Rome in Love

Rome in Love by Anita Hughes

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“Rome in Love” is sweet, mesmerizing, and unequivocally unputdownable!

It is predominantly set in the idyllic city of Rome and takes us into the lives of the rich and glamorous and reminds us that not everything is always as it seems. The novel is wrapped around three characters, each having a secret they all try to hide. New Hollywood star Amelia who introduces herself as a hotel maid. European princess Sophie, who takes a break from her duties and explores Rome as an ordinary tourist. And finally, Phillip, a struggling journalist who goes undercover to reveal a story of the year, that will line his newspaper in the same order with major high ranks publications in Italy.

Audrey Hepburn makes a fabulous entrance into the novel as well. Multiple letters of the famous actress are discovered in the suite of the hotel she lived in while filming her infamous movie “Roman Holiday”. Audrey’s letters were so impeccably well written and match her character and personality so exceedingly well that I could hear actress’ voice while reading the letters.

Anita Hudges books always entertain me, and transport me to another time and place and immerse me so thoroughly into the feelings, lives, and stories of her characters that I never want to leave and this novel is no exception.

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The Favorite Daughter

The Favorite Daughter by Kaira Rouda

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Favorite Daughter is, without a doubt, a tense and entertaining psychological thriller that was extremely enjoyable and hard for me to put down! It is definitely going into my favorite reads shelf!

Jane Harris has a perfect life, perfect house, perfect family. Everything has changed a year ago when her daughter Mary had a tragic accident that took her life. After a long year of grieving, Jane feels as she has been awoken from a terrible dream, just on time to realize that besides Mary she has also lost her remaining family. And while on a mission to reclaim her perfect life back, Jane learns a chain of secrets that led to her perfect family to fall apart. And there is no perfect time like the present to get revenge.

Welcome to the dark, chilling and vicious world of Jane Harris.

This book has so much to recommend itself… for me, the hook was the unreliable narrator. I love books where the reader is constantly on edge because we aren’t sure if the narrator is lying or not and with this book the authors executed it flawlessly! The plot itself was cleaver and there were so many twists that had me on edge throughout the novel. When I wasn’t reading it, I was thinking about it. Thank you NetGalley and Graydon House publishing for an advanced copy of the book.

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Me, Myself & Ideas

Me, Myself & Ideas: The Ultimate Guide to Brainstorming Solo by Carrie Anton

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Me, Myself & Ideas is a good guide on how to brainstorm when you work by yourself. This book contains tips, advices, suggests solo activities that simply helps the reader to generate their thoughts and ideas. I was already familiar with many points and advices presented in the book by reading countless articles online and discussing similar subjects with others, however, this is a great handbook that keeps the collection of all the ideas in one place.

It is also very informative and easy to read. Perfect gift idea. The author did a great job gathering all the information and combining it with great exercises that made the book entertaining. Thank you NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for an advanced free copy of his book.

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The Last Time I Lied

The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“Although their eventual fate remains a mystery, I’m certain that what happened to those girls is all my fault.”

It’s been fifteen long, remorseful years since the summer Emma Davis spent in the Camp Nightingale. The summer that changed her life. Everything came crashing down when Emma witnessed her three friends Alisson, Natalie, and Vivian leave their cabin and never return. Ever since that summer, Emma paints massive canvases where she hides the missing girls behind dark leaves and gnarled branches of the woods that surround Camp Nightingale. One question remains unanswered, why Emma hides her friends? Is it grief or guilt?

Emma’s paintings catch the attention of Harris-White family, that owns Camp Nightingale which has been closed since the fatal summer, fifteen years ago. The family decides to reopen the camp, and Emma receives an invitation to spent the summer there as a painter instructor. She accepts an invite in hopes to find closure. However, Emma is not the only one who returns to Camp Nightingale hunted by their past, someone is here to get their revenge.

“The Last Time I Lied” is a dark, twisty and spine-chilling physicological thriller, with a bewildering ending. Amazing set of great characters, followed by a startling plot that contains secrets and vengeance.

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Art Lover’s Guide to Paris

Art Lover’s Guide to Paris by Ruby Boukabou

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I love Paris. Every time I step my foot in this magnificent city, I’m fascinated by its history and culture. Paris is not just a city, it’s a world. Coming upon “Art Lover’s Guide to Paris” book on NetGalley was a pleasant surprise. This is a very simple, short guide to all must-see museums, galleries, artist’s houses, and studios, restaurants, hotels, brasseries. It even includes chateaus that are locating a short distance away from Paris. The guide includes a short description of every place, including a little history and its addresses, which is incredibly helpful. Having been to Paris multiple times, I’ve visited probably 1/3 of the sites from the guide, and now I have a new list of places I will visit the next time I’m in the city of lights.

Thank you NetGalley and White Owl Publishers for an advanced copy of the book and Ruby Boukabou for creating a phenomenal guide of Paris’ most magnificent places.

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Lost Roses

Lost Roses by Martha Hall Kelly

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

“Lost Roses” is a prequel to a previously published “Lilac Girls” novel that I have not got a chance to read yet. New novel tells us a story of three characters: Eliza, Sofya, and Varinka. Three women that came from three different classes trying to survive the war and revolution.

An American socialite, Eliza Ferriday has a perfect life: two beautiful children, a husband that she adores. But after a tragic event, Eliza completely throws herself into a philanthropic work to help White Russian refugees to survive after fleeing their country, following Russia’s Imperial dynasty fall. Eliza has a connection to the Romanov family, her dear friend Sofya Streshnayva, whom she met in Paris many years prior. Feeling the guilt of being able to escape Russia right after Austria declared war on Serbia, Eliza looks for a way to rescue Sofya’s family. However, when the revolution begins to expand, Streshnayva family flees to their country estate from St. Petersburg in hope to find peace and protection. While in Malinov, Sofya meets and hires a village girl, Varinka, to look after her young son, Max. Unfortunately, shortly after their arrival, Sofya and her family are captured and imprisoned by Bolsheviks. As Streshnayva family kept imprisoned, their youngest member and heir Max is kept protected by family’s maid Varinka. Although once a loyal servant, Varinka grows to love Max as her own son and when the time comes to give him up, Varinka turns against the family. Driven by a desire to reunite with her son and husband and save her immediate family, Sofya escapes but only to learn of the collapse of the Romanov dynasty.

“Lost Rose” is a great book that describes the fall of Romanov’s Empire, it’s sad aftermath for the royal family, and takes the reader on a thrilling ride from St. Petersburgh to Paris to New York.

Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine Books Publisher for an advanced copy of the book and to Martha Hall kelly for an astonishing story.

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