7/31/2020

Der Geheime Schwimmclub by Mary Kay Andrews

This book turned out to be quite a positive surprise for me. Good, it takes some chapters until the real magic begins to unfold in The High Tide Club but then the author presents you with a great mix of a crime novel and light summer read that is set on a fantastic island. There Mary Kay Andrews brings together some figures who couldn´t be more different or exciting to watch.

Der Geheime Schwimmclub*

by Mary Kay Andrews

Translation Andrea Fischer

Original Title The High Tide Club**

Publisher Fischer TB on May 27, 2020

Genre Novel

Pages 587

Format Paperback

Source Publisher 

Goodreads

✶✶✶✶✶ 

They were young when they founded their secret swimming club on the enchanted island of Talisa: Josephine, Millie, Ruth, and Varina. During the long summer nights, they went swimming at night, sharing their secrets and life desires with each other – until a fateful event separated the women. Now, many years later, Josephine is seriously ill, and she really wants to see her friends again. She hires the young, single mother lawyer Brooke to find them and take them to Talisa and then solve the puzzle from back then. (personal translation by ©Vi at Inkvotary)

Story

Brooke soon finds out that her new client is a very stubborn woman who is used to the fact that everybody jumps the moment she says so. But not with Brooke. She wants to help Josephine yes, but not at all costs. And soon realizes that Talisa is keeping not only one secret but many and that only the girls from back then are able to bring light into the past. A past that unfolds many surprises and a drama like no other.

Style

Good, the story starts with some problems concerning the plot and the reading pace. But that vanished after some pages and the novel turned into a haunting and very interesting crime story where an old lady tries to force her will onto a young woman. The old lady, Josephine, shows all too often a very bad behavior and Brooke´s reaction to that is not always what I had expected to read. During those moments I was positively surprised. Because most of the time in this book the main figure Brooke is a real coward. 

Mary Kay Andrews´s writing style is mostly light, combined with some humor and the story is set in a dreamlike landscape. The novel jumps back and forth between the present and the past around 1940. That way the reader gets involved in the life and society during the war and learns that many things have been quite different compared to today. The author shows how Afro-Americans were treated in Georgia and brings a pretty good example that money and society back then were as important as they are today.

Characters

Brooke is a coward. She rather comes up with all kinds of excuses instead of telling the other person how she feels and what has happened in her past or current life. Do not get me wrong. I enjoyed it very much to see her change during the ongoing plot. How she started listening to her instinct and how she literally stepped out of her shadow to solve the problems in her private life. In the beginning, her self-confidence was zero. The moment she meets Josephine she begins to change and is literally upset with the behavior the old woman shows her. The author wonderfully shows her inner conflict, her fears and worries as a single mother, and her honesty as a lawyer. You can see that she wants to make money but that she is not willing to give up her integrity or morals for it. 

Conclusion

According to the cover design, I thought I would read a light and entertaining summer novel. Instead, I read a fantastic crime novel with a bit of wit, humor, and great characters. The mixture of a light novel, criminal elements, and a historical note is balanced and gives the reader an entertaining reading pleasure, whether on the beach or during a summer day in the garden. Highly recommended. 

Happy reading

*This book was kindly provided to me by Fischer TB in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Thank you. Therefore, the cover of the German edition is shown first in this review.

Deutsche Rezension

Stil

Gut, die Geschichte beginnt mit einigen Problemen bezüglich der Handlung und des Lesetempos. Aber das verschwand nach einigen Seiten und der Roman wurde zu einer packenden und sehr interessanten Kriminalgeschichte, in der eine alte Dame versucht, einer jungen Frau ihren Willen aufzuzwingen. Die alte Dame, Josephine, zeigt allzu oft ein sehr schlechtes Benehmen und Brookes Reaktion darauf ist nicht immer das, was ich erwartet hatte zu lesen. In diesen Momenten war ich positiv überrascht. Weil die Hauptfigur Brooke in diesem Buch die meiste Zeit ein echter Feigling ist. 

Mary Kay Andrews Schreibstil ist meistens leicht, kombiniert mit etwas Humor und erzählt eine Geschichte, die in einer traumhaften Landschaft spielt. Der Roman springt zwischen der Gegenwart und der Vergangenheit um 1940 hin und her. Auf diese Weise wird der Leser während des Krieges in das Leben und die Gesellschaft einbezogen und erfährt, dass viele Dinge im Vergleich zu heute ganz anders waren. Die Autorin zeigt, wie Afroamerikaner in Georgia behandelt wurden, und bringt ein ziemlich gutes Beispiel dafür, dass Geld und Gesellschaft damals genauso wichtig waren wie heute. 

Charaktere

Brooke ist ein Feigling. Sie findet lieber alle möglichen Ausreden, anstatt der anderen Person zu erzählen, wie sie sich fühlt und was in ihrem vergangenen oder gegenwärtigen Leben passiert ist. Versteht mich nicht falsch. Ich habe es sehr genossen zu sehen, wie sie sich während der laufenden Handlung verändert hat. Wie sie anfing, auf ihren Instinkt zu hören und wie sie buchstäblich aus ihrem Schatten trat, um die Probleme in ihrem Privatleben zu lösen. Zu Anfang war ihr Selbstvertrauen gleich null. In dem Moment, in dem sie Josephine trifft, beginnt sie sich zu verändern und ist buchstäblich verärgert über das Verhalten, das die alte Frau ihr gegenüber zeigt. Ihr innerer Konflikt, ihre Ängste und Sorgen als alleinerziehende Mutter und ihre Ehrlichkeit als Anwältin werden von der Autorin auf wunderbare Weise gezeigt. Man kann sehen, dass sie Geld verdienen will, aber nicht bereit ist, ihre Integrität und Moral dafür aufzugeben.

Resultat

Laut Cover-Design dachte ich, ich werde einen leichten und unterhaltsamen Sommerroman lesen. Stattdessen lese ich einen fantastischen Kriminalroman mit etwas Witz, Humor und großartigen Charakteren. Die Mischung aus leichtem Roman, kriminalen Elementen und historischer Note ist ausgewogen und beschert dem Leser, egal ob am Strand oder während eines sommerlichen Tages im Garten ein unterhaltsames Lesevergnügen. Höchst empfehlenswert.

**This book was published in the English language The High Tide Club by St. Martin´s Press on May 8, 2018 

Mary Kay Andrews

Mary Kay Andrews grew up in Florida and lives now with her family in Atlanta, Georgia. During the summer you will find her in her holiday residence on Tybee Island, a wonderful island just off the coast of Georgia. She is a former reporter for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and since her bestseller Summer Rental, she is considered a guarantor for the perfect holiday experience.

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7/30/2020

Seeing Red by Sandra Brown

A book I´ve had for ages on my TBR. Now, I finally found the time to read and enjoy it. I started listening to the audio but quickly changed to the print edition. Not that the audio would have been bad, oh no, but I rather have a physical book in my hands while sitting on my balcony or in the garden than some earbuds in my ears.

Seeing Red

by Sandra Brown
Publisher Grand Central Publishing on August 15, 2017
Genre Thriller
Pages 421
Format Hardcover
Source Library
Goodreads
✶✶✶✶

Kerra Bailey is a TV journalist hot on the trail of a story guaranteed to skyrocket her career to new heights. Twenty-five years ago, Major Franklin Trapper became a national icon when he was photographed leading a handful of survivors to safety after the bombing of a Dallas hotel. For years, he gave frequent speeches and interviews, but then suddenly dropped out of the public eye, shunning all media. Now Kerra is willing to use any means necessary to get a exclusive with The Major – even if she has to secure an introduction from his estranged son, former ATF agent John Trapper. Still seething over his break with both the ATF and his father, Trapper wants no association with the bombing or The Major. Yet, Kerra´s hints that there´s more to the story rouse Trapper´s interest despite himself. And when the interview goes catastrophically awry – with unknown assailants targeting not only The Major but also Kerra – Trapper realizes he needs her under wraps if he´s going to track down the gunmen … and finally discover who is responsible for the Dallas bombing. Kerra is wary of a man so charming one moment and dangerous the next, and she knows Trapper is withholding evidence from his ATF investigation into the bombing. But having no one else to trust and enemies lurking closer than they know, Kerra and Trapper join forces and risk their very lives to expose a sinuous network of lies and conspiracy – and uncover who would want a national hero dead.

Story

Kerra wants to bring light into a traumatic story that has happened so many years ago. But the man who saved her life back then is refusing to give her the much-desired interview. For Kerra a new situation. And no reason to give up. Instead, she gets into action and finds not only a man who makes her heart race but also a secret she didn´t even know exists.

Style

I liked the fast-paced plot very much. It is always great when a story is having a fast reading pace. As always, the author is writing in a blunt almost obscene way and brings the reader close to everything. Figures, action, and settings. Good, there are some chapters I had my troubles with, and where I thought that this is some sort of stretching material but other than that I had my fun reading this thriller. The plot is well thought through, the figures are created out of real-life and the rising tension between the two main figures brings some spice into the story. Good, I was a bit confused at first and asking myself why Kerra and The Major would be in danger and that question was not really answered in the end. But all in all, it is a wonderfully written thriller with some great scenes and dialogues.

Characters

Kerra is not what I call a real badass. She knows how to get what she wants, and she also knows how to treat others to make them work with her. But she also has a conscious and that is telling her when to end things. Sometimes I was not sure if I should admire her or simply tell her to stop. Sandra Brown has created some wonderful figures with Kerra and Trapper.

Trapper is no man who likes it very much being compared with his famous father. The reason behind this is nothing I would have expected in the first place after getting to know him and his father a bit better. In the end, the author shows that there were some very good reasons for Trapper to act the way he did during the entire thriller.

Conclusion

This story was nothing I´ve had expected, to be honest. It is no hit from start to end but still a reading pleasure. Although that only unfolds during the last third of the book. The action that starts towards the end is breathtaking good. For a Sandra Brown fan a book that needs to be read.

Happy reading

Sandra Brown

Sandra Brown is the author of seventy New York Times bestsellers. Brown began her writing career in 1981 and since then has published over seventy-five novels. Bringing the number of copies of her books in print worldwide to over eighty million. Her work has been translated into thirty-four languages. A lifelong Texan, Sandra Brown was born in Waco, grew up in Fort Worth and attended Texas Christian University, majoring in English. She is much in demand as a speaker and guest television hostess. Her episode on truTV´s Murder by the Book premiered the series in 2008. She appeared in 2010 on Investigation Discovery´s new series, Hardcover Mysteries. In 2009 Brown detoured from her thrillers to write Rainwater, a much acclaimed powerfully moving story about honor and sacrifice during the Great Depression. Brown holds an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Texas Christian University where she and her husband Michael Brown, have instituted the ELF, a scholarship annually awarded to a student pursuing a fiction-writing career. In 2008, she was named Thriller Master, the top award given by the International Thriller Writer´s Association. Other awards and commendations include the 2007 Texas Medal of Arts Award for Literature and the Romance Writers of America´s Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2011 she and four colleagues went on a week-long USO tour to Afghanistan, meeting with service members on numerous bases. Sandra is the past president of the Mystery Writers of America in 2012. She lives in Arlington, Texas, with her husband, Michael Brown.

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7/13/2020

Promised by Kiera Cass

I don´t know what to say or think of this novel except for what in the world was that all about? This novel started with chapters that reminded me very much of another book I´ve read some years ago. This tells me that the idea behind Kiera Cass´s plot in this one isn´t new. And after I´ve finished it I still do not know what to think of it. Yes, there is some action in this book. And yes, some of the scenes or dialogues I might have enjoyed reading – but else? Sorry, but I cannot share the general enthusiasm for this book.  

Promised*

by Kiera Cass
Promised Dilogy #1
Translation Angela Stein
Original Title The Betrothed**
Publisher Fischer Sauerländer on May 7, 2020
Genre Young Adult
Pages 351
Format Hardcover
Source Publisher
Goodreads
✶✶✶

Hollis has reached the goal of her dreams: the king lies at her feet and reads her every wish from her eyes. He will announce her engagement at any moment, and soon she will be queen – the most powerful and richest woman on the continent. But then a mysterious stranger appears and a secret kiss changes Hollis´ whole world. The eyes of the people are on the future queen. And nobody knows what storms are raging in her while she smiles. (personal translation ©Vi at Inkvotary).

Story

Hollis´ only plan in life is to make the king fall in love with her and become the queen of his kingdom. A plan that seemed so simple in the beginning but now seems anything but that. The more time Hollis spends at the palace and in the company of the king the more she gets the impression that once she will be queen, her life won´t be as easy going and quiet as she likes it to be. And though it is obvious to her and others that the king adores her she feels instinctive, that things will change dramatically if she can´t turn things around to her advantage. 

Style

A lavish lifestyle and behavior, money, status, and power are everything. Girls must be beautiful, well-dressed, and better have no brain to think or speak. Otherwise, they are useless for their parents. Something that bothered me. Good, the main figures show that they do have some brain to think and that they know how to use it. But to see that they were nothing more, but puppets was a bit saddening. The other thing that bothered me was the fact, that I often had the feeling that I´ve had missed something. Too often Hollis and Delia Grace referred to things that had obviously happened in the past and to which I could find no connection. Should I have read the author´s Selection series to better understand all the little clues Hollis was thinking about?

No doubt, the book started with a very fast-paced story and it was kind of entertaining to read about the life Hollis had at the palace. But then the entire story became as flat as a paper and shallow. That changed again towards the end where the main figure starts to see how things really are and that she is the only one who can do something about it. At a high price.

Characters

Kiera Cass has created figures in this novel that are shallow, envious, and disappointed. But they fit perfectly into the ongoing plot. Good, I couldn´t get rid of the feeling that I´ve seen them in another story already but ok. Some of them show real heart but that is the minority. Hollis is a real beauty and you can tell the way she behaves and thinks, that she´s never experienced real sorrow, pain, or worries. She wants to do everything to get out of her parents’ house but on the other hand, she is an almost desperate longing for her parents’ approval and pride. It isn´t until the very end that she learns the hard way what she had missed all her life.

Conclusion

This novel gave me the impression that the author either forgot her readers to tell what had happened before that lead to the action in this book – in an e.g. prolog – or that this story should have come with the info that it is absolutely necessary to have read the Selection series before putting a hand on this one. I was more than once literally hanging in the air when the main figure thought about things that had apparently happened in the past but was obviously essential for the ongoing plot. I don´t doubt that the author has a wonderful fantasy and the ability to create a universe of her own. Unfortunately, not this time. I had my troubles finding not only access to all the figures but the story itself as well. And the few scenes and dialogues I enjoyed couldn´t keep the rest of the novel from being the only average. Sad. So sad. Hopefully, the next book is better. 

Happy reading

*This book was kindly provided to me by Fischer Sauerländer in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Thank you. Therefore, the cover of the German edition is shown first in this review.

Deutsche Rezension

Stil

Ein verschwenderischer Lebensstil und Verhalten, Geld, Status und Macht sind alles. Mädchen müssen schön und gut gekleidet sein und besser kein Gehirn zum Denken oder Sprechen haben. Sonst sind sie für ihre Eltern nutzlos. Das hat mich etwas gestört. Gut, die Hauptfiguren zeigen, dass sie ein Gehirn zum Nachdenken haben und wissen, wie man es benutzt. Aber zu sehen, dass sie nichts weiter als Marionetten waren, war ein bisschen traurig. Das andere, das mich störte, war die Tatsache, dass ich oft das Gefühl hatte, etwas verpasst zu haben. 

Hollis und Delia Grace bezogen sich zu oft auf Dinge, die offensichtlich in der Vergangenheit passiert waren und zu denen ich keine Verbindung finden konnte. Hätte ich die Selection Serie der Autorin lesen sollen, um all die kleinen Hinweise besser verstehen zu können, über die Hollis nachgedacht hat? Zweifellos begann das Buch mit einem schnellen Lesetempo und es war unterhaltsam über das Leben, das Hollis im Palast führte, zu lesen. Aber dann wurde die Geschichte flach wie Papier und seicht. Das änderte sich erst gegen Ende wieder, als die Hauptfigur zu erkennen begann, wie die Dinge wirklich sind und dass sie die Einzige ist, die etwas dagegen tun kann. Zu einem hohen Preis. 

Charaktere

Kiera Cass hat in diesem Roman Figuren geschaffen, die flach, neidisch und enttäuscht sind. Aber sie passen perfekt in die laufende Handlung. Gut, ich konnte das Gefühl nicht loswerden, dass ich sie schon in einer anderen Geschichte gesehen habe, aber gut. Einige von ihnen zeigen echtes Herz, aber das ist die Minderheit. Hollis ist eine echte Schönheit und man kann sagen, so wie sie sich verhält und denkt, dass sie nie echte Trauer, Schmerzen oder Sorgen erlebt hat. Sie möchte alles tun, um aus dem Haus ihrer Eltern herauszukommen, aber andererseits sehnt sie sich fast verzweifelt nach der Zustimmung und dem Stolz ihrer Eltern. Erst am Ende lernt sie auf die harte Tour, was sie ihr ganzes Leben lang vermisst hat.

Resultat

Dieser Roman vermittelte mir den Eindruck, dass die Autorin entweder vergessen hatte ihren Lesern zu erzählen, was vorher passiert war, was zur Handlung in diesem Buch führte – z. B. in einem Prolog – oder dass diese Geschichte mit der Information hätte kommen müssen, dass es absolut notwendig ist, die Selection Serie gelesen zu haben, bevor man diesen Roman in die Hände nimmt. Ich hing mehr als einmal buchstäblich in der Luft, als die Hauptfigur über Dinge nachdachte, die anscheinend in der Vergangenheit passiert waren, aber offensichtlich für die laufende Handlung wesentlich waren. Ich bezweifle nicht, dass die Autorin eine wunderbare Fantasy und die Fähigkeit hat, ein eigenes Universum zu erschaffen. Leider diesmal nicht. Ich hatte Probleme, nicht nur Zugang zu allen Figuren zu finden, sondern auch zur Geschichte selbst. Und die wenigen Szenen und Dialoge, die ich genossen habe, konnten den Rest des Romans nicht davon abhalten, nur durchschnittlich zu sein. Traurig. So traurig. Hoffentlich ist das nächste Buch besser.










**The novel was published in English by Harper Collins Children´s Books on May 5, 2020. 

Kiera Cass

Kiera Cass was born in South Carolina, USA and now lives in Christiansburg, Virginia with her husband and two children. She is a graduate of Radford University and with her “Selection” novels, she has made it onto the bestseller lists worldwide. If she could wish for a crown, then it would be made “from the (joyful) tears of her readers”.

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7/12/2020

Weekly Book Wrap-Up #124 – A Very Quiet Week

With the Weekly Book Wrap-Up, I give you a bit of an insight into all the new books that have arrived at my place. No matter if I won a giveaway, got approved for a reviewer´s copy, an ARC or just bought one myself. Everything that I add to my shelves, in what way ever and read during the past week or am still reading, I will write about it.  And maybe I tell you a bit about the upcoming things on Inkvotary, that is if I don´t forget it and have something to share with you *smile*

I am linking up with Tynga´s Reviews and Caffeinated Reviewer and hope you´ll have fun reading it and maybe get the one or the other book inspiration.

Stacking The Shelves #124

I got myself a freebie. Please check it first if it is still for free before you click it.

Freebie

Sunday Post #81

The past week was kind of uneventful. And somehow the same as almost every week since the Corona pandemic started. I watched the movie Book Club with Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen, and Mary Steenburgen. Do you know it? I needed something that would make me laugh and it was on free TV and gave me a great time while watching. The entire movie is one hilarious long scene and though there is something serious in it too, you can take it with a broad smile on your face. 

The wasps’ nest in the attic is still growing but I don´t care anymore. Sure, I check every day if the door to the attic is still locked and that no wasp is getting out but other than that? No.

The decision is made to stay at home and do day trips or weekend trips if possible. The prices at the North- and East Sea have risen by up to 80 percent for the night or an apartment, so it is kind of insane to book something there. Besides, they are booked out for weeks so I wouldn´t have a chance anyway. In the news, I heard and saw that some mountain trails are so crowded with people that it is no fun anymore to go for a hike. And when I look at my TBR with all the new release copies at my desk, I am anyway not in the mood to go on a big holiday trip.

We had very windy weather over the past week. Sunny and with blue skies but still very windy. It was kind of pleasant though. I could edit some more old posts but still have over twenty pages filled with posts to go. And some issues I had on my blog with the Instagram feed are fixed now too. It is working again but the way how it needed to be done has made me a bit thoughtful.

And I started reading a new book. But to be honest, I feel bad. When I see how many books others have read during the past four months and see how many I´ve read, I feel as if I am a huge failure.

How was your week? Stay safe and healthy.

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7/11/2020

Dragonfly In Amber by Diana Gabaldon

Although it seems ages ago that I´ve read this with growing affection I can still remember how a fantastic read this has been. Diving into a story that brings history to life is something the author has made possible in the most entertaining way imaginable. The second Outlander novel is as thrilling and diversified as one could wish for. 

Dragonfly In Amber

by Diana Gabaldon

Outlander Series #2

Publisher Turtleback Books on January 1, 1993

Genre Historical Fantasy

Pages 976

Format Hardcover

Source Purchased 

Goodreads

✶✶✶✶✶

For twenty years Claire Randall has kept her secrets. But now she is returning with her grown daughter to Scotland's majestic mist-shrouded hills. Here Claire plans to reveal a truth as stunning as the events that gave it birth: about the mystery of an ancient circle of standing stones ...about a love that transcends the boundaries of time ...and about James Fraser, a Scottish warrior whose gallantry once drew a young Claire from the security of her century to the dangers of his ... Now a legacy of blood and desire will test her beautiful copper-haired daughter, Brianna, as Claire's spellbinding journey of self-discovery continues in the intrigue-ridden Paris court of Charles Stuart ...in a race to thwart a doomed Highlands uprising ...and in a desperate fight to save both the child and the man she loves... 

Story

Claire has kept her secret for twenty years. But now she is returning to Scotland with her daughter Brianna because she finally wants to get to know the country her mother always raves about and because she wants to help her find him. But what they´re actually looking for is not entirely clear to Brianna. Since her sudden appearance in her own time over twenty years ago, Claire has been tormented by the question of whether her great love Jamie survived the upcoming Battle of Culloden, which she knows was cruel and bloody. Together with Brianna and Roger, the foster child of the late Reverend Reginald Wakefield, Claire sets out to find an answer in the old books of the Reverend. They rummage through old writings and records and reconstruct piece by piece and with the help of their memories and the known historical facts, the events of yore. For Brianna and Roger, the events of that time are nothing more than history, but for Claire, they are part of her own past. And in the middle of the Highlands, in a mysterious old cemetery, the moment of truth strikes for her …

Style

With this novel, Diana Gabaldon makes a leap in time of around twenty years. Sometimes the plot moves in Scotland in 1968 and sometimes in the 18th century when Claire and Jamie experience the moving and dangerous time of change again. The story is told alternately from the perspective of Claire and Roger, which makes the whole story lively and varied, and the historical data and background are conveyed to the reader in a very moving and interesting way. 

Characters

The range of characters in Diana Gabaldon´s book ranges from brutality to passion and sophistication to the wonderfully displayed superficiality of some ladies at the French court. More than once I´ve literally grinned to myself about their penchant for naïve addiction and even greater ignorance. 

Conclusion

Anyone who has been inspired by the first part of this series will also get an exciting and opulent reading pleasure from the Highland saga with part tow, where interesting history and great feelings are guaranteed.

Happy reading

Diana Gabaldon

Diana Gabaldon was an honorary professor of deep-sea biology and zoology at the University of Arizona before devoting her full-time to writing. Already her first novel Outlander was a huge international success and led to millions of readers becoming enthusiastic fans of her novels. She is the mother of three grown children and lives with her husband in Scottsdale, Arizona, USA.

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7/10/2020

The Backlist Reader Challenge Mid-Year Update 2020

This reading challenge is focused on knocking off titles that have been on the TBR for a while, or even ones that got pushed aside for new releases and is hosted by The Bookwyrm´s Hoard. Well, what can I say? To date, I have only read one book I can count for the challenge. One. I am so behind with my challenges that I feel absolutely bad. Good, I have still six months ahead of me to accomplish the seven left to reach my goal but if everything keeps going the way it is right now, I doubt that. 

This is the book, I read for this challenge so far.

Happy reading

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7/09/2020

The Duke And I by Julia Quinn

This is a series I read some years ago while being in a phase I like to call the romantic side of me. I was looking for some romance with a historical touch and found this at a German publisher´s website. The cover of the German edition caught my eye and I went for it. Turned out to be the start of a wonderful series filled with humor, charming figures, and hilarious scenes and dialogues. If you are not familiar with the author, this novel is a great way to change that.  

The Duke And I

by Julia Quinn

Bridgerton Series #1

Publisher Avon Books on December 30, 2019

Genre Historical Romance

Pages 448

Format Paperback

Goodreads

✶✶✶✶✶ 

In the ballrooms and drawing rooms of Regency London, rules abound them. From their earliest days, children of aristocrats learn how to address an earl and curtsey before a prince – while other dictates of the tone are unspoken yet universally understood. A proper duke should be imperious and aloof. A young, marriageable lady should be amiable … but not too amiable. Daphne Bridgerton has always failed at the latter. The fourth of eight siblings in her close-knit family, she has formed friendship with the most eligible young men in London. Everyone likes Daphne for her kindness and wit. But no one truly desires her. She is simply too deuced honest for that, too unwillingly to play the romantic games that captivate gentlemen. Amiability is not a characteristic shared by Simon Basset, Duke of Hastings. Recently returned to England from abroad, he intends to shun both marriage and society – just as his callous father shunned Simon throughout his painful childhood. Yet an encounter with his best friend´s sister offers another option. If Daphne agrees to a fake courtship, Simon can deter the mamas who parade their daughters before him. Daphne, meanwhile, will see her prospects and her reputation soar. The plan works like a charm – at first. But amid the glittering, gossipy, cut-throat world of London´s elite, there is only one certainty: Love ignores every rule …

Story

Young Daphne Bridgerton is nearing the end of her second season and there is still no suitable husband insight. And yet she longs for a husband and children. But then she meets Simon Basset, the Duke of Hastings, at a ball, and in despair, she accepts his suggestion. He pretends to be interested in her to keep all the mothers of unmarried daughters at bay and thereby draw the other men´s attention to Daphne. The plan seems to work, but Daphne is unhappy because she has long fallen in love with the Duke. She does everything to convince Simon that there is no one else for her, but Simon keeps a bad secret and stubbornly refuses to take a step towards Daphne. Can she still convince him and reveal the secret that tortures Simon?

Style

With wonderful descriptions, Julia Quinn has given her characters one beautiful setting after the other. You can really see the brightly lit ballrooms, the sparkling chandeliers, and the glittering pieces of jewelry that the ladies of society wear. An absolute delight for the imagination and the inner eye. The book begins with a prologue that briefly shows the history of the Duke and then moves on to the time of Daphne´s second season. From the fourth chapter onwards, the actual plot is preceded by a short article from a society magazine, the author of which puzzles the whole of London society, since nobody knows who it is. The story ends with an epilogue, which gives the reader a brief but very nice insight into life after the plot in 1813.

Characters

The figure of Daphne is incredibly profound and complex. Not only does she have a good grip on her older brothers, but she also has an incredible feeling for the needs and worries of her fellow human beings and has mastered the art of helping with the right sentence or the right gesture. She not only sees the outside of people she also looks below the surface. Nevertheless, she is not infallible and has her weaknesses. In society, she speaks the language that is expected of a young woman of her class, but she can do it quite differently, which turns out to be very refreshing when reading. 

At first glance, the character of Simon Basset is that of an arrogant, cold person who only speaks to his peers and only a few, which reinforces the first impression. But the author Julia Quinn has given him a weakness that makes him incredibly personable that you almost forget when reading that he is a duke and only sees him as a person who suffers from a great agony. Julia Quinn changed this character sensitively and skillfully during the plot and it was a pleasure to follow this change. 

Conclusion

An absolutely fantastic love story. Fascinating and captivating from the first to the last line. This novel guarantees wonderful reading pleasure. A book that, once started, is not so quickly put down again. 

Happy reading

Julia Quinn

Julia Quinn started writing her first book one month after finishing college and has been tapping away at her keyboard ever since. The #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than two dozen novels for Avon Books, she is a graduate of Harvard and Radcliffe Colleges and is one of only sixteen authors ever to be inducted in the Romance Writers of America Hall of Fame. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her family.

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7/08/2020

Waiting On Wednesday #139 – Leichenblume by Anne Mette Hancock

is a weekly event that was originally hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. This meme is a place that spotlights upcoming releases that we´re eagerly anticipating with pure joy. There are a lot of new books coming out each year and some of them catch my attention and will get a spotlight in my Waiting on Wednesday post. While some of them will finally end up here at my place, others won´t. I am joining Tressa at Wishful Endings and her meme Can´t-Wait Wednesday.

When I heard for the very first time about this thriller, I was not really interested, to be honest. But then I read some of its Danish critics – something I normally try to avoid – and took a closer look at the summary and now I want to read it. Everything sounds like this book could be a very twisted story with some surprises and a strong and profound main figure. Good, the cover is not really mine, but that is something I can overlook. Sure, the cover is important, because it is the first thing you see when looking around for a new book to read. But in this case, I am more interested in the story itself. On the other hand, I might not be in love with the German cover because the original Danish cover looks familiar to me. Do you know the “The Last Namsara – Iskari book one” by Kristen Ciccarelli? Yep, I thought so too. However. Anne Mette Hancock is a new author to me and now on my reading schedule for 2021.

This book is the first in a series. The series is originally called Kaldan og Schäfer, which means in English “Kaldan and Schäfer”. In Germany, this series will be published as Heloise Kaldan. That is why I wrote both series names in the book data below. To avoid any confusion.

Leichenblume

Author Anne Mette Hancock

Kaldan & Schäfer Series #1

Heloise Kaldan Series #1

Original Title Ligblomsten

Publishing Date January 27, 2021

Publisher Fischer Scherz

Format Paperback

Goodreads

Copenhagen investigative journalist Heloise Kaldan is in a delicate job crisis when she receives a mysterious letter: from a wanted murderer. There are things about Heloise that nobody can actually know. Heloise begins to do research on her own. The sender has vanished without a trace since a brutal murder a few years ago. What does she want from Heloise of all places and where did she get the information about her from? At the same time, Commissioner Erik Schäfer also receives a new reference to the wanted person. All traces seem to lead to Heloise Kaldan. Is her life in danger? And can the police officer and the journalist trust each other?

And what are you waiting for? Let me know your thoughts about this one or leave me the link to your WoW and I check it out.

Happy reading & waiting on

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7/07/2020

Top Ten Tuesday - Author´s I´ve Read The Most Books By

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. This week the theme is all about the author´s I´ve read the most books by.

When I went through all my shelves it didn´t surprise me much to discover that the most books I own and read were written by the Queen of Romance, the one and only Nora Roberts. My list shows ten authors I´ve read the most books by in the order of the numbers I have them on my shelves. Most on top, least at the bottom.

1 Nora Roberts 

She is my most anticipated and read author. My shelves are literally exploding with her work. And with around seventy-plus books I´ve read and owned coming out of her writing-feather, I guess she earns the first spot without a doubt and with a huge distance from the rest of my list.

2 Sandra Brown 

Her work is always a great pleasure for me. But only if I read her thrillers. Her romance books are not really mine, although I own some of them too. Over thirty of her books have found a home at my place.

3 Mary Higgins Clark 

The late Queen of Suspense is number three on my list. With around thirty books. 

4 Karin Slaughter

She loves to shock her readers with the unthinkable. I will never forget the scene where she let one of her main figures die without blinking. Her list appearance is due to around twenty-two books I´ve read by her.

5 Tess Gerritsen 

Her Rizzoli & Isles Series was the reason I became a fan. Today I found out that I own and read around sixteen books by her. Not as many as I thought but many enough to find a place on my list.

6 Sarah J. Maas 

The creator of the famous Throne of Glass Series. It all started with the fantastic cover of the German edition, that made me a fan. Today she is with twelve books a candidate for my list.

7 Karen Marie Moning 

She has made number seven on this list. Also, with twelve books but I had to draw by lot between her and Sarah J. Maas and she´s made number seven. 

8 Julia Quinn 

For some years she was one of my favorite authors. Her series about The Bridgertons siblings is romance with pure wit, humor and incredibly charming. And with nine books she deserves a spot on my list. 

9 Joanne K. Rowling

Oh yes, the Harry Potter author. I´ve read the eight books of this series with growing pleasure and although I own some more books written by her, I can only count the HP series. Therefore, she makes spot number nine.

10 Diana Gabaldon

And last but not least the creator of the famous Outlander Series. That series is the reason why she is on this list as well. Good, I have only eight of her books here at home, but I read every single one of them and am looking forward to the next one in her Outlander series. 

And what are your most read authors?


Happy reading

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7/06/2020

Library Love Challenge Mid-Year Update 2020

I had thought that by now I would have reached my goal of the Dewey Decimal with twelve read books or even more. Nope, not the case. I have only read four books from the library and with the pile of review copies I have on my desk, I doubt that I will manage to reach my goal before the year is over. Not with my current reading pace. It is so weird when you are used to being a fast reader that now, with everything that is going on in my life; virus, family, etc., I just can´t focus enough to get a book done within a week *sigh*

The challenge is hosted by Angel´s Guilty Pleasures and Books of My Heart. Here are the books I´ve read for this challenge to date.

      

Challenge Levels

-Dewey Decimal: Read 12 books - my goal
-Thrifty Reader: Read 24 books
-Overdrive Junkie: Read 36 books
-Library Addict: Read 48 books
-Library Card on Fire: Read 60+ books


Happy reading

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