Lies

Lies by T.M. Logan

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Are you searching for a thrilling page-turner? Look no further. I literally read this book in 6 hours. It was hard to put it down.

Joe Lynch’s life is perfect. He works as an English teacher in a prestige school, loves what he does. His wife is a smart and gorgeous career woman. His son is well observant, corky and smart. What else a man can ask for, right?

But one fatal afternoon, Joe’s son notices his mom’s car in a traffic and insists on following “mommy car” to show her his newly achieved reward. And that’s the moment when Joe’s life as he knows it starts to fall apart.

Like a domino effect lies and secrets start to come to lite. Nevertheless, the worst part of it all – Joe finds himself in a middle of a scheme that may cause him his freedom.

I love books that make me think. And this book is a major gem. Characters are marvelous, the plot is intriguing, and the best part – the story does not drag. Everything happens so quick! Thanks a million to NetGalley for suggesting this book, St. Martin’s Press for publishing this novel, and T.M.Logan for writing this phenomenal page-turner. I can’t wait to read more books by this author!

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The Dutch Wife

The Dutch Wife by Ellen Keith

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A thrilling, chilling and dark page-turner. The book is a combination of three stories: Marijke de Graaf, Karl Muller, and Luciano Wagner.

At the age of twenty-two, Marijke de Graaf dreams to play on a stage of a famous conservatory in New York. But being in a middle of the great war, Marijke and her husband join a Dutch resistance. And her kind heart can’t resist helping a few Jewish people that come their way. In early 1943 de Graafs are discovered by Nazis and sent to separate concentration camps in Germany. And that’s when Marijke is given a choice, to meet a slow dreadful death in the labor camp, or join the camp brothel. What choice young violinist will make? And will she ever see the end of the war?

Since his arrival at the camp, SS officer Karl Muller throws himself into work. And to thoroughly understand his mission at the camp, Karl gets acquainted with Hitler’s politics. However, while in a process, Karl is seriously distracted by a sweet young Dutch girl from the brothel, and falls in love with her. And in early 1945 Karl has to make a decision, to live up to his father’s expectations and die at the hands of American’s as a furher’s true follower, or to run with the love of his life and live happily ever after in a quiet house far away from Germany.

And finally, our last character Luciano Wagner finds himself in a middle of an Argentina’s Dirty War. The young boy is abducted, violently tortured and finally imprisoned for a cause that he supports. During his incarceration, Luciano spends time analyzing the relationship with his father, his sexual orientation and political views. Was it all worth it? Would have he done it all over again if the substances were different? And most importantly, we he ever be able to see his family again?

The book contains many many heartbreaking parts. To be honest, it was very hard to read the book, especially Marijke and Luciano’s stories. This novel is a must-read for lovers of historical fiction. And before you do so, pour yourself a big glass of wine, you will surely need it.

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Paris In The Dark

Paris in the Dark by Robert Olen Butler

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Autumn 1915, Paris. American journalist, Kit Cobb finds himself in a middle of bombarded Paris. His current assignment is to write an article on an American hospital and ambulance drivers. The driver he is partnered up with, a simple farmboy seems to be quite knowledgeable. Kit enjoys their conversations, but more than that the information an American driver keeps slipping during their trips. Therefore Kit decides to do a little digging into his new partner’s background. And what he finds is more dangerous than he expected it to be.

And while Kit Cobb is not writing the articles for his newspaper, he helps the American government to locate and capture people responsible for Paris bombing. Following the tips that are given to him by his handler, Kit finds himself in the heart of the German community following a very dangerous German operative. Will he lead our little undercover agent to the wanted bombers?

Wartime spies, secrets, deceitful friends, and all this takes place in the city if light – Paris. Great writing and an amazing plot with a few twists that keep the reader glued to the pages of the novel.
Thank you, Robert Olen Butler, for a fantastic rollercoaster ride. And thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of this wonderful novel.

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Kiss Me In Paris

Kiss me in Paris by Catherine Rider

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I do love romance novels, but I just can’t handle sappy romance books. And when I opened this book I thought, here we go, I’m stuck with a gooey novel. But, luckily, I am a type of person that ALWAYS finishes the book, so I continued to read the story. And boy, what a great decision I’ve made.

The story starts with a young girl, Serena, who plans “Romance Tour” in the city of light and love with her older sister and mom. The purpose of the tour is to refresh the memory and honor her father, who has tragically passed away two years prior. However all Serena’s plans start to crash from the very beginning. ”Kiss me in Paris” is a very delightful and humorous novel that is full of Serena’s 24-hour adventure in Paris that she ends up sharing (and enjoying) with a complete stranger.

I know, I know… eye roll. You have read this type of story before or seen in on TV. However, the moral of the story caught my attention and made me appreciate this lovely novel. Never chase the past. It’s already gone. And it’s ok to move on and create new happy memories, and this does not mean that you stop loving someone just because they are no longer here.

Wonderful writing. I loved writer’s description of Paris in December. Great storyline. This is an easy read, perfect for chilly fall/winter evenings under a warm blanket and a cup of hot cocoa or tea.

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Sold on a Monday

Sold on a Monday by Kristina McMorris

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

1931, young journalist/photographer, Ellis Read, on his way back to Philadelphia from his assignment stops in a village and takes a little walk. Nearby, he notices a house, two young kids on the steps with a sign “2 children for sale”. In a shocking state Ellis snaps the photo, returns to his vehicle and continues his journey.

Days later Lillian Palmer, newspaper chief’s secretary, comes upon a photo and brings it to her boss’s attention. Ellis is offered to write an article and is given a good spot in the newspaper. And just like that, Ellis Read gets the spotlight and fame he was longing for.

The story changes Ellis’s life for the better, creating new opportunities for his professional career, however, the truth behind the photo hovers over his head. And shortly after Read learns how his photo and an article changed the lives of children in the photo.

How late is too late to tell the truth and make thing right?

The book is based on the true story and photograph that was published in Chicago in 1948. Both stories are touching and worth reading. Thank you, Kristina McMorris for bringing an attention to this sensitive subject, and for writing this wonderful novel.

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