45. The Other Bennet Sister

45. The Other Bennet Sister. Janice Hadlow. 2020. 463 pages. [Source: Review copy] [adult fiction, historical fiction, historical romance, Austen adaptation, 5 stars]

First sentence: It is a sad fact of life that if a young woman is unlucky enough to come into the world without expectations, she had better do all she can to ensure she is born beautiful. To be poor and handsome is misfortune enough; but to be penniless and plain is a hard fate indeed.

Premise/plot: The Other Bennet Sister is a spin-off of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. The first bit of the book is a prequel. Readers meet Mary Bennet as a young girl. Before Mary overheard her mother talking about her unfortunate looks, her ugly plainness, she was content and happy enough to hang out with her older sisters, Jane and Elizabeth. The more self-conscious she becomes of everyone thinking she is 'different' (and really this is more her parents fault--her father ignores EVERYONE except Lizzy and her mother has no use for her at all), the more distance is created between her and her sisters. She soon finds herself seeking ONLY the companionship of books. Books--religious texts included--become her refuge. She seeks religion and philosophy and other more nonfiction-y books. Perhaps if she'd read novels she'd have still 'fit in' with her sisters.

The second bit of the novel is the first part of Pride and Prejudice seen through the eyes of Mary Bennet. Not the whole novel, mind you, but the part Mary witnessed at the start. Mary is also friends with Charlotte Lucas which does make sense. Here we see Mr. Collins through her eyes. And the DISASTROUS party where Mary is humiliated.

The third bit of the novel is by far the largest part. Readers see what happens next--a  year or two after the conclusion of Pride and Prejudice. We see what happens after the death of her father, Mr. Bennet, and how she tries and tries to find a place to settle. This was the coming of age bit of the novel. Will Mary Bennet find her happily ever after????

My thoughts: I loved, loved, loved this one!!!! It was SO good. I loved her character throughout. Mary Bennet has always been misunderstood. And I loved seeing these familiar characters THROUGH her eyes. A reminder that there's more than one side to any story.


© 2026 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

120. A Time Traveler's Masquerade

120. A Time Traveler's Masquerade. (McQuivey's Costume Shop Romance). Sian Ann Bessey. 2025. 296 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, historical romance, time travel]

First sentence: Isla Crawford stared at the email on her screen and frowned.

Premise/plot: Isla was supposed to dress up as Wendy (from Peter Pan) for the costume party. However, the owner of the costume shop, Miss McQuivey, insists she tries on another costume first. She is quite insistent not taking no for an answer. As soon as the costume is on and she steps out of the dressing room, Isla finds herself in 1605 just in time to "save" England from Guy Fawkes' deadly plan. She also obviously has to fall in love. Part of saving England is pretending to be engaged to Simon Hartworth (Lord Bancroft). So obviously they have to fall in love for real.

My thoughts: I was disappointed. I will try to explain why. Time travel is one of my favorite sub-genres. Whether it is intentional or unintentional, I tend to enjoy the genre. SO my expectations were high. This is not like any time travel novel I've read. She is ALL about telling anyone/everyone that she is a time traveler from the future. She not only tells about the future in great detail, she tells about the present time (1605) in detail as well. She not only tells about the present she interferes with the present. Almost every 'rule' that accompanies time travel is broken intentionally in this one. The time travel didn't feel fleshed out as such, it seemed like a flimsy plot device. I also didn't care for how the point of view would switch to Guy Fawkes and co-conspirators randomly. I thought those were unnecessary. I did appreciate that it was clean romance. And the romance was enjoyable enough. But I didn't "need" it to be about Guy Fawkes for it to work as a romance.


© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

118. Dear Miss Lake

Dear Miss Lake (Emmy Lake Chronicles #4) A.J. Pearce. 2025. 304 pages. [Source: Review copy] [historical fiction, historical romance, world war 2, 4 stars, series book]

First sentence: Guy Collins was a man of some talents, but until now he had kept motorcycle mechanics under his hat.

Premise/plot: Dear Miss Lake is the final book in the Emmy Lake series by A.J. Pearce. The novels are set in England during the Second World War. In many ways the series is character-driven. It isn't so much that there is an exciting, thrilling, compelling plot and you have to keep reading to find out what happens next...as it is the characters hopefully become friends and you like spending time with them even when nothing much happens. The series features a large cast of what you might think of as 'side characters' but after four books even the side characters have been developed.

So what is the fourth book about? Emmy's husband, Charles, goes missing in action and is taken prisoner of war by the Germans. She's not alone. There are many families missing husbands, brothers, fathers, etc. Answers aren't always quick to coming. And life is difficult because of the war, sacrifices must continually be made by everyone all the time always. Emmy takes pleasure in her work writing an advice column, but, the letters she reads and responds to are dealing with difficult, complex issues.

My thoughts: I like the series overall. I do. I don't know that I enthusiastically love the series. But I think if I read all four books within a period of two or three months, I might have. I remember enjoying the first book a good deal, being slightly disappointed by the second, and enjoying the third and fourth books. So overall, I would say that IF you enjoy historical fiction, women's fiction, a series that focuses on friendships and relationships, then this series might be a good fit.


© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

106. Echoes of the Sea

106. Echoes of the Sea. Sarah M. Eden. 2025. 320 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars, adult romance, adult historical, proper romance, clean romance, time travel]

First sentence: Tennyson Lamont's death was proving increasingly inconvenient. That Kipling had lost his job as a result of that ill-timed demise was particularly annoying.

Premise/plot: Echoes of the Sea is the second novel in the Storm Tide series. Both novels are stand alone novels. They share a premise--stormy seas, green lightning, travel through time--but not characters or time periods.

Kipling Summerfield, the time-traveling hero, is an actor--an out-of-work actor, perhaps, but an actor all the same. His friend, Malcolm, points him in the direction of a new job: working as an actor at an estate as a historical re-enactor. But before he can arrive as his new job, he experiences being lost at sea--quite literally--and lost in time. Though he is SLOW, SLOW, SUPER SLOW in realizing that he's traveled from the 2020s to 1803!

Amelia Archibald, our nineteenth century heroine, is a "dependent," "poor" relation that has been "raised" by her uncle. Now that her grandfather has died, there are conditions for her inheritance, and these conditions are quite disagreeable. She'll have to stay at the family's estate on Guilford Island--an island that is surrounded by stormy seas and known for its peculiar nature. She will have to 'prove' that she can manage the estate and make considerable improvements on it. The problem? Well, she can't physically leave the island. And the island residents may number four or five--and some of those are children. So how is she to find anyone to make repairs and improvements?

When Kipling arrives in 1803, he may just be an answer to Amelia's prayers. Though both have their reservations about the future....

My thoughts: I LOVED this one. Did I love it more than the first book? NO. Did I love it less than the first book? No. Just differently. The stories are definitely unique. This one is focused more on ONE time and only one time. The drama is coming from Amelia's uncle and his chosen suitor for Amelia. This one is lighter on drama and perhaps sweeter on romance. There's also less fighting between the two main characters.

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

104. The English Masterpiece

104. The English Masterpiece. Katherine Reay. 2025. 302 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, adult fiction, general fiction, art appreciation]

First sentence: After sliding my boss's note into my top desk drawer, I walk down the corridor and top on Diana's door and, as usual, pause for a second or two before I open it.

Premise/plot: The English Masterpiece has two narrators--Lily and Diana. Lily's boss is Diana. Both work at an art museum, the Tate--Diana in a much higher place of prestige. Picasso has just died and the museum is planning an exhibit. At the opening of that exhibit, Lily notices that one of the paintings--newly acquired and on loan--is a forgery. Her comment does not go unnoticed. It causes great turmoil that will take the remaining of the book to settle down. If the painting is a fraud, a forgery, WHO is responsible for painting it, who forged the provenance papers, who authenticated that it was real, and WHO is profiting from this crime? Just to name a few questions...Lily and Diana both have some mystery to them. But only one is a criminal.

My thoughts: I did not like this one as much as I'd hoped. I was hoping that my previous enjoyment of Reay's novels would help counter my lack of interest in all things art. (I do like picture books about art, art appreciation, etc. But a whole novel set in the art world was apparently not for me.) It was pleasant enough. I didn't dislike it. I just didn't actively like it.

 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

98. Whispers of Shadowbrook House

98. Whispers of Shadowbrook House. Rebecca Anderson. 2025. 272 pages. [Source: Library] [adult fiction, adult historical, adult romance, 3 stars]

First sentence: The rolling River Hamble weaves through land grown think with trees.

Premise/plot: Whispers of Shadowbrook House is a clean, gothic romance set in Victorian England. Oliver Waverly, the male main character, has returned to Shadowbrook House. He's not inherited--yet. He's unsure of the welcome he'll receive from his eccentric, reclusive uncle [or great uncle?]. His childhood was not the coziest--far from it. Pearl Ellicott is governess to young Maxwell, a sickly boy not expected to live to adulthood. Maxwell, I believe, is the grandson of the 'eccentric' uncle of Oliver. (Though I think he may be illegitimate? or the son of a daughter who can't inherit?) Pearl and Oliver take a great liking to one another. Pearl, Oliver, and Maxwell are soon often in each other's company. Maxwell has several health scares. Oliver and Pearl disagree on the best treatment for him. Pearl sides with the boy's grandfather in using the local doctor. Oliver wants the boy to see a specialist from the city. There's some conflict between the two because of disagreements about what is best for Maxwell and what is best for Shadowbrook (estate). He wants to sell when he inherits. Can Oliver and Pearl work out their differences and have a happily ever after?

My thoughts: Whispers of Shadowbrook is an almost for me. I wanted to love it. I didn't quite love it.

I enjoyed the characters of Oliver and Pearl and Maxwell. These three characters by far are the most developed in the novel. I wanted Oliver and Pearl to work out their differences. I enjoyed Maxwell.

I liked but didn't love the setting. The book is aiming to be gothic, to be vaguely spooky. I think this felt a bit forced. I did LIKE the hidden tunnels and rooms. I did like the old house with secrets yet to be discovered vibes. But I didn't like the way it felt forced to make the house be somehow, someway supernatural. I didn't want hints of is this house haunted? I didn't want the house to have feelings, needs, wants, etc.

I did NOT care for the spiritualist/medium story line. I get that this was legitimately 'a thing' that was trendy at the time. It is not out of line with history. I just hated the focus being on let's talk with dead people to see if we can heal the house, heal Maxwell, heal Pearl, heal all that live in the house. If only they'd make peace with their dead relatives, their futures will be brighter and happier.

 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

62. The Rules of Matrimony

62. The Rules of Matrimony (Matchmaking Mama #4) Anneka R. Walker. 2025. 304 pages. [Source: Library] [3 stars, adult romance, proper romance, clean romance, historical fiction, historical romance]

First sentence: Ian met his father's glare with a fiery one of his own, showing the man less respect than he had probably ever received in his life, and set his hand down firmly on the black-walnut desk between them.

Premise/plot: Ian Reynolds has NO intentions of ever marrying, or, at the very least marrying for love. A life of politics, that's the life for him. However, when he finds himself 'accidentally' engaged to Amie Tyler, he come prepares with a list of rules, or, guidelines for their marriage. Amie never intended to make anything up, to lie. To get out of a socially awkward moment, she claims she's engaged....to a dead man. She is literally reading a name from a nearby tombstone! Yet, Lord Reynolds hears of this and has his own reasons for allowing the misconception to continue. A marriage of convenience may be just the thing to 'save' them both. But some rules are hard to keep....

My thoughts: I liked this one well enough. It was predictable. This could be a great thing for most readers. And I like predictable romances myself most of the time. It was enjoyable. I really strongly prefer clean romance. I won't allow myself to knowingly read the other. (My choice. I don't judge other people's choices.) I felt some of the obstacles were slightly silly. In that a simple conversation or two could clear up everything quickly. But that's somewhat typical. Overall, I liked it.

 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

54. The Girls in the Picture

54. The Girls in the Picture. Melanie Benjamin. 2018. 448 pages. [Source: Review copy] [5 stars, adult fiction, adult historical fiction, Golden Age Hollywood, silent films]

First sentence: Lately the line between real life and movies has begun to blur. 

Premise/plot: The Girls in the Picture is the story of a troubled friendship between Frances Marion (writer, scenarist, director) and Mary Pickford (silent film actress, celebrity, half of a power couple). These two met in the early-early days of silent films, even before films moved to Hollywood, before there was HOLLYWOOD. This one roughly covers the span of 1914 through 1932. Chapters alternate between these two narrators. Readers learn about famous directors, movie studios, actors and actresses, and details about how the movie making business got its start. These are real actors, actresses, directors, movies being mentioned. For example, Frances Marion wrote The Poor Little Rich Girl which was one of Mary Pickford's biggest hits. While it doesn't cover every movie in which either was involved, it does plenty of name dropping.

While there is romance in both their lives--Frances with Fred Thomson (silent cowboy movie star) and Mary Pickford with Douglas Fairbanks (silent film star)--the focus mainly is on the complexity of their decades long friendship.

My thoughts: I have been meaning to read this one for years. When I started deep diving into silent films earlier this year, I knew the time was finally right. My months watching silent films and my experiences watching several documentaries about silent films helped greatly bring this one to life. (For those that are curious--though no one is that curious--Buster Keaton gets one mention as a pall bearer to Fred Thomson.)

I definitely enjoyed this one. I thought it was well researched and definitely worth reading.

 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

46. The Tides of Time

46. The Tides of Time. Sarah M. Eden. 2025. 368 pages. [Source: Library] [5 stars, time travel, adult romance, historical fiction]

First sentence: Lili Minet had a price on her head. She stood in the shadows inside Saint Catherine's Church alongside a family she'd known for only a few days, hopeful that the reward for her capture would increase before the day's end. As far as she knew, no one had facilitated the escape of more people from the clutches of the Tribunal revolutionnaire than she. Four more individuals would, that evening, be added to the seventy-two already rightly credited to her.

Premise/plot: The Tides of Time is a TIME TRAVEL ROMANCE. Those three words may be enough of a hook for some readers. (It was for me). Lili Minet, our heroine, is on the run for her life in 1793 during the French Revolution. She's been helping people escape, but, her luck may have just run out. One of those searching desperately for her--for her harm--is her brother who is in full support of the revolution and the guillotine. When stormy seas lead to her being tossed overboard, she finds herself rescued by a lightkeeper, Armitage Pierce, off the coast of Loftstone Island....in 1873. As the weeks go by she adjusts to the strangeness of her situation. She loves Armitage and his grandfather. She loves the community on the island. She loves her new found-family. She can't quite forget her own brother--for good reason--nor the France she left behind. The Tides of Time can be cruel or kind--or both. 

My thoughts: I LOVE this one. I do. Time travel is going to always have great potential for me. This publisher is known for clean romance, another win for me.

There are TWO things that might be off-putting to potential readers. (They weren't at all for me.) One, Lili speaks a mixture of English and French. There is a strong sprinkling of French phrases and sentences. It makes sense for the story. She is a French woman--obviously French is going to be her primary language, her first language, the language that she would speak especially when stressed or out of sorts. Two, the DIALECT of the island could be offputting. "She/her" "He/Him" "We/Us" essentially all the pronouns have vastly different usage.  For example, "Her isn't hostile to me." "A calculated decision, that. I watched she make it." 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

25. Daughters of Shadong

 

25. Daughters of Shandong. Eve J. Chung. 2024. 400 pages. [Source: Library] [adult historical fiction, coming of age, refugees, adult fiction] [4 stars]

First sentence: When I recall my birthplace, Zhucheng, Shandong, I think first of our shiheyuan, the traditional courtyard home that I grew up in.

Premise/plot: Hai is the oldest daughter at a time when daughters were almost seen as a curse and definitely seen as less-than. Her father's family--whom they all live with--the Angs--definitely see their son's having THREE daughters (as of the opening of the novel) as tragic. So much so that they take their daughter-in-law to a fortune-teller (or cultural equivalent). Alas, the son won't come until she's thirty-six!!! Determined to prevent the curse of daughters continuing, the mother-in-law determines to keep her son and daughter-in-law apart--far, far, far, far apart. Oh, and also to treat her as dirt. Well, dirt might be a nice way of saying it. But in-law troubles is the least of the families worries once the Communists come into power in China. Half the family flees--just in time--but Hai, her mother, and her sisters are left behind to "guard" the family estate. What happens next is horrifying and disturbing...as the family tries to flee to Taiwan.  Will the family ever be reunited? Will their brokenness ever be healed? Can Hai forgive her mother and her sister?

My thoughts: This was such a compelling read. I read it over two or three days. If I had the stamina of my youth, then I would have finished it in one sitting.

 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

7. All the Light We Cannot See

 

7. All the Light We Cannot see. Anthony Doerr. 2014. 544 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, historical fiction, magic realism??? world war II] 

First sentence: At dusk they pour from the sky. They blow across the ramparts, turn cartwheels over rooftops, flutter into the ravines between houses. Entire streets swirl with them, flashing white against the cobbles. Urgent message to the inhabitants of this town, they say. Depart immediately to open country.

Premise/plot: All the Light We Cannot See has dual narrators: Marie-Laure and Werner. Marie-Laure is a young French blind girl and Werner is a German orphan coming of age during the Nazi regime and getting swept up into the messy ideological nonsense. The novel not only goes back and forth between narrators--opposing sides of the war at that--but back and forth in time. There are indicators at the start of the chapters so you know *when* but time seems to be a merry-go-round.

My thoughts: The strength of this one is in the writing. The premise is other-worldly and mildly fantastical. (A supernatural/magical object that prevents one from dying) The characterization is strong.

This one definitely kept me intrigued. I'm not sure that I absolutely loved it. It stayed in "almost" territory--hence the four stars not five.

 

© 2025 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

109. Doomsday Book

109. Doomsday Book. Connie Willis. 1992. Random House. 592 pages.  [Source: Book I Bought]

First sentence: Mr. Dunworthy opened the door to the laboratory and his spectacles promptly steamed up.
"Am I too late?" he said, yanking them off and squinting at Mary.
"Shut the door," she said. "I can't hear you over the sound of those ghastly carols."
Dunworthy closed the door, but it didn't completely shut out the sound of "O Come, All Ye Faithful" wafting in from the quad. "Am I too late?" he said again.  

 Premise/plot: In a world where historians learn their subject firsthand by time travel, Kivrin, our heroine--one of them--is sent to the middle ages to learn just "how exaggerated" (according to her professor/advisor Gilchrist) the accounts of the Black Death were. That's spinning it a bit. Kivrin is there to LEARN and OBSERVE and ABSORB. Technically, she's to be sent to 1320--the Advent/Christmas/Epiphany season in OXFORD. But that's if all goes according to plan and there are no mix-ups or mistakes. 

Mr. Dunworthy, our hero, has a bad feeling that those in charge of the project are incapable and incompetent and imbeciles. The book opens moments before she is sent back in time....it isn't long before Dunworthy has reason to panic...But this book isn't about one man's panic--his helicopter teaching, if you will. It is about TWO pandemics. One is set in the present of 2054. This pandemic requires a quarantine, contact tracing, mask-wearing, and safety protocols. With it comes toilet paper shortages--along with soap! The present story line is full of mystery and action. The other is set in the past--the Black Death. There is a theme of helplessness in both.

My thoughts: Doomsday Book by Connie Willis is one of my favorite, favorite, favorite, favorite, favorite books. This is my seventh? time to read and review it. I last reviewed it in 2023. I love and adore this book so much. It is set during Christmas/Epiphany. It's just a book that calls out to me every year to reread. I am surprised it has never been adapted into a film. The world needs more action Christmas movies.

 

 

 

© 2024 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

17. The Frozen River

The Frozen River. Ariel Lawhon. 2023. [December] 432 pages. [Source: Library] [adult historical fiction]

First sentence: The body floats downstream. But it is late November, and the Kennebec River is starting to freeze, large chunks of ice swirling and tumbling through the water, collecting in mounds while clear, cold fingers of ice stretch out from either bank, reaching into the current, grabbing hold of all that passes by. 

Premise/plot: Martha Ballard, a midwife, witnesses much in her community. She often ends up testifying in court sharing her observations and notes. IN The Frozen River, she is struggling with the injustice of it all. A local woman has been gang-assaulted while her husband was away; she's identified the men involved. Martha visited her days later and can testify to her physical and emotional state. But despite both being willing to testify in court--despite the horrendous nature of the crimes--justice seems unlikely within the system at least. One of the perpetrators is the dead man found in the frozen river. The second, well, he holds a position of power. 

The novel chronicles about a year of time, I believe. Much happens within the community. 

My thoughts: The novel is loosely based on a historical figure. This is not the first book about Martha Ballard, a real midwife in early America. The author details how much she changed, rearranged, condensed, and reimagined for her novel. 

This one was LONG. It is definitely more of a journey than a destination, in my opinion. In other words, IF you start the novel and are drawn into the story by the characters, keep reading you'll likely enjoy the book as a whole. I personally would have preferred fewer flashbacks. Flashing back to Martha's past did nothing for me. None of the flashbacks seemed to move the present story forward.

 

 

© 2024 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

183. Prize for the Fire

Prize for the Fire. Rilla Askew. 2022. 384 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: They live meanly here, Maddie, and demand of me that I do the same. It is not poverty of purse but meanness of spirit which causes them to crimp their mouths if one but ask for a bit of beef for one's supper.

Premise/plot: Prize for the Fire is historical fiction based on the life of Anne Askew (aka Anne Kyme). She lived during the reign of Henry VIII and suffered greatly, or, perhaps reaped much spiritually from her many, many, many sufferings. She was Protestant and an advocate for reading the Bible in English at a time when England was having an identity crisis of sorts spiritually. The country could not decide how much access people should have to the Word of God in English, particularly in terms of class and gender. Her reading the Bible in private AND forming her own opinions of what the text means led to many difficulties. But first and foremost this one is about how HARD her life was because she could not separate from her A**H*** of a husband. She lived at a time when men could literally do anything and everything to punish their wives for any perceived faults. Perhaps not all took advantage of this power, but some did. Anne sought help from her family--her parents, her brothers, etc. But no one was willing or able to help 'save' her from this abuse. Some even, in my opinion, betrayed her and sided with her husband his his family. Her own family saw her as TROUBLE in her insistence that she had the right to read the Word of God on her own privately. She also shared what she learned with others. Wikipedia says she was a preacher. I'm not sure I took that away from reading the novel. I saw her speaking with other women, other ladies, about the Word of God. I don't see her preaching [from a pulpit] to audiences. I suppose it depends on how you define preaching. OR the accuracy of Wikipedia.

My thoughts: Honestly this one started off so incredibly sluggish. I persisted because I knew if the story ever really began to pick up, it would be worth it. The last third of the novel was quite INTENSE and fast-paced. Much of this one--if not all--is heartbreaking. The thought that it could be deemed WRONG or even ILLEGAL to read the Bible in one's own home in one's own language is shocking. I think I knew this in the back of my mind. I knew that the transition from Roman Catholic to Protestant was ROUGH and deadly. That there were many who were imprisoned and/or martyred for matters of faith. Owning the Bible in English was novel during her lifetime. Being able to read AND study the Word of God was still "new" during this century.

 

© 2023 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

150. Queen Wallis

Queen Wallis. C.J. Carey. 2023. [July] 416 pages. [Source: Library] [adult fiction; alternative history; 1950s; speculative fiction]

First sentence: If pelicans cared about views, then the pelicans of St. James's Park would appreciate that the view from their home on the lake was the most historic in England.

Premise/plot: Queen Wallis is the sequel to Widowland. But is it the thrilling sequel to Widowland? (See my thoughts below). Both books imagine an intriguing what-if. What if Britain had formed an alliance with Nazi Germany instead of fighting in World War II. What would Britain have looked like in the 1950s. Obviously, one can tell from the title, that there would be a Queen Wallis--instead of Queen Elizabeth. 

Rose Ransom, our protagonist, spends her days rewriting literature and 'sanitizing' it for the present day. She removes anything offensive to the powers that be. No exceptions. Play it safe on what is "offensive." But Rose has a big secret--a secret that apparently she has forgotten completely. A secret that readers of the first novel may be aware of. But does someone know her secret? Is she a target?

MY thoughts: I do not think this is a thrilling sequel. The first novel was definitely premise-driven. It had plenty of action on top of an intriguing premise. So much of this one is Rose being clueless. There doesn't seem to be much of a plot. Definitely a LOT more dialogue this time around. (Or perhaps I'm misremembering the first book?) But it was hard to care about any of the characters. Not even Rose since Rose seems to sometimes forget who she is and what she stands for.

 

© 2023 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

146. Proud Sorrows

Proud Sorrows. (Billy Boyle #18) James R. Benn. 2023. [September] 365 pages. [Source: Review copy] [historical fiction; mystery; world war II; series book]

First sentence (from the prologue): It began as a glow in the night sky, a faint flicker barely visible in the swirling, low clouds and the pelting rain. Stephen Elliot saw it as he shut the door behind him and made for his automobile. 

Premise/plot: Billy Boyle, our soldier-detective protagonist, returns for his eighteenth mystery in Proud Sorrows. In this one, set in November 1944, Billy Boyle (and his friend, Kaz) are on leave and visiting the home/manor of his girlfriend, Diana Seaton. They are guests of her father, but not the only guests. Kaz's sister is a guest as well and recovering from her injuries gotten at a concentration/detainment camp. She was experimented on. (Also a guest, her full-time nurse, a long-time resident of the village.) Diana herself is home on leave at this time. It should make for a lovely holiday--even for war times. Surely the end is near--at least on the European front, right? But this holiday seems doomed...

It isn't too long before Billy Boyle is back hard at work on a case, drawn into a complex mystery involving several dead bodies. A BODY has been found--washed up in the Wash--in a German war plane. Not so mysterious until they realize--almost right away--that it is not the German pilot in the pilot's seat--but a long-missing resident of the village, Stephen Elliot of Marston Hall. HOW did his body get in the plane? What happened to the German pilot? Elliot's death was obviously murder--based on the evidence of his skull--but was the German pilot murdered too? WHICH of the village residents are suspect? 

The case keeps getting more complex as he begins to question everything and everyone....there are MANY secrets in the village. Not all relate to the murders, of course, but all must be investigated to sort out WHO had the motive and opportunity to commit what might have been a near-perfect crime.

My thoughts: I loved this one. I ABSOLUTELY loved, loved, loved it. I loved the small ("quaint") British village. I love how the village was peopled--the characterization was marvelous. I love how substantive the mystery was. I love how it hinted at history. (The victim was researching King John and how he lost his treasure when attempting to cross the Wash). I love all the side characters that we've come to know throughout the book series--Kaz, of course, Big Mike, Diana, etc. But I also love all the villagers. (Well, most of them.) The book had a WONDERFUL quality to it. This presents a different element of the war mystery. This isn't so much front-lines and battle zones (as some have been) but more home-front and behind the scenes. This doesn't mean that Billy is safe and that there are no dangers....after all the village has at least one murderer....

Highly recommend the whole entire series.

 

 

© 2023 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

128. The Woman With The Cure

The Woman with the Cure. Lynn Cullen. 2023. [February] 400 pages. [Source: Library] [Adult historical fiction]

First sentence: Arlene would never get over the empty swimming pools. 

Premise/plot: What should you know before picking this one up? Spans a little over two decades. Follows a half dozen (or so) people in a semi-shallow way for those decades. Multiple points of view. The main character is Dr. Horstmann--Dr. Dorothy Horstmann. She's a doctor on a mission--one of MANY--who is dedicated/committed to polio research. How to prevent it, how to treat it, how to cure it. It's a hit or miss research field with more unknowns than knowns. Doctors and scientists want answers so they can save lives, save families. There are many bumps and disappointments along the way. 

For those who want a story about the race to create a polio vaccine, this would be a good fit. What moves the plot forward is this--dedication, diligence, perseverance of doctors and scientists. Chapters serve as snapshots or vignettes of that journey.

My thoughts: I liked this one. I wanted to read it. I didn't find the characters or the storytelling super-engaging. But I was interested in this history. If you are reading this because you just love historical fiction in general, this may not be the main fit. You have to care about the polio element of this one to find it engaging. In my opinion.

 

© 2023 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

93. The Refusal Camp

The Refusal Camp. James R. Benn. 2023. [March] 255 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: I rejoice in the Sabbath. Not for the words of the English preacher or for the hardwood bench in the rear of their Sunday god's church. 

Premise/plot: James R. Benn's The Refusal Camp is a collection of short stories. It's a blend of history, mystery, and war--for the most part. Not all stories fit into a neat category. The stories span centuries. The stories are as follows:

• The Horse Chestnut Tree
• The Two Neds
• Glass
• Red Christmas
• The Refusal Camp
• Irish Tommy
• Billy Boyle: The Lost Prologue
• The Secret of Hemlock Hill
• Vengeance Weapon

The Refusal Camp, the title story, features the girlfriend of Billy Boyle in her undercover identity. Irish Tommy features Billy Boyle's father and uncle. The Lost Prologue to the novel Billy Boyle does not feature Billy Boyle. It does tie into the first book, but, Billy Boyle himself is not present. The other stories are definitely stand-alone stories. (I think ALL of the stories can be read that way.)

My thoughts: I would rate the story "Glass" to be FIVE STAR all the way. It is one of the BEST, BEST, BEST short stories I've read in years. I highly recommend seeking out this story. Even if it's your own story to read from this collection, it's worth a check out from the library.

Plenty of the stories I would rate as four stars. The characterization is there. Many are oh-so-human. It's hard not to get attached to the characters and their stories. The stories can be a little dark and gritty. Not for shock value, at least I don't think so, but because war is horrifying and traumatic. 

My least favorite story is probably The Secret of Hemlock Hill. I didn't personally want to read about over-enthusiastic "archaeologists" or "historians" dig up graves to see if they can find Civil War era stuff to sell.

 

© 2023 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

81. The House Is On Fire

The House Is On Fire. Rachel Beanland. 2023. 384 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: Sally Campbell's shoes are fashionable but extremely flimsy. She ordered them from Curtis Fairchild's specifically for Richmond's winter season, but now she feels like a fool for thinking she could get away with wearing them on the half-mile walk from her brother-in-law's house to the theater.

Premise/plot: Historical fiction set in Richmond, Virginia, in December 1811. This historical novel based on a true historical event--the 1811 Richmond Theater fire--and features some historical figures. It has four alternating narrators: Sally Campbell (the daughter of Patrick Henry and widow of Robert Campbell); Gilbert Hunt, an enslaved man who rescued dozens of women from the fire by catching them (they were being tossed/thrown out of a third-story window); Cecily, a slave of the Price family (whom is being sexually assaulted by her own half-brother Elliott Price); and Jack Gibson, a young stagehand just getting into show business. 

The theater fire occurred on December 26, 1811. The book chronicles the immediate aftermath from these four perspectives.

My thoughts: I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED, LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this one. Is it perfectly perfect? Probably not. Did I find it incredibly intense and super-compelling? YES. A million times yes. It was torture to keep reading. It was torture to stop. I'll try to explain. This book NEEDED the freezer. The part about the fire itself was terrifying and scary. SO horrifying. I had to know what happened but I was worried about what might happen. The aftermath was perhaps a little less intense, but it was fascinating as well. Cecily and Gilbert's story stayed INTENSE. 

I loved all four narrators. All the characters were well written. Even the ones I didn't really "like" all that much. I would definitely recommend this one.

 

© 2023 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

62. The Farewell Tour

The Farewell Tour. Stephanie Clifford. 2023. [March] 352 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: I wouldn't have recognized the farm. Almost didn't. Charlie nearly drove our tour bus right by it. 

Premise/plot: Lillian Waters (aka Lena Thorsell, aka "Water Lil") is a middle-aged country and western "star" returning to the road for her farewell tour. She's been absent from the music scene for a handful of years--three to five years. Her last performance did not go well. But after a medical diagnosis stuns her, she is out to mend her reputation and leave on a high note. 

The narrative alternates between the present-day (1980/1981) and the past. (Lena was born in 1924, left home and changed her name at age ten.) Her life has been rough--full of ups and downs. Fame came 'relatively' later in life (her forties). But "fame" can't buy happiness. Nothing can.

My thoughts: I wanted to enjoy this one. I haven't always appreciated the history of country music, country "and western" music. But the older I get, the more appreciative I am of music that came before. I liked the name dropping well enough. I like the premise--of an "older" country star trying to stay relevant and in the business in the midst of all the newcomers, the up-and-comers. (Like Barbara Mandrell).

But. I found Lillian Waters to be an unlikable narrator. I found her abrasive and bitter. I found her ambitious and manipulative. She doesn't come across as a people person. She isn't empathetic or kind. (I don't have a problem with ambitious and hardworking. But she was so manipulative and unkind.)  

 

© 2023 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews