So many good books out this fall! I chose this twisty, suspenseful, psychological thriller and I’m so glad I did. What an interesting concept- based on the true condition of those who do not feel pain.
This one kept me guessing right up the very end. Hard to believe this is a debut novel – thank you for my copy and for having me as part of the tour!
The Silent Patient meets Rebecca in this twisty debut about the mysterious death of a woman with congenital analgesia, a rare condition where she can’t feel any pain – and an obsessive journalist who will stop at nothing to uncover her most dangerous secrets.
Meet Eva, who can’t feel pain, and Anna, who can’t escape it.
Everyone has heard about the case of Eva Reid. Ever since she was born, she’s been immune to physical pain – she can get a paper cut, break a limb, and even give birth without feeling a single thing. Her rare condition has long-captivated reporters and researchers – including Dr. Nate Reid, Eva’s husband and acclaimed scientist renowned for his work in The Pain Laboratory. Also among them is Anna Tate, a ruthless journalist with a dark past of her own.
When Eva is suddenly found dead inside her home, it raises a flurry of questions around the last night of her life – and who might’ve been involved. Anna finds herself growing increasingly obsessed with Eva’s case: her cloistered, painless existence, her promising career as a psychotherapist, and especially her toxic relationship to Dr. Reid, whom she met and married as his former patient. But what other secrets could they be hiding?
When Dr. Reid embarks on the process of writing a book about Eva, Anna makes sure she’s first in line to work on the project with him. As she slowly inserts herself into their home and seeks to uncover what’s fact and what’s fiction, shocking discoveries await her – and not everyone may come out unscathed…
About the Author:
Author Emma Cook. Photo by Linda Nylind. 14/03/2023.
Emma Cook has been an editor at the Guardian for 16 years, commissioning on Guardian Weekend, editing her own section Do Something and now assistant editor and travel editor on the Observer magazine. She has written for a range of titles including the Guardian, the Independent, the Times, the Daily Telegraph, ES Magazine, Elle and Psychologies. She is an alumna of the Faber Academy’s six-month Writing A Novel course, and You Can’t Hurt Me is her debut novel.
Oh I love this new cozy series about twin sisters (a mystery writer and a book seller) who move to Ireland after inheriting a home and a bookshop (wait a minute – that’s my dream come true!!) and end up being involved in solving crime. The plots are so clever and the characters are interesting and fun. I love how the sisters are multi-dimensional with backstories and unique traits. These novels would make a great British mystery series for Brit Box or Acorn TV!
You don’t need to read them in order, but I did. And more are coming – yay!
Thank you for my copy and for having me as part of the tour!
Here’s the scoop:
Irish scones, shamrock shortbread, a local literary festival… and a rather dead author? Join Mercy McCarthy on her next case!
Mercy and Lizzie McCarthy are settling in to the charming seaside village of Shamrock Cove on the west coast of Ireland. Lizzie throws herself into organizing a book festival and mystery writer Mercy even agrees to come out of her bookish hidey-hole to get involved. But then the event’s star author is found dead. James Brandt was killed by a falling bookshelf in his own cottage…
The local detective is not convinced by Mercy’s suspicion of murder but when someone else turns up dead, the police cannot ignore it. There’s just one problem: Mercy and Lizzie’s beloved dog Mr. Poe sniffs out the second body in the storeroom of their own bookstore. And now all the gossips seem determined to pin the murder on Mercy!
Convinced the police are focusing on a red herring in this real-life case, Mercy needs to act fast to clear her name. A meddling mayor, a cheerful chef and a bashful botanist make her suspect list, but it’s not until Mercy discovers a tatty old photograph in the local library archive that she is onto the killer’s trail.
With the police keen to shut her out of the murder investigation, can Mercy play this case by the book, or will she be the next to fall off the shelf…?
A totally gripping and twisty cozy crime novel, perfect for readers who love Agatha Christie, Carlene O’Connor or Faith Martin! This incredibly fast-paced and fun murder mystery will whisk you off to Ireland and won’t let you go until the final page!
Author Bio:
Bestselling author Candace Havens has published more than 25 books. Her novels have received nominations for the RITA’s, Holt Medallion, Write Touch Reader Awards and National Reader’s Choice Awards. She is a Barbara Wilson Award winner. She is the author of the biography Joss Whedon: The Genius Behind Buffy and a contributor to several anthologies. She is also one of the nation’s leading entertainment journalists and has interviewed countless celebrities from George Clooney to Chris Pratt. Candace runs a free online writing workshop for more than 2000 writers and teaches comprehensive writing classes. She does film reviews with Hawkeye in the Morning on 96.3 KSCS, and is a former President of the Television Critics Association.
What a fabulous and interesting read! I knew next to nothing about Marguerite “Peggy” Guggenheim, though I know the Guggenheim Museum. This book was a beautiful tribute to a unique and adventurous woman. The prose in this novel is so beautiful. I felt like I was in Peggy Guggenheim’s head and feeling her emotions. Such a tragedy that Rebecca Godfrey has passed and not seen her work come to fruition.
Highly recommended! One of the best books I read this year.
Thank you for my copy to review through Net Galley.
About Peggy
A dazzling, richly imagined novel about Peggy Guggenheim—a story of art, family, love, and becoming oneself—by the award-winning author of Under the Bridge, now a Hulu limited series starring Riley Keough and Lily Gladstone
“Godfrey brilliantly resurrects the avant-garde adventurer Peggy Guggenheim as a feminist icon for our times.”—Jenny Offill, author of Dept. of Speculation
“Magnificent . . . Readers will be won over by Godfrey’s incandescent portrait of a singular woman.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review
Venice, 1958. Peggy Guggenheim, heiress and now legendary art collector, sits in the sun at her white marble palazzo on the Grand Canal. She’s in a reflective mood, thinking back on her thrilling, tragic, nearly impossible journey from her sheltered, old-fashioned family in New York to here: iconoclast and independent woman.
Rebecca Godfrey’s Peggy is a blazingly fresh interpretation of a woman who defies every expectation to become an original. The daughter of two Jewish dynasties, Peggy finds her cloistered life turned upside down at fourteen, when her beloved father perishes on the Titanic. His death prompts Peggy to seek a life of passion and personal freedom and, above all, to believe in the transformative power of art. We follow Peggy as she makes her way through the glamorous but sexist and anti-Semitic art worlds of New York and Europe and meet the numerous men who love her (and her money) while underestimating her intellect, talent, and vision. Along the way, Peggy must balance her loyalty to her family with her need to break free from their narrow, snobbish ways and the unexpected restrictions that come with vast fortune.
Rebecca Godfrey’s final book—completed by her friend, the acclaimed writer Leslie Jamison, following Godfrey’s death in 2022—brings to life the woman who helped make the Guggenheim name synonymous with art and genius.
About the Author
REBECCA GODFREY (1967-2022) was an award-winning novelist and journalist. Her books include The Torn Skirt, finalist for the Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize, and the award-winning true crime story Under the Bridge, a Disney+ limited series starring Riley Keough as Rebecca Godfrey. Godfrey earned her MFA from Sarah Lawrence College and taught writing at Columbia University. Born and raised in Canada, she lived with her husband and daughter in Upstate New York.
My friends at Books Forward sent me some information on this new novel, featuring the author’s ancestor who came to American from Norway and was institutionalized in a mental hospital for most of her life.
The Blue Trunk traces the journey of Marit Sletmo as she comes to America and the quest of her great great niece, Rachel, as she seeks to discover Marit’s story, while writing her own.
Here’s the scoop:
When Ann Lowry inherited an ancestor’s blue travel trunk, she had no idea that this artifact was about to take her on a three-year journey of discovery. She was told that the trunk’s previous owner, a great-great aunt, had been institutionalized for insanity. Despite meticulous genealogy research, she was unable to uncover any facts about her and concluded that she must have spent her entire adult life in an asylum. Lowry was inspired to write The Blue Trunk, (Sept. 10, 2024, Koehler Books) to help reclaim her ancestor’s voice and shed light on these all-too-common institutionalizations. Seamlessly weaving historical fiction with contemporary life, Lowry’s tale explores identity, strength, and connection across decades.
Rachel Jackson’s idyllic life takes a dramatic turn when she discovers a woman’s scarf in her politician husband’s computer bag. But in an election year, seeking answers to questions of infidelity is not an option. When her mother gives her a family heirloom, a travel trunk owned by an ancestor, she finds a distraction. As she immerses herself in its contents, she discovers a woman whose life is vastly different from her own. Or is it?
Determined to dispel the notion that her ancestor Marit was insane, Rachel sets out to unveil her unknown story. In the interwoven narratives of these two women, who are bound by blood and a shared struggle, The Blue Trunk is a poignant exploration of identity, love, and unwavering strength.
Here’s a bit about Anne:
Ann’s journey into the realm of storytelling was foretold by a Sedona psychic in 2001. That prophecy became a reality two decades later when Ann discovered a family heirloom, a travel trunk from Norway, which sparked the genesis of her debut novel, “The Blue Trunk.”
A writer her entire life, Ann holds a Ph.D. in Communication from the University of Minnesota. Her career has been dedicated to teaching and helping others navigate communication and resolve conflicts. Ann is fascinated by the dynamics of relationships, discord, and the intricacies of the human condition. Ann successfully completed the Loft Literary Center’s Novel Writing Intensive course in 2022.
Alongside her passion for fiction, she has contributed to academic journals, penned thought-provoking opinion pieces, crafted engaging content for online platforms, and provided insights on the federal management of disasters.
When Ann isn’t immersed in the world of writing, she finds solace in the pool or the lake. She cherishes playful moments with her rescue-turned-therapy dog, Loki, and also enjoys reading, golfing, and indulging in the art of cookie and bread baking. Fly fishing is her newest hobby. Most of all, she savors precious time with her family.
Ann and her spouse, Karen, and fur child, Loki, live in Timnath, Colorado, where they enjoy the beauty of nature daily. Learn more about Ann at: www.annlowry.com
I loved this story because not only was it a story within a story, but it had a focus on strong women, as well as resilience and identity. I loved the ending and was so hopeful that the story was largely based in fact. So I asked if I could do a Q&A with Ms. Lowry, and here it is!
BBNB: Hi there! I really enjoyed your novel so much. I’m curious. Is there really a blue trunk? And how did you first get interested in your ancestor’s story?
Yes, there is a blue trunk. It still sits in the foyer of my home in Colorado and has the name “Marit Sletmo” painted on the front. My mother inherited the trunk and while I was aware of the fact that my great-great aunt used it when she immigrated from Norway, I knew nothing of her life until I suggested naming my daughter “Marit.” My mother reacted to my suggestion with horror telling me that Marit was “insane” and that she and her sisters were never allowed to talk about her. Needless to say, I didn’t name my daughter after her. But I thought of her, of course, every time I saw the trunk. A few years ago my mother gave me the trunk and I started researching her on genealogy websites. But my research came to a dead end rather quickly. I concluded, sadly, that Marit likely spent her entire life in an institution. I knew I wanted to reclaim her life by writing a novel about her.
BBNB: As a person who studied psychology in college, your novel reminded me of the truly inhumane ways that people with mental illness were treated. How did you research that part of your novel?
The National Institute of Health and the Library of Congress have good information. But probably the most compelling information for me came from information gleaned from investigative journalist Nelly Bly. In 1887, Bly had herself committed to the “lunatic asylum” on Blackwell’s Island in New York. She spent ten days there and documented the horrific conditions that existed there at that time and noted that some women were sane but had been committed by family members who wanted them out of the way.
BBNB: Is Marit’s journey very similar to your own great aunt’s? Did you have that level of detail of her life or did you have to use some creative license? Did you have to track down clues to find answers like Rachel did in the novel?
Most of the book is fiction because I reached a dead end early with my genealogy research. I had an autograph book that she had signed in Wisconsin (my only clue) and I knew that she had indeed made it to the United States and that she could speak English fluently (given the poem she wrote in the autograph book). But I learned through my research that asylum patients were not always included in the census and that they sometimes weren’t issued death certificates. Census data and death and marriage certificates are ways that you can track ancestors and I couldn’t find anything for her. She essentially became “unknown.” I had originally named the book “The Life I Wished for You” because a lot of it was from my imagination, but my publisher prefered The Blue Trunk (also a fine title). I wanted Marit to have a good life. Her created life isn’t easy in the book, but she is resilient and strong and in order to portray that, I needed her to have some challenges. Ultimately she overcomes her challenges and thrives.
BBNB: I have to ask: did your great aunt have a happy ending like Marit? I do love happy endings…
Unfortunately, I don’t think she did. I suspect she spent her remaining life in an institution. But she has a happy ending in the novel and that was important to me. I love what she became (in the book) and love the fact that if you now search her name, you will find it. She is no longer unknown.
BBNB: Are you working on something new right now (or “write now”)?
I am! I am writing about four women friends who were WASP’s during WWII. The women of the Women’s Air Corp flew planes across the country for the military plane repositioning. They were amazing and brave women. In spite of their service, they weren’t awarded military benefits until President Jimmy Carter awarded veteran’s status in 1977. The book is loosely based upon the life of my real aunt who was a WASP and flew six different planes during her tour of duty. That said, the book is mostly about family drama, romance, and being a strong and resilient woman.
Thank you so much for my copy and for answering my questions.
I loved this story and I look forward to more novels by Ann Lowry!
Okay – this was a twisty, suspenseful thriller that kept me guessing and guessing. Hard to put down, I was happy with the ending! The story toggles between a mother, dealing with her missing daughter who went on a road trip with her best friend, and the road trip as it happened.
So. Many. Secrets. (that’s all I’ll say!)
Book Description:
It’s her first trip away. But she never came home…
The old camping bus pulls up outside my house in the middle of the night. Rain is pounding against the windows, thunder rattling, but I’d recognize the sound of the engine anywhere.
Confusion races through me. My daughter Willow and her best friend must be back early from their trip. I jump up and rush to meet them.
But when I pull open the door, it’s not Willow on the doorstep. It’s a man, holding her keys. Blood roars in my ears as he explains he was hired anonymously to drive it back.
My heart is pounding. I don’t understand. Where is my daughter?
I push past him and run out into the rain, wrenching the door of the bus open. It’s empty. The girls are gone.
And in the back, there are signs of a struggle. Clumps of Willow’s hair on the floor. Their belongings trashed. I stop breathing.
Where are they? What’s happened to my daughter? And churning in my stomach is the most terrifying question of all: What will it take to get her back?
A jaw-dropping, unputdownable psychological thriller packed with twists that will leave you breathless. Perfect for fans of Shari Lapena, Lisa Jewell and Lucy Clarke’s One of the Girls.
Author Bio:
Forensic psychologist by day, author by night, Ellery Kane has been writing professionally and creatively for as long as she can remember. Real life really is stranger than fiction, so Ellery’s writing is often inspired by her day job. Before writing the Rockwell and Decker series with Bookouture, Ellery published the Legacy series for young adult readers and the Doctors of Darkness series of psychological thrillers. She was previously selected as one of ten semi-finalists in the MasterClass James Patterson Co-Author Competition. A Texan at heart, Ellery currently resides in the San Francisco Bay Area.
I’m always happy to take part in Bookouture blog tours! This one was a psychological thriller that had me reading the entire thing in one sitting as I could not put it down and I needed to know what happened! Need I say more? Here’s the scoop:
Clutching my husband’s hand, I screech with delight as the rollercoaster loops through the air. I feel young and free for the first time in years, but as we roll to a stop and I look for our three beloved children in the crowd, I panic. I can only see two. Where is my daughter?
Today was meant to be special. A final fun family day out before five-year-old Summer joins her big siblings at school. But in an instant, we’re plunged into a nightmare. We scream her name as we frantically search the amusement park for a glimpse of her flaming red hair.
When the police ask about strangers, grudges and enemies, I have no answers, just questions. Why did I think I could leave my children alone, even for a minute? What kind of mother am I?
I feel in my heart that Summer is out there somewhere. But as I obsess about finding her, my family is falling apart. My eldest daughter Merritt is withdrawn. My son Gus is angry. And after seventeen years of marriage, my husband has never felt more like a stranger. Where does he go when he says he’s working late? Who is he constantly messaging?
I must fight to hold my family together, but I’m terrified Summer’s disappearance will destroy us all. Will I ever forgive myself for letting her out of my sight? Will I ever hold her tiny hand in mine again?
A completely gripping and emotional page-turner about every parent’s darkest fear. Perfect for fans of Jodi Picoult, Jojo Moyes and Kate Hewitt.
Author Bio:
Jen Craven is the author of emotional and suspenseful women’s fiction, stories where one decision changes everything. A former college instructor, she loves dark campus novels, which led to her contemporary debut, Best Years of Your Life, published in August 2022. Her writing style blends poignancy with drama to create what-would-you-do narratives of the human experience. Aside from fiction, Jen has personal essay bylines in national outlets, including The Washington Post, Huffington Post, Today’s Parent, Scary Mommy and many more. She writes from northwestern Pennsylvania, where she lives with her husband and three children. When not working on her books, she can be found thrift shopping, taking long walks, and beating her kids in backgammon.
I love Kristin Hannah’s books, so I was excited to see that she had another one coming out last winter. But everyone, and I mean everyone, was reading this novel and gushing about it. People were saying it the best book they ever read. They cried. It was unforgettable. Best book of the year. So I did what I often do – I stayed away. It is inevitable that when everyone loves a book, I can’t stand it, and I’m left feeling like I missed something.
So imagine my delight when I started reading this novel in September and truly enjoyed it! What a read! I loved the character of Frankie so much. I thought the depictions of wartime life were incredible. I don’t have much memory of the Vietnam War, except that it was on television news a lot and very scary to me as a young child. Kristin Hannah tells a story of strong women who made a difference, based on their courage and fortitude. It was a unique and important viewpoint to share.
Wonderful read and highly recommended! Thank you for my copy!
Description
A #1 bestseller on The New York Times, USA Today, Washington Post, and Los Angeles Times!
From the celebrated author of The Nightingale and The Four Winds comes Kristin Hannah’s The Women—at once an intimate portrait of coming of age in a dangerous time and an epic tale of a nation divided.
Women can be heroes. When twenty-year-old nursing student Frances “Frankie” McGrath hears these words, it is a revelation. Raised in the sun-drenched, idyllic world of Southern California and sheltered by her conservative parents, she has always prided herself on doing the right thing. But in 1965, the world is changing, and she suddenly dares to imagine a different future for herself. When her brother ships out to serve in Vietnam, she joins the Army Nurse Corps and follows his path.
As green and inexperienced as the men sent to Vietnam to fight, Frankie is over-whelmed by the chaos and destruction of war. Each day is a gamble of life and death, hope and betrayal; friendships run deep and can be shattered in an instant. In war, she meets—and becomes one of—the lucky, the brave, the broken, and the lost.
But war is just the beginning for Frankie and her veteran friends. The real battle lies in coming home to a changed and divided America, to angry protesters, and to a country that wants to forget Vietnam.
The Women is the story of one woman gone to war, but it shines a light on all women who put themselves in harm’s way and whose sacrifice and commitment to their country has too often been forgotten. A novel about deep friendships and bold patriotism, The Women is a richly drawn story with a memorable heroine whose idealism and courage under fire will come to define an era.
Today I’m part of the Bookouture Blog Tour for GONE BY DAWN by H.K. Christie, the first in the Val Costa mystery series. I love a good mystery with a plucky female protagonist. This one takes place in Northern California, too (my hometown area). I liked the pacing in this story and the characters, though I’m happy it’s part of a series as I want to know more about what happens to Val and her family afterwards!
Thank you for my copy and for making me part of the tour!
You kissed your daughter goodnight. By morning, she’s gone.
Two days ago, FBI Agent Val Costa came face to face with a serial killer known as the Bear. One of only two women ever to survive, she’s forever branded with his signature: a curling “S” carved into her skin. Val knows it’s only a matter of time before he takes another victim.
Forced home to recover, Val returns to Red Rose County, California, to be with her son. But the very next day she finds the close-knit community panic-stricken over the disappearance of blonde-haired, freckled-faced local teen, Scarlett Douglas. Defying orders, Val interviews the Douglas family at their farmhouse and uncovers a less-than-idyllic picture. Housebound since a devastating diagnosis, Scarlett’s world was crumbling. The sight of Scarlett’s unworn prom dress hanging in her room brings a tear to Val’s eye. She won’t sleep until this sweet girl is home and safe.
Val and her team search the nearby towering redwoods for any clue to what happened the morning Scarlett disappeared. But the case takes a sinister turn when a little pink teddy bear is delivered to Val’s door. Did the Bear follow her to Red Rose County? Is her family now in terrible danger? Could Scarlett be his latest victim?
Working around the clock, Val begins to question if the Douglases are the loving parents they claim to be. With time running out to save Scarlett’s life, and the truth just within her reach, will Val once again come face to face with the Bear? And who—if anyone—will survive?
A totally addictive and pulse-pounding crime thriller for fans of Lisa Regan, Mary Stone and Willow Rose. You won’t be able to put this page-turner down!
Author Bio:
H.K. Christie is an Amazon bestselling crime novelist best known for her Martina Monroe crime thriller series. H.K.’s writing style is a gripping blend of suspense and pace. Her ability to craft complex plots creates a dynamic ebb and flow of tension that keeps readers captivated and eager for more. Inspired by true crime and social justice, she develops realistic, multidimensional characters that bridge the gap between fiction and reality. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and feisty pup, Charlie.
One of my summer goals was to go through my kindle (which has over 500 books) and find books that I had meant to read but hadn’t gotten to yet. I came across this one and thought “What???” Martha Hall Kelly’s Lilac Girls was a favorite read of mine, so clearly I had gotten distracted and overlooked this novel which follows two female spies after WWII as they seek a Nazi doctor in hiding and the missing son of one of them. Such a good story and such great characters. Reading about the atrocities of the concentration camps is disturbing, but knowing that people risked their lives to bring those running them to justice is so inspiring. While this book is historical fiction, it is based on real events, primarily concerning the women’s camp at Ravensbrück. It is also a testament to women’s friendships and loyalty and maternal love.
Highly recommended!
Description
Two female spies risk everything to hunt down an infamous Nazi in this sweeping, profound tale of bravery from the bestselling author of Lilac Girls.
“A riveting story of two brave and amazing women who work in the French resistance during World War II . . . a triumph!”—Lisa Scottoline, New York Times bestselling author of Eternal
American Josie Anderson and Parisian Arlette LaRue are thrilled to be working in the French resistance, stealing so many Nazi secrets that they become known as the Golden Doves, renowned across France and hunted by the Gestapo. Their courage will cost them everything. When they are finally arrested and taken to the Ravensbrück concentration camp, along with their loved ones, a reclusive Nazi doctor does unspeakable things to Josie’s mother, a celebrated Jewish singer who joined her daughter in Paris when the world seemed bright. And Arlette’s son is stolen from her, never to be seen again.
A decade later the Doves fall headlong into a dangerous dual mission: Josie is working for U.S. Army Intelligence and accepts an assignment to hunt down the infamous doctor, while a mysterious man tells Arlette he may have found her son. The Golden Doves embark on a quest across Europe and ultimately to French Guiana, discovering a web of terrible secrets, and must put themselves in grave danger to finally secure justice and protect the ones they love.
Martha Hall Kelly has garnered acclaim for her stunning combination of empathy and research into the stories of women throughout history and for exploring the terrors of Ravensbrück. With The Golden Doves, she has crafted an unforgettable story about the fates of Nazi fugitives in the wake of World War II—and the unsung female spies who risked it all to bring them to justice.
A salty breeze whips the tears from my eyes as I stare out at the emerald Irish Sea. Everything I’ve lost, the child my great grandmother Nellie lost, all feels so present here, in the land my family left years ago. How will I ever move on? Will I ever uncover the truth about the little girl who went missing all those years ago?
When Boston-born Erin arrives in wind-tossed Roone Bay, she’s heart-sore, tired and lonely. Her marriage is over: she’s come to build a new life for herself on Ireland’s rugged southern coast. And to unravel the story behind the mysterious note in her family’s ancient Bible that has haunted her since childhood. But hazel-eyed former lifeboat volunteer Finn, the only local historian around, quietly refuses her pleas to help.
So Erin settles in to the town, with its whitewashed cottages and ruddy-cheeked fishermen, and begins her quest alone. Who was her ancestor, Nellie, and why did she leave Ireland for America? What happened to her missing child, Annie, and did Nellie ever see her again?
Just as Erin despairs ever uncovering the truth, one rain-soaked night she is rescued by Finn, who finally agrees to help. And by firelight and candlelight each evening, just as it would have been in her great-grandmother’s time, Finn and Erin grow closer as they share their stories.
But just as Erin wonders if Roone Bay could be her forever home, she makes a devastating discovery. Will she be able to face the truth, which changes everything she thought she knew about herself, her past, and her family’s Irish legacy? Or will she run, just as Nellie did all those years ago, and lose the best chance at happiness she’s ever had…?
This gorgeous, heart-breaking, totally immersive story of an Irish family’s legacy is perfect for fans of Susanne O’Leary, Kathleen McGurl and Tricia O’Malley.
So if you know me, you know I am half Irish and I love love love Ireland! It is such a beautiful country with lovely people. Many years ago, after a difficult break up, I went to Ireland and found some healing there, so I could relate to Erin. And as Erin’s great-grandmother came over from Ireland, so did my great-grandparents, but mine came after the Famine. I loved this story and I loved the “toggle” between Nellie’s story (which is a sad one – but not too sad!) and Erin’s. It reminded me a bit of one of my favorite Irish authors, Maeve Binchy.
Thank you for my copy and for having me as part of the tour!
Author Bio:
I LOVE this author bio. Sue Lewando/Daisy O’Shea is so interesting and we have much in common, including a love of the Oxford comma!
Sue Lewando was a teacher for several years before migrating to the office environment, where she was PA to the Treasurer of Clarks Shoes, a multi-national company, then, briefly, PA to Susan George, the actress best known for Straw Dogs. Sue had many genre books published (M&B and Virgin), under pseudonyms, and self-publishes her crime thrillers. She was on the committee of the Romantic Novelists’ Association in England, for whom she assessed typescripts. She has been a fiction tutor for the London School of Journalism for twenty years. She has two grown-up children, a happy second marriage, and a bundle of cats and dogs. She moved to West Cork with her husband to undertake a farmhouse refurbishment project, foster their joint passion for playing Irish traditional music, and to invest time in their individual academic projects. She recently completed a Masters in Creative Writing at UCC, taking the opportunity to explore diverse writing genres. She works with the Jeremy Murphy Literary Consultancy in the capacity of typescript analyst, ghostwriter, editor, and online publishing advisor. She loves good commercial fiction, and is a devotee of the Oxford comma.
Beth's Book-Nook Blog 