“The Beautiful Strangers” by Camille Di Maio

Title: The Beautiful Strangers
Author: Camille Di Maio
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Year: 2019
Genre(s): historical fiction, romance
Part of a Series: No
Rating: 

Why I read it: Once Upon a Book Club selection

Summary: In 1958, Kate Morgan’s life looks pretty mundane—destined to work in her family’s San Francisco restaurant until she’s old or marries a longtime friend. She dreams of a life like the one she sees in the movies and longs to do more with her life.

Then her grandfather, who suffers from dementia, charges her to go to the Hotel del Coronado and find “the beautiful stranger.” Kate does so and manages to secure a job working on the set of the new Billy Wilder movie, Some Like It Hot. Kate finds herself surrounded by faces she’s only seen on a movie screen—Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon and Marilyn Monroe herself. But she doesn’t have time to be starstruck—she has to find the beautiful stranger and fast.

Her first clue comes when she finds out she shares the name of the hotel’s ghost. Is there a connection between her family and the ghost? And is she the beautiful stranger? As Kate digs deeper into the mystery, she learns more about her family’s history—and herself.

“P.S. From Paris” by Marc Levy

Title: P.S. From Paris
Author: Marc Levy
Publisher: AmazonCrossing
Year: 2017
Genre(s):contemporary fiction, romance
Part of a Series: No
Rating: 

Why I read it: Recommended by Amazon and I thought it looked intriguing

Summary: Actress Mia Barlow is heartbroken when she learns her husband and frequent costar is cheating on her. She goes to visit her friend Daisy in Paris, staying with her and trying to avoid the limelight as she figures out what to do next. On a whim, she signs up for an online dating site and pretends to be Daisy—a chef with her own restaurant.

Meanwhile, American author Paul is stuck. He’s trying to write his next novel but is struggling with it while living a rather secluded life. He believes he’s in love with the woman who translates his work into Korean, where he is very popular, but is scared to make any changes. His friends decide to make the leap for him and sign him up for an online dating site, where he gets matched with Mia.

Despite a disastrous first meeting, Mia and Paul feel a connection. They build a friendship but could it become something more? And will they both discover what they really want from life?

“The Impossible Girl” by Lydia Kang

Title: The Impossible Girl
Author: Lydia Kang
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Year: 2018
Genre(s):historical fiction, historical romance, historical mystery
Part of a Series: No
Rating: 

Why I read it: A Once Upon a Book Club selection

Summary: In 19th century New York, bodies are in high demand for doctors to study and improve their medical knowledge. They are supplied by Resurrectionists (AKA graverobbers) and one of the best in the business is Jacob Lee. He and his crew are able to produce intriguing cases for the doctors and universities they sell to but he’s hiding the most intriguing case—himself.

Or rather, herself.

Jacob Lee is really Cora Lee, the bastard daughter of a disgraced socialite and a Chinese immigrant. She sometimes is herself or plays the role of Jacob, moving around New York’s medical community as she tries to survive. But when people with strange medical afflictions start dying, Cora’s job grows more dangerous as she tries to keep her big secret from coming to light—she is the legendary girl with two hearts.

“The Glass Ocean” by Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig, Karen White

Title: The Glass Ocean
Author: Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig, Karen White
Publisher: William Morrow (Harper Collins)
Year: 2018
Genre(s):historical fiction, historical romance, contemporary romance
Part of a Series: No
Rating: 

Why I read it: Once Upon a Book Club pick

Summary: Sarah is desperate. The royalties from her best selling debut novel have dried up and she struggles to pay for the medical care her mother needs. She also struggles to find an idea for her second novel and finally finds one when she goes through some family belongings, finding a message in the items that belonged to her great-grandfather who worked and died on the Lusitania. Sarah goes to England to get information about Robert Langford, the British aristocrat who her great-grandfather was the valet for on that fateful voyage. His grandson, John, agrees to help her figure out what the message meant, uncovering a mystery almost a century old.

On board the Lusitania, Robert Langford is caught between two women. The first is Caroline Hochstetter, who he has loved since they were teenagers. She, though, is married to a successful German businessman and is accompanying him to Europe so he can sell a rare waltz. The other is Tess Fairweather, a small time con artist who is on board to steal the waltz for her sister’s mysterious buyers. As the ship steams toward Europe, questions arise about why so many people want the waltz as rumors of espionage spread amongst the passengers. Who is loyal to who and who will survive the doomed voyage?

"Wives of War" by Soraya M. Lane

Title: Wives of War
Author: Soraya M. Lane
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Year: 2017
Genre(s):historical romance
Part of a Series: No
Rating: 

Why I read it: It was an Amazon first read offer

Summary: World War II rages on in Europe, though hope grows after the Invasion of Normandy. Scarlet, though, is worried when she hasn’t heard from her fiance, Thomas. Despite her family’s objections, she trains to be a nurse and gets shipped overseas to France. Along the way, she meets fellow nurse Ellie and soldier James…who happens to be her fiance’s brother. Scarlet finds herself drawn to James but is determined to stay loyal to Thomas. Ellie, meanwhile, struggles to adjust to life on the warfront and receives help from Spencer, one of the doctors in the unit. In France, both women befriend Lucy, a nurse who has been involved far longer than either of them and who dreams of becoming a doctor rather than a nurse. When she saves the life of an American soldier, she finds herself drawn to him though he has no memories and a picture of a woman in his pocket.

As fighting intensifies, the three friends embark on separate missions. Will they find love and happiness at the end of such a display of hatred and misery? And will they ever see each other again?

Patreon!

I have been working on publishing my first novel. It's a Christmas romance called "The Christmas Wish." Here's a little summary:

Hugh Ellis and Silas Edwards are best friends who want to be more--they want to be brothers. When they ask Santa to make them brothers, he grants their wish--which has life-changing repercussions for their single parents, Adelaide and Theo. Santa tasks them with being a family for one week. Will they make it without killing each other...or will Adelaide and Theo fall in love?

I am planning on self-publishing this and am trying to raise money to help with the process. To that end I've set up my own Patreon page.

Here are my tiers and their associated perks:

Reindeer: Patrons at this level will get access to bonus writing, like sneak peeks or cut material. ($1 a month)

Wishing Star: Patrons at this level can submit questions that I will answer every month. You will also get access to all lower tier benefits. ($5 a month)

Elves: Patrons at this level will get thanked at the end of the novel once it is published. You will also get access to all lower tier benefits. ($10 a month)

Santa: Patrons will receive a signed copy of the book when published. You will also receive access to all lower tier benefits. ($20 a month) 

I try to release posts weekly. It doesn't always work out but I try. You can get some sneak peeks at my work, some original short stories and other fun posts like that--all for a $1 a month! 

Thank you so much for your help! 

My Literary Boyfriends

Happy (belated) Valentine’s Day!

I will admit that I do not have a Valentine this year. Well, scratch that. I don’t have a date. I was part of a gift exchange in one of my fandoms, so I technically had a Valentine.

Anyway, since this is a blog dedicated to books, I thought I would talk about some of my favorite male characters—or my literary boyfriends, as it were.

1. Fitzwilliam Darcy: I don’t think there’s an Austenite who doesn’t wish Mr. Darcy was real. There are many who misinterpret why Mr. Darcy is so generally well liked—it’s because he’s rich! It’s because he’s good looking! It’s because he’s an ass and women just really like assholes instead of nice guys! And it’s really none of those. It’s because Mr. Darcy respected Elizabeth and changed how he treated her, especially once she called him on his behavior. He didn’t try to defend himself, though he did offer his side of the story in some cases while owning his own behaviors in others. He didn’t demand she give him a second chance. He respected her wishes to stay away. That’s what women want—not for someone to change for them, but for someone to respect them.

2. Nathaniel Bonner: For those unfamiliar with this name, I would encourage you to read Sara Donati’s Wilderness series. She was inspired by Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series, so he is basically her Jamie Fraser. He is a passionate and loyal man, ready to do anything he needs to do to protect those he loves. He’s also not threatened by strong women and is attracted to them. He’s also a loving and amazing father, even raising his daughter as a single father for a few years.

3. James: He’s from the next book I will be reviewing, Wives of War. A bit arrogant and something of a flirt when we first meet him, he proves to be a kind and loyal man. Even though he loves Scarlet, he stands down when he finds out she’s engaged to his brother. He supports her, though, when she needs it and treats her like an equal person, not some possession.

4. Remus Lupin: He’s my favorite Harry Potter character and I threw the seventh book across the room when I realized he didn’t survive the Battle of Hogwarts. (Though I figured none of the Marauders were getting out of the series alive after Sirius died). He’s a gentle soul, smart, and he really cares about Harry as well as his students. Remus can be serious but enjoys himself as well, enjoys spending time with family and friends.

5. Faramir: While he’s a Ranger, Faramir is more of a scholar than a soldier. It’s even noted that Denethor didn’t understand why his youngest son spent more time with books and learning from Gandalf rather than practicing. Faramir is wise and noble, a good man who wants to do what is right for his people and for Middle-earth. He’s also gentle but definitely strong, which made him a good match for my favorite character, Eowyn (in my opinion. I know others disagree and I respect their reasons). I definitely wouldn’t mind finding my Faramir one day.

Those are my literary boyfriends. I hope everyone has a great Valentine’s Day or at least enjoys all the discounted candy!

Moonlight Musing

Who are your literary boyfriends/girlfriends?

The End of Temperance Dare by Wendy Webb

Title: The End of Temperance Dare
Author: Wendy Webb
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Year: 2017
Genre(s):historical fiction, suspense, mystery, some romance
Part of a Series: No
Rating: 

Why I read it: Once Upon a Book Club selection

Summary: After suffering a setback in her career as a journalist, Eleanor Harper agrees to become the new director at Cliffside Manor, a renowned retreat for artists. Its previous director, Penelope Dare, greets Eleanor and prepares her for the incoming artists chosen to spend a couple weeks at Cliffside Manor. Eleanor looks forward to what she expects to be a stress-free job…until Penelope Dare commits suicide hours after Norrie’s arrival, leaving behind an ominous note.

Though shaken, Norrie pushes ahead and welcomes the next group of artists, including dashing British photographer Richard Banks. Weird things begin to happen around Cliffside and Norrie soon realizes that everyone gathered at Cliffside has a connection to it. Its past as a sanatorium for tuberculosis patients has dark secrets and Norrie needs to solve the mystery of Temperance Dare if she and the artists want to survive their time together.

“The Lost for Words Bookshop” by Stephanie Butland

Title: The Lost for Words Bookshop
Author: Stephanie Butland
Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books/St. Martin’s Press
Year: 2018
Genre(s): contemporary fiction, drama, romance
Part of a Series: No
Rating: 


Why I read it: A book club selection

Summary: Lovejoy’s whole life revolves around the bookstore where she works. She doesn’t have family except for Archie, the shop’s eccentric owner, and prefers books to people. Poet Nathan brings a change to her life in more ways than one—besides bringing the possibility of romance, Lovejoy’s past starts to come back to haunt her. Will she finally be able to make peace with it in order to move forward or will it be too much for her to face, forcing her further into isolation?

My Top 5 Posts of 2018

This is based on how many views Google says these posts got. So here we go:

1. Everything by Kristina Woods

2. Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

3. A Tangled Mercy by Joy Jordan-Lake

4 (tied). The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern and The Light-Keeper's Daughters by Jean E. Pendziwol

What will 2019 bring? Let's find out! My first review will be up next week! 

My 2018 Book List

These are the books I read in 2018! I've reviewed most of them but a few will come now in 2019. 

What did you read? 

Another Happy New Year

It’s 2019! Another has come and gone. And I’m woefully behind. I probably should’ve spent December looking back on 2018 and wrapping it up.

But I didn’t. So now we’re going to spend some time now in January doing that, starting this Friday.

Then we’ll really welcome 2019.