Michelle's Musings

20 September 2022

October book pick

Good day to you all,

I am so excited to bring my October book to you, I read this book many months ago and found it thrilling!!! Actually, today, September 20, is the publication day for this book!

It is by Susan Ella MacNeal, the author of the Maggie Hope book series (if you have not read Maggie's books and like WWII fiction, check them out). Susan Ella has written a stand-alone book this time around that kept me on my toes and had me constantly turning the corner and seeing a new surprise.

The book starts out in a controversial way, the daughter, Veronica is caught up in some drama with a married man. Mom, Violet, sees they have no choice but to relocate to California to start a new life in every way imaginable. Once WWII breaks out, each of the women gets caught up in espionage involving the war effort.

Here is my review on NetGalley....

I am going to tell you one thing that you must know, if you have not read one of Susan Ella MacNeal's novels, you must remedy that soon.  Every book that she writes is full of intrigue and moments where I go "NO, that can't happen!!".  

This book is NOT part of the Maggie Hope series, this one is about a mother and daughter who have to leave their life in New York for a new life in California.  Almost immediately they become entangled in a web of Nazi sympathizers and have to figure out a way to bring them down, and enter the spying.    

I was not happy I had to go to work because I would have loved to finish this book in one sitting.  This is perfect for an afternoon by the pool or an excellent road trip accompaniment.

10 September 2022

Review: Cruel Beautiful World

Cruel Beautiful World by Caroline Leavitt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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Review: The Lost Girls of Willowbrook

The Lost Girls of Willowbrook by Ellen Marie Wiseman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

View all my reviews

24 August 2022

September book pick

Good day to you all,

A couple of years ago, I discovered Sara Ackerman and found her books exciting. She writes books set in Hawaii during WWII. The first one that I read was Island of Sweet Pies and Soldiers in case you want to check it out too.

This book is all about Izzy and how the death of her brother completely changes the course of her life. I love books that feature the setting as a character and this one falls right into that category.

Here is what I wrote on Goodreads:

This dual timeline book is set in Hawaii during WWII and the mid-1960s. During the wartime plot, Pearl Harbor was attacked and Walt was killed. We meet Izzy a code breaker who has joined the war to avenge the death of her brother, Walt. She also tries to spend all of her free time doing the Hawaiian things her brother loved so much.

In the 1960s timeline, we meet Lu who has been sent to photograph a fancy hotel opening. She spends her time with the hotel owner and a local photographer. When they discover a body in a cave, it brings back the photographer's past and ties the two timelines together.