Review: The Girl in the Missing Poster by Barbara Copperthwaite

The Girl in the Missing Poster

by Barbara Copperthwaite

Publisher: Bookouture

Pages: 360

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  MISSING – Have you seen this girl? Nineteen-year-old Leila Hawkins was last seen on 24 June, 1994, when she left her parents’ anniversary party early and ran into the stormy night wearing her twin sister Stella’s long red coat. She was never seen again.

Stella holds the missing poster flat against the tree trunk and presses to make sure it’s secure. She tries not to look at the photograph on it. At the features so similar to hers. This time every year she decorates the small seaside town they grew up in with pictures of her beautiful missing twin. But after almost twenty-five years, is it even worth hoping someone will come forward?

The last thing Stella ever expects is a direct response from the person who took Leila. Wracked with guilt about the secret she’s been keeping since the night of the party, and completely alone in the world without the other half of her, Stella agrees to his strange request: private, intimate details of her life in return for answers.

But as the true events of the night of the party play out before her, Stella feels closer to Leila than she ever dreamed she’d be again – too close. Will it be too late before she realises she’s walked right into a deadly trap? Will she suffer the same fate as her sister? 

Kritters Thoughts:  Stella has spent years looking for her lost twin who went missing one night and although many people have a reason to be involved, only one did it and they have gone without prosecution for years.  As the anniversary approaches, a documentary producer is into making a documentary that could put more eyes on this mystery and maybe bring some more clues to light. 

For me pacing matters when it comes to mystery thrillers and this one slowed way down in the back half and I was ready for it to come to a conclusion a bit before it did.  I could tell that I was waning in my reading as I was getting easily distracted 3/4 of the way in, but once the conclusion was in sight, the last bit was good.  

I did enjoy the unveiling of the killer and although I may have guessed it early, the way the reader finds out about it was creative and unique.  I also liked that once it was revealed there is a bit more to the book to find out the details from how and why Leila went missing.  

I would try another by this author, but would definitely want the synopsis to be something that I would be into.

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

Ebook 2021 Challenge: 14 out of 100

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

Review: The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner

The Lost Apothecary

by Sarah Penner

Publisher: Park Row

Pages: 320

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Rule #1: The poison must never be used to harm another woman.

Rule #2: The names of the murderer and her victim must be recorded in the apothecary’s register.

One cold February evening in 1791, at the back of a dark London alley in a hidden apothecary shop, Nella awaits her newest customer. Once a respected healer, Nella now uses her knowledge for a darker purpose—selling well-disguised poisons to desperate women who would kill to be free of the men in their lives. But when her new patron turns out to be a precocious twelve-year-old named Eliza Fanning, an unexpected friendship sets in motion a string of events that jeopardizes Nella’s world and threatens to expose the many women whose names are written in her register.

Kritters Thoughts:  Told from three perspectives, two from 1791 and one from present day.  In 1791 there is a female apothecary who inherited an apothecary business from her mother and she has changed the business a bit and her life takes a turn when a young girl, Eliza walks into her shop.  Eliza is the second perspective from 1791 as she is sent to get help from the woman she works for from the apothecary and she will set all sorts of things in motion!  The present day perspective is Caroline and she has gone a trip that was intended to be an anniversary trip and instead ends up being a solo vacation, but her story is still uplifting as she finds herself and her passion for history when she finds something mysterious in the Thames river.  

I love a historical fiction book that has a present storyline where you know the link between the two stories pretty early on in the book.  I don't love to have the mystery go on for too long and it overshadow the true story - not the case in this one.  The reader quickly knows why Caroline's storyline is in this book and her investigation was fun to follow.  I wish I could do what she did in this book and find an artifact and follow it until you uncover truths.  

Although I don't love a book where there is marriage strife, especially the cheating husband kind, I could look over it in this one as it didn't take complete center stage, instead for me the story really revolved around Nella the apothecary and the things she did for the women of her time.  

What a great historical fiction that took place at a unique moment in time, with a splash of present day to help move the story along.  And I found out after finishing, this was a debut, so I am hoping for much more from this author in the future!

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

Ebook 2021 Challenge: 13 out of 100

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

Review: The Kitchen Front by Jennifer Ryan

The Kitchen Front

by Jennifer Ryan

Publisher: Ballantine

Pages: 416

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  In a new World War II-set story from the bestselling author of The Chilbury Ladies' Choir, four women compete for a spot hosting a wartime cookery program called The Kitchen Front - based on the actual BBC program of the same name - as well as a chance to better their lives.

Two years into WW2, Britain is feeling her losses; the Nazis have won battles, the Blitz has destroyed cities, and U-boats have cut off the supply of food. In an effort to help housewives with food rationing, a BBC radio program called The Kitchen Front is putting on a cooking contest--and the grand prize is a job as the program's first-ever female co-host. For four very different women, winning the contest presents a crucial chance to change their lives.

For a young widow, it's a chance to pay off her husband's debts and keep a roof over her children's heads. For a kitchen maid, it's a chance to leave servitude and find freedom. For the lady of the manor, it's a chance to escape her wealthy husband's increasingly hostile behavior. And for a trained chef, it's a chance to challenge the men at the top of her profession.

These four women are giving the competition their all--even if that sometimes means bending the rules. But with so much at stake, will the contest that aims to bring the community together serve only to break it apart? 

Kritters Thoughts:  Four women from all different walks of life end up in a competition for a spot on a BBC radio program and while they start as fierce competitors they may end up needing each other's skills and talents to overcome their personal struggles.  

The four women are made up of one set of sisters who live in very different homes, one with three boys and a widow from the war and the other is childless living in a grand home with what seems like the perfect life.  One of the other women is a maid who lives in the grand home and is basically an apprentice to the head cook of the home.  The final woman has moved to this small country town to escape London for many reasons and finds the competition as a possible way for her to return to London.  

I always love books told through multiple perspectives as it allows each character to move the story along from their point of view and for me the story always feels fuller from seeing from multiple eyes.  As each of these women are drastically different from another it was easy to keep straight, but I still took a bit of notes, so I could remember who was who.

I loved seeing World War II through a completely different point of view.  In the lives of women back at the home front as they make do with the food rations and try to make do with the little that is offered to keep themselves and their children alive.  

I really enjoyed this book and recommend it to the reader who feels they have read every book and every aspect of World War II, try this one.  

Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Ebook 2021 Challenge: 12 out of 100

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

Review: The Vineyard at Painted Moon by Susan Mallery

The Vineyard at Painted Moon

by Susan Mallery

Publisher: HQN

Pages: 400

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Mackenzie Dienes seems to have it all—a beautiful home, close friends and a successful career as an elite winemaker with the family winery. There’s just one problem—it’s not her family, it’s her husband’s. In fact, everything in her life is tied to him—his mother is the closest thing to a mom that she’s ever had, their home is on the family compound, his sister is her best friend. So when she and her husband admit their marriage is over, her pain goes beyond heartbreak. She’s on the brink of losing everything. Her job, her home, her friends and, worst of all, her family.

Staying is an option. She can continue to work at the winery, be friends with her mother-in-law, hug her nieces and nephews—but as an employee, nothing more. Or she can surrender every piece of her heart in order to build a legacy of her own. If she can dare to let go of the life she thought she wanted, she might discover something even more beautiful waiting for her beneath a painted moon. 

Kritters Thoughts:  Mackenzie Dienes fell into the perfect job through a relationship she fell into while in college, so up until the point of this book, her life has basically fallen into place.  When an interesting event sends her life spiraling, she must make some hard decisions about where she really wants to be and what her future will look like.

Although the factor that sent Mackenzie into reevaluation mode was based on love, I appreciated that most of the book was a self analysis of her career path because it was so closely tied to her relationship.  I loved watching Mackenzie take note of her passions and figure out where she truly wanted to go next.  Of course, some of the moves were predictable and I possibly rolled my eyes a few times, it didn't take away from the read and I still enjoyed the book overall.  

For me one of the most entertaining pieces was Mackenzie's mother in law, Barbara, what a hoot!  While possibly over the top, I still loved her reactions to the things life sent her way, I could also see her inability to change especially when the change was thrust upon her and not of her own accord.  

I love the Susan Mallery stand alone books and I appreciate the strong female characters she creates and depicts.  I hope she continues to work on these alongside her series.  

Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Ebook 2021 Challenge: 11 out of 100

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

It's Monday, What are you Reading?

A great week in reading!

A meme hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date. 

Finished this past week:

A Child of My Own by Vanessa Carnevale

What the Heart Wants by Audrey Carlan

Surviving Savannah by Patti Callahan

Meant to Be by Jude Deveraux

To Catch a Dream by Audrey Carlan

Currently Reading:

A New York Secret by Ella Carey

Next on the TBR pile:

The Secret Stealers by Jane Healey

Review: The Blame by Kerry Wilkinson

The Blame

by Kerry Wilkinson 

Publisher: Bookouture

Pages: 427

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Paige, Richard and me. We thought we’d be friends forever. But everything changed the day we took the short cut home from school along the old railway line. I wish we’d gone the long way. I wish we hadn’t seen our classmate, pale and still in the undergrowth. And I wish we hadn’t promised to keep one, awful detail a secret just between us…

Twenty years later, I have a brand-new life, and try never to think about my old one.

But I’m dragged back when Paige calls out of the blue. Richard has been accused of something terrible. Everyone back home is whispering about the body we found years ago, and saying Richard deserves to be locked up…

Before I know it, I’ve returned to the small town I thought I’d never see again. Paige is almost the same as I remember – jet black hair, slender frame – but why does she seem so nervous? She’s adamant the only way to clear our friend’s name is to tell the truth about what we saw twenty years ago.

Can I really trust that Paige is on my side – or is she hiding her own dark secret? And if we clear Richard’s name, will the blame fall on me?

When we find a strange note in Richard’s flat, one thing is for certain: someone else knows the truth too. All three of us are in danger… 

Kritters Thoughts:  Once you are accused of one thing, it can be pretty easy for friends, enemies and the public to cast blame for other things.  Richard is arrested for the murder of a former teacher and a dead body that he and a friend discovered comes back up and becomes a part of the current narrative.  Told from the point of view of Harry, said friend who found the body of a classmate with Richard and who had left this small town in England for Canada a long time ago.  He is summoned back by their mutual friend Paige, so they can get to the truth and free Richard as she is convinced that he is innocent.  

This was a great mystery/thriller that had such great ups and downs and the clues were dropped at just the right spot.  Following Harry and Paige as they investigated in hopes of freeing Richard and finding the killer, I love it when the investigation is led by amateurs.  Without spoiling a thing, I can say I was so happy with the who of the who dun it and although it definitely came together real quickly at the end, if I read it again, maybe I could have found a clue or two a little faster!

I read a variety of books that are set across the pond as it will and sometimes the books read as though they could be set anywhere and the specific "english" terms aren't distracting, but they were so in this one.  Every once in awhile as I was reading, I had to almost decipher the word and figure out what they were really talking about and it took me out of the plot a time or two.  I say this in case you are a reader that avoids books that aren't set in the United States.  

I liked this one.  It was good, but not sure if it would be one that I would hope to continue to follow as I feel as though the book was completely self contained and maybe wouldn't work in a series form.  

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

Ebook 2021 Challenge: 9 out of 100

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

Review: Gone Too Soon by Dani Atkins

Gone Too Soon

by Dani Atkins

Publisher: Bookouture

Pages: 393

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  I’d have done everything differently if I had known she'd be gone so soon… 

When Lisa married Alex, she gave his life meaning. She was a professional astronomer: a stargazer. And when she gazed at Alex, she saw that behind his tough exterior was a man she could love.

Alex, Lisa and their young son Connor made a happy little universe. But then Lisa dies in a train crash, and their perfect world is destroyed. Alex is shattered by loss, and overwhelmed by the difficulties of being a single father to a six-year-old boy. How can he and Connor carry on without Lisa lighting up their lives?

Then Alex meets four strangers. Two men and two women, who never met Lisa, but whose lives changed profoundly because of her. As Alex hears their stories, he begins to realise the world may not be as cruel and senseless as it seems. If you can find the strength to start over, there are new beginnings and silver linings in even our most heartbreaking moments…

Kritters Thoughts:  Alex's life takes a major turn when his wife suddenly dies in a large train accident, but when he discovers that she made a decision about her body after she died, he realizes that this could change his life.  Told through Alex and one of the people who's life is impacted by Lisa's death, Molly, this story takes twists and turns as Alex deals with grief and tries to figure out a new path in life.

There is no spoiling the fact that Alex's wife Lisa dies in the first or second chapter and that is the early catalyst that sets this story in motion.  For me, it was interesting reading those early chapters and seeing the affects of a large scale accident on a family member trying to get answers.  You see those events take place and you see the catastrophe on tv and I often think of the first responders and the investigation, but have never thought about the family members who want answers and how difficult that can be, even with the technology that we currently have.

The other thing that intrigued me was the potential hurdles if/when a donor patient interacts with a donor family.  The way the author handled the interactions from my point of view felt honest full of a real mix of emotions.  From covering a scar to the awkward questions about the deceased, I would love to know the accuracy of this piece of fiction, but also hope that it is pretty close to real life!

This was a great book that tackles a topic - organ donation - that I don't know that I have ever read about.  I love reading books about human topics that I don't have experience with and feel could be taboo and this one was well done.  

Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Ebook 2021 Challenge: 8 out of 100

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

Review: The Minders by John Marrs

The Minders

by John Marrs

Publisher: Berkley

Pages: 416

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  In the 21st century, information is king. But computers can be hacked and files can be broken into - so a unique government initiative has been born. Five ordinary people have been selected to become Minders - the latest weapon in thwarting cyberterrorism. Transformed by a revolutionary medical procedure, the country's most classified information has been taken offline and turned into genetic code implanted inside their heads.

Together, the five know every secret - the truth behind every government lie, conspiracy theory and cover up. In return, they're given the chance to leave their problems behind and a blank slate to start their lives anew.

But not everyone should be trusted, especially when they each have secrets of their own they'll do anything to protect...

Kritters Thoughts:  How does a country guarantee that it can keep its secrets in a technology age that doesn't feel safe?  In this version of Britain, there is a group of people who are concerned about the safety of country secrets, so a team of people have come up with an interesting solution - put the country secrets into people and hopefully within five years they can come up with a long term solution that is impenetrable.  

This book takes place in the same "world" as The Passengers and The One, not a series, but reading those two first could help.  I had read The Passengers before reading this book, but not The One and now I want to go back and get that one done.  I think there were things about that book embedded in this one that I may have missed, but it didn't take away from my overall reading.

Told through the perspective of the actual minders before their lives are changed and then after as they leave everything behind to keep the country's secrets.  It was interesting to see very different people react to an extreme situation in very different ways - I did have to make notes as we met each character, so I could ensure that I kept them straight throughout.  

I love the combination this book makes with a mystery with fantastic pacing, but a science fiction dystopian feel that allows me to dip my toes into the science fiction scene and enjoy a wild ride.  I hope to read more from John Marrs as his books keep me guessing while pushing my boundaries.

Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Ebook 2021 Challenge: 6 out of 100

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

Review: The Ravine by Wendy Lower

The Ravine

by Wendy Lower

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Pages: 272

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  In 2009, the acclaimed author of Hitler’s Furies was shown a photograph just brought to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. The documentation of the Holocaust is vast, but there are virtually no images of a Jewish family at the actual moment of murder, in this case by German officials and Ukrainian collaborators. A Ukrainian shooter’s rifle is inches from a woman's head, obscured in a cloud of smoke. She is bending forward, holding the hand of a barefooted little boy. And—only one of the shocking revelations of Wendy Lower’s brilliant ten-year investigation of this image—the shins of another child, slipping from the woman’s lap.

 
Wendy Lower’s forensic and archival detective work—in Ukraine, Germany, Slovakia, Israel, and the United States—recovers astonishing layers of detail concerning the open-air massacres in Ukraine. The identities of mother and children, of the killers—and, remarkably, of the Slovakian photographer who openly took the image, as a secret act of resistance—are dramatically uncovered. Finally, in the hands of this brilliant exceptional scholar, a single image unlocks a new understanding of the place of the family unit in the ideology of Nazi genocide.     

Kritters Thoughts:  A non fiction deep dive into a photo that is so disturbing as it recounts a firing squad in Ukraine as they kill their fellow men, women and children who are Jewish as they were advised that they needed to be eliminated so they can create the utopia they dream of.  

As Wendy Lower takes a deep dive behind this photo to find out who is in it, who took it and if there can be resolution to these heinous acts.  It was interesting to read a book (a shorter one, but a full one) that solely focused on one photograph and how these pieces of evidence were crucial when it came to finding justice for those who survived World War II.  

Although a little dry at times, I would recommend this book to those who have read all of the historical fiction books to see a different side of this moment in time and to find out how those who were left were able to find an ounce of justice.  

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

Ebook 2021 Challenge: 10 out of 100

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

It's Monday, What are you Reading?

It was a long hard week and a busy weekend full of projects, so not much reading accomplished this go around!

A meme hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date. 

Finished this past week:

The Girl in the Missing Poster by Barbara Copperthwaite

Almost Famous Women by Megan Mayhew Bergman

The Speed of Light by Elissa Grossell Dickey

The Hopefuls by Jennifer Close

Bring Me Back by BA Paris

Out of Darkness, Shining Light by Petina Gappah

Currently Reading:

A Child of My Own by Vanessa Carnevale

Next on the TBR pile:

What the Heart Wants by Audrey Carlan

Review: The Paris Dressmaker by Kristy Cambron

The Paris Dressmaker

by Kristy Cambron

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Pages: 400

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Paris, 1939. Maison Chanel has closed, thrusting haute couture dressmaker Lila de Laurent out of the world of high fashion as Nazi soldiers invade the streets and the City of Lights slips into darkness. Lila’s life is now a series of rations, brutal restrictions, and carefully controlled propaganda while Paris is cut off from the rest of the world. Yet in hidden corners of the city, the faithful pledge to resist. Lila is drawn to La Resistance and is soon using her skills as a dressmaker to infiltrate the Nazi elite. She takes their measurements and designs masterpieces, all while collecting secrets in the glamorous Hôtel Ritz—the heart of the Nazis’ Parisian headquarters. But when dashing René Touliard suddenly reenters her world, Lila finds her heart tangled between determination to help save his Jewish family and bolstering the fight for liberation.

Paris, 1943. Sandrine Paquet’s job is to catalog the priceless works of art bound for the Führer’s Berlin, masterpieces stolen from prominent Jewish families. But behind closed doors, she secretly forages for information from the underground resistance. Beneath her compliant façade lies a woman bent on uncovering the fate of her missing husband . . . but at what cost? As Hitler’s regime crumbles, Sandrine is drawn in deeper when she uncrates an exquisite blush Chanel gown concealing a cryptic message that may reveal the fate of a dressmaker who vanished from within the fashion elite.

Kritters Thoughts:  Two women in Paris, both of their stories in two different years that are just four years apart, but almost a world apart!  Lila de Laurent is a dressmaker and while working with Chanel and then on her own, she is able to be a part of the Resistance in her own unique way.  Sandrine Paquet says goodbye to her husband and must live with her in laws with her child and unfortunately catches the eye of a captain of the Nazi regime, but she uses him to her advantage to do her own part for the Resistance.  

It took a bit for me to realize we had two women and both stories were to take place in 1939 and 1943 and would progress until they collide.  Once realized, I reread a few pages and took some notes, so I could keep each woman's story apart, but what I loved most was when their stories ended up intermingling and the genius behind the way they did.  

The timing of reading this book was interesting as I read it shortly after another book about a woman in the Resistance who was coordinating supply drops, so I appreciated seeing a different aspect of French women contributing to the war effort in their own way and how many different ways that could take place.  Being in the heart of Paris in this book compared to the country of France in the other, I enjoyed the extra fever that was brought in this book as you saw the Nazi party come in and then retreat.    

I have read most of Kristy Cambron's catalog and enjoyed each of them.  I would love to complete her list and look forward to her next one!

Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Ebook 2021 Challenge: 7 out of 100

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

Review: The Invisible Woman by Erika Robuck

The Invisible Woman

by Erika Robuck 

Publisher: Berkley

Pages: 368

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  France, March 1944. Virginia Hall wasn't like the other young society women back home in Baltimore--she never wanted the debutante ball or silk gloves. Instead, she traded a safe life for adventure in Europe, and when her beloved second home is thrust into the dark days of war, she leaps in headfirst.

Once she's recruited as an Allied spy, subverting the Nazis becomes her calling. But even the most cunning agent can be bested, and in wartime trusting the wrong person can prove fatal. Virginia is haunted every day by the betrayal that ravaged her first operation, and will do everything in her power to avenge the brave people she lost.

While her future is anything but certain, this time more than ever Virginia knows that failure is not an option. Especially when she discovers what--and whom--she's truly protecting.

Kritters Thoughts:  Virginia Hall was an American embedded in France who eventually became well known for her way to get much needed supplies to the resistance fighters hoping to rid their towns of the Nazi regime.  

The thing that I liked about this book was the different perspective of this war that has been written about time and time again.  Seeing the resistance fighters up close and personal and finding out the work that went in to get them supplies and to keep all of the things hidden was so interesting.  Knowing before starting this book that the main character was based on fact made reading her story so much more impactful.  

I also enjoyed that this book didn't end on D Day.  This made me learn more about how long it took for the Nazis to leave France and that it was a snap on D Day and life went back to normal - it was a slow return to a more normal French way of living.  

What I didn't love about the book were the oddly placed flashbacks to Virginia's past.  For me, most of them were distracting from the story and I thought that they possibly took away from the greater story.  If they had been more easily marked and pulled out from the story, I think I would have enjoyed those moments more, but just a thought.  

I also felt as though the story lost its pacing towards the middle.  Part of this could have been my timing as to when I was reading it, but the beginning was great getting to know Virginia and her mission and the back third was so good as she was finishing her missions and the reader is waiting for the Nazis to vacate the towns.    

I must say that I have read a few other books by Erika Robuck and loved them, this one just didn't completely work as well for me.  I loved the character and the unique viewpoint of World War II, but there were just a few things that I didn't fall in love with.

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

Ebook 2021 Challenge: 5 out of 100

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

Review: The Nature of Fragile Things by Susan Meissner

The Nature of Fragile Things

by Susan Meissner 

Publisher: Berkley

Pages: 384

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  April 18, 1906: A massive earthquake rocks San Francisco just before daybreak, igniting a devouring inferno. Lives are lost, lives are shattered, but some rise from the ashes forever changed.

Sophie Whalen is a young Irish immigrant so desperate to get out of a New York tenement that she answers a mail-order bride ad and agrees to marry a man she knows nothing about. San Francisco widower Martin Hocking proves to be as aloof as he is mesmerizingly handsome. Sophie quickly develops deep affection for Kat, Martin's silent five-year-old daughter, but Martin's odd behavior leaves her with the uneasy feeling that something about her newfound situation isn't right.

Then one early-spring evening, a stranger at the door sets in motion a transforming chain of events. Sophie discovers hidden ties to two other women. The first, pretty and pregnant, is standing on her doorstep. The second is hundreds of miles away in the American Southwest, grieving the loss of everything she once loved.

The fates of these three women intertwine on the eve of the devastating earthquake, thrusting them onto a perilous journey that will test their resiliency and resolve and, ultimately, their belief that love can overcome fear.

Kritters Thoughts:  Sophie Whalen moved from NYC to San Francisco to change her life and boy did it!  Sophie Whalen answered a newspaper add for a widower who needed a companion and someone to help him with his daughter as they mourned the loss of a wife and mother.  All isn't what it seems and then things take a turn when San Francisco suffers an earthquake and subsequent fire that will alter Sophie's life.  

My favorite historical fiction reads teach me about a point in history that I am unfamiliar with while reading a great story with characters that I am interested in and a plot that keeps me reading to the last sentence.  Sophie was a fantastic character to follow and I was rooting for her from the beginning.  The twists and turns in the plot happened at just the right time and the conclusion satisfied me to no end!  

I can vaguely remember hearing about this particular earthquake and the devastating effects that it had on this city and beyond.  It was so interesting to read this book with the 2021 perspective and how easily someone could disappear in 1906, especially amid a tragic and debilitating event.  I had to remind myself often of how different finding someone during this type of event in 1906 is from the here and now.    

I have read quite a few of Susan Meissner's books and they have all been so enjoyable.  I think there are two or three of her historical fiction novels that I need to read and would love to prioritize reading them soon.  

Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Ebook 2021 Challenge: 4 out of 100

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