I read this book because it was recommended by a favorite author. I love books that center around historic events and teach me. From the first page it had me with the Halifax disaster in 1917. Nurses make perfect heroines and Laura, a WWI army nurse, is no exception. She is back in Halifax after suffering an injury. Too soon, she's on her way back to Belgium searching for her brother, Freddie who is presumed dead. Strange signs tell her otherwise. She's drawn to the people who help her spiritually as well as physically. The writing blends perfectly between her search and what she'll endure for family and Freddie's story of survival. There's a supernatural element in the story that I believe was left for the reader to decide what was real and what was conjured in the minds of men who witnessed and survived the horrors of fighting in the trenches. On the other hand, readers who like all ends tied up neatly can take it as it is and still be left with evoking thoughts about war, family, and relationships.
NATIONAL BESTSELLER • During the Great War, a combat nurse searches for her brother, believed dead in the trenches despite eerie signs that suggest otherwise, in this hauntingly beautiful historical novel with a speculative twist, from the author of The Bear and the Nightingale.
“A wonderful clash of fire and ice—a book you won’t want to let go of.”—Diana Gabaldon, author of Outlander
“Spectacular—a tour de force, wonderful and deep and haunting.”—Naomi Novik, author of A Deadly Education
January 1918. Laura Iven was a revered field nurse until she was wounded and discharged from the medical corps, leaving behind a…
I was looking for a quick, sweet read, and this ticked all the boxes. From the first page, I knew I was in Hawaii. Stacy, a local B&B owner, investigates the new luxury resort as a guest. At the same time, Fisher, the billionaire hotel owner, is undercover as hotel staff. This was a fun scene, as the reader knows the truth. The conflict presents immediately, but the romance grows slowly. I prefer a romance that builds over time with a lot of push and pull. As their relationship moves forward, Casey wants more than just kisses from Fisher. But Fisher steps back. For me, This conflict was a good reflection of their backstories and personalities. This may bother some readers, expecting no spice even though it doesn't go anywhere.
She's got big plans for her tropical bed and breakfast, but the new high-rise resort in the bay is throwing a wrench into everything. So Stacey Stapleton does what any savvy businesswoman would do—she goes to spy on the resort stealing her business and ruining the beautiful Getaway Bay skyline.
Her undercover operation doesn't do more than show her how flawless the Sweet Breeze Resort is—and that the owner is as handsome as he is smart.
Though annoyed by the new resort, Stacey focuses on Aloha Hideaway Inn, more determined than ever to give tourists the vacation of their lives.…
I often read books out of sequence. This is the fifth book in the series. The author does a good job of filtering in backstories and love interests making it easy to read as a stand-alone. The story is a funny, cozy mystery with unexpected twists and turns that had me guessing until the end. When Holly Schlivinik stumbles upon the body of the Bainbridge Department Store, Easter Bunny, she starts an investigation of her own. Despite the accused being an unpopular figure in the cutthroat California swimsuit industry, Holly doesn't believe she's the killer. The accused is mean but not a murderer. With help from a gossipy group of friends and a romantic interest in the police department she's determined to find the real killer. Holly's connection to the swimsuit industry and previous murders, makes her determination to find the killer even more compelling. Set against the backdrop of a Pacific Coast lifestyle on a houseboat, this book adds a dog to the mix, creating a perfect blend for a fun, easy read.
Mermaid Swimwear President Holly Schlivnik discovers the Bainbridge Department Store Easter Bunny slumped over dead and obnoxious swimwear buyer Sue Ellen Magee is arrested for the crime. Despite her differences with the nasty buyer, Holly is convinced the Queen of Mean didn't do it. The wise-cracking, irreverent amateur sleuth jumps into action to nail the real killer. But the trail has more twists than a pretzel and more turns than a rollercoaster. And nothing turns out the way Holly thinks it will as she tangles with a clever killer hellbent on revenge.
Sophia MacLennan Porter grew up in an environment of wicked duplicity with a stepmother who was nice to Dad and mean to his daughter. A series of events brings her to the upstate New York town of Highland Falls and her late aunt's bakeshop. Highland Falls is a town of Scottish descendants, well-kept secrets, and the best shortbread cookies for miles. No one in this town is immune from the secrets of their ancestors or greedy developers. When Ian Campbell, a handsome Scottish research professor, appears in her life, she struggles with the overwhelming choice between romance and responsibility. Sophia is more concerned with her bakeshop’s future than the lives of her dead ancestors. Reluctantly, she finds herself drawn into his investigation of the history of her family's clan. But her most challenging decision presents on Christmas Eve.
