Women’s Fiction – Page 3

The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal

The Calculating Stars, by Mary Robinette Kowal, is an alternative history story that feels as real as the words on the page. The story of Elma York and her desire to become a Lady Astronaut will have you gritting your teeth at the injustices she faces and clapping your hands when she overcomes them. I was captivated from the start.

Elma York and her husband are away on vacation when a meteorite strikes the east coast with devastating effects. The east coast is basically wiped off the map and the ensuing tsunami destroys coastal regions across the globe. It is not long before Elma, a gifted mathematician, realizes the full extent of the crisis. This meteor was large enough to trigger a mass extinction event.

In 1952 rocket technology is in its infancy and Washington DC and government as we know it has been destroyed. When the International Aerospace Collation is formed, Elma has dreams of going to space and then the moon as a computer. The only thing holding her back is being female. She has all the qualifications include the jet flight hours she gained as a WASP pilot in WWII. It will be an uphill battle and the stress of actually being in the public eye just maybe her undoing.

I loved, loved, loved this book. The writing was just outstanding and the author knows how to capture your attention and keep it. The writing style reminded me of Octavia Butler and George R. R. Martin. Yes, in my opinion, the author deserves to be counted in the company of these great authors. I see why this book has won so many awards, and believe me when I say it is well deserved.

Besides the writing, the charisma of the MC, Elma York, was brilliantly done. She is not your typical strong female lead. She has her failings. What endeared me to her was her strength in spite of the odds being stacked against her. She was able to recognize her short comings without letting them stand in the way of the thing she desire most, to be an astronaut. Through all the uphill battles she fought, she did it with a dignity we rarely see today and she remained true to herself.

The plot reminded me a little of A Gentleman in Moscow. There is not a lot going on, the story is all about the character and no so much about the events. The post-apocalyptic issue of an extinction event was very much on the side lines and I could have cared less. The author used the event to discuss social issues, that are still relevant today, in a thought provoking way. I highly recommend this book to all readers who love Sci-Fi. Yet, even if you are not a big fan of Sci-Fi this story will still have a lot of appeal. The quality of the writing alone will captivate you. Please don’t be put off by the Sci-Fi label because it is so much more and so good.

The Bookshop on the Shore by Jenny Colgan

Pub. Date: 25-Jun-2019
Rating: 4.5 Stars

I was in the mood for a fun, light read and that is exactly what I got with The Bookshop on the Shore by Jenny Colgan. The story is uplifting and warm, that centers around the meaning of family with a dash of romance and a little mystery thrown in. It made for a lovely reading experience, total escapism.

Zoe is a young mother living in a tiny flat in London with her son Hari. Hari’s father is mostly absent from their lives and provides no financial support. She is barely getting by and is one disaster away from being homeless.

Despite her circumstances, Zoe is determined to provide the best she can for Hari. Therefore, when she sees an ad for a nanny to three children in Scotland she jumps at the chance. Her hope is this will provide a more stable home life for Hari. In addition to the job as nanny, she also takes a day job running a mobile bookshop for a mother-to-be who is confined to bed rest until her baby is born.

She quickly finds that both jobs are more than she bargained for. The book van’s patrons are reluctant to buy from someone other than Nina the van’s owner. This forces Zoe to get creative in order to keep the business afloat. The 3 children she is nanny to had been described as “gifted” when “troubled” would have been a much better word to use. How will she make all of this work?

I adored the quirky characters. It seemed that even the minor characters had something unusual, or flawed, about them that endeared them to me. Either as in the case of Zoe, her intelligence that I felt hindered her common sense sometimes and, at times, left her unsure of herself, to Nina’s obsessiveness. I admired Zoe’s resilience and that she was unflappable. She had to be in order to tackle all the challenges she faced. I do wish I had understood Ramsey a little better. I know this book was not his story, yet I could not help wanting to know just a little more about him.

The plot was not the strongest I have read, but there was enough tension to keep me reading. I found myself wanting to know how Zoe was to going to handle Ramsey’s brood of hellions. I almost excepted them to play nasty tricks on Zoe, like put a snake in her bed. Some of what they did I thought was rather mild. The pacing of the plot was good and there was one revelation at the end I was not expecting that gave a little spice to the story.

Overall this is a solid feel good story and I recommend this lovely gem to readers of all kinds, especially those who like books that fall into the Women’s Fiction genre and Romance. Also, if you are looking for a beach read this book would be a perfect choice.

I received a free copy from the publisher, via Library Thing’s Early Reviewer program, in exchange for my honest review.

Tidelands by Philippa Gregory

You know it is going to be good if Philippa Gregory wrote it and she did not disappoint me with her latest book Tidelands, the first book in the Fairmile series. She always brings a well appreciated level of intimacy to her characters that I adore.

The main character, Alinor, is a young mother of two living on the southern coast of England in a place that is remote and backwards. Her abusive husband has been missing for a year now. This is fine by her except in those days a women without a husband was looked upon with suspension. Couple this with her ability as a midwife and herbalist and she runs the risks of being called a witch.

It seems that an encounter with a young Catholic priest, who is a Royalist, whom she hides and assists in reaching the local Lord’s estate, has changed her outlook for the better. The Lord, in his gratitude for her assistance and for her silence, has given her son a position as companion to his son. He will receive a stipend and be educated along with the Lord’s son. The money will allow Alinor to purchase a boat she desperately needs and be the beginnings of a dowry for her daughter.

Alinor can’t keep thinking about this young priest and him about her. As you can expect, this leads to dangerous things and this is not the time to be someone like Alinor and doing dangerous things. There are those who are jealous of her good fortune and her natural beauty; therefore, it is not long before this good fortune turns against her.

My favorite thing about this book, well any book by Ms. Gregory, are the characters. Not only does she present the reader with a character(s) that we can connect and empathize with, she makes them appropriate to the place and time period. This brings an extra layer of depth that few authors achieve and Alinor is no exception to this. She is strong and resourceful, yet there is something fragile about her. She has been ground down by the burdens upon her and you fear it will not take much to push her beyond recovery.

I kept reminding myself that during this time it was the fate of women to be dependent upon men for almost everything. I find this a peculiar position for Alinor to be in, given that women, in lots of cases, had to be stronger than the men they were dependent upon. Alinor, and ultimately, her daughter too reflect this.

I liked the plot. I can’t say it was the strongest Ms. Gregory has ever written, but it was solid. I did find the middle section a little slow. Ultimately I had a feeling something was going to happen so I continued on and was rewarded with an intriguing twist at the end I was not expecting. In addition, there is a fairly large cliffhanger at the end. It made me wish for more closure before we move on to the next chapter in Alinor’s life.

As a whole I found this an enjoyable story and I am looking forward to the next book in the series. I recommend this book to fans of historical fiction. Especially those you love strong female characters and are fans of the author’s other books.

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

The Tiger Catcher by Paullina Simons

A truly heart-breaking and enthralling story is the only way to describe The Tiger Catcher by Paullina Simons. It is a gratifying romance story and it explores the lengths to which a person will go to be with the one they love.

Julian is living a happy and successful life in Los Angeles. He is surround by family and friends that love him and has a long-standing girlfriend that everyone expects him to marry. Then a chance encounter, at a New York City theatre, with a young girl named Josephine changes everything.

When Julian returns to L. A. he can’t stop thinking about Josephine. Then one day she waltzes right into his life and his heart. As far as Julian is concerned the world has not only stopped but melted away. He is so absorbed with Josephine that he forgets to go to work or write his daily Mr. Know-It-All newsletter. Yet, the fates have other plans and when Josephine is lost to Julian, he falls into a stupor and nothing is able to bring him back to reality.

Julian dreams frequently of Josephine. In his dreams, he is always at a café and she sees him and is walking towards him but is never able to reach him. He believes that the café is in London. Therefore, he moves to London in search of her. After a year and a half, and many miles of walking London’s streets for the café in his dream, he is no closer to answers than he was in L. A. That is until he meets a shaman who gives Julian the means to find Josephine. There is a catch, the trip is dangerous and he will have to give up everything and everyone he knows and loves.

I loved the characters in this book. Julian was especially well done. I liked how the author showed us the depth of his love and then the pain and sorrow of his loss. It was raw and very real to me. In addition, the story had just enough fantasy and realism to suit my tastes.

The only negative I found was the plot. It dragged a little in the middle. Ms. Simons’s writing is always a little on the verbose side; however, here it was a bit heavy handed. Despite this, I was already so invested in the story that I had to know what happened. Therefore, I rushed to get to the end and then I had to noodle on the book for a bit before I picked up another one. It is always a good sign when a book makes me ponder for a bit after I finish it.

I enjoyed this book a lot. I also feel it is not in the same league as The Bronze Horseman, which is one of my all-time favorites. Tough I still found the story compelling and entertaining. I am looking forward to the next installment in the series and I hope the wait is not too long.

The Tiger Catcher is the perfect book for fans of The Time Traveler’s Wife, Paullina Simons and/or romance with a touch of magic.

I received a free copy from the publisher, via Library Thing’s Early Reviewer program, in exchange for my honest opinion.

Coming Back by K. L. Denman

Coming Back by K. L. Denman is a novella about a young woman, Julie, who has been in a horrific car accident. She has no memory of the accident and has been in therapy for over a year. Julie has been diagnosed with PTSD. Her therapist suggests that she get an emotional support animal to help her.

Her therapist was thinking a dog or cat would be the ideal animal; but Julie decides she wants a horse. She had ridden some when she was a young girl and loved the connection she felt with a horse. She is hoping that she will have that again. Also, a horse will force her to leave her home and interact with people.

Julie lays out her plan to her therapist and after some consideration she agrees. She does her research and purchases a lovely young mare she names Scarlett. Julie finds a dressage show barn that she is able to board Scarlett at. She can even take lessons there. Unfortunately, it turns out a show barn is not the right fit for her. She looks for another barn and finds one that does “natural horsemanship”. Yet it turns out to be not as advertised and she soon realizes she has moved from the frying pan to fire.

This book had everything going for it. I especially love stories centered around horses since I have ridden my entire life. The plot was good and the horse related stuff was correct. I know the pace was good because I flew through this book in under a day. Yet, there was something missing for me.

I am struggling to put my feelings into words here. That in itself says something. I think it is because the story did not match the prose. Let me explain further. I felt the writing was too simplistic for an adult or young adult reader. The writing style was best suited for a middle grade reader yet the story, which billed as young adult, had a decided adult theme to it. Therefore, it left me wanting more.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy from the publisher, via Library Thing’s Early Reviewer’s program, in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Last Romantics by Tara Conklin

The Last Romantic is a compelling story, told retrospectively, from the view point of the youngest of four siblings. It is a story of the deep binding love shared among siblings, the things that drive them apart and the guilt for not being everything that a sibling needs. In addition, it is a profound look at how even the closest of young siblings can grow apart and how tragedy effects each differently.

The story opens in the distant future when renowned poet Fiona Skinner is doing a reading. She is asked who the inspiration is for the character of Luna in her famous work titled The Love Poem. She begins by telling of the death of her father when she was a young girl and the subsequent “Pause” as she and her siblings call the period in which her mother withdraws into herself leaving the siblings to fend for themselves.

The Pause leaves deep wounds on each of the siblings, some of which never heal. All the children bear these into adulthood and it effects many aspects of their lives. As Fiona further delves into the story and the individual lives of each sibling, she gets closer and closer to Luna; until, the unlikely connect is revealed between them.

The author, Tara Conklin, has a perceptive eye for all the intricacies of relationships and an even better skill at getting those thoughts into words. This made for some prose that is nothing short of outstanding. Despite the plot being rather slow, the book is so thought provoking I did not mind.

I would also like to note, this book is one of the more intimate looks into what makes a family, a family. By the end of the book, I understood the dynamics of the four siblings and how each of their experiences and personalities effected the others. Also, how each used the strength of the others, sometime to the others detriment, as a personal well of power or force with which to face the world.

This book has elements of both Women’s Fiction and Literary Fiction and at times was very introspective. I recommend this book to those readers who enjoy books that are reflective in nature. The author brings up a lot of life issues and because of this it would make an excellent book club selection.

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

The Girl He Used to Know by Tracey Garvis Graves

It has been a while since I last read a book by Ms. Graves (that being On the Island) and I admire her ability to draw the reader into the world she creates and for her relatable characters. Her latest book The Girl He Used to Know is no exception to her extraordinary writing talents.

The story is told from two POVs and Annika, pronounced like Monica without the M, is where we begin. She has a chance meeting in a grocery store in Chicago with Jonathon her boyfriend from college. Ten years has passed since they last saw each other and a lot has changed. Jonathon has risen the corporate ladder in an investment banking firm and married then divorced in that time span. While Annika is working her dream job as a librarian.

They start seeing each other again and each character reflects on their shared past. Jonathon tells how he is drawn to this shy, beautiful, intelligent and enigmatic young woman he meets at the University chess club. He relates how he wins her trust and eventual falls in love with her. Annika relates how she has always struggled to fit in and how Jonathon accepts her despite all her quirks. He has been patient and understanding with her need to go slowly and she in turn falls for him.

Annika would love nothing more than to pick up where they left off. Yet, there is a lot of water under the bridge and they will have a lot work ahead of them to be able to move forward. Then just when everything is starting to look up tragedy strikes.

I love character driven stories and this one is just that. The author has given us two great charters and she has slowly unraveled them for us as the story progressed so that we understand them fully. This is truly the best thing about her stories. I can always depend on getting characters to love and route for. I especially liked how the author handled Annika’s character, that was excellent. I don’t want to say too much here because I would give away an essential element of the plot. I just hope you enjoy and appreciate the specialness of the character.

The plot was very well done. I liked that the story was not told in chronical order. It worked better switching from present to past and back again. It created suspense because we know that something happened that drove Jonathon and Annika apart and that dangling carrot kept me intrigued and I needed to know just what happened. Then the wrench in the works in the later quarter of the story heightened the drama. Fabulous!

I recommend this book to readers who love character driven stories especially those that fall into the women’s fiction and romance genre. In addition, this book would make an excellent pick for a book club because of the many social issues presented in the book, i.e. bullying.

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

The Whisper Network by Chandler Baker

The Whisper Network by Chandler Baker is a pager turner that is part mystery part thought provoking look at corporate culture and women’s rights in the work place. I predict this will be one of the most talked about books in the Women’s Fiction genre this year.

The story revolves around four strong, and resilient women who work for the Fortune 500 company Truviv, Inc. Three of the women, Sloane, Grace, and Ardie, are attorneys and part of the inhouse legal team. The fourth, Rosalita is part of the night cleaning crew. They have one thing in common, they have all been sexual harassed by Ames Garrett another attorney on staff.

Each woman, for their own reasons, have remained silent about his behavior. Then when the CEO of the company dies unexpectedly and it appears that Ames is the shoe in for his job, they decide it has to end. What starts as just adding Ames to the “BAD Men’s” list circulating around Dallas turns into a law suit and much worse. The consequences will be far reaching and will affect the entirety of these women’s lives.

Baker did an excellent job of telling a story that is very relevant today. I was especially taken with how thoughtfully the characters were portrayed in the book. They were human and made mistakes… lots of them and despite being strong they doubted themselves. They struggled with work and family demands. They felt guilty for not being the perfect mother and wife, something most every woman has felt at some point in her life.

The pace of the story was a little slow at first, but once it got going it was a page turner. The story had some twists in that were predictable. Still, this story really grabs at you because despite being fiction it is so very real. The book will resonate with many.

I highly recommend this to any women working today. In addition, this would make an excellent book club read because the issues it addresses. I received a free ARC from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.

The Glass Ocean by Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig and Karen White

The Glass Ocean is a wonderfully entertaining story of intrigue and romance set in the days leading up to the entrance of the United States into WWI and grounded in the present by one woman who is linked irrevocably to the past.

Sarah Blake is an author with one best seller already under her belt. Despite her successfully debut, she is struggling with her finances and to come up with an idea for her next best seller. Her mother’s Alzheimer’s seems to be taking a toll on her creativity as well as her pocketbook. Desperate for an idea, Sarah decides to open a trunk, even after promising she would not, that has been passed down in her family from her great-grandfather.

Inside the truck she finds an intriguing note written during the final voyage of the Lusitania which was sunk by a German U-boat. Knowing in her gut this is the big idea that has been escaping her for so long, she heads off to the UK to do research. Once there she tracks down John Langford, who has troubles of his own, to enlist his help researching his family’s ties to the sinking of the Lusitania.

What they uncover will shock both of them to the core in more ways than one. It may even shed new light on the sinking of the Lusitania. The question is, are they prepared to tell the world of their discovery?

The Glass Ocean despite being written as a collaboration of three authors readers seamlessly. I liked all the characters and the development was good. I do wish I had understood Tessa’s sister a little better. The plot is totally fictional but seemed plausible. The pace was very nice and the intrigue kept me reading on several occasions when I should have been doing other things. I especially enjoyed the descriptions of the Lusitania and what life was like as a first-class passenger.

The one thing I was not happy with is the ending. Without giving anything away, I’ll just say that the fate of some characters did not work for me.

All-in-all, this is an entertaining historical fiction/romance and will appeal to a variety of readers. I recommend it to anyone who likes Historical Fiction set in the first quarter of the 20^th century. I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Ensnare (Burlin Butterfly #1) by Leah Moyes

Ensnare, book one of the Berlin Butterfly series by Leah Moyes, tells the heart wrenching story of a young, former orphan girl, Ella, trapped on the wrong side of Berlin when the wall is erected in August of 1961.

Ella’s father is gravely ill as soldiers start unrolling spools of barbed wire, which will form the first Berlin Wall, to keep the citizens of East Berlin from fleeing to the west. She is torn between escaping while she still can, with her young brother and best friend Anton, and staying behind to care for her sick father. Ella makes the only decision she feels she can and stays behind while entrusting her brother to Anton’s care.

In a very short time, Ella’s father passes away and she is stuck alone in East Berlin. She has no money for food or to bury her father. Therefore, she strikes a deal with the Frankes, a wealthy and influential family in East Berlin, whom runs a mortuary. She will work as domestic help for 2 years to pay off the debt she owes them for the casket and burial. Once Ella begins working for the Frankes she makes friends and seeks ways to escape East Berlin. Yet what awaits Ella in the next two years will be much more than she expected and will put her life in danger and the lives of those she comes to trust and even love.

I was captivated with the character of Ella from the first. Her story has a realness to it and kept me engaged throughout. Just thinking about a 15 year old girl having to make such a life changing decision gives me goose bumps. Yet, she is strong and resilient. I felt the author did justice to the character by making her that way. Times were different then and hard ship was common; therefore, children had to grow up much faster.

I also loved the historical aspect of the book and felt the setting was the perfect backdrop for Ella’s story. The descriptions of the East versus West side of Berlin rang true to the times. It is obvious that the author did her research.

In addition, the plot moves smoothly along and at a nice pace. I was never bored and never felt the story was rushed. The story just seemed to unfold effortlessly with just enough twists to keep your attention but not so much that it felt over worked. Really well done!

Ensnare is one of those books that has a lot going for it and should appeal to a broad audience. I highly recommend this book to lovers of Historical Fiction, Romance and Women’s Fiction.

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