A delightful, very entertaining novel set in 1965 when Helen Gurley Brown took over as editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan Magazine and made it wildly successful. We learn about Helen's background and also the stories about the "girls" she hires as her editors.

This book, while a bit slow, had a great ending. The ending is something I never could have predicted and the whole book I continued trying to figure out what the twist would be. I enjoyed that the book felt so captivating and real.

This book is a thriller of a ride. Simone is traveling to Texas from London to meet up with her daughter Lucy. Lucy has been at an acting camp and the two are set to go camping in the desert. Lucy gets taken and it is up to Simone to do what the kidnapper says or loose Lucy forever. Can Simone save Lucy or does Lucy have something else up her sleeves. How far will a mother go to save her child? Read and find out.

Deep Water Brett Battles writing as Stuart Woods 5 stars Stuart Woods died in 2022 but thanks to Brett Battles the adventures of Stone Barrington are with us and Deep Water is an exciting page turning adventure. I couldn’t put the book down.

Shane Abe tells a historically accurate story of rags to riches in the book AN AMERICAN BEAUTY. As with her other books of historical fiction she follows a little know woman as she weaves her life through history. In this case, the main character Arabella Yarrington goes from poverty in post civil war Virginia to the height of New York society in the Gilded Age. From Bella's teenage years working in an illegal gambling parlor to her time as mistress and then wife to C.P. Huntington, a railroad tycoon, you get caught up in the excitement and worry that surrounds her. The real life characters actually come to life and you can almost see the things the author discribes. I enjoyed the time I spent with thus books and the people in it ...

About a month ago, I was invited to attend a Book Share with the author, Maureen Reid. I was drawn by our similar backgrounds. Maureen is an excellent presenter who began writing in her seventies. The first book is ‘BECOMING HERSELF’ and takes place in upstate New York. It is Historical Fiction inspired by her grandmother. Everything at home took second place to reading this book. Unfortunately, most local libraries do not have a copy so you have to ask the librarian to request a copy from Rockville Center. I purchased from the publisher and hope more libraries will invite Maureen to present and will purchase a few copies.

THE FIRST TIME I SAW HIM by Laura Dave is a sequel to her earlier book THE LAST THING HE TOLD ME. Fear not - you need not have read the first book to enjoy this later one. Dave brings up the original story of a loving father and husband forced to flee from bad guys to keep the family safe often enough to keep you fixed to the story. The story, moving from California, Florida, France, Italy, Hawaii and Australia has plenty of action and a cast of characters that keep you on your toes. I found the plot to be somewhat unrealistic, but an enjoyable read non-the-less.

This book is Historical Fiction exploring the Korean Conflict. As a ‘MASH’ fan and niece of a Seaman during that time span, I was drawn to this book. Last year I read The Daughters of Shandong by the same author and was impressed by her research, personal knowledge, and ability to weave a time in history into an amazing story. This recent book takes place in the early 1950’s. While reading I was rooting for the characters. Ellie (a reporter covering the war), Emma (a mother searching for her daughter), and IMO (a daughter, wife, mother, and friend who deals with the shame of her family). The cruelty of the Japanese was reflected in the conditions the main characters faced. The Communists from Russia influencing the Koreans, the US supporting the conflict with UN troops, and a people who wanted to be United. Eve’s catalyst for bringing this time in history to our focus ties this period in time to conflicts in our world. As a reader, I could not put the book down but did keep notes on names and places. The cost of war to innocent people can make one hesitant to read this story. So my rating is a 4 for those who may hesitate to read a book about the horrors of war. For me, the book was definitely a 5 because it was engaging, well developed with a message, and shared a time my generation did not talk about.

Great book! Was recommended to me by a friend!

A very enjoyable novel by one of my favorite Irish authors, Jean Grainger. It takes place in 2 timelines, 1969 and the present. Two women, Jeannie and Orla are intertwined and we eventually will discover their connection. Dunmara House, a castle in Ireland standing since 1689 is significant in both timelines. Well-written, sympathetic characters and an engrossing story. This is the first in a series of three books. I can't wait to read the next two when they are published!