Category Archives: Fiction

My Notorious Life

6 Comments

16130211

My Notorious Life

by Kate Manning

published by Scribner

2013

I received this book as a digital ARC from the publisher through Net Galley in return for a fair and honest review.

Summary

A brilliant rendering of a scandalous historical figure, Kate Manning’s My Notorious Life is an ambitious, thrilling novel introducing Axie Muldoon, a fiery heroine for the ages. 

Axie’s story begins on the streets of 1860s New York. The impoverished child of Irish immigrants, she grows up to become one of the wealthiest and most controversial women of her day.

In vivid prose, Axie recounts how she is forcibly separated from her mother and siblings, apprenticed to a doctor, and how she and her husband parlay the sale of a few bottles of “Lunar Tablets for Female Complaint” into a thriving midwifery business. Flouting convention and defying the law in the name of women’s reproductive rights, Axie rises from grim tenement rooms to the splendor of a mansion on Fifth Avenue, amassing wealth while learning over and over never to trust a man who says “trust me.”

When her services attract outraged headlines, Axie finds herself on a collision course with a crusading official—Anthony Comstock, founder of the Society for the Suppression of Vice. It will take all of Axie’s cunning and power to outwit him in the fight to preserve her freedom and everything she holds dear.

Inspired by the true history of an infamous female physician who was once called “the Wickedest Woman in New York,” My Notorious Life is a mys­tery, a family saga, a love story, and an exquisitely detailed portrait of nineteenth-century America. Axie Muldoon’s inimitable voice brings the past alive, and her story haunts and enlightens the present (from Goodreads)

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16130211-my-notorious-life

My Review

I love historical fiction, women’s fiction, and books based on true stories, so It was inevitable that I would be interested in My Notorious Life by Kate Manning.  While it took me a while to get used to the way it was written- journal form, with spelling and grammatical errors, I did enjoy reading this book.  It went pretty quickly for me too!  I immediately fell in love with Axie Muldoon, a 12 year old growing up poor on the mean streets of NYC in the 1860’s.  When her mother’s health places her and her family in danger of starving, Axie, her sister Dutchie, and their baby brother Joe are sent out West on the Orphan Trains run by the Children’s Aid Society (to read about another great book based on the orphan trains click here).  Axie loses her sister and brother to new families and chooses to return to New York, where she eventually becomes a servant in the house of Mrs. Evans, a reputable midwife.  Axie becomes Mrs. Evans’ assistant also, and following her death, begins her own midwife practice.  After years of helping both the wealthy and destitute alike, Axie believes she is helping women take a little control over their own bodies.  She feels she is helping all these women, wither welcoming babies into the world, or preventing unwanted pregnancies through  medicines, or, when necessary and still possible,  procedures.  When she is threatened with arrest and incarceration, she refuses to stop.

This book was based on the true story of Ann Trow Lohman, also known as Madame Restell- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madame_Restell.

My Notorious Life is a very well written book that gives the reader an amazing look into the lives of women in the later part of the 19th century.  I would highly recommend this book, especially if you are a fan of historical fiction.

Rating

4 out of 5

For other review of this book, check out-

Book’d Out

Sam Still Reading

To learn more about the author, visit her website at-

http://katemanningauthor.com

The Perfume Collector-She Reads’ August Book Club

13 Comments

the perfume collector

The Perfume Collector

by Kathleen Tessaro

published by Harper

2013

An inheritance from a mysterious stranger . . .
An abandoned perfume shop on the Left Bank of Paris . . .
And three exquisite perfumes that hold a memory . . . and a secret

London, 1955: Grace Monroe is a fortunate young woman. Despite her sheltered upbringing in Oxford, her recent marriage has thrust her into the heart of London’s most refined and ambitious social circles. However, playing the role of the sophisticated socialite her husband would like her to be doesn’t come easily to her—and perhaps never will.

Then one evening a letter arrives from France that will change everything. Grace has received an inheritance. There’s only one problem: she has never heard of her benefactor, the mysterious Eva d’Orsey.

So begins a journey that takes Grace to Paris in search of Eva. There, in a long-abandoned perfume shop on the Left Bank, she discovers the seductive world of perfumers and their muses, and a surprising, complex love story. Told by invoking the three distinctive perfumes she inspired, Eva d’Orsey’s story weaves through the decades, from 1920s New York to Monte Carlo, Paris, and London.

But these three perfumes hold secrets. And as Eva’s past and Grace’s future intersect, Grace realizes she must choose between the life she thinks she should live and the person she is truly meant to be.

Illuminating the lives and challenging times of two fascinating women,The Perfume Collector weaves a haunting, imaginative, and beautifully written tale filled with passion and possibility, heartbreak and hope.

(from Goodreads)

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16248311-the-perfume-collector

My Review

I was very excited to start reading this book and I was definitely not disappointed!  The author has given her readers a beautifully written work of historical fiction.

This novel intertwines the stories of Grace Munroe, a young british socialite in the 1950’s and of the mysterious Eva D’Orsey, who has made Grace her sole heir.  When Grace is informed that Eva, a woman she has never heard of before, has passed away and left her entire estate to Grace, she travels from London to Paris, to learn more about her.

The author takes us through the lives of these to wonderful characters, bringing the setting of New York in the 1920’s and Paris in the 1950’s to life.  She gives us a wonderful cast of characters, especially Eva and Grace.

As part of Eva’s story, we learn about the art of perfume making.  I found this part so interesting.  I would love to have a perfume that was made especially for me-that takes my nature and personality  into account.  While I was in Bermuda last month, we happened upon a small perfumery, called Lili Bermuda.  They make only a handful of perfumes and they take you through each perfume and explain what the major factor is in the scent.  Being the best husband in the entire world, John bought me the one I loved called Fresh Water.  I love it, and I was reminded of that special feeling while I read this book.

I would definitely recommend The Perfume Collector!

Please head over to She Reads and see some of the other wonderful reviews of The Perfume Collector @ http://www.shereads.org/2013/08/august-book-club-selection-3/

Rating

4.5 out of 5

English: Perfume urn in the Caron shop in Pari...

English: Perfume urn in the Caron shop in Paris, France. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Other Typist by Suzanne Rindell

7 Comments

16158600

The Other Typist

by Suzanne Rindell

published by Amy Einhorn Books

2013

I borrowed a copy of this book from my library

Summary

Rose Baker is an orphaned young woman working for her bread as a typist in a police precinct on the lower East Side. Every day Rose transcribes the confessions of the gangsters and murderers that pass through the precinct. While she may disapprove of the details, she prides herself on typing up the goriest of crimes without batting an eyelid.

But when the captivating Odalie begins work at the precinct Rose finds herself falling under the new typist’s spell. As do her bosses, the buttoned up Lieutenant Detective and the fatherly Sergeant. As the two girls’ friendship blossoms and they flit between the sparkling underworld of speakeasies by night, and their work at the precinct by day, it is not long before Rose’s fascination for her new colleague turns to obsession.

But just who is the real Odalie, and how far will Rose go to find out? from Goodreads-http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16158600-the-other-typist

My Review

I have been hearing about this book for over two months, and was really looking forward to reading it.  It started out a little slow for me, then picked up quite a bit.  Reading this felt slightly like riding a train that you suddenly realize is out of control.  When the story really started to move at a great speed, I felt like something awful was going on, but I couldn’t look away.  I can’t really say to much, since there is a surprise ending, but when I finished I felt unsatisfied.

The two main characters are Rose and Odalie, and from the beginning of the story, I had trouble liking either of these women.  I had trouble believing these women would be friends and roommate.  While I thought this book was written very well and the story was compelling, I can’t say I enjoyed reading it.  Since mine is an opinion that seems to be in the minority, I wouldn’t say do not read this book.  Many other reviewers have liked, even loved it.

rating

3 out of 5- well written, just didn’t care for the story.

The Bones of Paris by Laurie R. King

6 Comments

17262138

The Bones of Paris 

by Laurie R. King

published by Bantam Books

September 10, 2013

I received an advance ebook through Net Galley in return for an honest review.

Summary

Paris, France; September, 1929. For Harris Stuyvesant, the assignment is a private investigator’s dream—he’s getting paid to troll the cafés and bars of Montparnasse, looking for a pretty young woman. The American agent has a healthy appreciation for la vie Bohème, despite having worked for years at the U.S. Bureau of Investigation. The missing person in question is Philippa Crosby, a twenty-two year old from Boston who has been living in Paris, modeling and acting. Her family became alarmed when she stopped all communications, and Stuyvesant agreed to track her down. He wholly expects to find her in the arms of some up-and-coming artist, perhaps experimenting with the cocaine that is suddenly available on every rue andboulevard.

As Stuyvesant follows Philippa’s trail through the thriving, decadent ex-patriate community of artists and writers, he finds that she is known to many of its famous—and infamous—inhabitants, from Shakespeare & Co’s Sylvia Beach to the Surrealist photographer Man Ray. But when the evidence leads Stuyvesant to the Théâtre du Grand-Guignol in Montmartre, his investigation takes a sharp, disturbing turn. At the Grand-Guignol, murder, insanity, and sexual perversion are all staged to brutal effect in short, gut-churning acts. Depravity as art; savage human nature on stage.

Soon, it becomes clear that one missing girl is a drop in the bucket. Here, amid the glittering lights of the cabarets, hides a monster whose artistic coup de grace is to be rendered in blood and gore. And Stuyvesant will have to descend into the darkest depths of perversion to find a killer . . . sifting through The Bones of Paris. (from http://www.laurierking.com)

My Review

When I requested this book, I thought-ok, fun little mystery.  WRONG!  It was so much more.  There is the mystery, but it is wrapped in amazing layers of history!  The author makes you feel as if you are looking directly into Paris at the end of the 1920’s.  She introduces you to real people of the era-painter, singers, and authors.  As the main character, Harris Stuyvesant, searches the city for a young missing American, we meet and hang out with the famous artist Man Ray, singers Brictkop and Josephine Baker, along with Cole Porter, Ernest Hemingway, and Kiki of Montparnasse.   It is an intricate story, that unfolds slowly, but I found myself unable to go slowly, instead plowing on ahead even when I wanted to take a break.  I loved the way the author brought me right into the different neighborhoods of Paris in 1929.  You can hear the Jazz and taste the champagne right along with Harris.  As Harris comes to grips with the starkness of the Surrealist and Dada movements and the horror of the Grand-Guignol, you are right there also.

I really recommend this book-while it had some pretty intense parts, it was a fast read and kept my interest the entire time.  I really didn’t want it to end.  I hope the author, who also wrote The Beekeeper’s Apprentice (which is now on my TBR list), writes more books with these characters and in this setting.

rating

4.5 out of 5

EXPATRIATES: PARIS 1920S

EXPATRIATES: PARIS 1920S (Photo credit: roberthuffstutter)

The Dark Monk by Oliver Potzsch

3 Comments

12360050

The Dark Monk

A Hangman’s Daughter Tale

by Oliver Potzsch

published byMariner Books

2012

Summary

1660: Winter has settled thick over a sleepy village in the Bavarian Alps, ensuring every farmer and servant is indoors the night a parish priest discovers he’s been poisoned. As numbness creeps up his body, he summons the last of his strength to scratch a cryptic sign in the frost.

Following a trail of riddles, hangman Jakob Kuisl; his headstrong daughter Magdalena; and the town physician’s son team up with the priest’s aristocratic sister to investigate. What they uncover will lead them back to the Crusades, unlocking a troubled history of internal church politics and sending them on a chase for a treasure of the Knights Templar.

But they’re not the only ones after the legendary fortune. A team of dangerous and mysterious monks is always close behind, tracking their every move, speaking Latin in the shadows, giving off a strange, intoxicating scent. And to throw the hangman off their trail, they have ensured he is tasked with capturing a band of thieves roving the countryside attacking solitary travelers and spreading panic.

My Review

To review this book, I must first go back to The Hangman’s Daughter, the author’s first book in what has become a series.

9496240

I loved The Hangman’s Daughter.  The author came up with the idea for this book when he was researching his own family and discovered he was a direct descendant of a family of executioners in Bavaria.  The role of executioner was handed down from father to son, and during the 16th to 19th century, the Kuisle family were the executioners for Schongau, Bavaria.  In the first novel, set in 1660, we meet Jakob  Kuisl, the Hangman of Schongau, who is also a healer.  When some children are found dead with what appears to be a witch’s mark on their backs, the local midwife is immediately accused.  While it is his job to torture a confession from her, Jakob believe she is innocent, and sets out to find the real killer.  With the help of his daughter Magdalena and her friend Simon, they try to solve the mystery.  I loved the way this book gave the reader a real idea of medieval Germany and it’s society.  I never knew that town employed executioners, but that they were considered undesirables and had a very low standing in society.

The Dark Monk takes us right back to Jakob and Magdalena and a new mystery, when the local priest is poisoned.  This new novel includes much of the same wonderful writing and characters from the first, while branching out into the history of the crusades and the Knights Templar- areas of history that  I LOVE.

I would definitely recommend reading The Hangman’s Daughter and it’s sequel The Dark Monk.  They are wonderful books!

rating

4 out of 5

Schongau, Bavaria, Overview

Schongau, Bavaria, Overview (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Light in the Ruins- a review

3 Comments

16099189-1

The Light in the Ruins

by Chris Bohjalian

published by Doubleday

2013

borrowed from the library

Summary

1943: Tucked away in the idyllic hills south of Florence, the Rosatis, an Italian family of noble lineage, believe that the walls of their ancient villa will keep them safe from the war raging across Europe. Eighteen-year-old Cristina spends her days swimming in the pool, playing with her young niece and nephew, and wandering aimlessly amid the estate’s gardens and olive groves. But when two soldiers, a German and an Italian, arrive at the villa asking to see an ancient Etruscan burial site, the Rosatis’ bucolic tranquility is shattered. A young German lieutenant begins to court Cristina, the Nazis descend upon the estate demanding hospitality, and what was once their sanctuary becomes their prison.

1955: Serafina Bettini, an investigator with the Florence police department, has her own demons. A beautiful woman, Serafina carefully hides her scars along with her haunting memories of the war. But when she is assigned to a gruesome new case—a serial killer targeting the Rosatis, murdering the remnants of the family one-by-one in cold blood—Serafina finds herself digging into a past that involves both the victims and her own tragic history.

Set against an exquisitely rendered Italian countryside, The Light in the Ruins unveils a breathtaking story of moral paradox, human frailty, and the mysterious ways of the heart.  (from Goodreads)

My Review

I have been a fan of Chris Bohjalian since I read Midwives many years ago.  I remember being surprised that a male author could tell such a compelling story in a female voice.  So began my love of (almost) everything this prolific author has produced.  I loved Secrets of Eden and The Double Bind, as well as his recent The Sandcastle Girls, which I reviewed on this blog.  I haven’t yet read Before You Know Kindness, but it is on my list!  What I find most surprising about this author is his ability to make every book he writes almost completely different from anything he has written previously.  Each book is beautifully written, with well established character, yet each are originals.  The Light in the Ruins continues this.

What begins as a murder mystery slowly intertwines with an historical drama.  We begin the story with the brutal murder of Francesca Rosati in 1955.  She is the widowed daughter in law of the once prominent Rosati family.  The killer addresses the audience and his hatred of the family is tied back to the late days of the war, in the beautiful Tuscan countryside.  The story goes back and forth between Florence in 1955, where the female detective Serafina Bettini is working to catch the killer, and 1943 Tuscany at the family’s beautiful Villa Chimera.  The suspense slowly builds as the author brings the countryside to life for the reader.  I think one of Bohjalian’s best talents lie here- in making you see, feel, and experience a place so well.

I definitely recommend this book, as I would most of Bohjalian’s work.  The only book that I will not rave about was The Night Strangers, which, while well written, just wasn’t my style.  I am trying to pull my mom into this author’s camp also.  Put this one on your TBR list right now-at the top!

rating

4.5 out of 5

tuscan villa

tuscan villa (Photo credit: Mircea2011)

The Clock of Life- a review

7 Comments

16281835

The Clock of Life

by Nancy Klann-Moren

published by Anthony Ann Books

2012

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

 Summary

In the small town of Hadlee, Mississippi, during the 1980’s, Jason Lee Rainey struggles to find his way amongst the old, steadfast Southern attitudes about race, while his friendship with a black boy, Samson Johnson, deepens.
By way of stories from others, Jason Lee learns about his larger-than-life father, who was killed in Vietnam. He longs to become that sort of man, but doesn’t believe he has it in him.
In The Clock Of Life he learns lessons from the past, and the realities of inequality. He flourishes with the bond of friendship; endures the pain of senseless death; finds the courage to stand up for what he believes is right; and comes to realize he is his father’s son.
This story explores how two unsettling chapters in American history, the Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War, affect the fate of a family, a town, and two boyhood friends. (from Goodreads)

My Review

This is a wonderful debut novel from author Nancy Klann-Moren.  In what has been compared to the classic To Kill a Mockingbird, we learn the story of Jason Lee Rainey as he grows up in a still segregated Mississippi.  On his very first day of school, Jason Lee becomes friends with a black boy, Sampson, which immediately makes him some very strong enemies.  Jason lives with his mom Cassie and his Uncle Mooks, who was injured in Vietnam, and is a little “off”.  His father, who served and died in the same war, is a source of wonder and mystery to Jason.  As the years pass, Jason Lee’s friendship with Sampson becomes stronger still and they become “blood brothers”.  Jason also slowly starts learning more about his dad from his dad’s best friend Wally.  In a box of old books given to him by Wally,  Jason finds his dad’s old journal.  Through this journal, he learns about his father’s work in the civil rights movement, including the March on Selma.    Jason Lee grows into a remarkable young man through this story.

I really enjoyed reading this book, and finished it pretty quickly.  The author has produced an extremely well written and researched piece of work and I was not surprised to learn that this novel will be used in classrooms starting in September.  I would definitely recommend this book.  It was a captivating story set in one of the difficult periods in our country’s history.

Rating

4 out of 5

For other great reviews of this book, check out the following-

Powerful, Discussible Story! Review: The Clock of Life by Nancy Klann-Moren

http://loveatfirstbook.com/2013/06/clockoflife/

Civil Rights and the ‘Clock of Life’

 

For more about the author, you can visit her website at-

Home

Bloody Sunday Mural

Bloody Sunday Mural (Photo credit: qbix08)

The Prodigal-a review

8 Comments

17929231

The Prodigal

by Michael Hurley

published by Raggerbag Press

2013

I received this books through Goodreads Giveaways programs in exchange for an honest review.

Summary

The Prodigal tells the story of Aidan Sharpe, a troubled lawyer trying to rebuild his life on Ocracoke Island, who finds love and destiny when an abandoned schooner thought to have been lost at sea more than a century ago drifts ashore. While struggling to come to terms with his own failures and his growing affection for Molly, an enterprising towboat captain, Aidan is drawn into a 2,000-year-old mystery that unfolds with the reappearance of the ship.  (from Goodreads)

My Review

In this debut novel from author Michael Hurley, the story of the mysterious ship named the Prodigal is intertwined with a cast of characters on Oracoke Island, NC.  We start with what seems a fable, of a gypsy princess who runs away with her true love, a salior, on board an amazingly powerful boat.  we then switch to present day.  When hot shot lawyer Aidan Sharp makes a mistake in a major case, he finds himself suddenly left with nothing.  His mentor sends to him stay with Father Marcus, a Roman Catholic priest in charge of a tiny congregation in Oracoke Island, on the Outer Banks.  Father Marcus is a bit of a renegade himself, and feels it is his job to help the lost souls who find themselves on the island with nowhere else to go.  One of these is Sarah, a woman who showed up years before on the beach totally naked.  Father Marcus gives her a small boat to live on and helps her survive.  Also helping Sarah is Molly, a spunky tug boat captain who is trying to survive in a man’s world.  When Sarah disappears into the Atlantic on her small boat, Aida, Marcus, and Molly, along with their friend Ibrahim ( a Bahamian on the run boat worker) set out to search for her.  As she disappears before them, they happen upon an abandoned boat.  Father Marcus digs into the origins of the boat and is amazed at some of the stories surrounding her.

This was a very well written book that surprised me with the changes in the story.  Just when I thought I had a good idea what type of book this was, the story would change, subtly, and head in a different direction.  I thought the characters of Aidan and Father Marcus were very well written-these felt like men I might have known.  As I grew up on a boat every single weekend fishing with my dad, I loved the descriptions of being on the water.  As the story moved into sailing and racing, I was a little confused by all the terminology, but never felt lost, as I moved along with the feel of the words.

Rating 4 out of 5

Sunset on a northern island beach (Ocracoke Is...

Sunset on a northern island beach (Ocracoke Island, Outer Banks, North Carolina, United States) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Summerset Abbey-a review

2 Comments

17153629

Summerset Abbey

by T.J. Brown

published by Gallery Books

2013

downloaded onto my Kindle (again borrowed from lovely daughter) from Amazon

Summary

1913: In a sprawling manor on the outskirts of London, three young women seek to fulfill their destinies and desires amidst the unspoken rules of society in this stunning series starter that fans of Downton Abbey will love.
Rowena Buxton

Sir Philip Buxton raised three girls into beautiful and capable young women in a bohemian household that defied Edwardian tradition. Eldest sister Rowena was taught to value people, not wealth or status. But everything she believes will be tested when Sir Philip dies, and the girls must live under their uncle’s guardianship at the vast family estate, Summerset Abbey. Standing up for a beloved family member sequestered to the “underclass” in this privileged new world, and drawn into the Cunning Coterie, an exclusive social circle of aristocratic “rebels,” Rowena must decide where her true passions—and loyalties—lie.

Victoria Buxton

Frail in body but filled with an audacious spirit, Victoria secretly dreams of attending university to become a botanist like her father. But this most unladylike wish is not her only secret—Victoria has stumbled upon a family scandal that, if revealed, has the potential to change lives forever…

Prudence Tate

Prudence was lovingly brought up alongside Victoria and Rowena, and their bond is as strong as blood. But by birth she is a governess’s daughter, and to the lord of Summerset Abbey, that makes her a commoner who must take her true place in society—as lady’s maid to her beloved “sisters.” But Pru doesn’t belong in the downstairs world of the household staff any more than she belongs upstairs with the Buxton girls. And when a young lord catches her eye, she begins to wonder if she’ll ever truly carve out a place for herself at Summerset Abbey.

(from Goodreads)

My Review

I saw a review of this book a few months ago at a great blog I follow-Poof Books.  Here is the link to that review-http://poofbooks.wordpress.com/2013/05/13/it-may-not-be-downton-but-it-is-summerset-abbey/.

Whenever I hear something is like Downton Abbey (one of my favorite things in this world) I have to have it.  So I downloaded it and this was the second book I began in Bermuda. I took it slow, despite it being a very quick and fun read.  This book very much reminded me of Downton Abbey with the setting and cast of characters, but it stands on its own as an original and interesting story.

When their father dies, Rowena and Victoria are forced to move with their uncle into Summerset Abbey.  The biggest problem is they do not want to part from their dearest friend Prudence, whose late mother was their governess, and who was raised along side them as their sister.  The Earl at first refuses to allow Prudence to come, but relents when Rowena assures him Prudence will be there as the girls’ ladies maid.  This is only explained to Victoria and Prudence upon arrival at Summerset Abbey.  Prudence accepts this difficult situation, as she does not want to be parted from the only family she feels she has left.  She immediately finds life very different as a servant.

This was a fun and interesting book, but I was left a bit cold by the character of Rowena, who comes across as weak and morose.  I am hoping to learn more about these characters in the next two books in this trilogy!

You can learn more about the author at-

http://teribrownbooks.com/tjblog/

Rating

3.5 out of 5

The Wishing Tree- a review

2 Comments


The-Wishing-Tree

The Wishing Tree

by Marybeth Whalen

published by Zondervan

2013

Downloaded to my Kindle (borrowed from lovely daughter) from Amazon

Summary

Savvy, determined Ivy Marshall discovers that her husband has cheated on her on the very same day her sister’s perfect boyfriend proposes on national television. When Ivy’s mother asks her to return to her family’s beach home to plan her sister’s upcoming wedding, she decides to use the excuse to escape from the pain of her broken heart. When her return to Sunset Beach, North Carolina, brings Ivy face to face with her former fiance, old feelings are rekindled and she wonders if there is a future for them. However, when Ivy refuses to talk to her husband, he resorts to tweeting to her, expressing his remorse and making it clear he doesn’t want to give up on their marriage. As she helps prepare the wishing tree for her sister’s wedding, she must examine her dreams for her own future and what true love should be.

My Review

This book was one of the featured summer reads listed on She Reads, which led me to choose to read it on my recent vacation to Bermuda. The author, Marybeth Whalen is also the co-directior of She Reads.  I downloaded it and a few others and off I went, thinking that with 4 days and 5 night, I was going to get in lots of reading!  Instead, I spent more time having fun, swimming and sunning, relaxing and reconnecting with my husband.  This was the only book I finished-and I read it all within a 24 hour period.   That being said, I think this is a great summer read.  It tells the story of Ivy, who, going through a very difficult time in 5 year marriage, decides to return home to Sunset Beach, to help her estranged mother and sister plan the sister’s wedding.  While there, she begins to question her choice to marry her husband Elliot, rather than her childhood sweetheart (and jilted ex-fiance) Michael.  This story showed very well the seldom spoken of dark side of young marriage-that it requires a constant amount of attention and work or it will wither and die like a delicate plant.  Actually, I think it requires work no matter how long you have been married (hence the reading of only one book on vacation).  I thought this book was very well written.  If you are looking for an easy summer read, I would definitely recommend this book.

You can read more about this author at-

http://www.marybethwhalen.com

Rating
3.5 out of 5

Sunset Beach

Sunset Beach (Photo credit: stepol)