What fun to do research for a sunken ship.

The Pulaski was finally found after sinking in 1838.

Everly Winthrop was given the task of finding what really happened to The Pulaski.

We also meet Lilly who was on the sunken luxury ship.

SURVIVING SAVANNAH takes us back and forth in time as we learn about Lilly Longstreet’s privileged life and then the terror of trying to save herself, her nursemaid, and her baby. Many wealthy families were on board.

We then move to present day as Everly does the research and deals with issues of her own.

Ms. Callahan included very interesting information from her amazing, thorough research along with her marvelous writing and story line.

The story line flowed well from one time period to the next.

The characters were well developed and ones you will cheer on and love.

I loved learning about Savannah and about this ship. I had never heard of this event.

SURVIVING SAVANNAH will pull you into the mystery of The Pulaski and have you wanting to know everything uncovered and everything about Savannah.

Historical fiction fans and fans of Savannah will enjoy this book.

A truly addictive read you won't want to put down. 5/5

This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Lillian, known as Angelica in the art world, was beside herself after her mother died and was running out of jobs and money.

Her landlord was hounding her to pay rent when he murdered his wife and the police found a note from her that was a bit compromising. They thought Lillian was in on the murder so they could be together.

Lillian escaped out the fire escape when the police arrived, slept on a bench in Central Park for the night, and accidentally was drawn into the Frick Mansion for a job she hadn't applied for but got hired.

Lillian worked for Miss Helen the daughter of Fricks. She was a task master, and Lillian became involved in all the good and bad things happening in that household.

Then in 1966 we meet Veronica a model and Joshua a museum curator.

Veronica was in the Frick Museum for a photo shoot when she was sent out of the room and then became lost in the mansion. When all the models and crew left, she was locked in the museum. That's where she met Joshua and where they worked together on a scavenger hunt that was decades old and was a hunt devised by Helen Frick for her suitor.

Veronica had stumbled upon the clues as she was fumbling her way around in the dark, slipped, and saw pages sticking out of organ pipes. The pages revealed something similar to a game of clue. The clues mention the Magnolia Diamond.

What could the Magnolia Diamond be?

Did Helen hide it in this museum all those years ago when it was the residence of the Frick family?

Would Veronica find it?

What was its significance to the Frick family?

Since Veronica was stuck in the museum, she figured she would have to let Joshua in on this game and solve the clues together. Why not try to find the Magnolia Diamond. They had nothing else to do. It could be very valuable and get Veronica out of debt.

The hunt lead to solving mysteries that were fifty years old.

The blending of the two time lines and the intriguing story line is signature Fiona Davis as she again gives us another wonderful history lesson.

THE MAGNOLIA PALACE is a gem with a mystery, a murder, a famous family, and memorable characters you will connect with and a book you will not want to miss. 5/5

This book was given to me by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

We move back and forth from 1965 to 2010 America.

1965: We learn about the SCOPE (Summer Community Organization and Political Education) program and meet Ellie who leaves to help with getting folks registered to vote through this program.

Ellie’s family is not happy she will be doing this, and her boyfriend Reed Miller is definitely not happy, but he lets her go.

2010: We meet Kayla who along with her husband designed and built a huge house in a new development but whose husband fell to his death while the house was under construction.

A few days before Kayla is to move into her home, even though she doesn’t want to move in now that her husband is dead, a woman comes to her office and tells her to not move into that house and says she feels like killing someone.

Kayla does move into the house, though, with her father’s encouragement even though she finds out from a letter in her husband’s things that her father suggested they not build there.

An unknown surprise also awaits Kayla a few houses down from her new home. She meets Ellie who has no reaction when Kayla tells her that Reed Miller is her father.

What a connection after all these years between Reed and Ellie.

And wonder what happened on this street that has people saying the woods are haunted?

When threats start happening, Kayla wonders why she moved here.

Maybe she shouldn’t have built a house here. Maybe the woods are haunted.

Back to 1965:

We follow Ellie as she does the canvassing with the group and as she tries to keep out of any trouble.

I never knew of this organization or the danger the members were in.

Ahead to 2010:

We see Kayla and Ellie interact and feel the tension when Kayla’s father’s name is mentioned again. She has to find out what it means.

When Kayla meets Brenda, her warning about not living in her new house is chilling but she defends her choice to move in.

THE LAST HOUSE ON THE STREET is an emotional, heartbreaking, well-researched, educational read.

Another book historical fiction fans will not want to miss with shocking ending revelations. 5/5

This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Chloe was admitted to a number of colleges, but she chose this particular college because she would receive a full scholarship and get to participate in a study for psychopaths. She also chose this college because a boy who raped her when she was twelve would be attending, and she planned to kill him.

Will had no clue what she was up to and didn't recognize her until one night that Chloe drugged him and attempted to kill him at a party.

As all this was going on, a serial killer was murdering students in the psychopath program. Chloe was worried she would be next.

We follow Chloe as she tries to find out who the killer is and as she is protecting herself. She does risky things.

I honestly didn’t like any of the characters, and the story line was just ok for me.

My rating is upped from a 2/5 to a 3/5 because the author put so much time and work into the book.

This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Four children then three, traditional chocolate-Easter-egg hunts ?where you had to save the foil wrappings, a tidy house and then a very cluttered one.

The Bird family was loving but very eccentric with Lorelei, the mother, being the oddest of all and who kept a secret that made her hold onto things.

Colin her husband re-installed the wall in their once duplex house and lived next door to his wife, Megan turned out to be a neat freak, Beth never left home until she was 30 because she thought her mother needed her, and the twins were total opposites as well as having a tragic incident happen to them.

There were a lot of strange things about the Birds, but they all loved each other. As the years went on and the children grew into adults?, Lorelei still held onto their childhood toys, clothes, blankets, ?and even drawings as she herself remained an adult? child and a compulsive shopper and hoarder. The children couldn't believe what was in their childhood home when they visited and how they had to navigate through a small path surrounded with things Lorelei just had to have and couldn't part with.

If you want to read a book that will have you shaking your head but also not wanting to put the book down because of total enjoyment, you will want to read THE HOUSE WE GREW UP IN. The storyline and writing were marvelous.

I enjoyed THE HOUSE WE GREW UP IN because of the unique, creative storyline with characters that kept you wanting to know how each of their lives would turn out. They all were quite unconventional, but you couldn’t help but love them.

THE HOUSE WE GREW UP IN will have you thinking back to your childhood and wonder if what happened in the home you grew up in has actually shaped you into the person you are today.

We definitely can't forget the cover. It is absolutely gorgeous with the egg being the basis of the Bird family's many memories of their Easter egg hunts which kept them all connected.

Along with being a beautifully told story, THE HOUSE WE GREW UP IN has a happy ending along with characters you will remember long after you turn the last page.

I don't think there will be any reader no matter what their preferred genre is who won't get caught up in this splendid story.

My rating is going to be a 4/5 simply because I was lost in the beginning pages, but the rest of the book definitely made up for my being lost.

Make THE HOUSE WE GREW UP IN a must read for yourself.

This book was given to me free of charge and without compensation by the publisher in return for an honest review.

The beloved library can't be shut down.

What will the people of Chalcot Library do without this meeting place and the books?

June worked as a library assistant and was a very shy, sheltered person.

Learning that the city was going to shut down the library was devastating to her. June knew nothing else.

Her library wasn't just about books, it was also about the people in the town having some place to go to socialize.

When some of the older patrons decided to fight about keeping the library, June joined in too.

THE LAST CHANCE LIBRARY is a sweet, feel-good read and has great characters.

Some are funny, some are feisty, and some are just loyal library patrons.

Fighting to keep libraries open is a great theme, and one that is echoing all around.

If you need a read that will make you smile, add this book to your reading queue.

It is a tribute to libraries, the comfort they provide for its patrons, and for everyone who uses the library for books and friendship.

I KNEW I was going to like this book, but I LOVED it!!

This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

How could there be someone with the exact DNA as you?

That could happen if you were cloned.

Evelyn and Martine had the same DNA.

Evelyn was married to Nathan - both were scientists.

Evelyn and Nathan started to drift apart, but Nathan still wanted his wife. To keep her, he cloned Evelyn into Martine.

Clones were not to live long. What did Nathan do to keep Evelyn alive?

THE ECHO WIFE is way out there and the most bizarre book I have ever read.

What the characters did isn't possible in my eyes, and all the scientific information was wordy and tedious for me.

Sci-fi fans and readers who enjoy an unbelievable story line should enjoy this book.

This book was given to me via the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Books and libraries bring people together, and in this sweet, heartwarming read, Alisha and Mukesh bond over books and help others do the same.

Alisha had never liked books, but she worked in a library.

Mukesh had never read a book in his life, but his wife was an avid reader. When he met Alisha she wasn't too friendly, but then one day they bonded.

Alisha found a reading list with books that she read and that she shared and discussed with Mukesh. In fact, that reading list was found all over town tucked in books, in grocery stores, and in any place where someone would likely find it.

The mystery is who wrote “The Reading List.”

THE READING LIST is an alluring, uplifting book that proves the magic power of books and their ability to connect people in so many ways.

It also addresses the importance of libraries to help bring people and ideas together.

Readers who enjoy a feel-good, sweet, clever read will want to add this book to their "reading list" this summer.

What can be better than a book promoting the love of books and libraries and how they change your life and can bring you closer to others.

This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

They are selling Emily’s house? That can’t be.

Emily loved The Homestead and so did Margaret.

Emily Dickinson’s maid, Margaret Maher, was her confidant, best friend, and was the one who kept Emily writing her poetry and kept Emily from disposing of her work.

Margaret was with the Dickinson family for over 35 years.

We follow Margaret as she becomes close with the Dickinson women and serves as their maid, and then the book moves back and forth from her time with the Dickinsons to present day where she owns her own boarding house.

EMILY’S HOUSE had me glued to the pages because of the story line and because of Ms. Belding Brown’s writing. Her writing is pull you in and descriptive with interesting insight into the class structure and the plight of Irish Immigrants.

EMILY’S HOUSE is a wonderful account of the lives of both Emily and Margaret.

I didn’t know Emily Dickinson was so eccentric and was mostly reclusive. I also didn't know she didn't want her poetry published and hid her writings from everyone by hiding them throughout the house.

Ms. Belding Brown did excellent research, and this book was a wonderful history lesson for me.

This book had me completely absorbed, and I totally enjoyed this book even though I am not a fan of poetry.

Hands down a 5/5.

This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

An unsolved mystery resurfaced when a baby's skeleton was found at a building site.

Along with the skeleton, three main characters emerge too. Kate is a reporter investigating the story. Emma is a nervous adult who became intrigued as well as possessed when she sees the story of the baby. Angela is the mother whose baby disappeared more than 40 years ago never to be found.

THE CHILD took a while to get interesting simply because it was a bit slow, and there were too many characters thrown in. I was lost with so many different characters and couldn't seem to figure out the connection until around half way through the book so don’t give up because it is worth the wait.

As the pages turned and I reached the halfway point, the book started making a connection for me and kept my attention. The mystery became intriguing.

The characters seemed genuine for their roles, but something was odd and different about each of them.

This was my first book by Ms. Barton so I imagine I needed to get used to her writing style and her attention to detail.

There are some good twists to the story as well as some disturbing subjects that are addressed.

All in all, THE CHILD is a good read that will keep you guessing. 4/5

This book was given to me free of charge and without compensation by the publisher and NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Friends living together, friends meeting on commutes to work, marital affairs, and now a missing friend and Jaime is the last one to see Kit alive.

We follow Jaime and Clare, Kit and Melia, and Gretchen, and Steve as we hear background information on all characters and their current shenanigans.

Everyone seems to be friendly, but some might be too friendly. We find out Jaime and Melia are having an affair. No one seems to know, but the police do when they are questioning Jaime.

There is a lot to absorb about each character, and when Kit goes missing you definitely can't figure out what's going on with each of them.

Can any of the characters trust each other? I wouldn’t have trusted any of them.

Just who is the other passenger who seems to be a witness to the fact that Jaime and Kit were in an argument before they left the commuter boat.

This book truly dragged for me, and I couldn't really connect with any of the characters.....they all were unlikable.

The story line was very confusing as well, but I do have to say the ending twist and the revelations were brilliant. 3/5

This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley and in print in exchange for an honest review.

Yona was kidnapped out of her crib at a very young age and forced to live in the forest with a woman named Jerusza. Jerusza felt it her duty to take Yona from her German parents.

Yona knew nothing other than living off the land, surviving in the forest, and stealing things from stores and people in the villages.

When Jerusza died at 102 years of age, Yona was alone but able to survive because of her skills.

When Yona meets a group of Jewish folks who had escaped the ghetto, she felt it her duty to help them survive.

THE FOREST OF VANISHING STARS takes us with Yona through her years with Jerusza and her harrowing, frightening, and dangerous time with the group as we see them learn the ways of the forest, live with fear, hide from the Nazis, and learn to trust each other.

When she is betrayed by the group, she leaves them and has to again make decisions on her own.

Ms. Harmel again did meticulous research and portrayed the plight of the characters with such authenticity that you were right there with them suffering through all the horrible conditions they had to endure.

This book is a beautiful tribute to the human spirit, to perseverance, and to finding the qualities a person possesses for empathy, kindness, and making choices.

Another FIVE star but very heartbreaking gem from Kristin Harmel. 5/5

This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Jenna lives with worry and heartache since she feels responsible for the disappearance of her friend, Celia.

They were to meet, but Jenna was delayed as usual, and when Jenna did arrive at their arranged meeting place, Celia wasn't there and was no where to be found. Three months later, she was still missing.

?Secrets and clues kept popping up, but led to dead ends for the most part. Besides Jenna being completely involved in the first disappearance, her son had a girlfriend who then disappears and might have a connection.? What the connection may have been or if there really was one added intrigue.

SINCE SHE WENT AWAY is the first book I have read by Mr. Bell. His writing easily flows and pulls you along. The characters could easily be going through some of the problems they are encountering in real life.?? Social issues were addressed as well as the problem of “who done it” and “where are they.”

SINCE SHE WENT AWAY? was a tense read with characters that were believable as well as shady and scary. It was difficult to decide who you could trust and whose story to believe.

The ending had a good twist with hints that led me down the wrong path as I read.

ENJOY if you read SINCE SHE WENT AWAY. It is a well-written page turner that has you finishing the book before you know it. 5/5

I received this book free of charge and without compensation from the publisher in return for an honest review.

Yona was kidnapped out of her crib at a very young age and forced to live in the forest with a woman named Jerusza. Jerusza felt it her duty to take Yona from her German parents.

Yona knew nothing other than living off the land, surviving in the forest, and stealing things from stores and people in the villages.

When Jerusza died at 102 years of age, Yona was alone but able to survive because of her skills.

When Yona meets a group of Jewish folks who had escaped the ghetto, she felt it her duty to help them survive.

THE FOREST OF VANISHING STARS takes us with Yona through her years with Jerusza and her harrowing, frightening, and dangerous time with the group as we see them learn the ways of the forest, live with fear, hide from the Nazis, and learn to trust each other.

When she is betrayed by the group, she leaves them and has to again make decisions on her own.

Ms. Harmel again did meticulous research and portrayed the plight of the characters with such authenticity that you were right there with them suffering through all the horrible conditions they had to endure.

This book is a beautiful tribute to the human spirit, to perseverance, and to finding the qualities a person possesses for empathy, kindness, and making choices.

Another FIVE star but very heartbreaking gem from Kristin Harmel. 5/5

This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A photographer or a manipulator?

Delta made her living photographing mainly children’s birthday parties.

Delta also worked with wealthy families. One particular family completely caught her attention, and she wanted to be part of their family in every way possible.

Delta also worked at being made an irreplaceable part of this family. She wanted what they had, and she was even working on trying to be a surrogate mother for them.

THE PHOTOGRAPHER was detailed and slow moving, but Delta certainly wasn’t.

She moved quickly to ingratiate herself with the Straubs. She actually was obsessed with them.

This book was well written and had a unique story line, but it was not a favorite. I did not like Delta, and the other characters were unlikable as well.

Photographers and those interested in photography will enjoy this book along with those who enjoy studying people’s motives and personalities. 3/5

This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Which sister is the good sister?

You will ask yourself this question as you read.

They both seem to be good and good for each other especially after surviving their horrible childhood with a sociopath for a mother.

But is one better than the other? Is one actually more conniving than the other? You will find out.

We follow Rose and Fern's life and see that Rose protects Fern at all costs and that Fern listens to everything Rose tells her to do.

The alternating chapters of each sister's life as adults was described in detail and gave us insight into how they really lived and the secrets they kept from each other and one they kept for years.

This book was more character driven than plot driven for me, but that is great because the characters are likable.

You will like both Rose and Fern and especially Wally. Wally is a man Fern met when he came to the library. They have much in common and are a good pair and good for each other.

There is something happening in both stories, but something you can’t pin down or can't figure out.

The beginning has you wondering where it is going, but…oh does it get better and better.

Sister and family drama can be good or bad.

THE GOOD SISTER will let you know which way it goes for Rose and Fern. 4/5

This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Who wouldn't like to solve a hundred-year-old mystery and especially one that had to do with poisons that were used to kill unfaithful husbands or boyfriends.

Caroline came to London for a tenth anniversary celebration, but found out her husband had been having an affair so she came alone.

She didn’t want to follow through with her itinerary she was to have had with her husband and happened upon a man who suggested she go mudlarking with a group.

Mudlarking was done in the 1800’s as a means of survival by finding things washed up on the shore, but this group did it for fun.

Caroline finds a vial with a bear on it. Her curiosity as a historian had her searching for what the vial may have been used for and the place where a shop probably existed in 1791 that could have created remedies.

While Caroline is looking for clues, we flash back to 1791 and meet Nella who made remedies, actually poisons, for women who needed to be rid of their husbands. A young girl, Eliza, who came to the shop to have Nella make a potion for her mistress, took an interest in the shop.

Nella, Eliza, and Caroline collide virtually in present day through research and poisons.

THE LOST APOTHECARY is very clever, enjoyable, different, unique, and very well researched.

I loved the information about the maps of London and finding clues to how others lived and worked in past times.

History buffs, those who love solving years-old mysteries, and those who love Old London won’t want to miss this book.

ENJOY!!

An amazing debut!! 5/5

This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Excellent author...everything flowed smoothly...too bad history wasn't as smooth and kind.

The book was about when France was occupied and specifically Vél d'Hiv when the French police were instructed to carry out the horror at the camps by the Germans...July 16, 1942, was the roundup of Parisian Jewish Citizens.

It makes you cry and hope that history won't repeat itself.

Linden wondered why his mother organized a family get together in Paris for his father’s 70th birthday since his father didn’t like Paris.

In addition to his dislike of Paris, Paris was having torrential rainfall with threats of flooding. The rain and flooding continued throughout their time in Paris and throughout the book with worries it would be as bad if not worse than the Paris floods of 1910.

THE RAIN WATCHER brings together this family of four from Venozan, London, and San Francisco - no spouses or children - just the four of them. We meet Linden from San Francisco who never got along with his father, Tilia from London who is unhappily married for the second time, and Paul and Lauren their parents.

All the characters seemed to have something to hide, but you warmed up to them as the book continued.

The children had grown up in Venozan after their parents met when Lauren was on a vacation in France more than 30 years ago. It was a whirlwind romance that had Lauren never going back to the states.

The family was still indifferent as always as they gathered together for breakfast and the rain continued to pour down. Lauren insisted they were in a non-flood area of Paris and should continue with their celebration plans.

Their celebration was wonderful until something tragic happened at the restaurant and Lauren became ill as well.

Besides being part of family issues and seeing how people interact, there was a lot of interesting information about photography. Linden was a famous photographer with a photo of his father taken years ago that made him famous. There is also wonderful information about plants and gardening and Paris.

THE RAIN WATCHER is beautifully written and pulls you into the story line with Ms. De Rosnay’s marvelous storytelling skills and details about every situation.

If you like rainstorms and family drama, this book will be of interest. 4/5

This book was given to me by the publisher via NETGALLEY and in print in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The American Library in Paris 1939 then to a small town in Montana 1983.

Odile is a librarian at the American Library in Paris as the war breaks out. Lily is a teenager in Montana whose mother passed and is having trouble at school.

Both women find solace in each other after Lily finally meets her elegant neighbor from Paris.

THE PARIS LIBRARY moves back and forth and allows us to see into the lives of both characters.

Odile has the perfect job until it was necessary to provide books in secret.

Lily has the perfect life - well almost perfect - until her mother dies, but Odile helped her through this time and Lily helped Odile to not be so alone.

I enjoyed how the staff at the library was like a family itself and how the library delivered books to soldiers and others who couldn’t enter or were forbidden to enter the library. I never knew this happened.

Both Lily and Odile were very likeable characters. I truly enjoyed watching Lily grow up.

THE PARIS LIBRARY will appeal to all bookworms, romantics, and historical fiction fans.

It is heartwarming as well as heartbreaking, and despite the heartaches most of the characters were lighthearted and positive.

Once you get to know the characters, you will cry with them, wish them well, and not want them to leave you alone as you close the last page.

This book is about friendship, the love of books and libraries, regrets, giving advice, and forgiveness.

Ms. Skeslien Charles' research is impeccable. 4/5

This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.