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Author: ondbookshelf

Blogging my way through my extensive to be read pile of books.

About ondbookshelf

Blogging my way through my extensive to be read pile of books.

Published on Leave a comment on Watching You
Watching You Book Cover Watching You
Lisa Jewell
Fiction
Atria Books
December 26, 2018
Advanced Reader Copy
336
Free from publisher

The instant New York Times and #1 Sunday Times bestselling author of the “riveting thriller” (PopSugar) Then She Was Gone delivers another suspenseful page-turner about a shocking murder in a picturesque and well-to-do English town, perfect “for fans of Gone Girl, The Girl on the Train, and Luckiest Girl Alive” (Library Journal). Melville Heights is one of the nicest neighborhoods in Bristol, England; home to doctors and lawyers and old-money academics. It’s not the sort of place where people are brutally murdered in their own kitchens. But it is the sort of place where everyone has a secret. And everyone is watching you. As the headmaster credited with turning around the local school, Tom Fitzwilliam is beloved by one and all—including Joey Mullen, his new neighbor, who quickly develops an intense infatuation with this thoroughly charming yet unavailable man. Joey thinks her crush is a secret, but Tom’s teenaged son Freddie—a prodigy with aspirations of becoming a spy for MI5—excels in observing people and has witnessed Joey behaving strangely around his father. One of Tom’s students, Jenna Tripp, also lives on the same street, and she’s not convinced her teacher is as squeaky clean as he seems. For one thing, he has taken a particular liking to her best friend and fellow classmate, and Jenna’s mother—whose mental health has admittedly been deteriorating in recent years—is convinced that Mr. Fitzwilliam is stalking her. Meanwhile, twenty years earlier, a schoolgirl writes in her diary, charting her doomed obsession with a handsome young English teacher named Mr. Fitzwilliam… In Lisa Jewell’s latest brilliant “bone-chilling suspense” (People) no one is who they seem—and everyone is hiding something. Who has been murdered—and who would have wanted one of their neighbors dead? As “Jewell teases out her twisty plot at just the right pace” (Booklist, starred review), you will be kept guessing until the startling revelation on the very last page.

Another riveting, page turner of a novel from Ms. Jewell! Before my review, I would like to point out my favorite book from this author, that is not in the same style as her most recent work. If you enjoy her writing, and are open to a more character driven plot, please pick up The House We Grew Up In! As much as I enjoy her latest books, this one is still my favorite. Now on to this review. The title of this one is spot on! Throughout the story, there are multiple people all watching others. The crazy mom who thinks she is being stalked, the young teenage boy spying on girls of interest in the neighborhood, and even the newly married woman who can't seem to stop watching the new school admin. We know right from the beginning that someone is murdered, and then the story goes back and gives us the details of how we got there. I loved the snippets of police interviews thrown in as the reader is trying to make up their mind 'who dunnit'. The writing is crisp, the chapters are short and broken up into various characters telling their story, and there was a twist at the end (of course). I have to say that the end was the only thing that didn't work for me. It was a bit too convenient that things fell into place the way they did, but I honestly didn't mind because the rest of the book was engrossing enough to overlook such a small fault.

Another winner from Lisa Jewell, this one will keep you guessing until the very end. Definitely an author who can write engrossing material no matter what genre she is in.



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Published on 2 Comments on Winter in Paradise






Winter in Paradise Book Cover




Winter in Paradise





Elin Hilderbrand




Fiction




Little, Brown




October 9, 2018




Hardcover




320




Purchased myself



A husband's secret life, a wife's new beginning: escape to the Caribbean with New York Times bestselling author Elin Hilderbrand. Irene Steele shares her idyllic life in a beautiful Iowa City Victorian house with a husband who loves her to sky-writing, sentimental extremes. But as she rings in the new year one cold and snowy night, everything she thought she knew falls to pieces with a shocking phone call: her beloved husband, away on business, has been killed in a plane crash. Before Irene can even process the news, she must first confront the perplexing details of her husband's death on the distant Caribbean island of St. John. After Irene and her sons arrive at this faraway paradise, they make yet another shocking discovery: her husband had been living a secret life. As Irene untangles a web of intrigue and deceit, and as she and her sons find themselves drawn into the vibrant island culture, they have to face the truth about their family, and about their own futures. Rich with the lush beauty of the tropics and the drama, romance, and intrigue only Elin Hilderbrand can deliver, Winter in Paradise is a truly transporting novel, and the exciting start to a new series.

My review:

I must admit to a bit of trepidation to starting this new series by Ms. Hilderbrand. I loved her winter series spanning the last four years, and was afraid to be let down by this new holiday series. I had no need to worry because while I'm still not as sold on this one yet, it was plenty entertaining and enjoyable! The style was pure Hilderbrand, so if you've read any of her numerous other novels, you can rest assured that this one delivers the same great quality of characters, settings and angst. The fact that it takes place on an idyllic island was equally wonderful and problematic at times. I've taken several vacations over the winter holidays to warm climates, and I live in NC which doesn't really see much in the way of snow (especially not that early in the winter). While I loved all the descriptions of the sand and sun, I still missed an element of the blustery snow that comes with most holiday stories. While I may not actually want to see snow, I do think it adds that festive touch to my holiday reads. Barring that inconsequential to the plot hiccup, this book really delivers on readability and sucks you right into these character's lives. Side note: I'm calling it right now that the husband isn't really dead and is going to show up long about book three! We shall see if I am way off (which I usually am)!

Another winner in true Hilderbrand form, this is a great start to a holiday series set in a warm climate. Just know before you get sucked in that you are going to have to wait an entire year for the next installment (and yes, it does leave you hanging!).

Published on Leave a comment on The Dream Daughter






The Dream Daughter Book Cover




The Dream Daughter





Diane Chamberlain




Fiction




St. Martin's Press




October 2, 2018




Advanced Reader Copy




384




Free copy from publisher



When Caroline Sears receives the news that her unborn baby girl has a heart defect, she is devastated. It is 1970 and there seems to be little that can be done. But her brother-in-law, a physicist, tells her that perhaps there is. Hunter appeared in their lives just a few years before—and his appearance was as mysterious as his past. With no family, no friends, and a background shrouded in secrets, Hunter embraced the Sears family and never looked back.

Now, Hunter is telling her that something can be done about her baby's heart. Something that will shatter every preconceived notion that Caroline has. Something that will require a kind of strength and courage that Caroline never knew existed. Something that will mean a mind-bending leap of faith on Caroline's part.

And all for the love of her unborn child.

A rich, genre-spanning, breathtaking novel about one mother's quest to save her child, unite her family, and believe in the unbelievable. Diane Chamberlain pushes the boundaries of faith and science to deliver a novel that you will never forget.

My review:

Being a big fan of this author, I don't usually go out of my way to read the synopsis of her books. I know I'm always going to get a well written, highly enjoyable story. Somehow I stumbled upon a few words about this one before reading it that filled me with dread! I thought I must be mistaken when I read that this book involved time travel, a thread in books that I avoid like the plague! Ranking right up there with ghosts and magic, time travel is on my list of reads that I avoid. I've only read a handful, but I haven't liked any of them..........until I did! Yes, this book is about time travel and I loved it!! Without giving too much of the plot away, this is about a mother in 1970 who travels to 2001, to give her unborn daughter in vitro open heart surgery to give her a chance to live (not medically possible in 1970). Of course things don't go according to plan, and the story keeps you on the edge of your seat flipping pages to find out what is going to happen. Great writing, believable time travel (I can't believe I'm typing that!), and characters that you will fall in love with. I teared up many times with this one. The ending was perfection!

Kudos to Ms. Chamberlain on this one! I'm not sure how she did it, but she turned this time travel book hater into even more of a fan of hers than I already was. Grab this one, don't get too technical with the details, and enjoy the perfection of a mother's love for her daughter.

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Published on 2 Comments on A Spark of Light






A Spark of Light Book Cover




A Spark of Light





Jodi Picoult




Fiction




Ballantine Books




October 2, 2018




Advanced Reader Copy




384




Publisher via BookExpo



The #1 New York Times bestselling author of Small Great Things returns with a powerful and provocative new novel about ordinary lives that intersect during a heart-stopping crisis. The warm fall day starts like any other at the Center--a women's reproductive health services clinic--its staff offering care to anyone who passes through its doors. Then, in late morning, a desperate and distraught gunman bursts in and opens fire, taking all inside hostage. After rushing to the scene, Hugh McElroy, a police hostage negotiator, sets up a perimeter and begins making a plan to communicate with the gunman. As his phone vibrates with incoming text messages he glances at it and, to his horror, finds out that his fifteen-year-old daughter, Wren, is inside the clinic. But Wren is not alone. She will share the next and tensest few hours of her young life with a cast of unforgettable characters: A nurse who calms her own panic in order save the life of a wounded woman. A doctor who does his work not in spite of his faith but because of it, and who will find that faith tested as never before. A pro-life protester disguised as a patient, who now stands in the cross hairs of the same rage she herself has felt. A young woman who has come to terminate her pregnancy. And the disturbed individual himself, vowing to be heard. Told in a daring and enthralling narrative structure that counts backward through the hours of the standoff, this is a story that traces its way back to what brought each of these very different individuals to the same place on this fateful day. Jodi Picoult--one of the most fearless writers of our time--tackles a complicated issue in this gripping and nuanced novel. How do we balance the rights of pregnant women with the rights of the unborn they carry? What does it mean to be a good parent? A Spark of Light will inspire debate, conversation . . . and, hopefully, understanding.

My review:

Full disclosure, this was probably closer to a three star for me, but I'm rounding up. The reason is because I'm simply blown away by the way Picoult can tell a story without taking sides on any issue, and presenting all sides to a situation in a thought provoking manner. This book is no exception to that. Taking on the topic of abortion and abortion rights, this story takes place in one morning at a health service clinic in the south. Concurrent with the events at the clinic, we follow a young woman facing charges at a local hospital who has had complications from taking an illegal abortion pill. As is always the case, Picoult does an excellent job with her characters, and we get a glimpse into their thought processes that have brought them to their present circumstances. The writing and characters are what kept me flipping pages on this one, but there were a couple of things that didn't really work for me and caused me to give a lower rating in my head. Firstly, I wasn't a fan of the backward storyline. While I applaud Picoult for trying something different with her writing, and I really can't pinpoint exactly what bothered me about it, I just never got on board. The other thing was the abrupt ending. I think this may have been a function of the way the story was constructed (backward), but there were SO many loose ends that I wanted resolution for. We really only get information about what happens to two of the many characters, and it left me wanting more. What happened to the rest of them in the aftermath of that morning, particularly Beth?

While I think this is absolutely worth the read (as are all of Picoult's books), this one will not go down as a favorite due to the backward storyline and lack of closure for the myriad characters effected on that fateful morning.

Published on Leave a comment on Not Our Kind






Not Our Kind Book Cover




Not Our Kind





Kitty Zeldis




Fiction




Harper




September 4, 2018




Hardcover




352




Free from publisher



With echoes of Rules of Civility and The Boston Girl, a compelling and thought-provoking novel set in postwar New York City, about two women—one Jewish, one a WASP—and the wholly unexpected consequences of their meeting. One rainy morning in June, two years after the end of World War II, a minor traffic accident brings together Eleanor Moskowitz and Patricia Bellamy. Their encounter seems fated: Eleanor, a teacher and recent Vassar graduate, needs a job. Patricia’s difficult thirteen-year-old daughter Margaux, recovering from polio, needs a private tutor. Though she feels out of place in the Bellamys’ rarefied and elegant Park Avenue milieu, Eleanor forms an instant bond with Margaux. Soon the idealistic young woman is filling the bright young girl’s mind with Shakespeare and Latin. Though her mother, a hat maker with a little shop on Second Avenue, disapproves, Eleanor takes pride in her work, even if she must use the name "Moss" to enter the Bellamys’ restricted doorman building each morning, and feels that Patricia’s husband, Wynn, may have a problem with her being Jewish. Invited to keep Margaux company at the Bellamys’ country home in a small town in Connecticut, Eleanor meets Patricia’s unreliable, bohemian brother, Tom, recently returned from Europe. The spark between Eleanor and Tom is instant and intense. Flushed with new romance and increasingly attached to her young pupil, Eleanor begins to feel more comfortable with Patricia and much of the world she inhabits. As the summer wears on, the two women’s friendship grows—until one hot summer evening, a line is crossed, and both Eleanor and Patricia will have to make important decisions—choices that will reverberate through their lives. Gripping and vividly told, Not Our Kind illuminates the lives of two women on the cusp of change—and asks how much our pasts can and should define our futures.

My review:

This historical fiction account of life in post WWII New York City was compelling and an engaging read. I fell in to the rhythm of the story of Eleanor, a Jewish woman who becomes a tutor for a young girl stricken with polio. Of course problems arise within the family who employs her, since she is "not our kind". Whether this is in reference to her religious background, or the fact that she is from a lower socio-economic class is up to the reader to decide, although my opinion is that it is a bit of both. The characters were at times a bit too cookie cutter and flat, but the story itself carried me easily past this. I thought the author did an excellent job of portraying life during these times, and was particularly interested in the hat shop owned by Eleanor's mother. I also loved that Eleanor was an educated woman who did not fall into the life plan of marriage and children that so many woman of that era did.

An excellent portrayal of life after the war where the different classes meet, and the usual prejudices are exposed. A very enjoyable story with several memorable characters.