THE IRISH NANNY

MY THOUGHTS:

Rose Brown boards a ship traveling from London to America.  She is determined to escape the dangers of World War II.  She is a nanny and her family in Ireland relies on the income from her job to live.  She is traveling with the Townsand family and as she is playing with baby Sarah the ship is begins to sink  because it was hit with a torpedo.   She hangs onto Sarah to make sure nothing happens to her.  Rose and Sarah are separated from the family amongst the chaos.  Rose is rescued from the sea while still holding the baby.  When she and Sarah arrive in New York, Rose searches desperately for the Townsend family.   But as soon as Rose finds Sarah’s father the attack on America, in Hawaii is announced and WWII begins.  Rose and Sarah’s life is forever changed as well as the families depending on them, for many different reasons. 

Pack your bags because this story will transport you from the West Coast of Ireland, to London and to New York on the journey of a lifetime.  I highly recommend this book and I cannot wait to read more by this author. This story is filled with love, loss, suspense and romance, and is one that I highly recommend reading.  I enjoyed this book from beginning to end, it is an amazing, unputdownable must read.

Thank you Sandy Taylor for such a wonderfully well written story.  This heartbreaking historical fiction is both enthralling and entertaining.  It hits all the emotions and definitely pulls at the heartstrings.  The characters were relatable and the storyline was believable.  I look forward to reading more books from this author.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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Rating: 5 out of 5.

DESCRIPTION:

THE IRISH NANNY
Author:  Sandy Taylor 
Publisher:  Bookouture 
Publication Date: July 30, 2021 
Pages: 329 
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‘We have to go, Miss. We can’t wait any longer.’ I hold the baby tighter as the lifeboat is lowered slowly into the water, hitting the rough sea with a splash. My eyes never leave the ship, searching, hoping to see the others and know they are safe…

London 1940. As the war rages in Europe, Rose Brown steps on board a ship bound for America, hoping to escape the danger. She’s frightened, but her widowed mammy and three sisters in Ireland need the money she earns as nanny to the rich Townsend family. But while Rose plays with baby Sarah in the salty spray on deck, disaster strikes, and the ocean liner begins to sink. In the chaos, Rose and the baby are separated from the family.

Pulled from the sea with the child still in her arms, Rose is afraid as never before. And when she arrives in Brooklyn to search for Sarah’s family she feels completely adrift in this unfamiliar land where looming Brownstones line the streets, and workmen in flat caps jostle her on the sidewalks. But just when Sarah’s father is within reach, the howling air-raid sirens and deafening bombs she thought she’d left behind shatter her plans once again as tragic news arrives from Pearl Harbor.

As fear and panic grips America, what heartbreaking sacrifices will Rose have to make to protect her precious charge? And can she reunite the family before it is too late?

ABOUT SANDY TAYLOR

Sandy Taylor grew up on a council estate near Brighton. There were no books in the house, so Sandy’s love of the written word was nurtured in the little local library. Leaving school at fifteen, Sandy worked in a series of factories before landing a job at Butlins in Minehead. This career change led her to becoming a singer, a stand up comic and eventually a playwright and novelist.

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THE RAINBOW

MY THOUGHTS:

Isla grew up hearing pre-war stories about her grandfather and how he fought the Germans to protect his people as a young soldier.  But while staying at her grandparents house, she is in the attic rummaging through old photos to collect for his 95th birthday celebration.  Isla finds a photo of her grandfather wearing a Nazi uniform.  Because her grandfather has dementia, he is unable to answer Isla’s questions about the photo.  So, Isla sets out tho find the truth behind the photograph.  

I found this book to be so intriguing, the plot twists and turns of this story make it a rapid page turner.  I absolutely could not wait to discover the truth in the story. This book is filled with love, betrayal and family, but when I found out that this was based on a true story, it surpassed extraordinary.  Phenomenal doesn’t describe it enough, it is truly a must read.  I enjoyed this book from beginning to end, it is an amazing, unputdownable must read. I wish I could give it more than five stars.

Thank you Carly Schabowski for such a wonderfully well written story.  This heartbreaking historical fiction is both engaging and entertaining.  It hits all the emotions and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The characters were relatable and I highly recommend this book.  I look forward to reading more books from this author.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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Rating: 5 out of 5.

DESCRIPTION:

THE RAINBOW

Author: Carly Schabowski

Publisher:  Bookouture 
Publication Date: July 28, 2021 
Pages: 294 
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There, on the dusty floorboards, was a piece of paper, folded neatly. A newspaper article from 1941, written in German, alongside a faded picture of two men in Nazi uniforms staring at the camera. I was about to place it back in the box of forgotten things when something in the text jumped out at me. My breath caught in my chest. I know that name.

London, present day. Isla has grown up hearing her beloved grandad’s stories about his life as a child in pre-war Poland and as a young soldier bravely fighting the Germans to protect his people. So she is shocked and heartbroken to find, while collecting photos for his 95th birthday celebration, a picture of her dear grandfather wearing a Nazi uniform. Is everything she thought she knew about him a lie?

Unable to question him due to his advanced dementia, Isla wraps herself in her rainbow-coloured scarf, a memento of his from the war, and begins to hunt for the truth behind the photograph. What she uncovers is more shocking than she could have ever anticipated – a tale of childhood sweethearts torn apart by family duty, and how one young man risked his life, his love and the respect of his own people, to secretly fight for justice from inside the heart of the enemy itself…

ABOUT CARLY SCHABOWSKI

Carly Schabowski worked as a journalist in both North   Cyprus and Australia before returning to Oxford, where she studied for an MA and then a PhD in creative writing at Oxford Brookes University. Carly now teaches at Oxford Brookes University as an associate lecturer in Creative Writing for first and second-year English literature students.

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THE BOOKSHOP MURDER

MY THOUGHTS:

Sussex, England in 1955 and bookshop owner Flora Steele opens her bookshop for business one morning and hidden within the bookcases she finds the body of a dead young man.  Not knowing who he is and how he got there, she has to save the reputation of her her bookshop and solve the mystery.  Flora asks Jack Carrington, a crime writer, and friend, to help her solve the crime.  They follow a lead to Abbeymead, and when they find the hotel where their victim was staying, they also find that the gardener for the hotel suddenly dies.  They are very suspicious and they have to find out if the two deaths are connected.

A cozy murder mystery that takes place in a bookshop, I love the idea.   The detailed description of the village was very intriguing, and the plot twists and turns of this story make it a rapid page turner.  I enjoyed this book from beginning to end, it was a fabulous read.

Thank you Merryn Allingham for such a wonderful, well written cozy mystery.  I thoroughly enjoyed it. The characters were relatable and I highly recommend this book.  I look forward to the next installment in the series…loved it.

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DESCRIPTION:

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Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

THE BOOKSHOP MURDER

Author:  Merryn Allingham 
Publisher:  Bookouture
Publication Date: July 26, 2021 
Pages: 256 
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Join Flora Steele – bookshop owner, bicycle-rider, day dreamer and amateur detective as she tackles her first case!

Sussex, 1955: When Flora Steele opens up her bookshop one morning she’s in for the surprise of her life! Because there, amongst her bookcases, is the body of a young man, with a shock of white-blond hair. But who was he? And how did he come to be there?

Determined to save her beloved bookshop’s reputation and solve the baffling mystery, Flora enlists the help of handsome and brooding Jack Carrington: crime writer, recluse and her most reliable customer.

The unlikely duo set about investigating the extraordinary case, following a lead across the sleepy village of Abbeymead to The Priory Hotel. When the hotel’s gardener dies suddenly, and they find out their victim was staying there, Flora’s suspicions are raised.

Are the two deaths connected? Is someone at the hotel responsible – the nervous cook, the money-obsessed receptionist, or the formidable manageress?

As the trail of clues takes Flora and Jack all over the village it becomes clear there’s more than one person hiding secrets in Abbeymead…

But does Flora have what it takes to uncover the truth – or will her amateur sleuthing put her in harm’s way?

ABOUT MERRYN ALLINGHAM

Merryn taught university literature for many years, and it took a while to pluck up the courage to begin writing herself. Bringing the past to life is a passion and her historical fiction includes Regency romances, wartime sagas and timeslip novels, all of which have a mystery at their heart. As the books have grown darker, it was only a matter of time before she plunged into crime with a cosy crime series set in rural Sussex against the fascinating backdrop of the 1950s.

Merryn lives in a beautiful old town in Sussex with her husband. When she’s not writing, she tries to keep fit with adult ballet classes and plenty of walking.

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THE MOTHERS OF VICTORY STREET

MY THOUGHTS:

It’s 1946 and the Bryant sisters have moved on with their lives now that the war has come to an end.  The devastating war that took the lives of so many people, including Bella Harrison’s father and sister.  The aftermath lives on and the new way of life is much different than how it used to be.  Bella wonders how and if they will ever be able to rebuild Victory Street.  Bella is happily married to Bobby and they are enjoying their life with five year old Levi.  Fran and Frankie have their daughter Lorraine, and Edie and Stevie are expecting their first child.  

The family dynamics of the sisters is so enthralling and the story is so well portrayed, that you feel as if you are actually part of the family.  I always love returning to Victory Street with the Bryant Sisters.  The plot twists and turns of this story make it unputdownable and unforgettable.  I loved this series from beginning to end. 

Thank you Pam Howes for yet another emotional and inspiring story.  This unforgettable story is beautifully written and engaging and will definitely be remembered.  This must read series is sure to be one of your favorites.  The characters were relatable and I highly recommend this entire series, it was absolutely amazing.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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Rating: 5 out of 5

DESCRIPTION:

THE MOTHERS OF VICTORY STREET
Author: Pam Howes
Publisher:  Bookouture 
Publication Date: July 23, 2021 
Pages: 220 
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1946, Liverpool. Bella Harrison cannot believe the devastating war that stole the lives of her father and sister is truly over at last. She wonders how they will ever rebuild Victory Street with the city in ruins, and half their neighbours gone. But for now, she and her childhood sweetheart Bobby are happy newlyweds, doting on Bella’s little son, her child with black American pilot, Earl Franklin Junior.

With the other members of Bella’s wartime singing trio, The Bryant Sisters, busy starting families of their own, Bella focuses on recording and writing songs with her husband. Everything seems to be falling into place until they get a surprising letter: Earl is moving to England and wants to see them.

Earl arrives and is delighted to see that his son is well and happy. He joins them as a singer and together, they start recording songs. But one night as Earl leaves the recording studio, a racist gang brutally attacks him and sets the place alight, leaving Bobby trapped inside. Meanwhile, Bella is at home, waiting to tell Bobby a devastating secret…

With peace in Liverpool at last, Bella had hoped for a brighter future. But as she faces her life being ripped apart once again, can she rediscover the strength that carried her through the war?

ABOUT PAM HOWES

Pam Howes was born in Cheshire. She is an ex Interior Designer who began writing seriously in the mid nineties. The idea for her first novel, set in the sixties, was inspired by her time as a teenager, working in a local record store and hanging around with musicians who frequented the business. That first novel evolved into a series set in the fictional town of Pickford, based on her home town of Stockport. Three Steps to Heaven; ‘Til I Kissed You; Always On My Mind; Not Fade Away, and That’ll Be The Day, follow the lives and loves through the decades of fictional Rock’n’Roll band The Raiders. Pam is a big fan of sixties music and it’s this love that compelled her to write the series. A stand-alone true-life romance, Fast Movin’ Train, set in the nineties, was published in early 2012. Pam is mum to three adult daughters, grandma to seven assorted grandchildren, and roadie to one musician partner.

Pam recently signed a second contract with the award winning publisher Bookouture and the first novel in her new Lark Lane series, The Factory Girls of Lark Lane, will be published in July 2018. Her first series for Bookouture – The Mersey Trilogy – is available in E book, paperback and as audio books.

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THE LITTLE ISLAND SECRET

MY THOUGHTS:

Abby is receiving letters from a mysterious stranger, filled with every little detail of his life on a quaint island.  But then, the letters stop coming and so, Abby and her daughter, Beth travel to  Kinlossay.  Abby has to find Cam, the person that has been sending the letters, but when she arrives on the island, she hopes she isn’t making a mistake.  Abby ventures out to to find out why the man she has never met before, and has become very fond of, has stopped sending her letters.  But, is there truth in the secrets that she has been reading about in the letters?  And who really is this man that has been sending them to her?  

This is escapism at its best. This story takes place in Cambridge, England, Scotland and the UK.  I loved that Abby owned and ran a bookshop, it really personalized the characters.  I was originally drawn to this book by the stunningly beautiful cover, but as soon as I opened the book and read the first page, couldn’t put it down.  I loved this story from beginning to end. 

Thank you Emma Davies  for another emotional and inspiring story.  This unforgettable story is beautifully written and engaging and one that pulls at your heartstrings.  This must read is sure to be one of your favorites.  The characters were relatable and I highly recommend this book, it was absolutely amazing.

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DESCRIPTION:

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Rating: 5 out of 5.

THE LITTLE ISLAND SECRET

Author:  Emma Davies 
Publisher:  Bookouture 
Publication Date: July 21, 2021 
Pages: 300 
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I catch sight of a familiar face across the street, and my breath stops. I’m not sure any answers he can give me will mend my shattered heart – but I need them anyway. This island has kept its secrets long enough.

When Abby steps off the ferry and onto the isle of Kinlossay, she squeezes her daughter’s hand and prays this trip was not a mistake. For the last year she has been receiving letters from a mysterious stranger detailing every moment of his life on this rugged little island. Swept away by descriptions of buttercups dancing on rolling fields, his words were a lifeline to Abby, filling her grey life with colour. But then, one day, the messages stopped.

Perhaps Abby should have forgotten about the man who gave her hope again, but she’s learned the hard way that she needs to make her own luck in life. She knows what she felt as she read those letters and she owes it to herself and her daughter to find out the truth.

But what if the truth means discovering that nothing about the man you thought you knew is real? When the secret of the island is revealed, will Abby run home to safety, or stay and fight for the life her daughter deserves?

ABOUT EMMA DAVIES

Hello, a little bit about me ……

Before we go any further there are two things you need to know: One – I love singing loudly in the car, and Two – I have a passion for Pringles.

If you’re happy with both these things then please feel free to read on ….

Once upon a time I worked in a design agency where I was asked to write an amusing caption to go beside my details on their website. I wrote ‘I am a best selling novelist currently masquerading as a thirty something mother of three.’

Well I’m now a fifty something mother of three and am happy to report the rest came true. I’m a member of The Romantic Novelists’ Association, and live with my husband and children in rural Shropshire. I write in the gaps between real life.

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A LIGHT IN THE WINDOW

MY THOUGHTS:

It’s 1941 and World War II is raging on and Margarete Rosenbaum is working as a housemaid for a senior Nazi officer.  When the house she is working in gets bombed, she is the only survivor.  Margarete is mistaken for the officer’s daughter, and she sees it as her opportunity to finally be free.  But, when her former employer’s son, Willhem Huber tracks her down he keeps her identity a secret.  He wants her to move to Paris with him as his sister.  He will go to great lengths to protect her. 

Wow, this story was so unbelievably amazing, that I almost don’t know what to say.  I was so amazed by the endurance, risks and courage people will do to change a life.  To protect the one you love and make it through one of the most difficult times in history, is so well written in this story, it will have you flying through the pages unable to stop until the very end.  This unforgettable must read, is one that will definitely stick with you long after you finish reading it.  This book absolutely needs to be on the top of your to be read pile. 

Thank you Marion Kummerow for another emotional and wonderfully written story.  The characters were relatable and I highly recommend this book, it was absolutely amazing.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

DESCRIPTION:

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Rating: 5 out of 5.

A LIGHT IN THE WINDOW

Author:  Marion Kummerow 
Publisher:  Bookouture 
Publication Date: July 20, 2021 
Pages: 282 
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Margarete stumbles out of the bombed-out house, the dust settling around her like snow. Mistaking her for the dead officer’s daughter, a guard rushes over to gently ask her if she is all right and whether there’s anything he can do to help her. She glances down at where the hated yellow star had once been, and with barely a pause, she replies “Yes”.

Berlin, 1941: Margarete Rosenbaum is working as a housemaid for a senior Nazi officer when his house is bombed, leaving her the only survivor. But when she’s mistaken for his daughter in the aftermath of the blast, Margarete knows she can make a bid for freedom…

Issued with temporary papers—and with the freedom of not being seen as Jewish—a few hours are all she needs to escape to relative safety. That is, until her former employer’s son, SS officer Wilhelm Huber, tracks her down.

But strangely he doesn’t reveal her true identity right away. Instead he insists she comes and lives with him in Paris, and seems determined to keep her hidden. His only condition: she must continue to pretend to be his sister. Because whoever would suspect a Nazi girl of secretly being a Jew?

His plan seems impossible, and Margarete is terrified they might be found out, not to mention worried about what Wilhelm might want in return. But as the Nazis start rounding up Jews in Paris and the Résistance steps up its activities, putting everyone who opposes the regime in peril, she realizes staying hidden in plain sight may be her only chance of survival…

Can Margarete trust a Nazi officer with the only things she has left though… her safety, her life, even her heart?

ABOUT MARION KUMMEROW

Marion Kummerow is a USA Today Bestselling author of historical fiction.

She was born and raised in Germany, before she set out to “discover the world” and lived in various countries. After many years abroad she returned to Germany and settled down in Munich where she’s now living with her husband and two children.

After dipping her toes with non-fiction books, she finally tackled the project dear to her heart. UNRELENTING is the story about her grandparents, who belonged to the German resistance and fought against the Nazi regime. It’s a book about resilience, love and the courage to stand up and do the right thing. Since then she has started writing the War Girl Series. Intended as a trilogy, she grew so fond of the characters that she’s now plotting book 12 in the series.

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THE LOST GIRL OF BERLIN

MY THOUGHTS: 

It’s 1946 and World War II has come to an end.  The aftermath of the war lives on and Kate Mancini, a war correspondent is in Berlin, Germany reporting her stories back to New York.  Kate encounters an orphan Mia Stein whom she rescues.  Kate and a fellow journalist Rick Shearer find a safe house for Mia to live.  The child was mute, but had an immediate connection with Kate.  Kate must return to New York but vows to stay in touch with Mia.  Meanwhile, Rick lands his dream job, but Kate is denied a job and is told to go get married and raise a family.  Kate and Rick find themselves traveling together, but when Rick is arrested and falsely accused of being a communist, Kate must do everything she can to free the man she loves, including finding Mia and asking her to help them.  

This was such a great continuation of the Daughters of New York series. The author does an amazing job of bridging these two stories together.  I really enjoyed the chemistry of the main characters, and the bravery that they had to endure in order to survive.  This was an amazing, emotional, well written, heartbreaking story of family, friendship, love and surviving one of the most difficult times in history.  

Thank you Ella Carey for another emotional and wonderful story.  The storyline was captivating, the characters were relatable and the story is unforgettable.  I highly recommend this series, it was absolutely amazing.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

DESCRIPTION:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 5 out of 5.

THE LOST GIRL OF BERLIN
Author:  Ella Carey 
Publisher:  Bookouture 
Publication Date: July 12, 2021 
Pages: 324 
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The truck stopped for a moment in the freezing, bombed-out street and Kate caught sight of a little girl in a ragged dress on the steps of a once-beautiful mansion. The child’s eyes were startling blue, a pair of endless pools, drawing Kate towards her…

1946, Berlin. War correspondent Kate Mancini is in Germany, reporting on the aftermath of the devastating war. For her readers back home in New York, she tells the stories of innocent families, trying to rebuild the wreckage of their lives now the soldiers have left at last. But in the Russian-held sector of Berlin on an icy winter’s day, Kate breaks all the rules, rescuing Mia Stein, a silent orphan who she fears will otherwise perish.

Together with her fellow journalist, handsome Rick Shearer, Kate manages to find a safe house for Mia before she returns to America and vows to keep in touch. Back home, the reality of post-war life for women is stark. Whilst Rick walks into his dream job, no newspaper will hire a woman. The editors laugh her out of their offices, telling her to get married and raise a family. Rick does all he can to support her, as she takes her first steps towards the new medium of television news, and their friendship deepens into something more.

Then tragedy strikes: Rick is falsely named as a communist sympathizer. He is arrested, blacklisted and faces prison.

Kate knows she must do all she can to free the man she loves. But that means returning to Germany, to seek out the little orphan girl who is her only chance at salvation. Kate and Rick saved Mia—will she help them both now? And even if Kate succeeds, freedom might never be hers when she returns home…

ABOUT ELLA CAREY

Ella Carey is the international bestselling author of The Things We Don’t Say, Secret Shores, From a Paris Balcony, The House by the Lake, and Paris Time Capsule. Her books have been published in over fourteen languages, in twelve countries, and have been shortlisted for ARRA awards. A Francophile who has long been fascinated by secret histories set in Europe’s entrancing past, Ella has degrees in music, nineteenth-century women’s fiction, and modern European history. She lives in Melbourne with her two children and two Italian greyhounds who are constantly mistaken for whippets. Ella loves to connect with her readers regularly through her facebook page and on her website.

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