PAGE~TURNERS: January 2022

Sunday, January 30, 2022

THE COMMANDANT’S DAUGHTER

MY THOUGHTS:

Berlin, 1933, Hanni is only ten years old when Germany gets a new leader. Her father Reiner, takes a job as a commandant of a concentration camp. Hanni’s life is completely changed by everything that is happening around her. Her father isn’t the same man that she once admired. Twelve years later Hanni now, twenty two, vows to help those in the camp that she shouldn’t help when she was a child. She has photographs of what is actually going on in the camp. But then Hanni finds a body in a bombed-out building and she meets Freddy, the detective assigned to the case. She tells Freddy about everything going on in the camp where her father works. But Reiner tells Hanni that if she reveals everything about the camp, it would be very dangerous for him. But, Hanni is determined to help the people, and sending all her photographs to the Allies would save so many lives, but it would destroy her father. She must decide between the past she hates and the possibility of a future with Freddy.

This book was a gripping and captivating story. The author did an amazing job of communicating Hanni’s emotions throughout the story. She was devastated by what her father was doing and so desperate to make things right. This was an emotional, heartbreaking and powerful read. I’m happy to know it is just the beginning of a series and I can’t wait to read the continuation of this story. I really enjoyed this story from beginning to end. It is a must read.

Thank you Catherine Hokin for such an enjoyable story. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I thought this story was very engrossing and I look forward to the next book in the series. I highly recommend it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

DESCRIPTION:

THE COMMANDANT’S DAUGHTER

Author: Catherine Hokin
Publisher: Bookouture
Publication Date: January 26, 2022
Pages: 314
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1933, Berlin. Ten-year-old Hanni Foss stands by her father watching the celebrations marking Adolf Hitler as Germany’s new leader. As the torchlights fade, her safe and happy childhood changes forever as Reiner, the father she adores, is corrupted by his new position as commandant of an infamous concentration camp…
Twelve years later. As the Nazi regime crumbles, Hanni hides from her father on the outskirts of Berlin. In stolen moments, she develops the photographs she took to record the horrors of the camp – the empty food bowls and desperate faces – and vows to get justice for the innocent people she couldn’t help as a child.
But her carefully constructed new life is threatened when Hanni discovers a body hidden in a bombed-out building, and meets Freddy, the tortured young detective in charge of the case. Could the fierce emotion in his brown eyes distract Hanni from her quest for atonement?
Or will Reiner stop her himself? Because on the day she plans to deliver her damning photographs to the Allies, Hanni comes face to face with her father again. Reiner Foss has a powerful new identity and he makes it clear just how dangerous it will be to expose him. Now she faces a devastating choice, between the past which haunts her, and the chance of a future with Freddy…

ABOUT CATHERINE HOKIN

Catherine Hokin is the author of two World War Two inspired novels set in Berlin, her favourite city. Following a History degree at Manchester University she worked in teaching, marketing and politics, while waiting for a chance to do what she really wanted which was to write full time. Her short stories have been published by iScot, Writers Forum and Myslexia magazines and she was the winner of the 2019 Fiction 500 Short Story Competition. She is a lover of strong female leads and a quest.
Catherine now lives in Glasgow with her American husband. She has two grown-up children – one of whom lives, very conveniently, in Berlin – and a life long addiction to very loud music.

Saturday, January 29, 2022

THE CHILD WITHOUT A HOME

MY THOUGHTS:

East Prussia, 1944, Agnes is just 12 years old when everyone in her village is forced to fight for the Nazis while all the women and children are forced to leave their homes. But when tragedy strikes her family, Agnes and her brother Dieter, are completely alone. Agnes takes care of her brother the best that she can. Cambridge, present day, Freya is devastated at the loss of her grandfather. Not only did he raise her but, she loved hearing his stories of when he was a pilot in World War Two. Now he is gone and so are his stories. Soon, Freya meets her new next door neighbor, Agnes and there is something very familiar about her. Agnes has stories of her own and some of them, if told would change everything Freya knows about her own family.

This book was so captivating, I was on edge while flipping through the pages as fast as I could, to find out what was going to happen. I felt a connection with Agnes, and I admired her courage, determination, and will to survive. Her bravery and dedication to protecting her younger brother was truly heartwarming. This was an emotional, heartbreaking and engrossing read. I loved this story and it is a must read for every historical fiction fan.

Thank you Ann Bennett for such a wonderful story. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I loved that it was a time slip novel. The storyline of 1944 and present day was really amazing and kept me totally interested. The connection to the characters was really heartwarming. I enjoyed this story from the beginning to the end. I highly recommend it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

DESCRIPTION:

THE CHILD WITHOUT A HOME

Author: Ann Bennett
Publisher: Bookouture
Publication Date: January 28, 2022
Pages: 325
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1944, East Prussia. When the war comes to twelve-year-old Agnes’ village, she finds herself stuck between two terrifying armies. Everyone in her town has been forced to fight for the Nazis, and as the Red Army approaches every innocent woman and child is made to leave their home. Then tragedy strikes and Agnes and her brother Dieter find themselves completely alone in a vast, isolated woodland. Though she is terrified, Agnes knows that she must protect her brother, no matter the cost…
Cambridge, present day. When her beloved grandfather dies, Freya is distraught. Not only has she lost the man who helped raise her, but she knows the story of his time as a pilot in World War Two, and her family’s history, is gone forever. But then Freya meets her new next-door neighbour Agnes, whose accent is just like her grandfather’s. She has a framed picture of a snow-covered castle that looks strangely familiar, and a weather-beaten image of a little blonde boy in braces and boots.
Agnes vowed never to tell the painful story of the young boy who risked everything for her, even if Freya believes Agnes may hold the key to unlocking her own family’s secrets. But what Freya doesn’t realise is that Agnes’ past has the power to change everything she ever thought she knew about her family…

ABOUT ANN BENNETT

Ann Bennett was born in a small village in Northamptonshire and now lives in Surrey. Her first book, A Daughter’s Quest, originally published as Bamboo Heart, was inspired by her father’s experience as a prisoner of war on the Thai-Burma Railway. The Planter’s Wife (originally published as Bamboo Island) a Daughter’s Promise and The Homecoming, (formerly Bamboo Road) are also about the war in South East Asia.

Tuesday, January 25, 2022

A SECRET AT TANSY FALLS

MY THOUGHTS:

Returning to beautiful Tansy Falls in the hills of Vermont, Connie is managing the Covered Bridge Inn and she couldn’t be happier. She is so happy to be returning to the farmhouse that she shares with her husband Nate. Nate becomes very distant from Connie and she doesn’t know why until a stranger arrives at the farmhouse with a shocking secret about Nate. Heartbroken Connie leans on her best friend Piper, and friends at the Inn, to help her get through the hardest time of her life. Once Connie feels like she is finally able to put her life back together another horrible secret surfaces.

I enjoyed returning to Tansy Falls, and Covered Bridge Inn. This story was such a captivating read, I was waiting with anticipation, from one page to the next to find out what was going to happen. I couldn’t wait to see how the story was going to unfold. I again loved the detailed description of the hills of Vermont, as it makes me wish I could visit Tansy Falls. I thought this story is enjoyable addition to the Tansy Falls series. I loved this story and it is a must read.

Thank you Cate Woods for such a wonderful addition to the Tansy Falls series. I really enjoyed this story and felt connected to the characters. I enjoyed this story from the beginning to the end. I highly recommend it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

DESCRIPTION:

A SECRET AT TANSY FALLS
Author: Cate Woods
Published by: Bookouture
Publication Date: January 20, 2022
Pages: 236
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The old farmhouse at Tansy Falls. A little patch of paradise in the hills of Vermont. Home to happy couple Connie and Nate. And a long-buried secret that will ignite a devastating spark…
As the summer sun sets over the sleepy Vermont town of Tansy Falls, Connie is reminded of how lucky she is. Every day, when she leaves the job she loves, managing the Covered Bridge Inn with her best friend Piper, she looks forward to returning to the farmhouse she shares with her husband Nate. At home, her flowerbeds overflow with day lilies and the weathered brick walls of her beautiful house glow in the evening light. The air is filled with the scent of the puffed apple pancakes she prepared that morning.
But one night, when Nate returns home, he is distant. He and Connie have been married for a long time, and while the laughter and lingering kisses have dwindled, Connie believed they would be together forever. So when a stranger arrives on their doorstep with a shocking secret about Nate, Connie’s life changes beyond all recognition.
Connie never thought she’d need to start over and live a life without Nate by her side. But as her heart breaks, Piper and the team at the inn are ready to help stitch it back together, with thoughtful advice washed down with warm spiced cider. As Connie begins to feel whole again, distraction arrives in the form of olive-skinned, broad-shouldered newcomer James. Nate has taught Connie that she doesn’t need a man, but James’s arrival helps her discover that she can follow her own dreams too. But as more secrets come to the surface, Connie wonders if she’ll ever truly be able to leave behind her past for good…

ABOUT CATE WOODS

Cate Woods made the most of her university degree in Anglo-Saxon Literature by embarking on a career making tea on programmes including The Big Breakfast, Who Wants to be a Millionaire and French & Saunders. After narrowly missing out on the chance to become a Channel 5 weather girl, she moved into the world of magazine journalism, then ghostwriting and now writes novels under her own name. She has written two best-selling romantic comedies – Just Haven’t Met You Yet and More Than a Feeling – and a festive novel, The Christmas Guest, under the name Daisy Bell. Cate lives in London with her husband and two children.

Monday, January 24, 2022

STOLEN FROM HER MOTHER

MY THOUGHTS:

Ireland, 1941, Kate lives on her family farm in Ireland taking care of her sick father. While the war rages on Kate meets Tony who is an airman and an American. They fall in love and Tony promises to marry her. But then Tony leaves for duty and he promises her he’ll come back for her. Kate writes letters to Tony telling him that he has a baby girl named Eva. But Kate never heard back from him, so she wonders if he is still alive. Then the unimaginable happens, Eva is taken from Kate. Kate promises Eva that she will never stop looking for her. But time is running out, Kate must escape and find Eva before it’s too late.

I was so taken with this story it was unputdownable and I read through the pages lightning fast. I could not wait to see how the story was going to unfold. I was pulled into the story from the very first page. This book literally hit every emotion. I was, happy, sad, heartbroken, hopeful, inspired and tearful. What an absolutely amazing book. I loved this story, it is truly a must read.

Thank you Rachel Wesson for such a wonderful story. I really enjoyed this story as it ignited every emotion. I was completely engrossed in this story from beginning to end unable to stop until the very end. I highly recommend it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

DESCRIPTION:

STOLEN FROM HER MOTHER
Author: Rachel Wesson
Published by: Bookouture
Publication Date: January 21, 2022
Pages: 380
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With a broken heart, she sinks to the ground. Tears run down her face as the truth hits her. “You can’t do this. She’s my daughter, my flesh and blood. I’ll never stop looking for her. Never. No matter what you say or do, I’ll find her.”
Ireland, 1941: While war rages across the world, Kate struggles on her family farm by the wild Atlantic Ocean. Living off rations and looking after her sick father, she doesn’t dare dream of falling in love.
But when she meets American airman, Tony, whose blue eyes are as stormy as the sea, her life collides with the war in ways she never imagined… They fall madly in love, stealing kisses in the rolling fields, and Tony vows to make her his wife.
Their time is cut short when Tony leaves for war, promising to come back for her. Only then does Kate learn she is carrying his child––but when her family find out, she is shunned and banished to a Magdalen Laundry.
Imprisoned in the home for unmarried mothers, where the windows are covered in barbed wire, the girls survive on scraps and sleep in a crammed dormitory. Kate writes to Tony to tell him about their child, but she never hears back… Is he even still alive?
And when she gives birth to baby Eva, Kate’s worst nightmare comes true: her precious child is sold to a stranger. But she made a promise to her darling daughter, and she’ll never stop looking for her. Can Kate escape, save her child and reunite her family before it’s too late?

ABOUT RACHEL WESSON

Rachel Wesson is the author of several best selling series including her latest based on the Orphan Trains. Having always been a fan of history, Rachel tries to combine her love of history with a good story.

Rachel Wesson was born in Kilkenny, Ireland but considers herself to be from the capital, Dublin as that’s where she spent most of her life. Her dad brought Rachel and her two sisters out every Saturday to give their mother a break. He took them to the library and for ice-cream after. It took a long time for her sisters to forgive her for the hours she spent choosing her books!

She grew up driving everyone nuts asking them questions about what they did during the War or what side they were on in the 1916 rising etc. Finally her Granny told her to write her stories down so people would get the pleasure of reading them. In fact what Granny meant was everyone would get some peace while Rachel was busy writing!

When not writing, or annoying relatives, Rachel was reading. Her report cards from school commented on her love of reading especially when she should have been learning. Seems you can’t read Great Expectations in Maths.

After a doomed love affair and an unpleasant bank raid during which she defended herself with a tea tray, she headed to London for a couple of years. (There is a reason she doesn’t write romance!). She never intended staying but a chance meeting with the man of her dreams put paid to any return to Ireland. Having spent most of her career in the City, she decided something was missing. Working in the City is great but it’s a young person’s dream. Having three children you never see isn’t good for anyone. So she packed in the job and started writing. Thanks to her amazing readers, that writing turned into a career far more exciting and rewarding than any other.

Rachel lives in Surrey with her husband and three children, two boys and a girl. When not reading, writing or watching films for “research” purposes, Rachel likes to hang out with her family. She also travels regularly back home – in fact she should have shares in BA and Aerlingus.

Saturday, January 22, 2022

ALASKAN CALIBRATION

MY THOUGHTS:

Roy and his family decide to venture to Alaska for the vacation of a lifetime. But then, their vacation turns into a permanent relocation, after an invitation is received to work in an Alaskan roadhouse. So, Roy and Lou move their family from Michigan to Alaska. Soon their familiar life in Michigan is just a memory. Lou finds the new life for her family, in rural Alaska to be both a challenge and an adventure. She learns to be courageous in all aspects of her life knowing that is what it will take to survive in Alaska.

I loved the story about that bear. I absolutely loved this story. I was pulled into the story from the very first page. I felt immediately whisked away to Alaska.This wonderful story was well written, and had me reminiscing of the four years that I lived in Alaska. I found Lou’s story to be both heart-warming and inspirational. I look forward to reading the next book in this series. I loved this story, it is truly a must read.

Thank you Maryann Landers for such a wonderful story. I really enjoyed this book and the detailed description of Alaska was perfect. I was completely engrossed in this story from beginning to end. I highly recommend it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

DESCRIPTION:

ALASKAN CALIBRATION
Author: Maryann Landers
Publisher: Independent Publisher
Publication Date: June 16, 2021
Pages: 236
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I’D FOUND THE STABILITY OF PEACE
THEN MY FAITH WAS CHALLENGED BY THE ENMITY OF CHANGE
I met Roy at fourteen and with the toss of a coin that summer night, I dialed in the love of my life. We wasted years until we found the answer to our hearts' longing in Jesus.
On the evening of our baptism, Roy suggested our family of four venture on his dream vacation to Alaska. Although reluctant to traverse the country, I was determined to enjoy the much needed family time.
When an invitation to work at an iconic Alaskan roadhouse forced the trajectory of our summer in an unexpected direction, my tight grip on our familiar Michigan life started to slip.
Will this quest for an Alaskan adventure be worth the sacrifice for us all?
Will my new faith in Christ withstand the storms of change and awaken the transformation I didn’t know I needed or will I crumble under the leaden weight of my husband’s dreams?
The Alaskan Women of Caliber Series unfolds a fictional tapestry based on true, pivotal stories of rebirth, escape, love, sacrifice, and discovery. The visceral backdrop of the arctic impacts women and draws them to its Creator. Follow these women and the heartbeat of their high caliber life events.

ABOUT MARYANN LANDERS

Alaskan based author Maryann Landers writes women’s faith filled fiction based on true stories of extraordinary women of her magnificent state. She loves to showcase the unique north and give her readers a little taste of rustic Alaska.

While writing in her log home in the woods she is also looking forward to her next adventure with her Alaskan husband, juggling mom tasks such as crafting homemade meals from moose and caribou meat, building DIY projects from scrap wood piles and guiding her teens in their homeschooling.

Tuesday, January 18, 2022

THE WIDOW’S LAST SECRET

MY THOUGHTS:

Bella Farrow lost everything due to a decision, a horrible mistake that she made. The mistake forced her to leave behind her home, her family and her livelihood. And when she lost her beloved, dedicated and faithful husband in a horrific accident, Bella finds herself completely alone. She must succeed in life and has to do it all on her own. She has to keep everything about her past a secret or risk imprisonment. But Bella is settling into her new found life, and a new identity, and then she meets a man, James Earlham. Just then everything changes for Bella, they have an immediate attraction to each other but she feels she has to be completely honest with him about the past she has tried to bury.

This story was so heartbreaking, gripping and so exciting. I absolutely loved this story. I was so torn with Bella, should she reveal her past, or should she continue to keep it a secret? I couldn’t decide. I was pulled into the story from the very first page. This phenomenal story is one you will definitely remember for a very long time. I loved this story, it is truly a must read.

Thank you Lora Davies for such a wonderful historical fiction read. I absolutely loved that this story kept me guessing all the way to the end. I really enjoyed this amazing and wonderful story, and I highly recommend it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

DESCRIPTION:

THE WIDOW’S LAST SECRET
Author: Lora Davies
Publisher: Bookouture
Publication Date: January 18, 2022
Pages: 292
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Victorian England, 1846: A gripping and powerful story about one woman’s incredible courage in the face of heartbreak, and a secret that – if revealed – could destroy everything.
Six years ago, Bella Farrow lost everything. Desperate and starving, she made a terrible mistake that forced her to abandon her home, her livelihood and her family. And when the only person she trusted – her beloved, steadfast husband – was killed in a tragic accident, Bella was left alone. She had to make her own way, while keeping her past hidden upon risk of imprisonment, or worse…
Now Bella is living a quiet life under a secret identity and making a good, honest living. But then a young, handsome man named James Earlham comes to town, and everything changes. Their instant connection disturbs her heart, her peace and her safety. Because Bella knows that for their love to flourish, she will have to reveal the secret that has remained hidden all these years – and put her trust in James.
Bella’s heart tells her to confess everything. But can she be sure James is really who he says he is? Can Bella truly be herself with him? Or is she putting her life in the hands of the one person who could betray her?

ABOUT LORA DAVIES

For as long as I can remember, I have been happiest with a book in my hands. From hiding under the covers with a torch as a small child so that I could stay up reading, to studying English at university so that I could get my hands on even more books – I guess it was only a matter of time before I went from reading books to writing them. It wasn’t a straightforward path; my passion for gripping plots and rounded characters led me first to work as an actor and theatre director, but after a Creative Writing course at my local bookshop, I was hooked. After completing a Masters at Royal Holloway, University of London, I finished my first novel, Daughter of the Shipwreck. I live in Brighton where I get inspiration from the incredibly rich history of the city and the inspiring and beautiful natural environment.

Monday, January 17, 2022

THE HIDDEN VILLAGE

MY THOUGHTS:

Holland, 1943 Sofie’s family is threatened by the German soldiers and so she and her family flee in the middle of the night. They hide in a neighbor’s secret attic, but with constant threats of German raids their time hiding in the attic will be short. Sofie’s parents make the hardest decision of their lives. They decide to send Sofie away to a secret village hidden in the woods. The village was built by the local town for the purpose of offering a safe place for Jewish families. Being there is the only hope that they have of surviving. But the Nazis have gotten word about it and they are looking for it. Their determination and persistence in finding it is closing in on the families. But when the unthinkable happens, Sofie has to decide if she should save the village or save herself. This story was so heartbreaking and so inspiring I couldn’t put it down. I absolutely loved this story. My heart was pounding with the anticipation of what was going to happen next. You can’t help but feel like you are hiding in the village waiting to take your next breath. The author, Imogen Matthews has an amazing way of pulling you into the story from the very beginning and never letting you go. This phenomenal story is one you will never forget. My heart breaks when I think about the horrible things people had to endure during that time. But I find hope in their survival. I loved this story, I can’t recommend it enough.

Thank you Imogen Matthews for such a wonderful historical fiction story. I absolutely loved that this story took place in Holland. I really enjoyed this wonderful story, and I highly recommend it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

DESCRIPTION:

THE HIDDEN VILLAGE
Author: Imogen Matthews
Publisher: Bookouture
Publication Date: January 17, 2022
Pages: 352
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A Nazi soldier slams his rifle into her father’s head. From her hiding place, Sofie stifles a scream as tears roll down her face. Suddenly she can’t take it any more. ‘Stop, stop!’ she sobs, rushing out and pushing the soldier away. And then freezes, as he snarls and whips the gun round to point at her…
Holland, 1943: the Nazis are in occupation. German soldiers patrol the streets, and each week more families disappear without trace, never to be seen again. So when armed soldiers storm Sofie’s house and threaten her father at gunpoint, she knows their time – and luck – has run out.
Fleeing in the middle of the night to hide in a neighbour’s secret attic, the constant threat of a German raid means they can’t stay long. So Sofie’s parents make the heart-rending decision to send their daughter away. Concealed in the woods is a secret village, built by the town as a haven for Jewish families like Sofie’s. Remote, cold and bleak, yet filled with the hopeful laughter of children playing, it is the one place Sofie has the chance to live.
But rumours of the hidden village have been swirling, and the Nazis are determined to find it. As soldiers patrol the woods in ever-greater numbers, snow cuts the villagers off from the outside world and starvation sets in. Sofie knows what she must do, even though it means putting herself in danger. And when the worst happens, Sofie is faced with a terrible decision – save the village, or save herself…

ABOUT IMOGEN MATTHEWS

Imogen Matthews is an Oxford-based, award-winning author and journalist with an interest in forgotten stories from WW2 Holland. Imogen was born in Rijswijk, Holland, to a Dutch mother and English father who moved the family to England when Imogen was very young. All her life, she listened to her mother’s stories about her life in Holland, in particular the hardships she faced during the Hunger Winter in 1944-5, which has had a profound impact on her writing.