F*CKED at 40 by Tova Leigh - Book Review

My Review:

Having seen some of Tova Leigh's videos, I was curious what she would say in her autobiography.  The book was a fast read.  If you are a fan of Tova Leigh you might enjoy getting to know her behind the scenes. 

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers of this book for my honest review.  3 out of 5 stars!

Here is the Amazon.com description:

"I was bored, angry, tired and sad. I felt all alone yet I had nothing to complain about. I had a good job, a husband who wasn't shagging his assistant, three children who apart from being the occasional assholes were pretty good kids; a house, a dog and everything else we are told as little girls we should aspire to. But inside, I was growing restless. I didn't want to be looked at as just a 'mom'. I wanted to be desired, to make someone's hair stand on end and go crazy for me. I didn't want to live by some label that didn't represent me. I looked at my messy minivan one morning and I wanted to vomit on it all. I panicked, thinking about how I am slowly approaching middle age and menopause and I wondered how many years do I have left of being 'f**ckable' before everything starts going downhill?"

In her first book Tova takes the reader on her journey of rediscovering who she is after motherhood and beyond the norms society forces upon women, whilst encouraging them to break free and just be themselves.

"When you find authenticity it's hard to go back. It's like opening a door to the truth and starting to breathe a new type of air. This discovery is what prompted me to write. It's my way of saying HERE I AM".

Nikki

The Winemaker's Wife by Kristin Harmel - Book Review

Amazon.com's description:

Champagne, 1940: Inès has just married Michel, the owner of storied champagne house Maison Chauveau, when the Germans invade. As the danger mounts, Michel turns his back on his marriage to begin hiding munitions for the Résistance. Inès fears they’ll be exposed, but for Céline, half-Jewish wife of Chauveau’s chef de cave, the risk is even greater—rumors abound of Jews being shipped east to an unspeakable fate.

When Céline recklessly follows her heart in one desperate bid for happiness, and Inès makes a dangerous mistake with a Nazi collaborator, they risk the lives of those they love—and the champagne house that ties them together.

New York, 2019: Liv Kent has just lost everything when her eccentric French grandmother shows up unannounced, insisting on a trip to France. But the older woman has an ulterior motive—and a tragic, decades-old story to share. When past and present finally collide, Liv finds herself on a road to salvation that leads right to the caves of the Maison Chauveau.

My review:

This is the first book I have read about the impact of the second World War on France's wine region.  Kristin Harmel was able to describe the fear and determination of the wine growers and the Resistance through her writing. I loved the story of Inez, Michel and Celine.  Their fear and vulnerability can be felt while reading the book.  I would recommend this book to anyone interested in Historical fiction involving the War, France and especially the wine region.  

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers of this book for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review.  5 out of 5 stars!!

Nikki

No One Ever Asked by Katie Ganshert- Book Review

My review:

This is a book that shows that racism is still alive and well.  The author Katie Ganshert writes a story of an inner school on the verge of closing, where some students are able to transfer to a more affluent  suburban school.  It shows the parents, teachers and students opposing and trying to adjust to the new situation.  The story also tells of past racism in history.  Many of the characters are surprised by theirs and others racist feelings and many characters grow to accept the busing situation and make thrive from the experience. 
  Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book for my honest opinion. 5 out of 5 stars.  This would make a great book club selection.
Nikki

Amazon.com's description:

Challenging perceptions of discrimination and prejudice, this emotionally resonant drama for readers of Lisa Wingate and Jodi Picoult explores three different women navigating challenges in a changing school district—and in their lives.

WINNER OF THE CHRISTY AWARD®

When an impoverished school district loses its accreditation and the affluent community of Crystal Ridge has no choice but to open their school doors, the lives of three very different women converge: Camille Gray--the wife of an executive, mother of three, long-standing PTA chairwoman and champion fundraiser--faced with a shocking discovery that threatens to tear her picture-perfect world apart at the seams. Jen Covington, the career nurse whose long, painful journey to motherhood finally resulted in adoption but she is struggling with a happily-ever-after so much harder than she anticipated. Twenty-two-year-old Anaya Jones--the first woman in her family to graduate college and a brand new teacher at Crystal Ridge's top elementary school, unprepared for the powder-keg situation she's stepped into. Tensions rise within and without, culminating in an unforeseen event that impacts them all. This story explores the implicit biases impacting American society, and asks the ultimate question: What does it mean to be human? Why are we so quick to put labels on each other and categorize people as "this" or "that", when such complexity exists in each person?

Mercy Road by Ann Howard Creel: Book Review

My Review:

  This is the first book I read about the ambulance drivers in World War One.  Mercy Road tells the story of Arlene Favier, a brave young woman that risks her life to help her family.  I liked all of the details of the ambulance drivers for the American Women's Hospital and the story of Arlene.  This book is a good Historical Fiction book.  4 out of 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a copy of this book for my honest review.

Amazon.com's description:

Inspired by the true story of the World War I American Women’s Hospital, Mercy Road is a novel about love, courage, and a female ambulance driver who risks everything.

In 1917, after Arlene Favier’s home burns to the ground, taking her father with it, she must find a way to support her mother and younger brother. If she doesn’t succeed, they will all be impoverished. Job opportunities are scarce, but then a daring possibility arises: the American Women’s Hospital needs ambulance drivers to join a trailblazing, all-female team of doctors and nurses bound for war-torn France.

On the front lines, Arlene and her fellow ambulance drivers work day and night to aid injured soldiers and civilians. In between dangerous ambulance runs, Arlene reunites with a childhood friend, Jimmy Tucker, now a soldier, who opens her heart like no one before. But she has also caught the attention of Felix Brohammer, a charismatic army captain who harbors a dark, treacherous secret.

To expose Brohammer means risking her family’s future and the promise of love. Arlene must make a choice: stay in the safety of silence or take the greatest chance of her life

Nikki

Little Secrets by Jennifer Hillier - Book Review

My review:
   
This book was a compelling psychological thriller, full of twists and an ending I never saw coming.  Readers can feel Marin's grief at the loss of her son.  The loss of her son and possible loss of  her husband, led her to desperate measures while not knowing who to trust. I would definitely recommend this book! 5 out of 5 stars!!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers of this book for a copy of this book for my honest review.

Amazon.com's description:"Unflinching and unforgettable. Little Secrets has everything you want in a thriller" —Riley Sager, New York Times bestselling author of Lock Every Door

Overwhelmed by tragedy, a woman desperately tries to save her marriage in award-winning author Jennifer Hillier's Little Secrets, a riveting novel of psychological suspense.

All it takes to unravel a life is one little secret...

Marin had the perfect life. Married to her college sweetheart, she owns a chain of upscale hair salons, and Derek runs his own company. They're admired in their community and are a loving family—until their world falls apart the day their son Sebastian is taken.

A year later, Marin is a shadow of herself. The FBI search has gone cold. The publicity has faded. She and her husband rarely speak. She hires a P.I. to pick up where the police left off, but instead of finding Sebastian, she learns that Derek is having an affair with a younger woman. This discovery sparks Marin back to life. She's lost her son; she's not about to lose her husband, too. Kenzie is an enemy with a face, which means this is a problem Marin can fix.

Permanently.

Nikki

The Perfect Wife by JP Delaney - Book Review

Amazon's description:

The perfect life. The perfect love. The perfect lie. From the bestselling author of The Girl Before comes a gripping new psychological thriller. . . .

“Dynamic, razor-sharp, and thought-provoking . . . a cutting-edge suspense novel unlike any you’ve read before.”—Mary Kubica, New York Times bestselling author of The Good Girl

Abbie awakens in a daze with no memory of who she is or how she landed in this unsettling condition. The man by her side claims to be her husband. He’s a titan of the tech world, the founder of one of Silicon Valley’s most innovative start-ups. He tells Abbie that she is a gifted artist, an avid surfer, a loving mother to their young son, and the perfect wife. He says she had a terrible accident five years ago and that, through a huge technological breakthrough, she has been brought back from the abyss.

She is a miracle of science. 

But as Abbie pieces together memories of her marriage, she begins to question her husband’s motives—and his version of events. Can she trust him when he says he wants them to be together forever? And what really happened to her, half a decade ago?

Beware the man who calls you 

My review:

I loved this book!  I didn't want to stop reading Abbie's story.  The mystery of what happened to Abbie was very compelling.  I loved the ending!  Unfortunately what happened to Abbie seems like it could really happen in the future, and that was very scary. I would definitely recommend this book. A 5 out of 5!  Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review.

 N.

Cilka's Journey by Heather Morris book review

Amazons description:

From the author of the multi-million copy bestseller The Tattooist of Auschwitz comes a new novel based on a riveting true story of love and resilience.

Her beauty saved her — and condemned her.

Cilka is just sixteen years old when she is taken to Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp in 1942, where the commandant immediately notices how beautiful she is. Forcibly separated from the other women prisoners, Cilka learns quickly that power, even unwillingly taken, equals survival.

When the war is over and the camp is liberated, freedom is not granted to Cilka: She is charged as a collaborator for sleeping with the enemy and sent to a Siberian prison camp. But did she really have a choice? And where do the lines of morality lie for Cilka, who was send to Auschwitz when she was still a child?

In Siberia, Cilka faces challenges both new and horribly familiar, including the unwanted attention of the guards. But when she meets a kind female doctor, Cilka is taken under her wing and begins to tend to the ill in the camp, struggling to care for them under brutal conditions.

Confronting death and terror daily, Cilka discovers a strength she never knew she had. And when she begins to tentatively form bonds and relationships in this harsh, new reality, Cilka finds that despite everything that has happened to her, there is room in her heart for love.

From child to woman, from woman to healer, Cilka's journey illuminates the resilience of the human spirit—and the will we have to survive.

My review:

Cilka's Journey is a harrowing true story of an extremely brave young woman.  Cilka did what she had to survive in the concentration camp then paid for her survival for the rest of her life. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.  As I read Cilka's Journey it was hard to believe she could even survive, let alone have the courage to help others.   I have not read The Tattooist of Auschwitz but I definitely plan to now.  The author did a lot of research for the book and brought the characters to life.  I appreciate the authors notes at the end.  This would make an excellent book club pick.  Definitely a 5 out of 5 stars.  

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishers and author of this book for a copy of this book for my honest review.