Tag Archives: Beatriz Williams

The Glass Ocean by Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig & Karen White -a Review

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The Glass Ocean by Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig & Karen White -a Review

 

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Description:
A captivating historical mystery, infused with romance, that links the lives of three women across a century—two deep in the past, one in the present—to the doomed passenger liner, RMS Lusitania.

May 2013
Her finances are in dire straits and bestselling author Sarah Blake is struggling to find a big idea for her next book. Desperate, she breaks the one promise she made to her Alzheimer’s-stricken mother and opens an old chest that belonged to her great-grandfather, who died when the RMS Lusitania was sunk by a German U-Boat in 1915. What she discovers there could change history. Sarah embarks on an ambitious journey to England to enlist the help of John Langford, a recently disgraced Member of Parliament whose family archives might contain the only key to the long-ago catastrophe. . . .

April 1915
Southern belle Caroline Telfair Hochstetter’s marriage is in crisis. Her formerly attentive industrialist husband, Gilbert, has become remote, pre-occupied with business . . . and something else that she can’t quite put a finger on. She’s hoping a trip to London in Lusitania’s lavish first-class accommodations will help them reconnect—but she can’t ignore the spark she feels for her old friend, Robert Langford, who turns out to be on the same voyage. Feeling restless and longing for a different existence, Caroline is determined to stop being a bystander, and take charge of her own life. . . .

Tessa Fairweather is traveling second-class on the Lusitania, returning home to Devon. Or at least, that’s her story. Tessa has never left the United States and her English accent is a hasty fake. She’s really Tennessee Schaff, the daughter of a roving con man, and she can steal and forge just about anything. But she’s had enough. Her partner has promised that if they can pull off this one last heist aboard the Lusitania, they’ll finally leave the game behind. Tess desperately wants to believe that, but Tess has the uneasy feeling there’s something about this job that isn’t as it seems. . . .

As the Lusitania steams toward its fate, three women work against time to unravel a plot that will change the course of their own lives . . . and history itself. 

 

Review:

The Glass Ocean is written by three bestselling authors (Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig and Karen White), and it was done so well and seamlessly.  The Glass Ocean is centered on the Lusitania ship, with three POV’s; three woman, two from the 1915 period and one in modern day (2013). 

In the modern day time period, we meet Sarah Blake, a bestselling author, who is in the midst of a writer’s block, when she opens an old chest that belonged to her great grandfather.  What she finds will take her to England to investigate the connection between her great-grandfather and another man (Robert Langford), who were both on the Lusitania. Sarah will only be able to get so far, until she meets John Langford, a descendant of Robert.  At first John, wants nothing to do with Sarah and her quest, but finally decides to work with her to uncover some mysteries and a possible betrayal.

In May, 1915 we meet two women who are on board the Lusitania.  Caroline Hochstetter, the beautiful and elegant wife of Gilbert, a successful businessman, who has been very secretive and distant with her while on the ship.  Caroline loves her husband, but she is dismayed that he has been busy and away during their trip.  It is Robert Langford, who always had a crush on Caroline, and who will spend more time with her during her husband’s absence. 

We also meet Tess Fairweather, who is on the Lusitania to steal and forge an important document that her sister has set up.  Tess begins to suspect that something is wrong, and cannot get the truth from her sister.  She ends up befriending Robert Langsford, and in time he will discover that she is not who she says she is.

What follows is a compelling and interesting story that will eventually tie all three pieces together, with Carolyn, Tess eventually meeting during the catastrophic bombing of the Lusitania, as well as Robert.  It will be Sarah and John who find missing documents to flesh out the truth of what happened in 1915, and who survived. 

The Glass Ocean not only was a captivating mystery, with espionage, betrayals, love affairs, and the history of the Lusitania in background.  I enjoyed the additions of nice romances building up between some of the main characters, as well as the majestic glamour descriptions of the ship.  The Glass Ocean was written so very well, and I strongly suggest you read this book. 

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

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Tiny Little Thing by Beatriz Williams – a Review

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Tiny Little Thing by Beatriz Williams – a Review

 

Tiny LIttle ThingAmazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / The Book Depository / BAM

Description:
In the summer of 1966, Christina Hardcastle—“Tiny” to her illustrious family—stands on the brink of a breathtaking future. Of the three Schuyler sisters, she’s the one raised to marry a man destined for leadership, and with her elegance and impeccable style, she presents a perfect camera-ready image in the dawning age of television politics. Together she and her husband, Frank, make the ultimate power couple: intelligent, rich, and impossibly attractive. It seems nothing can stop Frank from rising to national office, and he’s got his sights set on a senate seat in November.
 
But as the season gets underway at the family estate on Cape Cod, three unwelcome visitors appear in Tiny’s perfect life: her volatile sister Pepper, an envelope containing incriminating photographs, and the intimidating figure of Frank’s cousin Vietnam-war hero Caspian, who knows more about Tiny’s rich inner life than anyone else. As she struggles to maintain the glossy façade on which the Hardcastle family’s ambitions are built, Tiny begins to suspect that Frank is hiding a reckless entanglement of his own…one that may unravel both her own ordered life and her husband’s promising career

 

 

 

Review:

Tiny Little Thing by Beatriz Williams is a contemporary story of politics and power with an old time rich family that is filled with deceit, lies and betrayals. It is the story of a woman in the center of it all, who beneath it all, is not what everyone wants her to be. Tiny Little Thing takes place in 1966, with flashbacks to 1964.

Christina (Tiny) Hardcastle is beautiful, elegant and the perfect wife for a man who plans to run for president one day. Tiny is not happy in her life with the Hardcastles, not to mention what is expected of her. We feel Tiny’s inner turmoil, while she watches her husband, Frank, looking suave and handsome on television honoring his cousin being award the medal of honor. Tiny is coming off a miscarriage, and is home with Grandmother Hardcastle, who is annoying with her snarky commentary. Tiny finds herself fighting to stay in control, as her dissatisfaction in her life grows.

The flashbacks to 1964 is before Tiny married Frank. While engaged, she meets Caspian, a war veteran in a coffee shop, and slowly they build a friendship and romance that makes her unsure if she is marrying the right person. But Tiny knows her family and the Hardcastles expect her to marry Frank and help him in his career. Caspian though, makes her happy, allows her to dance, her favorite hobby and takes pictures of her. Caspian has to go back to his army base, and might be gone for a long time. This will push Tiny to marry Frank, and become the rich powerful attractive couple that will win the public’s attention.

In present time, the war veteran cousin who Frank honors is in fact Caspian, which will make a difficult reunion for both Tiny and Caspian. As Tiny is pushed to help Frank’s campaign, she begins to discover that Frank maybe cheating on her.

What follows is an interesting and very well written story of a woman in the midst of a powerful family that will stop at nothing to protect their own, especially one that is destined to rise in the political world.   The early part of the story was a bit slow, giving us a look at what Tiny was truly all about. But as we got further in, it became an exciting story to see what would happen. Will Tiny stay with Frank and help his Career? Will she give in to her love of Caspian?

When secrets are revealed, the danger escalates for Tiny, with powerful forces determined to stop her from making the wrong decision, which could take away her life as she knows it. Beatriz Williams has created a group of interesting characters, especially Tiny, as well as her sister Pepper, who I thought was great. It was Pepper who did bring some humor into this story, as well as playing an exciting part in the final 1/3 of the book. This story proves that not all is what you see, nothing is perfect. Tiny Little Thing was an excellent story that will open your eyes to the political world of the rich and powerful.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

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