Book Review: Two Wars and a Wedding by Lauren Willig

April 29, 2024April 5, 2023 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★
Audience: Historical Fiction
Length: 435 pages
Author: Lauren Willig
Publisher: William Morrow
Release Date: March 21st, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

From New York Times bestselling author Lauren Willig: a dramatic coming-of-age story with a dual timeline and a single heroine—a bold and adventuring young woman who finds herself caught up in two very different wars on both sides of the Atlantic.

September 1896: As an aspiring archaeologist, Smith College graduate Betsy Hayes travels to Athens, desperate to break into a very male-dominated field and find work at some of the world’s most famous excavation sites. In the midst of the heat and dust of Greece she finds an unlikely ally in philanthropist Charles, Baron de Robecourt, one of the few men who takes her academic passion seriously. But when a simmering conflict between Greece and Turkey erupts into open warfare, Betsy’s archaeological sites become battlefields and she falls into the grim and heroic task of nursing the wounded. As the world around her is irrevocably changed, Betsy finds her heart pulled in multiple directions.

June 1898: As the Spanish-American war begins, an older and wiser Betsy Hayes is searching for her former best friend Ava, who she last saw in Greece during the Greco-Turkish War. She believes that Ava might be with the Red Cross headed to Cuba, so Betsy herself joins the Red Cross and follows Teddy Roosevelt’s Rough Riders straight to the heart of the fighting. As she enters the war zone, dark memories of her last war resurface and her need to protect old and new friends intensifies.

With an unforgettable cast of characters set against two often overlooked but dramatic periods of history, Lauren Willig spins a compelling and heartwarming story about friendship, falling in love at the most inopportune moments, and fighting for what is right.

Thank you to BiblioLifestyle and William Morrow for the gifted copy.

A LOT OF NOPE.

I was hopeful when I started this one, and then quickly things soured and I struggled to finish it. Really should have just put it down.

With a combination of cheating + surprise pregnancy (of which I HATE cheating tropes) this was never going to be redeemed afterwards. I spent most of this book angry and upset at how things were going. Stylistic wise I think many more options could have been used for a better book.

I liked some small pieces such as the male POV we got. As one of the love interests he was fine (and wasn’t cheating) and I liked his chapters. There’s some interesting historical information that I didn’t mind as well. This is a little known topic for me and I liked broadening some of that knowledge.

But I honestly wouldn’t recommend this. First and last book by this author.

Overall audience notes:

Historical fiction + romance
Language: a little
Romance: vague fade to black
Violence: high
Trigger/Content Warnings: war themes, major loss of life, blood/gore depiction, pregnancy and childbirth, cheating

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Book Review: The Three Lives of Alix St. Pierre by Natasha Lester

April 22, 2024March 30, 2023 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Historical Fiction
Length: 432 pages
Author: Natasha Lester
Publisher: Forever
Release Date: January 10th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

1943. After spearheading several successful advertising campaigns in New York, PR wizard Alix St. Pierre comes to the attention of the U.S. government and finds herself recruited into a fledgling intelligence organization.

Enlisted as a spy, Alix is sent to Europe where she is tasked with getting close to a Nazi who might be willing to help the Allied forces–but there’s also the chance he might be a double agent.

1946. Following the war, Alix moves to Paris and takes a position as head of publicity for the yet-to-be-launched House of Dior. But when a figure from the war reappears and threatens to destroy her future, Alix realizes that only she can right the wrongs of the past and bring him to justice.

The Three Lives of Alix St. Pierre is a thrilling, sumptuous work of historical fiction told in three timelines: before, during and after WWII. This completely immersive story takes readers from the dangerous, intrigue-filled rooms in Switzerland where elites of both sides mingled and schemed during the war, to the glamorous halls of the House of Dior in the golden age of French fashion and journalism.

IMMERSIVE.

Another great read by Natasha Lester. Consider me invested in all future historical fiction books by this author because they are captivating and heartfelt and make me feel all the things.

I loved the combination of spy thriller + fashion + an orphan trying to survive. Alix is forced to be reckoned with and I loved that she always knew who she wanted to be. The path was never straight and the highs and lows that came with many tough decisions that had to be made in order to live to the next day.

The romance here is also super swoony. I loved the connection and how it utterly ripped my heart out before putting it back together. There’s actually multiple romantic lines here and I liked how each one of them interacted with Alix at that time they were present.

I think the pacing got me a tiny bit and occasionally I wished things were moving a little more. Besides that though, I loved the audiobook and look forward to the next one!

Overall audience notes:

Historical Fiction
Language: a little
Romance: closed door
Violence: very high
Trigger/Content Warnings: WW2 themes, murder, high levels of war crimes depicted, loss of life, mentions of sexual assault, blood/gore depiction

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Book Review: The Radiance of the Moon by Ashley Worrell

April 18, 2024March 19, 2024 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Historical Christian Romance
Length: 360 pages
Author: Ashley Worrell
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: February 27th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

The year is 1383, and the Wolf of Badenoch has conducted a terroristic campaign across the highlands to increase his wealth and land holdings. Now he’s turned his sights from Scotland to the Kingdom of the Isles. Seeking to keep the Wolf’s superior fighting forces out of his island nation, the King of the Isles turns to Chieftain Hector MacLean for help. A survivor of the Hundred Years’ War, Hector’s reputation precedes him. Brutal, clever, perhaps the greatest warrior Scotland or the Isles has ever produced—as if the man has a gift for killing. But after changing his life, Hector has no interest in returning to his old ways. As an alternative to war, he agrees to forge a marriage alliance with one of the Wolf’s allies, hoping to gain their fidelity and protect his family and clan. After surviving a brutal first marriage, young Irish widow Cara O’Ballevan arrives in Lochbuie Clan Territory, her sole prayer to make a peaceful home with the MacLeans, but the clan is wary of her as an outsider. After praying for help, she happens upon a kind man beneath a bright moon, unaware that he is the chieftain and soon to be betrothed to another. Over a series of meetings, Hector and Cara help one another, encourage one another, and begin to come to terms with a past they’re both trying to leave behind. When Cara faces a threat during a clan dispute, Hector discovers that the deadly combatant he used to be isn’t gone, but lurking just beneath the surface. This time, the lethal warrior within him takes up watch over Cara. As her gentle spirit roots deep into his heart, Hector knows she can never become his wife. A future with her could only lead to war and disgrace. Yet he cannot stop himself from falling in love with the one God entrusted to him – the woman he isn’t supposed to marry.

Thank you to the author a free copy of the audiobook!

BLOWN AWAY.

Audiobook notes: This is the only negative thing I have to say. The audio wasn’t great. I ended up reading more of the book on my kindle because of the narration. When the narrator would read the general story line, it was fine. But anytime voices were used it was hard to understand and didn’t fit the characters well either. For someone who can listen to very dense fantasies at 3x with no problems, I had to slow this one wayyyy down to understand what was being said.

BUT NOW ALL OF THE HAPPY THINGS BECAUSE I LOVED THIS BOOK.

This was a lot more heavily Christian fiction than I generally go for, so while this is one I’m usually not drawn too, I thought it everything was beautifully crafted. I think with the setting and time period the faith aspects were woven in well and showcased beautiful moments of connection and love.

I adored the hard fought relationship between Hector and Cara. It often felt like one step forward, two steps back, but then those moments of clarity and understanding would come and I loved how the communication lines began to open. I was a smitten puddle over many moments. I loved the conflict and just the right level of action. The heat and passion of true love and the strength of friendships.

A fabulous book. I am blown away this was a debut and I hope we get more books from this author soon!

Overall audience notes:

Christian Historical Fiction Romance
Language: none
Romance: closed door
Violence: moderate
Trigger/Content Warnings: spousal abuse (physical), loss of loved one, childbirth, mentions of child abuse, attempted assault, being stoned

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ARC Book Review: The Outlaw Noble Salt by Amy Harmon

April 9, 2024February 13, 2024 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Historical Fiction Romance
Length: 367 pages
Author: Amy Harmon
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Release Date: April 9th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

From New York Times bestselling author Amy Harmon comes a sweepingly romantic tale of risk, redemption, and what happens when America’s most famous outlaw falls in love. When infamous outlaw Butch Cassidy decides to go straight, he discovers that too many of the powerful men he crossed won’t let bygones be bygones. To have a chance at a new life, he’ll have to become someone else entirely. A brief, fateful encounter with the celebrated singer Jane Touissant on the eve of his escape offers a glimpse of what might have been, but Butch disappears, leaving her behind, until their paths unexpectedly converge again in Paris. Despite having discovered his true identity, Jane trusts the outlaw and enlists his protection on her upcoming American tour. Although Butch is reluctant to agree, fearing his sordid past may put the woman and her young son in danger, the salvation she offers is too hard to resist. As they set forth on their journey, Butch’s past and Jane’s secrets put them at risk from threats far greater than the law, and this legend of the American West will have to decide what matters most―his life, his legacy, or the woman he loves.

Thank you to Amy Harmon for the gifted book.

FEELING EVERYTHING.

I don’t even know how to put into words how beautiful this book was. I was swept away (again, because let’s be honest, Amy Harmon books always sweep me away) into the early 1900’s and Butch Cassidy’s life, and what a life it was.

I looooved the exploration of Cassidy and his life and how he ended up where he did. I love how the inclusion of history was woven in with the romance. Good heavens I loved Jane. Her continued strength through a difficult life and being the mother she wanted and needed to be for Augustus while allowing herself a chance to be with Butch. It was incredibly romantic and heartfelt and raw with truth and longing.

Also Augustus? In love with him. He was the sweetest boy who had to grow up too soon. And he was the perfect addition to this story. I found strength is his courage and the way he handled himself throughout the book.

I loved the setting and story and the intensity of what was slowly closing in. My heart was in my throat and had to hope with everything in me that we’d get to the ending I was begging for.

Another masterpiece where I fell in love with a ‘villain’.

Overall audience notes: