REVIEW - BEFORE THE RAIN FALLS: A NOVEL

4.5 stars

OMG, this was a FABULOUS book!! Loved it from the beginning when it hooked me and until the end when I was so disappointed that I had to stop reading!!

The storyline was fascinating - it was told in two timelines. When the murder happened and present time. The novel went seamlessly between the two time periods and it was easy to follow.

The author has such a beautiful way with words and descriptions. I can totally visualize the characters, location, food, drinks (the mango margaritas), and the feelings. Oh, the feelings were so important in this book.

Finally, it just enjoyed the twists and turns of a lovely and well-written book. It was so enjoyable!!

I love Camille Di Maio's books - this is my 3rd book of her 4 published novels. I enjoy them all so much!!

HIGHLY recommend!!

Happy reading,

Dorothea 💜

Library Books on Hold

So do you request books from the library? I love the ease of having requesting and receiving e-books from the Los Angeles Public Library (city). Plus, there are so many other resources available at the library!!

The ONLY book that I have on hold at the library is The Testaments (The Handmaid's Tale #2) by Margaret Atwood. I will be waiting a while, though. I am #543 on 288 copies with an estimated wait time of FOUR weeks!! I cannot wait to read this as The Handmaid's Tale (The Handmaid's Tale #1) was so incredibly powerful! Unfortunately, I read it so long ago that I never reviewed it!!

Do you have any books on hold at your library? Which one(s)?

Happy reading,

Dorothea 💜

My Book Club - "Books, Bites, and Booze with Kristie"

My book club is called "Books, Bites, and Booze with Kristie" and it was started by my friend, Kristie. It is all about the fun, catching up, and being moms!! We do talk about the month's book, eat yummy food, and there is always WINE.

Our October choice is a book that I have already read so I will withhold my comments until after we meet. I read it about 1 1/2 years ago and will publish my Goodreads review from then after Book Club!

October's Book is:

Happy reading,

Dorothea 💜

2019 Special Facebook Challenge Post

In the past few weeks, Facebook friends have been tagging one another with this phrase, "Day 7: I have accepted a challenge from (name of a Facebook friend who nominated) to post the cover of seven books I have loved. One a day, no explanations, no review, just the cover. Each time I will ask a friend to take up the challenge. Let’s promote literacy. Today I challenge (a Facebook friend who is nominated)!

So here are my selected books:

Happy reading,

Dorothea 💜

9/15/19 - MY NEXT BOOK TO READ IS ...

Before the Rain Falls by Camille Di Maio. This will be my third book by Camille Di Maio and I cannot wait to read it!! I have loved ALL of her books and I am sure that this one will be no exception!! This is a book that I have purchased from Amazon as a Kindle read.

If you want to know more about Before the Rain Falls, go to Goodreads to learn more!!

Happy reading,

Dorothea 💜

REVIEW - WESTERING WOMEN: A NOVEL

4 stars

I received a complimentary e-book copy of this book from St. Martin's Press through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to Sandra Dallas, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

This is the third book by Sandra Dallas and it was just as enjoyable as the previous two!! Sandra Dallas has written a LOT of historical fiction and the premise of this book was intriguing! Women traveling from Chicago to the California gold fields in 1852 in search of husbands.

The story starts in Chicago as the women are recruited by two ministers (one married minister) to travel on the long and arduous journey. The novel has INCREDIBLE character development which I love so very much. The story was of heartache, pain, and perseverance and was very interesting to read. The writer writes very descriptively and detailed which makes one really feel the story being told.

Definite RECOMMEND especially those who like historical fiction.

Happy reading,


Dorothea 💜

9/8/19 - MY NEXT BOOK TO READ IS ...

Westering Women by Sandra Dallas. I have already read several books by this author and have thoroughly enjoyed them! This is another ARC by NetGalley and I am so excited to read this one as the time period, subject matter, and destination (my home state of California) all fascinate me!!

If you want to know more about Westering Women, go to Goodreads to learn more!!

Happy reading,

Dorothea 💜

REVIEW - THE MEMORY OF US

4.5 stars

Again, I pick another book to read about WWII or did the book pick me? That is the question!!

This is the second book that I have read by Camille Di Maio. She has written four books, so far (I hope!). As usual, when a find a new author, I have totally read the books out of the order that she has written them. This is a stand-alone novel so it doesn't matter at all, but I do enjoy a trilogy or a series!!

This is told from the viewpoint of Julianne and her life in pre-WWII Liverpool. The descriptions and detail the author includes made it come alive for me. It sounded like a dream life for Julianne and her family, but there are twists. Her family, friendships, war, and love all get in the way of her "perfect" life.

It is hard for me to believe that this was Camille's debut novel as it was so well-done! The storyline was very good, the setting was fascinating as I knew little about pre-WWII Liverpool, the characters were flawed and beautiful, and the writing was just so beautiful.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Definite RECOMMEND!!

Happy reading,

Dorothea 💜

AUGUST 2019 WRAP-UP

My book blog, Books by Dorothea, has been so much FUN!! I hope that you are enjoying it as much as I am!!

My first post was on August 19th with four books completed during the month of August. All four books were wonderful with a RECOMMEND or HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

Happy reading,

Dorothea 💜

9/2/19 - My next book to read is .../

The Memory of Us by Camille Di Maio. I have already read one book by this author and LOVED it!! I also have purchased the other two books that she has written and cannot wait to read them, also.

If you want to know more about The Memory of Us, go to Goodreads to learn more.

Happy reading,

Dorothea 💜

REVIEW - THE LIGHT IN THE HALLWAY

First off, this book really struck home with me. My daughter is a high school senior and our lives will be changing very shortly. The main characters, Nick, and his son, Oliver/Olly are going through similar changes themselves with a recent tremendous loss in the family and with Olly going to University. I could totally relate to the characters and their stories.

The things that I like about Amanda Prowse is that she writes about REAL people in REAL situations. There is honesty, loveliness, and truth in all of her books. Her character development in this book is strong and the storyline was interesting and fun. Amanda has a beautiful way with words and I can totally visualize her characters and locations in my head. BTW, there is one scene in the book where I LITERALLY laughed-out-loud!! It has a LOT of fun moments, but that scene was HYSTERICAL!!

This is a DEFINITE recommend! 4 stars!!

Happy reading,

Dorothea 💜