Robin Loves Reading

Monday, November 21, 2022

BLOG TOUR - All the Courage We Have Found

DESCRIPTION:

France, 1942: An unforgettable, heart-wrenching and utterly unputdownable World War Two novel about one woman’s bravery in the face of darkness, and her heartbreaking decision to risk everything to do the right thing…

As Kasia creeps out of the farmhouse in the dead of night to transmit an urgent message, her heart pounds in her chest. Gripping her radio tightly in her hand, she feels a terrible sense of dread. She knows that this message could be the one that finally leads the Nazis to her…

Crouching in the shadows, with trembling fingers she turns the dial on her radio and hears the familiar crackle of static. Shaking, she quickly taps out her message and, holding her breath, she waits in the darkness.

Suddenly, she sees a quick flash of light out at sea. Her message has been received by the Allied boats; now they know it’s not safe to come ashore tonight.

As she looks back towards the little farmhouse, her heart catches in her throat. Inside, the two people she loves most in this world are sleeping soundly. Because while Kasia knows her messages might save thousands of soldiers, she also knows that her radio signal could bring the Germans terrifyingly close, perhaps even straight to Hugo and Elodie…

BUY LINK:

https://geni.us/B0BGSMRVCKsocial

MY THOUGHTS:

Title: All the Courage We Have Found

Author: Carly Schabowski

Publisher: Bookouture

Genre: Historical Fiction

Format: Kindle ARC

No. of Pages: 335

Date of Publication: November 18, 2022

My Rating: 5 Stars

Kasia is about to leave Poland to work as a radio operator in France. Her work for the Resistance is top secret and crossing the border will be no easy task. The night before Kasia is to leave, she meets a little girl who apparently is mute and so she calls her Elodie. This beautiful little girl has an unusual characteristic that reminds Kasia of someone from her past, and she feels compelled to bring Elodie with her.

They are secreted in a farmhouse with a man named Hugo who is very resistant to the plan, but he does help Kasia and Elodie keep hidden. Hugo is a tough character and is actually someone who does not appear very likable from the start. However he does find strength in Kasia in the work that she does but he also grows quite fond of Elodie.

Meanwhile, Kasia’s work is very tenuous and with a real threat of being exposed, she is forced to make a very difficult decision. While doing her best to continue her work, Kasia’s thoughts of her past relationship with a man that she once thought she would marry as well as her broken relationship with her sister never remain far from her. She is torn between her loyalty to the Resistance as well as mending fences from her past. Meanwhile, there is the question is what will happen with Hugo and Elodie.

What a remarkable story from an author who is new to me. The story touched me on many levels, as it was both heartbreaking and heartwarming at a time when strength, courage, love and forgiveness all played into the story. With danger never being far behind for Kasia, all while the bonds of love were forming, this story brought yet another satisfying read during a difficult time in history.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Please enjoy my YouTube video review -

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Carly Schabowski worked as a journalist in both North Cyprus and Australia before returning to Oxford, where she studied for an MA and then a PhD in creative writing at Oxford Brookes University. Carly now teaches at Oxford Brookes University as an associate lecturer in Creative Writing for first and second-year English literature students.

Author social media:

Twitter: twitter.com/@carlyschab11

Instagram: @carlyschabowskiauthor

Newsletter sign up: https://www.bookouture.com/carly-schabowski

Saturday, November 19, 2022

BLOG TOUR - What They Saw

DESCRIPTION:

Next to the lake’s dappled water, a woman lies on her yoga mat, her limbs twisted as if she is trying to crawl away. Her mug of tea steams into the cool air and her lips, still warm, are parted mid-sentence. But she will never speak or see again...

When Sandra Ashville is found murdered in a sleepy town near Oakhurst, Detective Jo Fournier is first at the scene. Jo is shaken by the similarities between herself and the dead assistant District Attorney, a dedicated woman with a heart for justice. And as she examines Sandra’s body, Jo discovers something that chills her to the bone: the bullet hole is covered by an intact blindfold. Why was Sandra only blindfolded after her death?

The very next morning Jo receives a shocking call. A judge has been brutally killed, before she too was blindfolded. Soon it becomes clear that the twisted serial killer is working with a deadly countdown: every morning, another body will be found. Working around the clock, Jo makes an important break-through: all the victims are connected to the same murder trial. And Jo’s dear friend and partner Bob Arnett could be next…

With the next morning rapidly approaching, Jo and her team pull out all the stops to catch the killer. But when she uncovers a stain of corruption that includes Bob, Jo faces an impossible choice. Can she trust her partner, when the evidence suggests he turned a blind eye to a grave miscarriage of justice? And as the body count rises, can Jo catch the killer before it is too late for her oldest friend?

From USA Today bestseller M.M. Chouinard, What They Saw is an utterly addictive serial killer thriller that will keep you reading into the early hours! Perfect for fans of Lisa Regan, Melinda Leigh and Gregg Olsen.

BUY LINK:

https://geni.us/B0BG6DPP6Bsocial

MY THOUGHTS:

Title: What They Saw

Author: M. M. Chouinard

Series: Detective Jo Fournier #6
Publisher: Bookouture

Genre: Mystery & Thrillers

Format: Kindle ARC

No. of Pages: 358

Date of Publication: November 16, 2022

My Rating: 5 Stars

Detective Jo Fournier’s latest case is that of a District Attorney named Sandra Ashville. One of the first things that is learned is that the victim was blindfolded after she was killed. This is concerning for Jo, especially when just the next day, a judge was killed and she also was blindfolded. Quite naturally, Jo and her team know that a serial killer is suddenly on the loose and with the victims being in law-enforcement there has to be a connection even deeper than that.

Jo becomes aware what that deeper connection is but also discovering that there is corruption going on, and that this could possibly include her partner Bob Arnett, leaves Jo in a fevered race to find answers.

This sixth book in in the fabulous Detective Jo Fournier series by M. M. Chouinard hits the ground running with the tension never once letting up. Jo’s determination comes second to her dedication in this exciting installment. This one-sitting read was utterly impossible to put down. It is with bated breath that I await book seven in this compelling series.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Please enjoy my YouTube video review -

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

M.M. Chouinard is the author of the Detective Jo Fournier mystery thrillers, and the standalone mystery thriller The Vacation. Her first fiction story was published in her local paper when she was eight, and she fell in love with Agatha Christie novels not long after. While pursuing a Ph.D in psychology and helping to found the first U.S. research university of the new millenium, the stories kept rattling around inside her skull, demanding to come out. For sanity's sake, she released them.

Author Social Media Links:

Website: www.mmchouinard.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mmchouinardauthor/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/m_m_chouinard

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mmchouinard/

Bookouture Email Sign Up: https://www.bookouture.com/mm-chouinard

Thursday, November 17, 2022

BLOG TOUR - The Goswell Quartet

Title: The Wife’s Promise
Author: Kate Hewitt
Series: Goswell Quartet #1
Publisher: Bookouture
Genre: Historical Fiction; Women’s Fiction
Format: Kindle ARC
No. of Pages: 387
Date of Publication: November 17, 2022
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

DESCRIPTION:

Alice looked at the young girl standing alone on the platform, sensing the same vulnerability she’d once felt entering the village she now called home. Then, as the child gripped her hand, the pain and sorrow Alice had held in her heart for so long softened… And in that moment, she vowed she’d always protect her – whatever the cost…

England, 1939: When Alice marries twinkly-eyed, kind-hearted vicar David, it means leaving everything from her old life behind and moving into the draughty vicarage in the beautiful but remote village of Goswell, Cumbria. Though homesick, Alice is determined to make a new life there for herself and her husband.

But soon tragedy strikes, and she is devastated when war breaks out and David chooses to sign up to fight. But everything changes when Alice is asked to take in a child evacuee, and she makes a promise to protect this girl, no matter what it costs her…

Now: When Jane and her family move to the small coastal village of Goswell where her husband grew up, she’s afraid she might have made a huge mistake. Their new home – in what had once been the vicarage – feels a million miles from their previous fast-paced life in New York City, and Jane struggles with her empty days that seem lonely and purposeless.

But then she finds a small note, forgotten behind a shelf in the pantry. A note written in the Second World War. By a woman named Alice, whose incredible story has the power to change everything…

Two wives’ stories – told over 70 years apart – about courage, finding a home, and how the unexpected arrival of someone else’s story in your life can change your own. Perfect for fans of Fiona Valpy, Lucinda Riley and Barbara O’Neal.

This novel can be enjoyed as a standalone.

Previously published as The Vicar’s Wife by Katharine Swartz.

BUY LINK:
https://geni.us/B0BG2VBF4Ysocial

MY THOUGHTS:

It is 1939 and Alice was pleased to marry a local vicar, although this would require her to make a difficult move. During the early years of their marriage they both suffered great loss. With World War II underway, Alice’s husband David enlists as he feels that he can do a lot of good for the men fighting. Alice is not left completely alone, however, as the village has agreed to take in dozens of evacuees and soon Alice has twelve-year-old Vera in her care. The pair have a lot of difficulties, making it very difficult for Alice to warm to Vera. It might be slow, but I love the transition that occurs between them.

This book also takes place in present day with our character Jane. Her husband Andrew got the opportunity to return to his home with a new job. So the couple with their three children are now transitioning to a new life. This is especially hard for Jane because having lived in New York her entire life, she was a busy woman who had satisfying work. Now life is very different for her in the quiet village of Goswell. While her heart longs to be back at home, despite how much she loves her family, she does find a good distraction when she discovers a shopping list in her pantry, a shopping list that goes back to the 1930s. Jane becomes very curious and starts to do research, and this research leads her to discover that a couple once lived in the vicarage where Jane and her family now live. She learns that the wife’s name was Alice and Jane does what she can to learn about her life.

The Wife’s Promise is the wonderful first book in a delightful quartet by Kate Hewitt. Although Jane and Alice’s lives might have been separated by many, many years, the fact that they both lived in the same house proved to be very enlightening for Jane. Their stories differed as much as they paralleled which made this book quite a lovely read. This book delivered a wonderful message. The message of love, change, and growth. Both timelines were just as intriguing. In Jane’s case as I wondered if she would ever adapt to living so far from home. Then when you consider Alice and her taking in a preteen after so many tragedies and loss, her heartbreaking story turned into one of hope. What a wonderful start to a series that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Title: The Daughter’s Garden

Author: Kate Hewitt

Series: Goswell Quartet #2
Publisher: Bookouture

Genre: Historical Fiction; Women’s Fiction

Format: Kindle ARC

No. of Pages: 387

Date of Publication: November 17, 2022

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

DESCRIPTION:

“I had to free it,” Eleanor said, and stretched her hand out to the blue butterfly that seemed almost to hover in the air. “I had to let something find what happiness it could, since we cannot.”

England, 1918: As war ends, across the world, people are trying to heal and recover. But Eleanor still feels broken. The loss of her beloved brother, killed just days before the Armistice was signed, feels impossibly unjust. Spending her time in the neglected garden behind their house, she fears her heart will never recover.

Then her father hires a man to help restore the garden to its former glory. Gruff, handsome Yorkshireman Jack comes from a totally different world to Eleanor, but he understands the nature of her grief more than anyone else seems to. And as they spend time together, even though she knows her family will never accept someone of Jack’s class, Eleanor starts to wonder if – like the butterflies around them – there is any way for her to learn to soar again...

Now: Nearly one hundred years later, Marin is not prepared for finding herself the guardian of her fifteen-year-old half-sister Rebecca, after her father and his second wife are killed in a tragic accident. The sisters are practically strangers, and Rebecca’s grief makes her seem even more distant. Marin too is in need of a fresh start, so when Rebecca begs her to let them move to the picturesque village of Goswell on the Cumbrian coast, Marin impulsively agrees.

But it is only when they find a locked door to a secret garden, and a photograph of a girl with a butterfly landing on her hand, that the sisters start to realise they have a mystery to solve, one about war, about secrets, and about a love that could never be. A mystery that might just bring them together…

The Daughter’s Garden is a totally unputdownable novel about tragic secrets, the chance for forgiveness, and the healing that can come from a new start. Perfect for fans of Fiona Valpy, Rhys Bowen and Lucinda Riley.

This novel can be enjoyed as a standalone.

Previously published as The Lost Garden by Katharine Swartz.

BUY LINK:

https://geni.us/B0BG2TH629social

MY THOUGHTS:

In book two of the Goswell Quartet by Kate Hewitt, in the second of her duel timeline stories, the first character we meet is Eleanor in 1918 England. Eleanor is grieving after dealing with the loss of her brother killed just before World War I ended. Her source of distraction is to spend time in the gardens behind her family’s home. After her father hires a man named Jack to work on the gardens, Eleanor soon finds that Jack really understands her and they soon begin to draw very close to one another. However, class distinction may indeed keep them apart.

In present day there is Marin who suddenly becomes guardian to her 15-year-old half-sister Rebecca. Marin never got to really know their father and now Rebecca has lost both of her parents. It proves to be very difficult for the two to get along. However, moving to the village of Goswell just might be the fresh start that both of them need. One thing that makes both of them curious is that there is apparently a secret garden in the back of their new home, but that garden appears to be locked.

More than that, they find a picture of a young girl and this picture leads them to start looking into the past. Not only is the village of Goswell the connection between all of the books in the series, Marin soon meets Jane, from the first book, The Wife’s Promise. Jane proves helpful when it comes to helping Marin with her curiosity about the past, which is how Marin learns about Eleanor. Both the story of the past and the story of the present bring the opportunity for love and family while recovering from grief.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Title: The Bride’s Sister

Author: Kate Hewitt

Series: Goswell Quartet #3
Publisher: Bookouture

Genre: Historical Fiction; Women’s Fiction

Format: Kindle ARC

No. of Pages: 401

Date of Publication: November 17, 2022

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

DESCRIPTION:

She clutched the piece of paper close to her chest, tears welling in her eyes, hardly believing what she had read. Silently thanking Sarah for all she sacrificed, she took the death certificate and slipped it under a loose floorboard – no one must ever find out what she’d done…

England, 1868: Orphaned and penniless, 18-year-old Sarah is left the sole guardian of her beloved little sister Lucy – who she’s vowed to protect at all costs. With nowhere left to turn, she is forced to accept mysterious widower James Mills’ proposal of marriage.

She believes being his bride can’t possibly be as bad as the threat of the workhouse. But nothing prepares her for the darkness of her marriage, the shocking secrets of her new family and the lengths she will have to go to, to keep her sister safe…

Now: Living in the beautiful village of Goswell, Ellen believes her family life to be idyllic… until her estranged seventeen-year-old stepdaughter Annabelle moves in and shatters the peace. Ellen fears they will never bond, until she finds a death certificate – for a woman named Sarah, from over a century earlier – hidden under the floorboards of their house, and Annabelle starts to help her unravel the mystery.

Yet as Ellen and Annabelle dig deeper into Sarah’s life and death, shocking truths, both past and present, come to light which change everything Ellen thought she knew about Sarah’s family – and the new addition to her own…

The Bride’s Sister is a powerful and moving story about what it means to be a family, second chances, and the lengths we go to for those we love. Fans of Lucinda Riley, Barbara O’Neal and Fiona Valpy will absolutely love this gripping and emotional read.

This novel can be enjoyed as a standalone.

Previously published as The Second Bride by Katharine Swartz.

BUY LINKS:

https://geni.us/B0BG2SBLT8social

MY THOUGHTS:

In the third dual timeline in the Goswell Quartet by Kate Hewitt this was the most emotional book in the series. Sarah and her dear sister have been left destitute and are facing life in the workhouse. To save both of them Sarah agrees to marry the much older widower James Mills. Life with James is very difficult for Sarah, but protecting Lucy is what matters most to Sarah.

During present day Ellen’s little family is about to experience upheaval when her step-daughter Annabelle moves in. After discovering a death certificate in the house, Ellen begins to research who it possibly belonged to. That death certificate actually brought Ellen and Annabelle closer together, but not before the family experiences some very serious issues. While the story was sad on many levels, filled with hopelessness and desolation it did turn into a remarkable story of second chances.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Title: The Widow’s Secret

Author: Kate Hewitt

Series: Goswell Quartet #4
Publisher: Bookouture

Genre: Historical Fiction; Women’s Fiction

Format: Kindle ARC

No. of Pages: 401

Date of Publication: November 17, 2022

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

DESCRIPTION:

She looked down at the sweet little girl and knew she wouldn’t listen to what anyone else said. She had to do what was right. Even if it meant going against everything she was taught to believe and keeping a secret from the person closest to her…

England, 1766: Abigail is happily married to James, a tobacco trader turned sea captain, and is looking forward to starting a family and settling down in Whitehaven, deep in the Lake District. But after a series of devastating losses, she finds herself in turmoil, with her future suddenly seeming unknown…

When James announces that he will captain a ship to Africa and then the Americas for a year, it sparks a series of surprising and heartbreaking events – involving some of the darkest evils in humanity’s history, and a tiny, terrified slave girl who’s brought back to England. This helpless child forces Abigail to reconsider everything she thought she knew – and will change her life forever…

Now: When a shipwreck is discovered off the coast of Cumbria, local expert Rachel is brought in to investigate. Her first thought is that this will be a perfect distraction from her troubled marriage and the memories of her past that she is desperate not to think about. But then it becomes clear the wreck is a slaving ship from the 1700s – one that was recorded as sinking in the Caribbean – and Rachel begins to wonder if there’s more to this terrible mystery than meets the eye.

Faced with uncertainty about both the past and present, can Rachel learn from Abigail’s extraordinary story and take the first step towards a brighter future of her own?

The Widow’s Secret is a completely heart-wrenching and powerful story of courage, redemption, and compassion. Fans of Lucinda Riley, Barbara O’Neal and Fiona Valpy will be absolutely captivated by this unforgettable read.

This novel can be enjoyed as a standalone.

Previously published as The Widow’s Secret by Katharine Swartz.

BUY LINK:

https://geni.us/B0BG2SVV86social

MY THOUGHTS:

Despite having dealt with some losses, Abigail is happily married to her husband James. It is the mid 1700s and James is a successful tobacco trader. Or so Abigail thinks. She does begin to wonder and even starts to doubt her husband. When he leaves for a year long voyage on one of his ships, her doubts begin to make sense. In fact, exactly what James did for his livelihood is what made this book difficult to read.

Before James leaves, he bestows a gift on Abigail. A young black girl. Now, Abigail is certain that her husband was involved in the slave trade. Nonetheless, not only does Abigail take the child in, she begins doting on her and the two soon become very close.

In present day, Rachel is the expert called in when the remains of a shipwreck near Goswell leads back to the 1700s. The very same timeframe that involved Abigail. Rachel is unhappy in her life, despite having an attentive husband. Ignoring her unhappiness, Rachel starts digging to the best of her ability into the lives of Abigail and her husband James.

This final book in the Goswell Quartet not only revealed secrets of the past, it also became a book of healing. In fact, despite the difficult subject matter, this was my favorite book of the series. Kate Hewitt has done a fabulous job with this book as well as with the previous titles. I love that they were all reissued as these books gave me many satisfying hours of reading.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Please enjoy my YouTube video review -

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Kate Hewitt is the author of many romance and women’s fiction novels. A former New Yorker and now an American ex-pat, she lives in a small town on the Welsh border with her husband, five children, and their overly affectionate Golden Retriever. Whatever the genre, she enjoys telling stories that tackle real issues and touch people’s lives.