THE BOY IN THE ATTIC

MY THOUGHTS:

Holland, 1944: Ilse is a nursing student in Nazi-occupied Holland.  A horrible famine and violence fills the streets from the German occupation.  Ilse meets Levi when his family is arrested and sent to a concentration camp. Levi needs Ilse’s help and she risks everything to help him survive.  She hides him in a tiny room in her attic.  He must remain hidden and if it is discovered that he is there, it would almost mean certain death not only for Levi but also for Ilse.  Present day London, Anna’s father passes away and leaves her a ticket to Amsterdam.  He wants Anna to return to the town he was born in and find out what happened to his parents after the war ended.  Anna never expected her journey to reveal to her the history of her family.

I love time slip novels, especially ones that are historical fiction and based on true family events.  This story of both old and new was an immediate attention grabber.  This beautiful story of courage and love begins during World War II in Holland and takes you through to present day in London.  The people that lived during the reign of the Nazi’s endured so much horror and so courageous. They risked their lives for each other and didn’t care what the outcome was, they took the risk anyway.  The effects of that horrible time followed them their entire life and affected generations of families.  This story was so inspirational, unbelievably heartbreaking, and unputdownable.   I was completely captivated from cover to cover and I definitely recommend this book.

Thank you Imogen Matthews for such a wonderful time slip novel.  I really enjoyed everything about this book and I highly recommend it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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Rating: 5 out of 5.

DESCRIPTION:

THE BOY IN THE ATTIC

Author:  Imogen Matthews
Publisher: Bookouture
Publication Date: August 30, 2022 
Pages: 311 
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Anna opened the letter with trembling hands. ‘My darling, if you’re reading this, I haven’t managed to unravel my parents’ secret. But you can. Will you finish the search for me, find out who they were, and who you really are?’

Nazi-occupied Holland, 1944. As soldiers patrol the streets, nursing student Ilse is only just surviving the terrible famine and increasingly violent German occupation. Though exhausted by her demanding work at a hospital far from home, she can’t help but notice Levi, the young man with the dark eyes watching the world silently from the abandoned house next door. 

Then, early one morning, she finds him terrified and trembling with cold on the back doorstep. Levi’s Jewish family have been arrested and sent to a concentration camp, their likely fate all too clear. And now he needs her help.

So Ilse makes the most dangerous decision of her life, and takes Levi in. Hiding him away in her tiny attic room, he must remain concealed or risk almost certain death. But as the war worsens, keeping Levi a secret becomes ever more difficult, even as their mutual affection grows. And when a local German soldier becomes obsessed with Ilse, they fear their time – and luck – has run out…

London, present day. When Anna’s father dies, he leaves her a ticket to Amsterdam, a bent silver sixpence on a delicate silver chain, and a note begging her to complete the journey he was never able to. To the town where he was born, to find out once and for all who his parents were, and to discover their wartime fate.

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.

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SECOND CHANCES AT THE HOUSE BY THE CREEK

MY THOUGHTS:

Amber Lee Taylor has lived her whole life in Brambleberry Creek.  She is surrounded by life long friends and her entire family. She is extremely happy with her life and the direction she is going.  But when she finds out that her fiancée Grant is cheating on her she is devastated and her perfectly planned out future no longer exists.  She is heartbroken and decides to move into her family’s old dilapidated farmhouse just outside of town. The timing is perfect actually, as her family needs to do something to save the farmhouse because it isn’t making any money. Amber decides to start a new wine business with her cousins.  It is exactly the change Amber needs in her life while at the same time saving the farmhouse.   

I love stories of second chances and opportunities of starting over.  This is a well written story of exactly that.  It is heartwarming and inspirational and is filled with wonderful characters.   This story hits all the feels and will have you laughing and tearing up in the same sentence.  This book is full of family, friends old and new, hope, broken dreams and dreams come true.  This is the second installment in the Brambleberry Creek Series and it was just as amazing as the first book. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I look forward to reading the next book in this series.  The description of Brambleberry Creek is so beautifully written that it makes me want to visit.  I loved this story cover to cover and I definitely recommend this book.

Thank you Elizabeth Bromke for such a wonderful addition to the Brambleberry Creek Series. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it has a great storyline with absolutely warm and sensational characters  and I highly recommend it.

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DESCRIPTION:

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Rating: 

SECOND CHANCES AT THE HOUSE BY THE CREEK

Author:  Elizabeth Bromke
Publisher:  Bookouture 
Publication Date: August 25, 2022
Pages: 349 
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Sometimes you need to fall to learn how to fly…

A totally addictive, heart-melting novel about the magic of friendship, family and making every day count, even when life takes an unexpected twist. Fans of RaeAnne Thayne, Elin Hilderbrand and Susan Mallery will love this page-turning story.

Amber Lee Taylor has lived in the close-knit town of Brambleberry Creek, Kentucky her whole life. And she thought she had everything figured out. But when Amber discovers her long-term fiancée, Grant, has been cheating, her perfect future shatters into tiny pieces…

Heartbroken, Amber retreats to her family’s crumbling farmhouse in the stunning countryside outside her little town. It’s her favourite place in the world. She loves the old oak beams and the smell of the fire crackling in the grate. But her family say the farm isn’t making enough money and they need to do something to save it…

Determined to forget Grant and save her family home, Amber throws herself into launching a new wine business with her cousins, and stumbles across one of her grandfather’s old notebooks.

Just as she realizes the size of her project, she discovers a family mystery weaving through her grandfather’s writing, and everything suddenly seems more complicated. But then, she hasn’t thought about Grant in days, and when she bumps into handsome, charming Callum on Main Street, Amber starts to wonder if breaking up with Grant could be the best thing that’s happened to her in years.

It feels good to spend time with a guy with such a kind and genuine heart, and as he helps her untangle the notebook’s secrets, she wonders if the key to the mystery might just be the key to saving her beloved farmhouse too.

But will Amber find the strength to make the most of her second chance? Or will crossing paths with Grant change everything again?

ABOUT ELIZABETH BROMKE

Hi! I’m Elizabeth Bromke, and I write women’s fiction and sweet romance. I’ve been a writer in some shape or form since college, but I began publishing my stories in 2018. Across all of my books, you’ll find nostalgia for a bygone era, family values, heartwarming romance, and strong female friendships. I like to set my stories against the backdrop of charming towns with quirky casts of locals.

I grew up in Tucson, Arizona, and my little desert heart often longed for seasons. After meeting the love of my life, Ed, we agreed to find a family-friendly small town with green grass and shady trees. So we settled a little farther north in the mountains, where we are proud to raise our son as a reader, a burgeoning writer, and as a little outdoorsman.

As a family, we Bromkes also like to watch movies and do puzzles together. And of course, we love to cuddle with our goofy Golden Retriever-mix, Winnie.

Of course, reading is my passion. I have many favorite books and authors, but some who top the list include Nicholas Sparks, Mitch Albom, John Irving, Diane Chamberlain, and Liane Moriarty. I also love Stephen King, Dan Brown, and Lisa Jewell. Mainly, I’ll devour whatever you set in front of me!

Join my reader club to stay up to do date on new releases and exclusive deals. Connect on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for monthly giveaways and games!

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BE BRAVE FOR ME

MY THOUGHTS:

Cornwall, 1941: With the war raging on throughout Europe there is so much sadness and grief people are dealing with.  As Maddie Brady strolls along the once beautiful beaches of Cornwall, she is overwhelmed by the horrible barbed wire fencing keeping people out.  Her thoughts are interrupted by the cry of a young child.  She runs in the direction of the cry and finds a young boy trapped within the landmines in the sandy beach.  But she isn’t the only one to hear the little boy.  A man named Rudi runs to rescue the little boy from the landmine infested area. To her surprise she recognizes the German accent that he has.  He is a German prisoner of war escapee.  He begins to tell Maddie how his home was destroyed and his father was killed by the Nazis.  She is required to turn Rudi into the authorities but instead she hides him in a nearby farmer’s barn.  She takes food and water to him, while at the same time they are bonding with each other.  They find love and comfort in a time of such uncertainty.  She must keep Rudi a secret for his protection and for her’s.

This was such a wonderful yet heart-breaking story with believable characters.  I really enjoyed the storyline and I also like the relationships that are made while trying to survive in such desperate times.  The risks that people took and demonstrating acts of kindness for complete strangers and their survival warms my heart.  This author does an outstanding job of describing the courage, heartache and sorrow of the characters in this book.  This is the first book I’ve read written by this author and it won’t be the last. I really enjoyed her writing style and the story flowed perfectly.  I look forward to reading more books by this author.  I definitely recommend this book.

Thank you Elaine Johns  for such a wonderful story. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it has a great storyline and I highly recommend it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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Rating: 5 out of 5.

DESCRIPTION:

BE BRAVE FOR ME 
Author:  Elaine Johns 
Publisher: Bookouture
Publication Date: August 26, 2022 
Pages: 379 
Buy on Amazon 

Cornwall, England, 1941. Gazing at the coiled barbed wire and danger signs on this once-beautiful beach, Maddie suddenly hears a frightened little cry. Her heart pounding, she races down the dunes, but knows she will never reach the child in time…

Maddie Brady is overwhelmed with relief to see a brave soul ahead of her rescue a little boy trapped among the landmines on the beach. But thanking the man, Maddie is shocked to hear a German accent. Why would an escaped German prisoner of war rescue an English boy?

As a driver in the Army, Maddie is duty-bound to report Rudi immediately. But when he speaks of his home in a sheltered valley destroyed by Nazis, and how his father was killed for objecting to the war, Maddie feels a deep connection to this lost soul with sparkling blue eyes.

With Rudi hiding out in a farmer’s barn, Maddie can’t keep herself away, smuggling him bread and water. Their passion brings them comfort in the darkest days. But as their love grows, so does the terrible danger of discovery…

As her colleagues begin to suspect she’s hiding something, Maddie is torn between loyalty to her country, and the man she’s shared everything with. Helping Rudi flee across the desolate countryside would mean being parted forever – and if he’s captured, he may not even survive. But could she bear to betray her soulmate? As the war tears the world apart, will they survive the impossible – or will their secret love only bring them despair? 

ABOUT ELAINE JOHNS

Elaine Johns inherited her love of fiction from her Irish mother and a passion for writing was the happy result. She was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, came to London to attend the Italia Conti Performing Arts Academy, and made records with her twin brother in their teens that scraped their way into the charts. After an initial career as a jazz singer and flautist in big bands, she was a print and television journalist in Bahrain, editing and presenting the News in English at Bahrain Television. She is now freelance, writing mostly short stories for UK women’s magazines from her home in Cornwall and, before retiring, used to lecture part time at Truro College. She has written several contemporary women’s fiction novels, including Ice Cream for Breakfast and Lemonade and Lies. Her favourite genre is historical women’s fiction, and she particularly enjoys writing in the 1940s and 50s.

She is now well and truly transplanted to Cornwall and enjoys life with her long-time partner (her hero and rock), a jazz musician and artist. Elaine has two grown-up sons, and loves Zumba, music, walking with her friends, and getting the most out of life, whatever it throws at her!

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THE LITTLE HOUSE BY THE SEA

MY THOUGHTS:

Kitty Roberts is thirty years old and very happy with her life and in love with her boyfriend who also happens to be her best friend.  She is searching for a house for the two of them, and to her surprise her boyfriend breaks up with her.  She is devastated by the break up and decides to return to the beautiful and tranquil village by the sea.  She spent summer vacations there as a child.  Kitty is happy to be back at Pennystrand Village to rest and recover from heartbreak.  She loves her long walks on the beach and watching the sunsets.  She meets a few new friends including professional surfer Cory Hudson.  Kitty begins to allow herself to open up to Cory about her past,  The more time they spend together the closer they become.  Kitty isn’t quite ready to completely give her heart away just yet, especially when Cory tells her that his time in Pennystrand Village is almost over.  

This was such a wonderful feel-good cozy romance.  I loved the description of Pennystrand Village.  It sounded like an amazing place to go to “get away from it all.”  With the house being so close to the sea, it makes for a great escape. The storyline is engaging with believable and captivating characters.  This summer romance has all the feels, full of hope and inspiration.  This wonderful read is a must for anyone that needs to lift their spirit and fill their heart.  It is a rapid read because the flow of the story is perfect which makes it impossible to put down.  I recommend this must read book.

Thank you Tracy Rees  for such an amazing escape. It is exactly what I needed.  I absolutely loved everything about this book and I highly recommend it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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Rating: 5 out of 5.

DESCRIPTION:

THE LITTLE HOUSE BY THE SEA
Author: Tracy Rees 
Publisher: Bookouture 
Publication Date: August 24, 2022 
Pages: 305 
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The cottage gate swings open to reveal the inky-blue sea and the sandy cove beyond. It’s exactly how Kitty imagined it, except she didn’t expect to be standing here alone…

Thirty-year-old Kitty Roberts spends her days searching for the perfect home for two… until her boyfriend, the only man she’s ever loved, dumps her. Devastated to lose not only her first love but her best friend too, she flees to the tiny seaside village where she spent carefree summers as a child, before her family fell apart.

At first, Kitty’s escape proves to be exactly what she needs – golden sunsets over warm, sandy beaches, lovably eccentric new neighbours and even a blush-inducing run-in with Cory Hudson, a handsome, professional surfer with a heart-stopping smile.

But just as Kitty feels herself beginning to heal and allows herself to open up to Cory, he reveals that his time in the seaside village is nearly up. What’s more, some surprising reactions to Kitty in town make her wonder if her connection to this place might go deeper than she thought.

It seems there’s a secret in her family’s past that is about to turn Kitty’s life on its head once more… Is she ready for the truth? And will it bring her and Cory closer together, or drive them apart?

ABOUT TRACY REES

Tracy Rees was the winner of the Richard and Judy ‘Search for a Bestseller’ Competition and her books are paperback, ebook and audio bestsellers. A Cambridge graduate, she had a successful eight-year career in nonfiction publishing and a second career practising and teaching humanistic counselling before becoming a writer. She lives in Wales.

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THE WIFE WHO RISKED EVERYTHING

MY THOUGHTS:

Berlin, 1943:  The war rages on throughout Europe. Margot is a German seamstress and her husband Jochen is a Jewish artist.  They are completely in love and all they have is each other.  They were evicted from their home many times but they vowed to never leave each other.  Soon Jochen is arrested by the SS along with so many others.  Once Margot discovers where Jochen is being held, she joins forces with other women in the same situation,  protesting outside the prison camp demanding the release of the men.  The protests continued all day and all night for what seemed like eternity.  The guards were becoming frustrated with the crowd, but the protesters are determined and are not going to give up.  When Margo risks her life to now protest outside of the Gestapo Headquarters everything changes for her.  But her love for her husband outweighs the risk of losing her own life.

Oh my goodness I almost don’t know where to begin explaining how phenomenal this story was.  This utterly gripping historical fiction is heartbreaking and completely impossible to put down.  I was totally captivated from the very first page to the last.  This book hits all the feels and I was so emotional, tearing up and brokenhearted with the turn of the pages.  Wow…what an absolute wonderfully written story with believable and relatable characters.  So many lives changed forever and the courage that people found within themselves to survive is so inspiring.  The unconditional love of a wife for her husband to risk everything she has for him is so inspirational.  The fact that this book is based on a true story makes it even more heart-wrenching.  I can’t recommend this incredible story enough, absolutely breathtaking.  Must read it now.

Thank you Ellie Midwood for such an amazing historical fiction novel.  I absolutely loved everything about this book.  I highly recommend it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

DESCRIPTION:

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Rating: 5 out of

THE WIFE WHO RISKED EVERYTHING
Author:  Ellie Midwood 
Publisher: Bookouture 
Publication Date: August 23, 2022 
Pages: 273
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Berlin, 1943: “No matter what happens, no matter what they do to me, they will never stop me loving you,” he said, placing a kiss on my tear-stained cheek. Based on a true story, this heartbreaking World War Two page-turner shows that, in the face of evil, love is power, courage is infectious––and the voices of many will not be silenced.

“We’re not moving until you release our men!” Margot shouts, her heart racing. In the snow, the Berlin streets dusted with white, she shifts from foot to foot with the small crowd of wives by the iron gates. She has lived in terror that this moment would come: Nazis have arrested her beloved husband.

Margot, a German seamstress, and Jochen, a Jewish artist, were madly in love. But this became a forbidden act in Hitler’s Germany. The days of Jochen filling their sixth-floor apartment with roses to surprise her vanished. Their friends started crossing the street to avoid them. They lost their jobs. And then they found themselves scrabbling for breadcrumbs on the cold cobbles outside the home that was once their own.

Yet even as their world came crashing down, they had each other. Until now.

Now, Margot risks her life to protest outside Gestapo headquarters. As days pass, hundreds are gathered. They refuse to move, even when enemy planes cross the clouds and bombs fall to the ground. Yet defying the Nazis is a death sentence…

Will this evil war ever end? Will she and Jochen survive? What will it take for Margot to see the love of her life again?

ABOUT ELLIE MIDWOOD

Ellie Midwood is a USA Today bestselling and award-winning historical fiction author. She owes her interest in the history of the Second World War to her grandfather, Junior Sergeant in the 2nd Guards Tank Army of the First Belorussian Front, who began telling her about his experiences on the frontline when she was a young girl. Growing up, her interest in history only deepened and transformed from reading about the war to writing about it. After obtaining her BA in Linguistics, Ellie decided to make writing her full-time career and began working on her first full-length historical novel, “The Girl from Berlin.” Ellie is continuously enriching her library with new research material and feeds her passion for WWII and Holocaust history by collecting rare memorabilia and documents. 

In her free time, Ellie is a health-obsessed yoga enthusiast, neat freak, adventurer, Nazi Germany history expert, polyglot, philosopher, a proud Jew, and a doggie mama. Ellie lives in New York with her fiancé and their Chihuahua named Shark Bait.

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THE MURDER MYSTERY

MY THOUGHTS:

Beth Haldane gets her dream job at the esteemed Wyatt’s School.  She is the school's new historian assistant.  During her lunchtime she decides to take a stroll around the beautiful grounds.  She finds the gardens of the five hundred year old school to be breathtaking, until she stumbles over the body of Alan Jenkins who happens to be her new boss.  Not exactly the first day she was hoping for.  No one knows Beth and as the newest employee she is also the number one suspect.  Beth must clear her name not only for the sake of her reputation but also for her young son attending the school.  She becomes a super sleuth and must find the killer before they can kill again.

What a wonderful and fun story.  I really enjoyed the first installment of A Beth Haldane Mystery Series.  This well written cozy mystery was enjoyable and engaging.  I was hooked from the beginning.  The characters were believable and relatable.  I loved the detailed description of Dulwich Village, and the beautiful gardens surrounding the school, which sounds like a lovely place to visit.  I love the writing style of this author as she kept me guessing until the very end.  This is such a fun read and a must read for every cozy mystery fan.  I am so happy that this is only the beginning of what I’m sure will be a wonderful series.  I highly recommend this book.

Thank you Alice Castle for such a wonderful cozy mystery series.  This is such a well written whodunnit and I highly recommend it.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 5 out of 5.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

DESCRIPTION:

THE MURDER MYSTERY

Author:  Alice Castle
Publisher: Bookouture 
Publication Date: August 22, 2022 
Pages: 252
Buy on Amazon 

Meet Dulwich Village’s most daring resident, Beth Haldane. Mother to a sweet little boy, owner of a sulky cat… and solver of mysteries?

It’s a crisp spring day in Dulwich Village when Beth arrives at the intricate iron gates of Wyatt’s School for her new job as the historian’s assistant. But on a lunchtime stroll admiring the pristine grounds of this five-hundred-year-old institution, Beth is shocked to stumble over the body of her new boss Alan Jenkins: spectacles askew, his mustard-yellow tweed jacket covered in blood.

Gossip about outsider Beth spreads like wildfire. The parents in the playground are all whispering: did she bump him off to get her hands on his job?

Desperate to clear her name and protect her own little boy, Beth turns her research skills to hunt for the true killer. She soon discovers Alan rubbed his fellow teachers up the wrong way… could the handsome headmaster be involved? Why did Beth see a flash of the school receptionist’s bright pink jumper at the murder scene? And what is the groundskeeper hiding?

When Beth returns from her sleuthing to find her office in disarray and documents missing from the archives, it’s clear this prestigious school hides a deadly secret. But with parents and teachers panicking that the long-protected reputation of Wyatt’s is under threat, will Beth herself be in the murderer’s sights before the school bell rings?

Wander down the cobbled streets of Dulwich, where nothing is as perfect as it seems! Fans of Agatha Christie, The Thursday Murder Club and Faith Martin won’t be able to put down this deliciously gripping mystery.

 ABOUT ALICE CASTLE

Before turning to crime, Alice Castle was a UK newspaper journalist for The Daily Express, The Times and The Daily Telegraph. Alice is an avid reader of crime fiction, her favourite stories are cozy crimes with a strong sense of place. When she couldn’t find a series about her beloved south London, she decided to write her own – and single mum amateur sleuth Beth Haldane was born. Alice also writes twisty psychological thrillers for HQ Digital under the name A.M. Castle. The Perfect Widow was a top selling audiobook in 2019 and The Invitation hit the top 50 on Amazon UK in 2021. Alice lives with her two children and two cats and, if she isn’t writing or reading a whodunit, she’ll be watching one on the telly.

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