Saturday, January 20, 2018

Book Review: I Was Anastasia by Ariel Lawhon


My review:  

This book is not going to be released until March 27th 2018, but I was lucky enough to receive a copy from Netgalley for my honest review.  First off, this book would make an excellent book club choice!  I have been interested in the legend of Anastasia Romanov for a long time and as soon as I saw the description of this book I knew I wanted to read it.  I found myself drawn into Anna's story and did not want to put the book down until I finished. I would definitely rate this book 5 stars!!  Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book for my honest review.


Amazons description of the book:

In an enthralling new feat of historical suspense, Ariel Lawhon unravels the extraordinary twists and turns in Anna Anderson's 50-year battle to be recognized as Anastasia Romanov. Is she the Russian Grand Duchess, a beloved daughter and revered icon, or is she an imposter, the thief of another woman's legacy?
 
             Countless others have rendered their verdict. Now it is your turn.
 
Russia, July 17, 1918: Under direct orders from Vladimir Lenin, Bolshevik secret police force Anastasia Romanov, along with the entire imperial family, into a damp basement in Siberia where they face a merciless firing squad. None survive. At least that is what the executioners have always claimed. 

Germany, February 17, 1920
: A young woman bearing an uncanny resemblance to Anastasia Romanov is pulled shivering and senseless from a canal in Berlin. Refusing to explain her presence in the freezing water, she is taken to the hospital where an examination reveals that her body is riddled with countless, horrific scars. When she finally does speak, this frightened, mysterious woman claims to be the Russian Grand Duchess Anastasia. 
     
Her detractors, convinced that the young woman is only after the immense Romanov fortune, insist on calling her by a different name: Anna Anderson. 
     As rumors begin to circulate through European society that the youngest Romanov daughter has survived the massacre, old enemies and new threats are awakened. With a brilliantly crafted dual narrative structure, Lawhon wades into the most psychologically complex and emotionally compelling territory yet: the nature of identity itself.
     The question of who Anna Anderson is and what actually happened to Anastasia Romanov creates a saga that spans fifty years and touches three continents. This thrilling story is every bit as moving and momentous as it is harrowing and twisted.

Wednesday, January 17, 2018

Book Review: Secrets of Married Women by Carol Mason

Amazon's description of the book:

When Jill’s husband discovers he can never have children, it tears a hole in their marriage that Jill doesn’t know how to repair. Frustrated, she seeks comfort in her friends: fierce Leigh, with her high-powered career and doting family, and sweet, uncomplicated Wendy, who has a rock-solid marriage any woman would envy.
Leigh and Wendy’s lives seem perfect. But beneath the surface are secrets that could tear their friendship apart.
Leigh has grown tired of her stay-at-home husband and is looking for excitement—outside of the marriage bed. And after seventeen years of marriage, Wendy can’t shake the sense that there is something missing in her life.
As Jill is drawn deeper into her friends’ relationships, she is confronted by a temptation of her own: an intriguing stranger whose good looks and charm spark an instant connection.
Full of the realities of modern-day marriage, The Secrets of Married Women asks the question: how well can we ever know our husbands, our friends, or even ourselves?
My review:

The Secrets of Married Women book was everything I hoped it would be and more! It is a story of friendship, loss and love.  Throughout the book I was cheering for different characters for different reasons. The book really shows how one decision can impact so many different lives.

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review.