Martha Hall Kelley, one of my favorite historical fiction novelists, delivers another captivating tale in The Martha’s Vineyard Beach and Book Club. The title is a bit misleading—it isn’t really about a book club—but what unfolds is far richer and more intriguing. The dual timeline begins in 2016, when Mari Starwood travels from California to Martha’s Vineyard with nothing but a name on a scrap of paper. There she meets Elizabeth Devereaux, a reclusive painter whose family story reshapes Mari’s understanding of her own past. The heart of the novel, though, lies in 1942. Sisters Cadence and Briar Smith struggle to hold their farm together while U.S. troops train on […]
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Books, Blackouts, and a Mother’s Choice
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Madeline Martin’s The Booklover’s Library drops us into Nottingham during WWII, where widow Emma Taylor faces an impossible choice: risk keeping her daughter Olivia in a bombing zone or send her off to live with strangers in the countryside. With little hope and even fewer job options—married and widowed women were barred from most work—Emma persuades Boots’ lending library to hire her. There she finds unlikely friendships, quirky patrons, and a reminder that books can keep people afloat when the world is sinking. What caught me most wasn’t the “library angle” (frankly, I’m getting a little worn out on book-about-books stories), but the history tucked inside. I had never heard of […]
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A Haunting Farewell for Maisie Dobbs
⭐⭐⭐⭐ In The Comfort of Ghosts, Jacqueline Winspear gives Maisie Dobbs one final case—and it’s a poignant one. Set in post-WWII London, the story centers on four adolescent orphans squatting in a crumbling Belgravia mansion. Traumatized, street-smart, and fiercely loyal to one another, the teens are under the watchful eye of a wounded ex-soldier and a troubled nurse. When Maisie is asked to intervene, she uncovers secrets about the house, the young squatters’ pasts, and a wartime murder that still casts a shadow. As always, Maisie brings empathy as much as intellect to the investigation. Alongside her inquiries, she’s grappling with big life decisions—about love, family, and her future. Familiar characters […]
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Three Timelines, One Tough Choice
★★★★½ Gabrielle Meyer’s In This Moment is book two in the Timeless series, and once again, she nails it. Maggie lives three full lives in 1861, 1941, and 2001—waking up in a different era each day. She’s a nurse in every life, but each role comes with its own joys and heartbreaks. On her 21st birthday, she must choose just one life to keep… and lose the other two forever. No pressure. These books are always so heartwarming. Meyer writes with such heart and care, I wish she could crank them out faster. Her ability to make each timeline feel vivid and authentic is impressive—she clearly did her homework on […]
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Woman on Fire by Lisa Barr: A Hot Mess in More Ways Than One
You know that feeling when you pick up a book that should be amazing… and then it just kind of punches you in the face with bad decisions? Welcome to my experience with Woman on Fire by Lisa Barr. On paper, it sounds like a slam dunk: a young journalist chasing down a stolen masterpiece tied to Nazi lootings. Art! Secrets! Betrayal! I was ready for a high-stakes thriller that kept me up at night. Instead, I got a melodrama that kept making me mutter, “Oh, come on.” Let’s start with the audiobook. Oof. The narrator, who is originally from Italy, had a strange tonality that didn’t match the American […]
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A Stirring Journey of Faith, Friendship, and Finding Peace After War
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Long Way Home by Lynn Austin is a beautifully written novel that tugs at the heart and offers a hopeful message about healing after trauma. Set in the wake of World War II, the story follows Jimmy Barnett, a shell-shocked veteran confined to a VA hospital, and Grace, a quiet young woman determined to uncover the truth behind his silence. As Grace digs into Jimmy’s past, she uncovers a moving tale of love, sacrifice, and the unseen wounds soldiers carry home. The book also weaves in a second powerful storyline: that of Gisela Wolff, a young Jewish woman trying to survive the horrors of Nazi Germany. Her family’s journey—from […]
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A Bookshop, a few Mitfords, and a Slow-Paced Novel
Let’s start with what worked: The Mayfair Bookshop has a great hook—London, WWII, a charming bookshop, and a spotlight on Nancy Mitford. The historical setting is rich, and the real-life Mitford drama adds some sparkle. If you’re already a fan of Nancy and her scandal-prone sisters, you might find the behind-the-scenes stuff intriguing. There’s gossip, heartbreak, and the war looming in the background, which makes for decent historical fiction. But here’s the thing: the dual timeline structure doesn’t quite balance. Nancy’s chapters are clearly the main event, while the present-day storyline feels like filler. Lucy, the modern book curator, just didn’t do it for me. Her quest to uncover a […]
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Under the Golden Sun Shines with Love, Resilience, and a Stunning Australian Setting
Jenny Ashcroft’s Under the Golden Sun is both heartwarming and heartbreaking, a breathtaking historical novel filled with love, resilience, and the beauty of second chances. From the moment we meet Rose Hamilton, a young woman searching for purpose, we’re swept away on an unforgettable journey from war-torn England to the sun-drenched landscapes of Australia. Tasked with escorting young orphan Walter to his family, Rose embarks on an adventure that reshapes her understanding of love and belonging. Walter, with his heartbreaking past, is more than just a child in her care—their bond is deeply moving. The novel beautifully captures their shared sorrows and joys, as well as the rich customs and […]
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Ambitious WWII Novel Falls Short of Its Potential
M.B. Henry’s All the Lights Above Us aims to capture the chaos and courage of D-Day through the perspectives of five women from vastly different backgrounds. The novel gives a unique take on the historic invasion by focusing on a single day, June 6, 1944, but ultimately, it falls short of being a standout in the crowded WWII historical fiction genre. The premise is intriguing: a Nazi propagandist questioning her choices, a resistance fighter seeking her parents, a Gestapo officer planning betrayal, a medical volunteer overwhelmed by casualties, and a British woman forced to house enemy soldiers. Their experiences highlight the vast reach of the war and the moral dilemmas […]
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Unraveling the Past: A Necklace, a Mystery, and a WWII-Era Parisian Department Store
3.5 stars rounded up to 4. Pam Jenoff’s Last Twilight in Paris blends historical mystery and wartime drama, following Louise, a British housewife in 1953, who stumbles upon a necklace in a secondhand shop. The charm stirs memories of her Red Cross days in Nazi-occupied Europe and the mysterious death of her friend Franny. Determined to uncover the truth, Louise’s search leads her to Paris and the dark history of Lévitan—a once-grand department store turned Nazi work camp. In a parallel timeline, Helaine, a young Jewish woman, struggles to survive in Lévitan after being separated from her husband during the German invasion. Their stories intertwine as secrets long buried surface. […]
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