The Apartment

The Apartment by K. L. Slater

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Words of wisdom say: opportunity only knocks once and then it becomes your choice to open the door or ignore it.

Freya and Dr. Marsden paths cross at a local cafe, and since the meeting, all-stars start to align up for the new widow and her daughter Skye. Beautiful and extremely affordable apartment in a gorgeous victorian Adder House in a center part of London. Moving costs covered. Arrangements for Skye’s school are set. The two Miller girls are showered with expensive gifts and attention. Seem too good to be true? That’s because it is.

Since the move, the suspicious feeling does not leave Freya’s mind. As days go by, she starts to notice strange things – weird noises, objects moved, furniture shifted, odd visions. Adder House is not at all what she imagined it would be, behind its closed doors hide many dark secrets, and Freya’s time is running out.

I must say I was quite surprised by the plot. The novel contains not many but a few very good twists, which makes the read very entertaining. Many thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer publishing house for a free and advanced copy of the novel.

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The German Heiress

The German Heiress by Anika Scott

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

“The German Heiress” is a story of justice, loyalty, forgiveness, and trust.

After the end of the Great War, Germany’s “the Iron Fräulein” is hunted by English officers. All Clara wants is to locate her best friend and her son. As people say, be careful of what you wish for, you might get that. And what is waiting for Clara at the end of her search is a big shocking secret that has been kept from her by her closest family and friends.

While on the run and searching for her missing friend, Clara meets many people who are loyal to her family and help Clara on her mission. Clara’s path crosses with a war veteran Jakob, who becomes her ally during the hard times.

In a time of war, it took a strong person to break the rules, go against the political power to perform an act of human kindness, protect the innocent. During the great war, while the men were at the front lines protecting their countries – women were left behind to shield the people in need. Anika Scott gave as a perfect example of this effort in her new novel “The German Heiress”. Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow Paperbacks publisher for a free and advanced copy of the novel.

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You Are Not Alone

You Are Not Alone by Greer Hendricks

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

From the authors of “The Wife Between Us” and “An Anonymous Girl” comes
new and exciting thriller – “You Are Not Alone”.

Besides running their famous PR business the beautiful, rich and fabulous Moore sisters run a discrete group of people that plan and carry out an act of revenge. Always careful and organized, they have miscalculated one of their plans that led to a very tragic event.

One hot summer morning, Shay walks into a subway station where she witnesses a shocking incident. Distress leads Shay to Moore sisters. And for the first time in months, she feels cared for and most importantly – no longer lonely. As hot summer days turn into chilly autumn, the strange friendship with the sisters starts to take a cold turn as well, and Shay finds herself in a very peculiar situation.

I’ve been a big fan of Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen’s work since their very first book and was looking forward to reading their new novel. I love authors’ co-writing, the plot was great, however, it lacked a mystery. There were not many shocking twists as in the previous books. Nevertheless, I’ve enjoyed the novel. Great storyline, wonderful and entertaining main characters.

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The First Wife

The First Wife by Jill Childs

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

People say that real friendship lasts a lifetime, no matter the time, no matter the distance. Therefore, when Sophie receives Caroline’s email asking to come and spend some time at her new and beautiful beach house, she takes this opportunity to reunite with her childhood friend.

After a cold meet up, Sophie meets Caroline’s family: handsome and dashing husband Dominic and shy daughter Lucy. As days go by, Caroline and Dominic’s constant absence from the house leaves little Lucy in Sophie’s care. And the more time she spends with the little girl, the more concerned she gets about her strange behavior. Questions are raising in Sophie’s head, and shortly after discovering Caroline’s secret she finds herself in danger.

“The First Wife” is a gripping page-turner. I enjoyed the plot, the characters, and thrilling twists. I will honestly admit, it took me a while to realize the real truth behind Caroline’s character, nevertheless, the finale was a cherry on top of the cake. Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for a free and advanced copy of the novel and Jill Childs’ for a phenomenal read.

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Stolen Beauty

Stolen Beauty by Laurie Lico Albanese

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The novel is based on a worldwide famous painting “The Woman In Gold” by Austrian symbolist painter Gustav Klimt.

A young and impressionable Adele meets an older man, with whom she falls in love and their marriage bonds two wealthy and powerful families into one magnificent dynasty that rules Vienna. Adele’s love produces and lifetime friendship with Austrian famous painted Gustav Klimt, who had created a masterpiece, now known as “The Woman In Gold”.

Forty years later, Adele’s niece Maria is following her aunt’s footsteps, however, Hitler’s hatred of Jewish people not only ruins her family life but outcasts and sets them on a run from their home, country, religion, and past.

A lifetime apart, the two women fight for their husbands, family welfare and their dignity in the world. They are beautiful, determined, strong, and Jewish – a full package of an unstoppable female.

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My Perfect Wife

My Perfect Wife by Clare Boyd

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Glamour, wealth and beauty surround the graceful Huxley family on the cover of the magazine.

Lucas has everything he ever wanted, beautiful wife, cheeky children, expensive house with a grand garden, obedient help. The last thing he longs for is a business deal that can make him rich as a Rockafeller. And to seal the deal – he needs a picture-perfect event. As people say – it’s easier said than done. The sabotage of the deal is in the works, and behind it stands a woman Lucas trusts the most. You would ask: what has his fellow done to deserve this pitiful treatment? Just remember – it always takes two to tango.

Great read, with multiple twists that make the reader question every story and every fact. I wish the ending was stronger and more detailed. Liked the characters, I think it would be great if Agatha’s character was one of the narrators as well. Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture publisher for a free and advanced copy of the novel.

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As Bright As Heaven

As Bright as Heaven by Susan Meissner

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Coincidentally the reading of this novel collided with the outbreak of the coronavirus in 2020.

Now, let’s travel back to 1918. The Bright family who is greaving the loss of the family member receives a chance to get a fresh start in a big city of Philadelphia. Upon their arrival, they meet and make lifelong friends. But no matter how far they try to run from their misfortune – it found the way to catch up with them.

As years passed, Brights kept standing strong and moving on with their lives, nonetheless keeping their individual secrets. I love each character and the way their life stories developed. It was great to be able to stay with the family for a long period of years and learn their final faith at the end of the book.

While reading “As Bright As Heaven” I’ve enjoyed the fiction story and the facts it presented based on the true event during the Spanish Flu outbreak. Wonderful plot, with multiple narrators, made the novel an enthralling read.

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