obsessed with Charlotte, has written his own utterly original tribute to her tragic life and transcendent art. His novel is the result of a long-cherished desire to pay tribute to this young artist. Written with passion, life, humor, and intelligent observation, Charlotte, with rights sold in 12 countries and over 500,000 copies in print in France, is a triumph of creative expression, a monument to genius stilled too soon, and an ode to the will to survive.

Rating: 5 stars

Review:

Charlotte by David Foenkinos is a historical fiction novel that will take readers deep into the heart of history that still leaves a terrible mark everywhere. It’s World War II and a young woman with a love of art tries to stay alive during a troubled time. A time when all Jews, like herself, were being rounded up, tortured and killed.  Readers are brilliantly taken back in time and get to follow Charlotte Salomon as she goes about her life during the worst moments in World History. A narrow escape from a camp will set readers hearts into a frenzy and will keep them on the edge of their seats as they continue this woman’s journey. For fans of Anne Frank, this is indeed a must-read novel for all.

David Foenkinos has stunningly recaptured the dark time period popularly known as World War II. His words will automatically send readers on a haunted path to fear, danger, and even death. The scenes were so real I felt as though I were indeed there experiencing everything with my own eyes, ears, and heart. I felt the panic and incredible fear as the young woman went about trying to live her life and staying away from death. But as we all known, once we have been marked it stays with us until our fates are met. A sad but realistic tale that is a tribute to the brave woman, Charlotte Salomon. The evils of World War II will forever haunt readers and the shocking but real truth of what went on will keep readers lured in until the last page. David Foenkinos’s novel, Charlotte, is one that I highly recommend to readers worldwide. His words are beautifully told in a way that will captivate his audience for ages to come.

Review: The Girl Called Princess Charlotte

 

Synopsis:

A Priceless Treasure with a Mysterious Past… Boston attorney Theodore Murphy, Teddy to his friends, has been handed a seemingly straightforward case: to recover a valuable painting by Franz Winterhalter, Young Girl Called Princess Charlotte, which was stolen by the Nazis from Jewish art dealer Dr. Markus Steiner. When the charitable organization founded in his will by Steiner learns that Anna Vogler has put the painting up for auction they demand its return. But Teddy Murphy finds that Vogler’s attorneys aren’t prepared to give up without a fight…and as the widow of a World War II veteran, she makes a sympathetic witness.

Teddy learns that she has no proof of purchase, her husband sent the painting home from Europe near the end of the war, and a mystery surrounds where and how he got it. Armed with this information and Markus Steiner’s diary, Teddy sets out to prove that the Steiner Foundation should rightfully own the painting. Joined by his girlfriend Judith Frazer, Teddy learns about Markus from the trenches of World War I to his daring escape from Nazi Germany, as together they watch a remarkable life story unfold in the pages of Markus’ diary, while they pursue every available avenue, to find out the truth about the painting.

This vivid, beautifully researched historical thriller will keep you on the edge of your seat, while introducing you to the suffering of World War I soldiers, the shocking nightlife of Berlin, the intrigues of the international art world, the horror of the rising Third Reich…and the compassionate dedication of those who still work to bring justice to the Jews of Europe.

Rating: 5 stars

Review:

The Girl Called Princess Charlotte is a must read for all. Especially for fans of the movie, Woman in Gold. This historical fiction takes readers back to World War II and leads them on a journey for the truth. Art, history, and intrigue will sweep readers off their feet and back in time.

The Girl Called Princess Charlotte by Gerard Shirar is spectacular. The characters leave readers on edge as the court process begins…readers hold their breath hoping for a good outcome. Similarities from this to the Woman in Gold movie is fascinating. A Jewish painting with a long line of history is now worth millions. World War II in Germany was a terrifying endless moment in history that those in the present day will never forget. Nazi take what once belonged to the Jewish people of Germany. They had their rights stripped, their possessions taken, and countless thousands were killed. Families were torn, fear in every direction…any kind of resistance lured not only the Jewish owner but the owner’s family to death. The Girl Called Princess Charlotte by Gerard Shirar is a startling truth that should be uncovered and read by all. Gerard Shirar’s writing is well-developed and awe-inspiring. It shows readers that even after so much time has gone by that justice can prevail. Overall, I highly recommend this historical novel to readers worldwide.

Review: A Fine Imitation

 

Synopsis:

Set in the glamorous 1920s, A Fine Imitation is an intoxicating debut that sweeps readers into a privileged Manhattan socialite’s restless life and the affair with a mysterious painter that upends her world, flashing back to her years at Vassar and the friendship that brought her to the brink of ruin.

Vera Bellington has beauty, pedigree, and a penthouse at The Angelus–the most coveted address on Park Avenue. But behind the sparkling social whirl, Vera is living a life of quiet desperation. Her days are an unbroken loop of empty, champagne-soaked socializing while her nights are silent and cold, spent waiting alone in her cavernous apartment for a husband who seldom comes home.

Then Emil Hallan arrives at The Angelus to paint a mural above its glittering subterranean pool. The handsome French artist moves into the building, shrouds his work in secrecy, and piques Vera’s curiosity, especially when the painter keeps dodging questions about his past. Is he the man he claims to be? Even as she finds herself increasingly drawn to Hallan’s warmth and passion, Vera can’t suppress her suspicions. After all, she has plenty of secrets, too–and some of them involve art forgers like her bold, artistically talented former friend, Bea, who years ago, at Vassar, brought Vera to the brink of catastrophe and social exile.

When the dangerous mysteries of Emil’s past are revealed, Vera faces an impossible choice–whether to cling to her familiar world of privilege and propriety or to risk her future with the enigmatic man who has taken her heart. A Fine Imitationexplores what happens when we realize that the life we’ve always led is not the life we want to have.

My Rating: 5 stars

My Review: 

Readers won’t be able to set this book down, once they begin reading it.  A Fine Imitation is the first novel I have read by the more than talented writer, Amber Brock. Her main character, Vera Belington, will call all readers to this intriguing historical read.

Vera Bellington is a woman who grows up having it all. The richness of life is constant but lacking in a few areas. One area is her mom. Another is the loveless marriage she’s found herself bound within…will her life change? Now, enters a mysterious man. Then there’s a painter, who ignites a passion in Vera that she can’t ignore. But nobody is perfect. Vera soon finds herself sandwiched in a place where she must make decisions. Where she decides to head and what happens next, is for readers to find themselves.

A Fine Imitation is one marvelous novel that is stunning well-developed and the words on every page will entice readers every time. Amber Brock is the new author to watch for…her writing is exciting, brilliant, and vibrant. Characters are so life like it’s hard to believe it’s all a work one clever mind. Overall, I highly recommend this title to readers everywhere.