Tag Archives: Saga

The Wonder of It All by Barbara Taylor Bradford – a Review

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The Wonder of It All by Barbara Taylor Bradford – a Review

 

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Description:
James Falconer–a tycoon and a self-made man, seems to have the world in the palm of his hand. But The Great War looms, and James decides to fight for king and country. The fighting is bloody and brutal, and James returns a changed man, with wounds both physical and mental. His beloved wife is dead, but a new woman returns to help nurse him back to health.

Georgiana Ward once held James in her thrall, but years have passed and bitterness has set in. Still, the old attraction is there and James is determined to make amends to both Georgiana and his child Leonie–now a grown woman and someone he hasn’t seen in decades. Leonie is having none of it, and is embarking on a dangerous journey with a man who might very well destroy her. As James fights to return to the man he once was, he needs to find a way to heal his body, soul, and family.

Told with Barbara Taylor Bradford’s inimitable style and flair for period detail , The Wonder of It All concludes House of Falconer trilogy that has followed the story of this remarkable family from Victorian times to the 20th-century.

 

 

Review:

The Wonder of it All by Barbara Taylor Bradford is the 3rd and final book in her House of Falconer series. The story continues with James Falconer, a self-made business tycoon, who runs Malvern; with the help of his brother and sister. James still grieves the loss of his wife, Alexis, and pushes himself to participate in the WW1 war, Major James Falconer goes to fight for his country, until he is hurt badly with multiple injuries and sent home to a hospital in England; once he is released, he still needs care, and Georgiana Ward returns after many years, to help nurse him back to health.

James has a daughter, Leonie, by Georgiana in the early years, and made sure they lived well. He would see her occasionally, but slowly when his daughter became a teen ager, he was buried with his business and she hardly saw him, eventually cutting her father out of her life. In the present, James wants to get to know his daughter, but Georgiana tells him that Leoni wants nothing to do with him. Once he is well, both Georgianna and James also terminate their relationship.  James did keep an eye on Leonie’s marriage, as he did not like the man she married.

With the war taking its toll on his business, James concentrates on rebuilding his empire, and eliminating some of the smaller stories, with help from Eddie, Rossi, and other partners.   James will be introduced to Annabel, an art connoisseur, and slowly they both become very attracted to each other.  James has feelings for Annabel, but the age gap difference (he is 13 years older than her), pushes him to break it off, and leaves London to work hard in rebuilding his business ventures.  

What follows is both and exciting and sweet final ¼ of the book, with James finally being able to meet his daughter, after her husband abused her, and Leonie realizing that her father was a wonderful man, and would always be there for her. James also realizes that Annabel, even with the age gap, was the woman he loved.  I loved Rossi and Eddie, who were always there for James, and together they brought the business back to the top.

The Wonder of it All was very well written by Barbara Taylor Bradford.  This is the 3rd and final book in this series, and if you have not read this series, you need to start with the first book in the House of Falconer series.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

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A Man of Honor by Barbara Taylor Bradford – a Review

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A Man of Honor by Barbara Taylor Bradford – a Review

 

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Description:
Opening five years before the start of A Woman of Substance, A Man of Honor begins with 13-year-old Blackie O’Neill facing an uncertain future in rural County Kerry. Orphaned and alone, he has just buried his sister, Bronagh, and must leave his home to set sail for England, in search of a better life with his mother’s brother in Leeds. There, he learns his trade as a navvy, amid the grand buildings and engineering triumphs of one of England’s most prosperous cities, and starts to dream of greater things… And then, high on the Yorkshire moors, in the mists of a winter morning he meets a kitchen maid called Emma Harte.

In A Man of Honor, the true Blackie O’Neill is revealed. For the first time, readers discover his story: his tumultuous life, the obstacles facing him, the desire he has to throw off the impotence of poverty and move up in the world. Like his friend Emma, he is ambitious, driven, disciplined, and determined to make it to the top. And like Emma Harte, he is an unforgettable character for the millions who loved the book.

 

 

Review:

A Man of Honor by Barbara Taylor Bradford is a prequel novel from the A Woman of Substance.  It’s been a long time since I read Bradford’s fantastic A Woman of Substance (Harte Family) Saga (began in 1979), which at that time was my favorite series, spending time with Emma Harte, her successful career, loves and her children, who continued the saga.  I looked forward to this prequel, especially since it was focuses on Blackie O’Neill, whom we loved in the earlier books, this story is approximately 5 years prior the start of A Woman of Substance.   A Man of Honor was a very good story, and brought back many memories about the saga.

We meet 13 year old Blackie, who is alone, having recently lost his sister, living in County Kerry, with his cousins. Blackie is a strapping young boy, who has no qualms working hard to learn his trade and build a better life.  He sets sail for England, to stay and work with his Uncle Patrick, who is a builder. Blackie begins to learn his trade as a navvy, and with his ambitions, dreams and determination to build, he becomes very skilled at his creations, which become popular among the wealthy.

For those of us who have read the entire Harte Family Saga, we do get glimpses of others we have met before; such as the wealthy Lord Lassiter, who hires Blackie for major improvements to his properties, which starts Blackie on his way to reaching his dreams.  We also learn more about Lassiter and Adrian, and their loves.  Of course, as we get closer to the end, Blackie will finally meet a young maid, Emma Harte, and soon a strong bond of friendship begins.

A Man of Honor was a perfect interesting and fun prequel that was very well written by Barbara Taylor Bradford.  Blackie was a fantastic hero, who made friends easily, as well as a workaholic that will change his life to reach his high expectations.  A Man a Honor can be read as a standalone, however it works so much better if you have read all of the Harte Family Saga.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

 

 

 

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Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult – a Review

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Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult – a Review

 

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Description:
Diana O’Toole is perfectly on track. She will be married by thirty, done having kids by thirty-five, and move out to the New York City suburbs, all while climbing the professional ladder in the cutthroat art auction world. She’s an associate specialist at Sotheby’s now, but her boss has hinted at a promotion if she can close a deal with a high-profile client. She’s not engaged just yet, but she knows her boyfriend, Finn, a surgical resident, is about to propose on their romantic getaway to the Gal�pagos–days before her thirtieth birthday. Right on time.

But then a virus that felt worlds away has appeared in the city, and on the eve of their departure, Finn breaks the news: It’s all hands on deck at the hospital. He has to stay behind. You should still go, he assures her, since it would be a shame for all of their nonrefundable trip to go to waste. And so, reluctantly, she goes.

Almost immediately, Diana’s dream vacation goes awry. Her luggage is lost, the Wi-Fi is nearly nonexistent, and the hotel they’d booked is shut down due to the pandemic. In fact, the whole island is now under quarantine, and she is stranded until the borders reopen. Completely isolated, she must venture beyond her comfort zone. Slowly, she carves out a connection with a local family when a teenager with a secret opens up to Diana, despite her father’s suspicion of outsiders.

In the Galapagos Islands, where Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection was formed, Diana finds herself examining her relationships, her choices, and herself–and wondering if when she goes home, she too will have evolved into someone completely different.

 

 

Review:

Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult is a standalone novel.  We meet our heroine, Diana O’Toole, who is an associate assistant at Sotheby’s, being an art specialist; who is hoping for a promotion if she can convince a legendary artist, to sell her masterpiece at Sotheby’s auction.  When the artist decides to hold off, Diana is set to go on a vacation to Galapagos with her doctor boyfriend, Finn.  The day before they leave, the hospital has declared an emergency, with all employees to be available, as the Covid virus is beginning to wreak havoc.  Finn tells Diana to go anyway, since they cannot get their money back.

Reluctantly, Diana agrees to go, and when she arrives in Galapagos, everything starts to go bad, as she learns the country is going into a quarantine lockdown, and her baggage is missing.  Things go from bad to worse, as the hotel she had reservations closes, a language barrier causes problems understanding those she goes to get help, leaving her isolated, and the internet/wifi is spotty.  Finally, a local woman offers her a place to stay, and she meets some new people (Beatriz & Gabriel) who in a short time befriend her, and show her the island, and the wonderful sights and animals; she begins to enjoy as much as she can of the island, allowing her to see a different kind of life. Diana manages to send letters to Finn, since they had no other way of communication, and she reads about the heartbreak going on in the early stages of Covid.

Half way through the book, Picoult gives us a twist, bringing in the terrifying details of Covid. We get to see doctors and nurses doing all they can to try and save people’s lives, the suffering and loss of life. The heartbreaking losses, grief, pain, isolation, which shuts down most of the world.  To say too much more would be spoilers, and ruin the book for you.  You really need to read it all.

Wish You Were Here is an emotional story line that will pull on your emotions.  Diana was a fantastic heroine, as we couldn’t help but care about her. Wish You Were Here was so very well written by Jodi Picoult, who takes us on a journey of life, changes, a beautiful island and horrible pandemic.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

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The Last Night in London by Karen White – a Review

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The Last Night in London by Karen White – a Review

 

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Description:
A captivating story of friendship, love and betrayal – and finding hope in the darkness of war.

London, 1939. Beautiful and ambitious Eva Harlow and her American best friend, Precious Dubose, are trying to make their way as fashion models. When Eva falls in love with Graham St. John, an aristocrat and Royal Air Force pilot, she can’t believe her luck – she’s getting everything she ever wanted. Then the Blitz devastates her world, and Eva finds herself slipping into a web of intrigue, spies and secrets. As Eva struggles to protect everything she holds dear, all it takes is one unwary moment to change their lives forever.

London, 2019. American journalist Maddie Warner travels to London to interview Precious about her life in pre-WWII London. Maddie, healing from past trauma and careful to close herself off to others, finds herself drawn to both Precious and to Colin, Precious’ enigmatic surrogate nephew. As Maddie gets closer to her, she begins to unravel Precious’ haunting past – and the secrets she swore she’d never reveal …

 

 

Review:

The Last Night in London by Karen White is a wonderful standalone novel. This story switches between the past in 1939, during war torn London, and in the present of London 2019. 

It is a story of two best friends, who were fashion models and roommates; we get to meet American Precious Dubose, and Londoner Eva Harlow. Eva comes from a low-class poor family, and decides to re-invent herself, and only Precious knows about Eva changing her name. When Precious and Eva make friends with Sophia, her fiancé, David, it is Eva who meets Sophia’s handsome brother, Graham.  In a short time, Eva and Graham will fall for each other, with her determined to keep her identity a secret. When Graham goes off to war, Eva finds herself fighting off the attention of Alex, who begins to blackmail her (knowing the truth of her true background), and she ends up in the middle of spies and intrigue.  Precious is Eva’s rock, always there to help and protect her.

In present time 2019 London, we meet Madison (Maddie) Warner, who is a journalist, having just arrived in London to do an interview with 99-year-old former fashion model, Precious Dubose.  Turns out Maddie has discovered she is a distant relative to the family, with her friend Arabella inviting her to do the interview; as well as browse through all the wonderful collections of clothes.  Maddie becomes engrossed in Precious story; her life then, what happened to Eva, how they survived the war, the secrets she discovers in pictures and forgiveness.  Maddie is shocked to discover that an old school friend, Colin is living with his nana, Precious, which makes things a little difficult. 

What follows in the past is a story of love, friendship, betrayal, tragedy, with two fantastic women, one content in her life with friends, and helping during the war, and the other reinventing her life to be with the man she loves, and being blackmailed to help a traitor, and hide her truths.  The present revolves around Maddie, as she delves into papers, photos, accessories to learn more about Precious and trying to discover more about Eva and Graham and the secrets that will be revealed along the way. 

I loved Precious, both the young woman in 1939 and the one in the present that was 99 years old.   I liked Eva in the past, and her love for Graham.  I loved the character of Maddie, who had her own issues, but working with Colin, she began to care for him, as they worked together to resolve the missing pieces from the past.

The Last Night in London was an amazing story that kept me glued to my kindle, devouring both the past and the present.  Karen White wrote a fantastic story, with wonderful characters, a bit of suspense and intrigue, as well as a twist closer to the end.  The Last Night in London was a thrilling story, built around friendship, trust, love, secrets, war and betrayal.  This is a must read.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

 

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A Walk Along the Beach by Debbie Macomber – a Review

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A Walk Along the Beach by Debbie Macomber – a Review

 

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Description:
The Lakey sisters are perfect opposites. After their mother died and their father was lost in grief, Willa had no choice but to raise her sister, Harper, and their brother, Lucas. Then, as an adult, she put her own life on hold to nurse Harper through a terrifying illness. Now that Harper is better and the sisters are living as roommates, Willa has realized her dream of running her own bakery and coffee shop, bringing her special brand of caretaking to the whole Oceanside community.

Harper, on the other hand, is always on the go. Overcoming a terrible illness has given her a new lease on life, and she does not intend to waste it. When Harper announces her plan to summit Mount Rainier, Willa fears she may be pushing herself too far. Harper, for her part, urges Willa to stop worrying and do something outside of her comfort zone—like taking a chance on love with a handsome new customer.

Sean O’Malley is as charming as he is intriguing—a freelance photographer whose assignments take him to the ends of the earth. Soon Willa’s falling for him in a way that is both exciting and terrifying. But life has taught Willa to hedge her bets, and she wonders whether the potential heartache is worth the risk.

Life has more challenges in store for them all. But both sisters will discover that even in the darkest moments, family is everything.

 


Review:

A Walk Along the Beach by Debbie Macomber is a wonderful standalone novel focusing on two sisters.  The story takes place in Oceanside, Washington, where our heroine, Willa, runs a local coffee shop. Willa shares an apartment with her sister, Harper, who is the complete opposite of Willa; but they are very close.  Willa, is the more serious one, always looking out for her sister or brother, Lucas, as when her mother died, she assumed the overall responsibility of watching over her siblings.  Harper is happy go lucky, who occasionally helps Willa at the coffee shop, or is out having fun; especially since she is also a cancer survivor. 

Harper also pushes Willa to open up to a new customer, who has been eyeing her.  Sean O’Malley, is not a coffee lover, but he has eyes on Willa, so he comes every morning just to see her, and finally gets to talk to her when Harper pushes them together.  A slow build romance will begin, as they both feel the attraction between them. Their brother Lucas is now engaged, and he and his fiancé (Chantelle) want to plan a wedding with Willa and Harper’s help.  

Just when things are looking good for the family, as well as Willa and Sean’s relationship, Harper starts getting sick.  Despite their thinking she may have pneumonia, to their grief, the prognosis is worse; Harper’s cancer is back.  What follows is an emotional ride the rest of the way, which kept us turning the page.  This was a powerful story, with Willa, Lucas, their father (who has been sober for awhile) being there to help Harper through a horrific enhanced treatment to fight the cancer.  Can Harper beat this again? 

The relationship between Sean and Willa begins to fall apart, as Sean is always away, and Willa feels his job is more important than her, especially with her needing his support during these difficult times.   The closeness of the family made this such a wonderful and heart wrenching story of love, sisterhood, friendships, family, illness and tears.  A Walk Along the Beach pulls on your emotions throughout the second half of the book.  Will Harper survive?  Will Willa forgive Sean? 

Debbie Macomber wrote such a great story, with fantastic characters and family bonds.  A Walk Along the Beach was a heartwarming, emotional read, that was so very well written by Macomber. I will warn you that you will need tissues, for there are tears of happiness as well as sadness.  I strongly suggest you read this book.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

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After The End by Clare Mackintosh – a Review

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After The End by Clare Mackintosh – a Review

 

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Description:
Max and Pip are the strongest couple you know. They’re best friends, lovers—unshakable. But then their son gets sick and the doctors put the question of his survival into their hands. For the first time, Max and Pip can’t agree. They each want a different future for their son.

What if they could have both?

A gripping and propulsive exploration of love, marriage, parenthood, and the road not taken, After the End brings one unforgettable family from unimaginable loss to a surprising, satisfying, and redemptive ending and the life they are fated to find.

 

 

Review:

After the End by Clare Mackintosh is an emotional standalone novel.  I have read and loved all of Mackintosh’s previous suspense thrillers, and was surprised that this novel was not a suspense, but an emotional tearjerker.  After the End is a story that she needed to write, as it was so close to her heart.

We meet Pip and Max, a wonderful couple, happily married, but life changes when their son Dylan, becomes very sick with a brain tumor.  They both help each other get through the emotional agony of watching their son go through so many operations and medicine to find a way to cure him.

As Dylan becomes sicker, with the lead doctor, saying that they need to do the unthinkable, since the tumor has grown and his survival rate has decreased, and all they can hope for a few more years. Dylan is at the point where the damage to his brain is irreparable, with him unable to talk, walk or communicate. This is where the story changes, and Pip and Max become divided. Pip does not want to see her son suffer anymore, as ‘it is not a life’, and she wants to allow him to die peacefully.  Max is the opposite; he wants to try another procedure that will bring him to the United States that will prolong his life.

What follows is an emotional journey that will tragically divide and separate our couple. A major court case is publicized, with Max using all means to get money to fight, and at the same time Pip will receive bad publicity.  Who is right?  What would any of us do?

This story has a Before and After POV; before the court case and afterwards.  The difference here is that in the After, Mackintosh gives us a what if?  Just when the court decision is to be announced, we are thrown into what if Pip wins the case, and what if Max wins the case.  At first I was confused, then I realized what she was doing, and it was an interesting and different concept.

After the End was a heartbreaking storyline that was at times depressing, as we felt for both parents.  The decision making, the division and pain, as well as the final results can very well destroy marriages. Pip and Max were a great couple & very well portrayed by Mackintosh. After the End was so well written, that even though it was heart-wrenching, it was an excellent story.  My heart goes out to Clare Mackintosh, as she had to have used her own heart break to write this emotional story.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

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