A Brilliant Night of Stars and Ice by Rebecca Connolly

A Brilliant Night of Stars and Ice by Rebecca Connolly was a wonderful book about the sinking of the Titanic told from the viewpoint of one of the steerage passengers and the Captain of the Carpathia.  The Carpathia was the only ship to heed the distress signals sent by the sinking Titanic, in time to save those poor souls who had spent the night in lifeboats.

Out of almost 2500 passengers and crew, the Carpathia was only able to save 705 people.  There has been speculation about the other ships in the vicinity of the sinking, but no one was able to find out why they did not heed the distress signals.

I found this book to be the most interesting novel written about the Titanic that was different from other novels about this tragedy.  Because this novel was written from the perspective of the Captain Author Rostron of the Carpathia, and the account of Kate Connolly, a young Irish girl en route to New York, this work lends itself to imagining what transpired immediately after the sinking and of the rescue of the surviving passengers and crew.  The obvious reaction of Captain Rostron was one of dismay that more were unable to be saved.  The guilt feelings that haunted Kate Connolly were completely understandable and heart-wrenching.  I was unable to put this book down and read the whole book in one day. 

The Officer’s Wife by Merryn Allingham

The Officer’s Wife by Merryn Allingham I a novel based in India in late 1930 right before England went to war with Germany.  India was a part of the British Empire at that time.  There were rumblings of an independent India before that time At this point in the story, Ghandi had just risen to his station. 

Daisy Driscoll was en route to marry an Indian Army Lieutenant whom she had met while he was on leave in London.  She had contacted him to let him know that she was pregnant with his baby.  On the ship, The Viceroy, she fell and lost the baby.  There was no time to tell her fiancé about the miscarriage because as soon as the ship landed, she was whisked off to the church to marry her drunken groom-to-be.  Her arrival in India was not all that she expected.  Her new husband did not want to be married and was unaware that she was no longer with child.  When he found out, he was angry.  Daisy began experiencing strange and violent on her. 

The cast of characters in this novel left the reader at loose ends trying to find out who was targeting Daisy and why.  Daisy was left mostly alone in a new country and a hostile environment.  She did not know whom to trust and this fact alone made me, the reader, enthralled with the story and the descriptions of the country of India.

I found this book to be interesting and thrilling.  The undertones of racial and caste nonequity were quite evident. 

Embers in the London Sky by Sarah Sundin

One of my favorite authors, Sarah Sundin, has again written a blockbuster of a novel.  Embers in the London Sky has every emotion written in the storyline.  I have all of her books and can honestly say that every one of them is a keeper for me.

The novel starts in 1940 as the Nazis invade The Netherlands.  Aleida van der Zee Martens, her abusive husband, and their son try to escape to London.  Her husband hands their son, Theo, over to a couple to take because he doesn’t like the child’s crying.  Aleida makes it to London and immediately starts looking for her lost son.  She finds a journalist who has witnessed the atrocities that the fleeing refugees have undergone.  He tries to help her find her son, which is almost impossible in the big city of London.

Along the way the novel gives us espionage, murder, spies, romance and all of that keeps the reader intrigued throughout the novel.  I’m sure that readers will fall in love with Ms. Sundin’s writing and will line up to purchase all of her books. I was gifted with this novel by Revell Publishers in return for my honest review.

Double Take by Lynette Eason

Double Take by Lynette Eason was a winner-read for me.  Ms. Eason never fails to intrigue me and keep me reading far into the night.  Her novels are page-turners and keep the reader thoroughly engrossed in the story.

This book, in particular, kept me guessing to the very end.  Just when you think you have it all figured out and that the heroine is safe, something else happens to put everyone in jeopardy again. 

Physician Assistant Laine Jackson is eighteen months out from an attempted murder by her ex.  She had to kill him to survive.  Now someone is targeting her with deadly force which she thinks is retribution.  Did her ex really die?  Or is he perpetrating situations that could kill her?

Detective James Cross is with the police department after the Army’s CID unit gave him a medical discharge after an IED blew up and wounded him.  He and his buddy team up to try to keep Laine safe, but everything they do is somehow known by the stalker who continues to try to murder them both.  Excellent writing and strong characters make this book a keeper.

The Girls of Mersey Square by Pam Howes

The Girls of Mersey Square by Pam Howes was a book that I really wanted to read.  When Bookouture Publishers offered the Kindle book to me to read and review.  I was very excited.  However, I was very disappointed in the storyline and the novel itself.

I’m not a prude, but the love lives of the main characters really put me off.  The two sets of parents had been rock stars in earlier years and the husbands were going to get the band back together.  That is the backdrop of the story.  The laxity in the raising of their children was totally foreign to me.  Teenagers in and out of each other’s beds and the sexual content of the book was not my style of reading.

I was supposed to have this review done by the 18^th of January, but I really wanted to be able to give it a strong “thumbs up”.  The best thing that I can say about this novel is that the characters are strong in the face of tragedy and betrayal.  I will say that Ms. Howes is a strong writer, but her choice of subject matter was not a good choice for me.

The Warsaw Sisters by Amanda Barratt

The Warsaw Sisters by Amanda Barratt was a wonderful book about the siege of Warsaw by the German army.  Two sisters, Helena and Antonina are caught in the middle.

 Antonina has been in love with Marek for a long time.  He is an outstanding violinist, but he is of the Jewish faith.  He is eventually imprisoned in the Warsaw Jewish ghetto where starvation and constant German atrocities occur daily.  Antonina tries to help them by sending food, but eventually, the ghetto is sealed off and no one can exit or enter.

 Helena works for a German officer.  She is a shy person and usually follows the lead of Antonina.  She feels that she can help the cause by trying to learn of anything that would help the resistance.  She finally joins the resistance effort. 

 In the meantime, Antonina is recruited to help shelter and find homes for those Jewish children who are left behind.  To be able to help without causing her sister to be involved.  She is eventually caught by the Nazis and is transported to a camp.

The end of the war comes almost too late for the Dąbrowska sisters.  Their role in the resistance efforts almost cost them their lives. 

 This is a book that is hard to put down.  I read it in a day and a half and would highly recommend it to all interested in the time of W.W.II. 

I received a print copy of this novel by Revell and was not required to give a review, however, I wish to promote this book as one of my favorites.

Shadows at Dusk by Elizabeth Goddard

Elizabeth Goddard can always be counted on to write page-turning novels.  Shadows at Dusk is no exception.  This book had danger and fear on every page. 

Montana Detective Trevor West is frantic to find his sister who has been missing for a year.  He is told that bush pilot Carrie James would be the one to help in his search which has brought him to Alaska.  Unknown to him, Carrie has been trying to stay safe for over ten years after an attempt on her life.  Both of these plots weave together at some point, bringing both Trevor and Carrie to focus on the same investigation as the two are linked.

I enjoyed the novel very much except that there were so many malicious characters pursuing both Carrie and Trevor that I had trouble keeping track of them.  Ms. Goddard spins quite a yarn in her novels and keeps the reader coming back for more.

I was freely given a print copy of this novel by Revell Publishers and was not required to give a review.

The Girl From the Resistance by Imogen Matthews

The Girl from the Resistance by Imogen Matthews was a heart-stopping read for me.  The novel takes place in the Netherlands and begins in Haarlem.  This novel is based on true stories of the women of the Dutch resistance, which makes it all the more breathtaking.

Trudi’s family has been hiding a Jewish family in their attic, mother, father, and two little girls.  Because the attic space was small and the girls fretful, Trudi decides to take them out for a little while even though her mother is worried that someone will see the girls and turn the family in to the Nazis.

The worst happens and someone has seen the little girls and turns in the family.  The attic has a secret hiding place that Trudi and the two girls hide at the request of the girls’ mother and father, who decide to turn themselves in.  Trudi must find help in spiriting the girls to a safe place.

This begins Trudi’s work with the Dutch resistance in trying to move Jewish children away to safety.  She is also asked to do sabotage work against the German army.  The bravery of this woman who had to lie to her family and friends about her activities and learn to fire a gun for her safety is indescribable. 

Trudi has to grow up fast and learn to do things that she never thought she would be able to do.  Her desire to save these two little girls from the Nazis had her do dangerous activities and work with people that she wasn’t sure she could trust.  The admiration that I felt for all those working in the resistance in the Netherlands was overwhelming.

Bookouture Publishers sent a free Kindle copy through NetGalley, but my review is my own.

Christmas Miracle in the Little Irish Village

Ava received a call to return to Emerald Bay a year after their move. Shane was fishing with his family when a storm suddenly struck. He was swept off the boat and into the cold sea. Ava was heartbroken, thinking she had lost Shane. All she wanted was to be with him and live happily ever after, but Grace was not pleased with the idea. Grace, being the stronger twin, usually persuaded Ava to do things her way.

Christmas Miracle in the Little Irish Village is a heartwarming Christmas novel by Michelle Vernal. It tells the story of twin sisters, Grace and Ava Kelly. Grace dreams of exploring the world and moves to London, while Ava prefers a quieter life. Ava still holds feelings for her ex-boyfriend Shane Egan, whom she left behind when she moved.

Shane was found safe. He had taken shelter in a cave on an island. It took him a while to recover. The townspeople were relieved and saw it as a Christmas miracle. They wanted to celebrate, but Shane wasn’t interested.

I enjoyed a book about a little fishing town in Ireland. The characters were fascinating, and the author’s portrayal of them was excellent.

I received a free Kindle copy of this book from Bookouture via NetGalley for review purposes.

The American Wife’s Secret by Chrystyna Lucyk-Berger

The American Wife’s Secret by Chrystyna Lucyk-Berger is the third book in The Diplomat’s Wife series.  This series contains novels written about the struggles of an American woman and a Jewish businessman who met, fell in love, and married before the Third Reich came into being.

Edgar Ragatz is a successful businessman in Berlin and meets Kitty Larsson, a senator’s daughter.  Although he is older than she, they fall in love and marry.  She is Christian and Edgar is Jewish.  Although Hitler is well on his way to becoming the Führer, Edgar thinks that his position in the Business world will save him from the Jewish pogroms. 

To save Kitty, they divorce, and Edgar finds himself in peril.  He goes underground and works with the resistance.  Kitty finds herself working for the British and The American spy networks.  Edgar goes missing, but Kitty is tasked with increasing the resistance movement in Austria ahead of the inevitable Soviet presence.  Her main desire is to find Edgar in the midst of all this chaos. 

In the meantime, her resistance organization is compromised and she is taken into custody by the Gestapo.  She is tortured for many long months but does not break.  She is finally freed because of the Soviet presence and continues her quest to find Edgar.

 I dare not continue to tell the reader of this review what transpires because it would spoil the novel for them.  However, I must say that this novel was so intriguing and mesmerizing that I could not put it down.  I have read all three novels in this series and each one was a treasure for a  Historical fiction buff like me.

I was granted a Kindle copy of this novel by Bookouture through NetGalley and was not required to give a review.