THE NOTE

MY THOUGHTS:

Germany 1942, Adeline and Jozef arrive at Auschwitz together but as soon as the train stops they are immediately separated from each other.  They feel as if life as they know it to be has ended.  They wonder if they will ever see each other again.  Ten years later in South Carolina, when a horrible summer storm goes through the area, the body of a young girl is found on the shore of a lake.  Some of the local residents are at the lake to see what is happening.  Thirteen year old Alice is among the crowd at the lake, when she notices an on-looker hiding in the trees.  He is new in town and a German refugee named Jozef.  The townspeople tell Alice that Jozef couldn’t be trusted and that she should stay away from him.  Alice wonders why he is there at the lake and if he is somehow linked to what is happening.  Alice confronts Jozef and he begins to open up to her and telling her stories of the horrible things that he endured at Auschwitz.  He was a survivor but so many others were not.  Soon Alice discovers why Jozef was at the lake.  

This story was so moving and heartbreaking at the same time.  It was a beautifully written story and I found myself crying, mesmerized and totally lost among the pages.  This story was one that lingered with me, and my mind was wondering back to it for days after I finished the book.  The author made such a wonderful and personal connection between the reader and the characters.  I loved the author’s notes at the end of the book…well done.  This story of friendships, love and loss is just what I needed.  I absolutely loved everything about this book from cover to cover and I highly recommend this book. This author is definitely an auto buy, auto read for me.

Thank you Carly Schabowski  for a such wonderful, moving and phenomenal story.  I was completely enthralled in your book and found myself to be captivated from the very beginning until the end.  I highly recommend this book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 5 out of 5.

DESCRIPTION:

THE NOTE

Author: Carly Schabowski

Publisher:  Bookouture 
Publication Date: March 28, 2022
Pages: 300 
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The wooden slats of the cart block out all light, and the train’s wheels scream. At some stations, they are given bread, some water, but nowhere near enough. A man nearby says they are going to a camp—he doesn’t know what it will be like, but he’s sure that it will be better than this. Jozef holds Adeline’s hand and watches her sleep, her eyelashes fluttering. He hopes she’s dreaming happy dreams…

Auschwitz, 1942. Adeline and Jozef cling to each other as they are directed off the train and pulled apart by Nazi guards at the gates of Auschwitz. Stripped of their belongings, their arms are inked with prison numbers. In the death camp, their days are numbered––will they ever see each other again?

South Carolina, ten years later. As a summer storm sweeps in, shocked townspeople gather at the edge of a forest lake. The body of a local girl had been found on the bank that morning. As thirteen-year-old Alice stands in the crowd, she catches sight of a figure, hidden in the trees, watching. She knows who he is—a newcomer in town, a German refugee named Jozef. Her neighbors whisper that he can’t be trusted—that he saw terrible things in the war. But what, Alice wonders, is he doing here now? And could he possibly be connected to what has just happened?

When Alice confronts the man, Jozef opens ups about his painful past. Hearing about the desperate choices people were forced to make in Auschwitz, and the hunt for freedom amongst so much heartbreak, Alice starts to see her own life—and the death of her friend—in a new light. And, as their bond deepens, Alice finally uncovers why Jozef was at the lake that day. When the long-awaited storm breaks the suffocating heatwave, the terrible truth finally comes out, and Alice’s life will never be the same again…

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 GIRL IN THE SHADOWS

MY THOUGHTS:

Germany 1943, Margaret Rosenbaum is living in a mansion in northern Germany.   She is living as Annegret Huber after a bombing raid.  She went from being a Jew to the heiress of a family fortune.  But when she realizes that part of her inheritance includes a factory and a Nazi prison camp, she decides she must do more.   She has done everything she can to help reduce the suffering of the prisoners.  She has to help the prisoners escape so that they can survive. She is the only one that can lead them to safety and freedom.  An escape route through Sweden is the only possible option she has.  Then she meets Stefan, and she immediately feels a connection with, however, he doesn’t trust her.  She must continue on with her mission to save as many people as possible from Hitler’s regime.  

This story was so, heartbreaking and so beautifully written.  The story was absolutely heart pounding and so gripping that I couldn’t find a spot to stop reading.  I devoured this book and I was so heartbroken at the detailed description of what happened in the camps.  The stories of the courage and determination that people had, to survive such a horrific time, always amazes and inspires me.  This phenomenal story is one that will stay with you forever.  I absolutely loved it and I absolutely recommend this book.  Every historical fiction fan must read this one.

Thank you Marion Kummerow for a wonderful, phenomenal story.  I was completely captivated from the first page to the last.  I highly recommend this book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 5 out of 5.

DESCRIPTION:

THE GIRL IN THE SHADOWS
Author:  Marion Kummerow

Publisher:  Bookouture

Publication Date: March 23, 2022 
Pages: 290 
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1943, Germany: Two years ago, fate gave a beautiful young Jewish woman named Margarete Rosenbaum the chance to survive the Nazis, by pretending to be one of them, hiding in plain sight. Now she must make a terrifying decision…

Margarete lives as Annegret Huber would have, in a beautiful rural mansion by a forest in northern Germany. She is the heiress to the entire Huber fortune—one which she has devastatingly discovered includes a factory and Nazi prison camp. Margarete has done everything she can to help improve conditions there, and to reduce suffering for the prisoners who remind her so much of her own lost family and friends.

However, as the war rages on and the Nazi party becomes more brutal in its treatment of Jews, she realizes she must do more. She has to help the prisoners escape to real safety, because they will never be safe in Hitler’s Germany.

She’s heard of a route to freedom through Sweden. Although that means secretly reaching out to the resistance. With the risk of betrayal at every turn, her enquiries lead her to a man named Stefan, who she instantly feels a powerful connection to. But she fears he will never trust her… unless she reveals the secret that keeps her safe.

At the same time, a Nazi officer begins to show romantic interest in her, making it harder to keep her identity a secret. His loyalty to the party is beyond question, so if he finds her out, not only will her plan be at risk, but also her life and those of everyone she cares for.

But can she let that fear stop her from saving others? Because she knows she herself could so easily be one of the faces on the other side of the fence. And that, in the darkest times, sometimes the only person who can rise up is the girl in the shadows…

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 PAINTER’S GIRL

MY THOUGHTS:

Paris, 1860’s.  Mimi Bisset never truly got over the losing her daughter Colette.  Mimi is pulled into the world of art and begins attending the parties, and the masked balls that go along with it.  Just when she feels like her life is finally on the right track, rumors start circulating about Mimi and her reputation is one that she may not be able to get past.  One day while Mimi and Manet were walking along the Seine, she recognizes her daughter, Colette with her family.  Manet knew about Colette and her family but kept it a secret from Mimi.  When Mimi finds out she is livid that the man she loved kept such a secret from her.  It leaves her shattered and wondering if losing her daughter for a second time will be the last time.  

This story was completely unexpected and so interesting in the time frame of 19th century Paris.  The incorporation of the Impressionistic art world and the circus world made for an interesting storyline. I enjoyed the description of Paris and the art, while the circus was entertaining.  I found the characters to be interesting, and the storyline was entertaining, and it kept me engage in the story.

Thank you Helen Fripp for a wonderful story.  I enjoyed this book as it was a wonderful escape to Paris and the world of art.  I recommend it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 5 out of 4.

DESCRIPTION:

THE PAINTER’S GIRL

Author:  Helen Fripp
Publisher:  Bookouture 
Publication Date: March 22, 2022 
Pages: 305 
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I want to paint you,’ he whispers. In his high-ceilinged studio filled with golden light she takes in the canvases propped against every wall, the paints like jewels. She thinks of the pictures she longs to paint, of her lost little girl playing in sunlit gardens. Will she ever see her daughter again? 

Paris, 1860s. For Mimi Bisset, survival is everything on the cobbled streets of the Paris slums. She tries to forget the pain of losing her daughter Colette: born out of wedlock and forcibly given away to a rich family. But Mimi’s world turns upside down after a chance encounter with handsome artist Édouard Manet. Boldly posing for portraits on Manet’s chaise longue, Mimi feels a wild freedom – and as Manet teaches her how to layer the vivid paints on canvas herself, a passion grows between them that breaks all the rules…

At Manet’s side, Mimi is caught up in his world. They dance all night at Paris’s new can-can clubs and drink absinthe at masked balls. But one day, strolling by the Seine on her lover’s arm, Mimi catches a glimpse of familiar green eyes… it’s Colette, with a family who Manet knew all along.

Although she’s reeling that the man she loved kept such a secret from her, Mimi is filled with hope she’ll finally get her daughter back. But when a terrible rumour begins to circulate about Mimi, the only place she has to go is back to the slums. Destitute, hungry and alone, can Mimi clear her name? Or will her heart shatter all over again when she loses her daughter for a second, final time?

ABOUT HELEN FRIPP

I love delving into the past and uncovering new stories, and in my writing, the tiniest historical detail can spark an idea for a whole chapter. My female characters rail against the social constraints to which they are subject and often achieve great success, but they are of course flawed and human, like the rest of us. It’s the motivations, flaws, loves and every-day lives of my characters that I love to bring life, against sweeping historical backdrops – and I will find any excuse to take off and research a captivating location or person for my next story.

My first novel is set in the Champagne region in France, and I’m currently working on my next one, set in late eighteenth century Paris. I spent a lot of time in France as a child, have lived in Paris and spent a year with my family in a fishing village in South West France, so that’s where my books have ended up being set so far. Who knows where next!

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MURDER AT PRIMROSE COTTAGE

MY THOUGHTS:

Flora Steele bookshop owner and amateur sleuth is back on the case.  Flora is on a much needed and well deserved vacation with boyfriend and crime writer, Jack Carrington.  The escape to Cornwall takes an unexpected turn when they find a dead body at their rental cottage.  But Flora doesn’t waste any time jumping on the case.  Flora’s first question is “why was he murdered?” And her second question is “who murdered him?”  But during the investigation, another body is found.  As the investigation continues, Flora and Jack link the two murders together.  But when old family secrets surface, Jack feels way too close to the victims and the suspects, it’s too much to handle.  

This whodunnit is absolutely captivating.  I enjoyed this story very much, from the first page to the last.  This murder mystery is both engaging and intriguing.  I really enjoyed the conversations between Flora and Jack and the visit to Cornwall was absolutely perfect.  I enjoy this author’s writing style so much.  I flew through the pages and couldn’t bring myself to put it down until I found out whodunnit.  The twists and turns of the story kept me completely enthralled.  This was the perfect addition to the wonderful Flora Steele Mystery Series.  Cozy mystery fans need to add this to their must read shelf and don’t pass it up.  This story can also be read as a stand-alone novel, but I’m sure you would enjoy the entire series.

Thank you Merryn Allingham for yet another amazing addition to the Flora Steele Series.  I enjoyed this story so much and I can’t wait to read the next installment in the serie.  Absolutely fabulous.  I highly recommend it.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 5 out of 5.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

DESCRIPTION:

MURDER AT PRIMROSE COTTAGE

Author:  Merryn Allingham
Published by: Bookouture 
Publication Date: March 18, 2022 
Pages: 289 
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Join Flora Steele – bookshop owner, bicycle-rider, daydreamer and amateur detective – in her quest to solve a brand-new murder mystery!

Cornwall, 1956: When Flora Steele sets off for a peaceful vacation with crime writer Jack Carrington in his little red Austin, the last thing she expects to find is a body at their pretty rental cottage!

Shocked by the discovery, inquisitive Flora joins forces with handsome Jack to find out how the poor man came to such an untimely end in the overgrown orchard of Primrose Cottage. They discover Roger Gifford was a man with plenty of friends and the villagers seem devastated by his sudden death…

So why was he murdered? And who has blood on their hands – his estranged wife Beatrice, his wayward younger brother Lionel, or the suspicious newcomer Mercy Dearlove?

The baffling case gets even more complicated when a second man is found dead and a set of puzzling clues lead them to an intriguing wartime mystery connected to Jack’s estranged father.

As old secrets emerge and Jack receives an unsettling letter, it seems the crime writer is in danger of a fate befitting his fictional characters. Will Flora be able to crack the case and save Jack? Or will this be one murder too many for Flora Steele?

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 GIRL AT THE LAST HOUSE BEFORE THE SEA

MY THOUGHTS:

When Freya is offered a job caring for Kathleen in Heaven’s Cove, she jumps at the opportunity.  Heaven’s Cove is a quaint, quiet and beautiful seaside village.  One day Freya finds Kathleen crying while staring at a house on the cliffs above the village.  But Kathleen won’t tell Freya why she is so heartbroken.  Kathleen’s son Ryan isn’t happy that his mother is being cared for by a stranger.  Freya asks Ryan why his mother,  Kathleen, is so sorrowful.  He says no one knows why Kathleen breaks down every year on the same day.  Freya is determined to find out everything she can about Kathleen’s past and find out why she is so heartbroken.  Freya is faced with so many different decisions to make.  Each one having an overwhelming impact on so many lives.  

This was such a heart warming story of love and devotion to family.  I thoroughly enjoyed this addition to the series, although it can be read as a standalone novel.  This author has a wonderful way of vividly describing the village and makes it sound as if it would be a beautiful place to visit.  This was a wonderful addition to the series and I highly recommend it.  This story is brilliantly written,  completely captivating and hits all the emotions.  I absolutely loved it. 

Thank you Liz Eeles for yet another amazing addition to the Heaven’s Cove Series.  I always love returning to the beautiful Heaven’s Cove, quaint village by the sea.  I enjoyed this story very much and I highly recommend it.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 5 out of 5.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

DESCRIPTION:

THE GIRL AT THE LAST HOUSE BEFORE THE SEA

Author:  Liz Eeles
Publisher: Bookouture 
Publication Date: February 28, 2022 
Pages: 367 
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The girl stands on the clifftop, feeling the soft breeze lift her shining red hair and dry her tears. She can almost hear Ireland calling her home across the wild sea. But she can never go back. And in that moment, she swears no-one will ever find out why.

Freya is desperate for escape from her messy break-up when she’s offered a job caring for elderly Kathleen in the seaside village of Heaven’s Cove. Kathleen’s once-red hair is now a brilliant white, but there’s always laughter in her Irish lilt – until the day Freya finds her weeping, her gaze fixed on Driftwood House, perched on the cliffs above the village. She refuses to say what’s wrong…

Kathleen’s son Ryan, quiet with striking emerald eyes, resents that a stranger is caring for his mother. But as Freya presses him for answers on a long walk across a windswept beach, Ryan finally admits that Kathleen breaks down in the same way, on the exact same day every year – never telling anyone what is causing her pain.

Finding a photo of Kathleen as a young girl standing outside Driftwood House years before she says she moved to the village, Freya is determined to find the source of Kathleen’s heartache. But as she gets closer to Ryan, and to the sad, forgotten history of the house, Freya is faced with an impossible decision…

Should she share this heartbreaking secret with Ryan and risk their chance of happiness together? And will facing the truth bring Kathleen peace in her final years – or will it tear them all apart?

 ABOUT LIZ EELES

Liz began her writing career as a journalist and press officer before deciding that she’d rather have the freedom of making things up as a novelist. 

Being short-listed in the Corvus ‘Love at First Write’ competition and the Novelicious search for a new women’s fiction star gave Liz the push she needed to keep putting pen to paper …. and ‘Annie’s Holiday by the Sea’ (her first published novel) is the result. 

Liz lives on the South Coast with her family and, when she’s not writing, likes to spend time walking by the sea, and trying to meditate. Her ambition is to be serene one day …. she’s still got a long way to go.

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