Romance – Page 3 – The Spine View

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue has become my favorite book by V. E. Schwab and my favorite read this year. It is an absorbing story that is brilliantly written and absolutely flawless is execution.

Addie LeRue is born in 1741 in a small, rural French community. Her dream is to travel to bigger cities and experience the greater world. These dreams are far more than a simple girl can ever aspire to. Her circumstances, and the times, will see her wed to someone she does not love. She will die young, worn out by domestic life and children she does not want.

Addie is desperate to avoid this fate. So desperate in fact, she makes a deal with a dark god whom goes by the name Luc. The deal she strikes is simple, she wants her freedom and in return the god will get her soul when she is done with it. Luc agrees and the deal is sealed with blood.

The deal turns out to be not everything Addie bargained for. She has gained her freedom, in a sense, but the cost was high and much more than a soul. In truth, she has just traded the shackles her situation has placed on her with ones that tie her deeply to Luc. In addition, she quickly finds out that no one can remember her. There is one perk to this deal, she no longer ages. In essence she is immortal. Thus begins the second life of a forgettable girl named Addie.

The prose was fabulous. It had an almost sensual quality to it. I once read an author’s advice about how a setting should be treated as a character and thus requires time to be spent discovering that setting. Schwab has assuredly done that here. I could smell the dirty streets of the Paris of the past and feel the energy of New York City as it is viewed from a rooftop.

This is not a novel that the plot skips along carefree in an almost haphazard way. It moves slowly and purposefully in a well thought out way. Much the way a river winds through its course, sometimes swiftly and sometimes with languid ease, on its journey to the sea. It is the trip that the reader should savor here, it is entertaining and deeply satisfying.

The story is totally character driven. To keep the reader reading, I feel that the author walks a fine between keeping the reader’s interest and boring them to death. Because Addie lives such a long life it would be easy to lose the reader in too much detail. However, Schwab has managed to straddle that line to perfection. For example, Addie’s feelings of loss and loneliness come through elegantly. I felt it especially in one particular Paris scene in which Addie sees the first man she ever loved when he is much older. It was one of those moments when she truly recognizes and acknowledges what she has given up. There are many more scenes like this that the author uses them to entrance the reader.

I could go on and on in my praise because there is a lot to love about this story. In short, this is by far Schwab’s best work. A stunning piece of fiction!

Obvious I loved this book. It should be on everyone’s to-be-read-list. In addition, this book would make a great pick for a book club. There are so many layers and themes in this book that the topics for discussion are nearly endless.

The Flip Side by James Bailey

The Flip Side by James Bailey is a laugh out loud, with just a touch of melodrama, romantic comedy set in the UK. It was highly entertaining and very funny. A great debut that should be on everyone’s to read list for the holidays.

The story begins with Josh, the main character, proposing to his longtime girlfriend, Jade, on New Year’s Eve while taking a romantic ride on the London Eye. However, all does not go according to plan. She not only says, “No”, but she then proceeds to tell him she has been cheating on him. To make matters worse, Josh has been living in her flat. Therefore, he has lost his home and his girl all in one night. But wait! It gets even better! His ex-girlfriend’s father is his boss and that means he lost his job too. Nothing like kicking a guy when he is down.

With limited financial resources and out of options, Josh is forced to move back in with his parents while he looks for another job. The welcoming committee when he arrives home is anything but appreciated. His parents had planned a congratulatory engagement party that feels like a funeral to him. When he takes a minute to escape and talks with his Pap an idea forms. To date, all his well laid plans have not worked out. So why not let chance rule his decisions for the next year? This is how the flip a coin for all decisions starts out.

Josh’s family and friends thinks he has lost his marbles with this idea. Yet, as the year wears on and Josh is sticking by his decision to flip a coin over choices, they start to warm to it or at least accept it. Leaving things to chance leads to some unexpected results. As you can imagine, some are good and some are not so good. But it does make for a great story. Especially when you consider that it forces Josh out of his comfort zone and in the process he learns a lot about himself.

Like Josh’s friends who warmed to the idea of a coin toss, I warmed to the idea of chance as a good mechanism to move the story forward. Each toss of the coin resulted in some of the most unexpected outcomes that were totally unpredictable. Events that might be seen as hooky or contrived suddenly became believable with a simple toss of a coin.

As much as I came to like the coin toss, the character of Josh is the real star of the story. He has all the best things of the average boy next door kind of guy. I can sum him up in one word, “adorable”. I loved that he was not perfect, made lots of mistakes, and in spite of being 28 still did not know what he wanted. This allowed to author to grow the character throughout the story.

Excellent debut. Loved it from beginning to end. Highly recommend to fans of Nora Roberts and similar authors. I received a free copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Friend Contract by Dria Andersen

Paranormal romance books are a guilty pleasure of mine and I just love finding new (to me) authors and books in this genre. This is exactly what I have been needing lately. This book was a wonderful escape from reality and it was highly entertaining.

Gabriel Hamilton is a bear shifter and he has been in love with Naomi a member of the Ayala Panther Prowl for the longest time. Gabriel also knows that Naomi is his mate. Naomi is resistant to the notion because she is latent, meaning she does not have the ability to shift, and because of this she believes she can never be mated to a shifter. She also has some issues from a past relationship with a fox shifter that I feel clouded her judgement a little.

Therefore, Gabriel cooks up a fake marriage plan. He tells Naomi that he is betrothed and wants to get out of the arranged marriage, but the only way to do so is to tell his family he has found his mate… her. Now he just has to find a way to convince her she is his mate.

I enjoyed this book a lot more than I expected despite the very familiar plot of a convenience marriage. On top of that you also have the best friends to lovers story. Both are well used in romance books. However, the author introduced elements of humor and family along with a few other things to make the story interesting and updated. It is also a feel good story and that is just want I wanted and needed.

The plot moved nicely and I enjoyed the characters a lot. The interaction with other characters was genuine and overall the story had a “real” quality despite being a paranormal book. I also thought the setting in the book worked well for the story. Lastly, I appreciate that the author ended the story and didn’t leave us hanging in order to sell her next book. That to me is always a big turn off.

While this book is one I would but into the beach read category, it is still a great story with characters that are well done. So don’t overlook it because of how people tend to stereo type romance stories, you will miss out on this little gem. Needless to say, I recommend this book and I am looking forward to reading more about some of the minor characters in the book.

I used my Kindle Unlimited account to read this book, though the author did request a review.

The Lost and Found Bookshop by Susan Wiggs

I wanted to read The Lost and Found Bookshop, by Susan Wiggs, as soon as I saw the title. It was really a no-brainer since it has the word books in the title. I have this thing for stories about books and bookshops. Lucky for me this book turned out to be everything I enjoy in a good book.

Natalie Harper is working for a winery in California. The job pays well, but she finds the work unrewarding. She also feels stuck in an unfulfilling relationship and is planning to break things off just when tragedy strikes. Her Mother dies suddenly and she inherits a small bookshop in San Francisco. Her world is suddenly turned upside down and she is devastated.

In an act of rashness, she quits her job and moves into her Mother’s apartment above the bookshop. As Natalie sorts through the mess that was her Mother’s life and livelihood, she discovers that the bookshop is in dire financial straits. To make matters worse, she finds out, after meeting with her attorney, that her grandfather owns the building. This is were he was born and has lived all his life. She knows he will never agree to sell. Therefore, she decides to tackle the problem and see if she can revive the store.

Natalie has taken on a lot. The building is old and on the historic registry and old means issues. The roof leaks, there are some electric problems, along with a slew of other issues. She reaches out to a contractor and in steps Peach to the rescue. Natalie is immediately attracted to him but feels it is too soon to invest herself into another relationship.

However, her luck seems to be turning when Peach finds some historical items of value hidden in the walls of the store. Then she is able to secure an author signing with the top local children’s author. Maybe there is hope for the store yet.

I adored Natalie. She is strong and humble but also has some issues with opening up to be loved because of a Father that was absent all her life. It made me want to hug her and assure her that not everyone is like her father and encourage her to take a chance so she can be happy. In short, Natalie felt like a real person. The supporting characters had a lot of charm also and rounded out the story nicely.

The plot did not move very fast, but that was OK. It did not need to. The characters are the true driving force behind this story. The only thing I was not crazy about in the plot was how these unexpected lost items kept popping up in walls and in the basement. It just was not believable and it took away from the story a bit. I know this is a minor thing and the story was really good otherwise. I enjoyed it and everything does not have to perfect for me to love a story. After all, it is fiction.

This would make a great book to take on vacation, beach or to the pool. I recommend it to readers of all ages who enjoy a story about love, loss and hope.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Something to Talk About by Meryl Wilsnar

You know summer is here when the beach reads start arriving enforce. Something to Talk About, by Meryl Wilsner, is a feel good romance that is a carefully prepared slow burn that will have your toes curling. Make sure you put this one in your beach bag before heading out. You don’t want to miss out on this little gem.

As the proverb says, “It is easier to dam a river than stop gossip” and the story showcases this. When Jo, a Hollywood starlet, takes her assistant Emma to an awards ceremony and the camera catches them in what appears to be an intimate moment, the rumor mill is off and running. Could Jo and Emma be seeing each other? Then the rumor mill turns to the question of age differences and, help us all, if there is not the faux pas of dating an employee. Lots of juicy gossip, just what sells papers.

Jo has a no comment policy that she has lived by her entire career. Since she never rises to the bait, Jo insists that any response will be seen as trying to hide the truth. There is nothing going on; therefore, nothing to hide, just business as usual and the reporters will eventually find something more exciting and move on. Jo’s advice to Emma is just ignore the gossip. Emma is just an employee who does her job well as that all. Move along now! Nothing here folks to see… or is there?

There might not be anything going on at the moment, but there is no denying the chemistry between Jo and Emma. A few missteps later and the rumor mill is still going strong. Yet, Emma does not want to jeopardize Jo’s career, and vice versa. It is hard enough in Hollywood to get a job and even harder to keep it without all this mess going on. Therefore, both Jo and Emma ignore the sparks that are flying and try to carry on. The ten dollar question is, just how long will they be able to ignore their feelings?

The story grabbed me in the first few pages. The tension was real between Jo and Emma, so much so that it became palpable. The author used it to good effect and I could not turn the pages fast enough. The plot moved along at a fast clip and there was no lull in the tension causing the slow build up I alluded to earlier. In addition, there was a lot of sexual tension, but it was not overly so. The author did an outstanding job in handling the subject matter (same sex relationship) in a respectful way.

The characters were my favorite part of the story. They were so well done, it is hard to believe this is a debut novel. The self-doubt of Emma, at the beginning, and how the author grew her into a strong young women worked well with story. I liked the support that Jo provided to Emma to help her achieve her goals and Emma’s family should win an award for their support.

In summary, this is a well written story. Sure to please any reader who loves a good, slow burn type of romance. I recommend this to all readers of romance and women’s fiction especially those readers who like a little diversity in the story. I received a free copy in exchange for my honest review.

Daughter of the Reich by Louise Fein

Set in prewar Germany, this poignant story of a young girl just coming into adulthood will have you gritting your teeth at the injustices and cheering at her bravery. It is a fast paced and dramatic tale that portrays the lives of people swept up in the growing power of Hitler and his SS. A story that will leave you gasping in the end.

Hetty Heinrich is the daughter of a very powerful SS officer. As such, she is expected to be the perfect German girl. This is basically having good moral standards and marrying a “good” German man to produce as many children as possible for the Thousand Year Reich. She wants none of this. Instead, she wants to be a doctor. This is a frequent argument with her father, who views Hetty as a willful child that is spoiled and allowed to much freedom.

Hetty is left with no choice other than to be that good Germany girl her father wishes and assist the Reich in any way she can. The restraints chaff on her. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that when she runs into Walter, an old friend of her brother’s, that she starts secretly meeting him. The meetings must be secret because Walter is a Jew, even though Walter once saved Hetty from drowning when she was a child. If they are found out it will not go well for either of them.

Walter tells Hetty about the terrible things that are happening to Jews. At first, she is reluctant to believe him. She has been told over and over again how Jews lie, cheat and steal. How can she trust a Jew when they are so bad? Slowly, as they fall in love, she begins to see the truth of what is really happening. Then comes a day when Walter’s family is imprisoned and Hetty must make a choice that may cost her everything.

There is a lot to love in this story, from the elegantly written prose to the heart-breaking truths of one of the darkest times in recent memory. For me at least, the most notably thing is how power does corrupt and how easily people can be seduced by lies of government. Because of what we now know happened to the Jews and others that tried to resist Hitler it made the story more intense.

There was great character development with Hetty. I loved seeing how she went from a naïve teenage to a courageous and brave young woman. The author also did a lovely job with all the layering of emotions. She guides the reader deftly through a wide range and intensity of emotions. I felt rung out by the end of the story.

The only thing I wished for was more of an ending. It seemed a little rushed and I felt there was more to the story. Everything else was so good that in hindsight this is really such a minor thing.

This book is definitely a good choice for a historical book club. There are lots of topics that would be interesting to explore further. Also, a great choice for readers of period romance and WWII books. If you only read a few historical fiction books in the near future, I recommend that this should be one of them.

I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Inexpressible Island by Paullina Simons

As I started in on Inexpressible Island, the third and final book in the End of Forever Saga by Paullina Simons, I was pondering the many things that had thwarted Julian and Josephine in their prior lives. Whether you call it fate, destiny, bad luck or karma they just could not caught a break. I felt for them and I had to know how it ended for them.

This book is a difficult one to give you a synopsis of without some sort of spoiler. All I can tell you is that Julian is determined to make one last effort to save Josephine. It will be his biggest gamble to date and there will not be another “do over” at the end of this one. Yet, he is a fighter in both the literary and figurative sense of the word and if anyone could succeed it would be him.

I was so moved by this story that I kept thinking about it for days after I was finished reading. I was in such turmoil that I had to wait a bit before I could put my thoughts to paper. All of this is because the author gave us a main character that was loyal, strong and yet broken, and so very determined to keep trying or die trying. Everyone needs a Julian in their life and because of this character I was totally invested.

Yes, this is an epic love story and much more because it is filled with adventure and surprise. The story moved along quickly and I truly believe Julian would have gone to the ends of the earth for Josephine. It was filled with joy and hope and moments of the deepest despair. The prose was so good in this series that I can’t do it justice with my meager talents.

Stories like this are not a dime-a-dozen. So, if you like epic tales of romance and adventure you have to read, not just this book, but the entire series. I actually thought the series got better and better as it went along. Highly recommend! I received a free copy from the publisher, via Library Thing’s Early Reviewer program, in exchange for my honest review.

A Beggar’s Kingdom by Paullina Simons

A Beggar’s Kingdom, by Paullina Simons, is the second book in the End of Forever Saga. In it we continue to follow Julian and Josephine’s story, as it continues thru time, as the soul mates try to defy their fate. The author has given us some of her best work in this epic tale of heart break and enduring love. It is the kind of story that will touch you and stay with you long after the end.

Julian is devasted that he was not able to save Josephine in his previous attempt to join her younger soul in the past. Despite the failure, and the consequences of that, he is determined to try again despite the risks and the odds stacked against him. I do not want to say more on the fear of giving away too much. I want the reader to be as surprised and shattered as I was by the twists and turns this story takes.

First thing I would like to note is that you need to read book one before this one. While the author does a good job of recapping what occurred in book one, it is not enough to understand the depth of Julian and all the events that lead to the opening of book two. In short, it is the detail of the characters and events that make this series and you don’t want to miss out on any of it. In fact, I am so enthralled by the story I am going to jump right into book three.

My favorite thing about Ms. Simons stories is the attention to detail. The way she sets a scene and the depth of her characters always keep me coming back for more and this book is no exception. I totally felt Julian’s devotion to Josephine and his devasting loss when he failed to save her. In this story there are plenty of twists of fate that will keep you engaged and you will marvel in wonder at Julian’s devotion and tenacity.

I highly recommend this book to readers that love to be sweep away in a story. It the kind of story that is so emotionally raw it left me rung out and I loved every minute of it.

For Those Who Dare by John Anthony Miller

For Those Who Dare, by John Anthony Miller, is a riveting, fictional account of a young woman’s desperate plea for help to escape being trapped in East Berlin after the government erects a wall to keep its citizens in. Eloquently told by an author adept at developing characters who draws you into the story.

Kirstin Beck has been thinking for months about escaping to West Berlin were her grandmother, and a daughter she was forced to give up years ago, lives. On the night she plans on escaping, the East German government unspool razor wire and erect the first barrier to separate East from West. She barely manages to escape the clutches of the police.

From her apartment she can see into West Berlin. So close and so unobtainable. She just has to find a new way to get out. Then one evening she see a young man in a window across the wall in West Germany. She holds up a sign with two words, “Help Me”. Can she depend on this stranger to assist her? There is Stasi in West Berlin. What if he is one of them?

On the West side of the wall Tony Marino is a young American writer working on a series of books called a History of Nations. He is currently conducting research for his book on Germany when he reads the plea of Kristin. Something about her and the plea moves him. With funding and the blessings of his editor he devises a plan to dig a tunnel into the East. It will be dangerous and there will be plenty of opportunities to get caught. Yet he feels compelled to help.

This is one of those books that will have you sitting on the edge of your seat. The plan is daring and so very dangerous. There is only one way for it to go right and a thousand ways for it to go wrong. This made for a story with lots of tension, which resulted in me reading well beyond my bedtime. Then the ending, fabulous is the only word I can think of describe it. It totally took me by surprise. So well done!

In addition, I loved the characters especially Kirstin. She went through so much in her young life but was still so brave. I also appreciated how the author used the minor characters to help round out the story.

At this point, I need to mention that the story is loosely based on a real tunnel escape from East Berlin. I remembered watching a documentary some years ago about it and I did a little research. It was interesting to learn a little bit about the inspiration for this book. The author used the basic facts to weave an imaginative and fictional story that will be sure to delight readers.

I highly recommend this book, especially to people that love historical stories that are grounded in fact. I received a free copy in exchange for me honest review.

Dreamland by Nancy Bilyeau

Dreamland, by Nancy Bilyeau, is a historical fiction murder mystery. Set on Coney Island in 1911 before WWI when prejudice against immigrants runs high. A lovely tale of privilege during the time of robber barons. It is a glimpse into our past when women were considered fragile and more of a decoration than an asset.

Peggy Battenberg is a young heiress to a family that has made their fortune in mining. Her pears include names like Rockefeller and Vanderbilt. You would think that with great privilege would come great freedom. But not in the world where women have as yet to earn the right to vote. The men still rule the women of the upper class as surely as past kings have ruled England.

Peggy is somewhat head strong and has managed to wrangle her family into allowing her to work at a bookstore. Her attempt at some semblance of freedom is swiftly brought to an end when her Uncle enters the bookshop one afternoon in a whirlwind. He demands her presence for the summer at the Oriental Hotel, just a short distance from Coney Island. Peggy has no choice but to pack her things and move to the grand hotel along with her sister, mother and other family members and leave behind the job she is fond of.

Once at The Oriental she discovers the allures of Dreamland, an amusement park, on Coney Island. At Dreamland she meets Stefan a young Russian artist that captivates her and she falls in love. Something that her family would not approve of if they knew. But things are not all fun at Dreamland and when young women are found murderer in the vicinity Peggy starts to see a connection between them and her. Then to her horror the police arrest Stefan for the murders. Peggy knows he is innocent, and she is starting to suspect she knows the murderer. Since the police are not interested in finding the real murderer, she sets out to solve the crime.

I loved the descriptive prose. The author vividly described, as if she lived it, the hotel and all its luxuries as well as the atmosphere of family and social pressures that young women felt during that time. She also shows you the differences between class and what anonymity money was able to buy the ultra-wealthy.

I also loved the characters. The main character of Peggy was strong and determined. Her younger sister Lydia that I felt so sorry for, even though she had so much in terms of physical comforts, her life was lacking in many ways. Even the characters with minor roles, like Ben and Stefan were thoughtful portrayed and their actions were true to the period.

The plot is a little slow, but then the book is really about the characters and the action took a back seat to them. Yet, there was enough going on to keep me interested and though I suspected who the killer might be the ending was unexpected.

I highly recommend this book, especially if you liked history fiction stories such as We Were the Lucky Ones and A Fine Imitation. The prose and characters make this book and you need to read this book sooner rather than later. I received a free copy in exchange for my honest review.