REVIEW - Secrets Of the Chocolate House (ebook)

 Secrets of the Chocolate House (Found Things #2) by Paula Brackston (ebook)

OVERVIEW

This is the third book that I have read by Paula Brackston. It is also the second in the four-part series - Found Things! I am so excited to read more about these wonderful characters!

This book continues to be about a woman with psychometry who travels through time from 2018 to 1605. The impetus for the journey is a copper chocolate pot.  

Please note that I am being vague with many details so as not to spoil the twists in this lovely book. 

OVERALL REVIEW: 4.5 stars

Writing: 4.5 stars

The author writes beautifully in a lovely way about the two time periods in the book. I loved learning more about English history specific to the early 1600s. It was entertaining and I learned a lot of historical information.

Character development: 4.5 stars

The main character is Xanthe who is the time traveler in this novel. The two time periods collide and it all blows up at the end of this novel. 

The secondary characters are Flora (Xanthe's mother and owner of an antique shop), Liam (Xanthe's friend), Marcus (Xanthe's ex-boyfriend), Samuel (Xanthe's friend), Louise (the chocolate shop owner), and Benedict (Samuel's patron). 

The tertiary characters are the assorted supporting characters in both times.   

Storyline:  4.5 stars

The storyline is about Xanthe traveling back in time to ensure her friend Samuel's safety through psychometry with a chocolate pot. Xanthe had a mission to protect and save her friend from possible execution by King James. 

The main location was Wiltshire, England with some time spent in London.   

Memorable/Informative:  4.5 stars

I loved learning how chocolate shops were popular in England during the 1600s. They provided hot chocolate which was new and unusual as well as locations for conversation or plotting political intrigue. I wish that there were these shops all over as I love hot chocolate!

Book cover: 4.5 stars

So pretty!

Book title: 5.0 stars 

On point!  

STRONG recommend

BOOK INFORMATION

Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) borrow (ebook)

Secrets of the Chocolate House (Found Things #2) by Paula Brackston

320 pages 

St. Martin's Press

Release date of 10/22/2019

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Paula Brackston

My Goodreads review

St. Martin's Press

Los Angeles Public Library

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

My next ebook is...

The Secrets of the Chocolate House (Found Things #2) by Paula Brackston (ebook)

Happy reading,

Dorothea 💜

REVIEW - When We Were Friends (ebook)

 When We Were Friends by Jane Green (ebook)

OVERVIEW

This was a short story by Jane Green. I had never read anything by her before and had no expectations. Unfortunately, this short story just didn't work for me. 

OVERALL REVIEW: 3.0 stars

Writing: 3.0 stars

This short story fell flat to me. The writing was just okay.

Character development: 3.0 stars

The two main characters are Lucy (recent divorcee) and Elle (single) who meet in a bar bathroom. 

We only learn about the characters superficially to discover that both are very shallow. 

Storyline:  3.0 stars

Lucy and Elle meet in a bar bathroom and instantly become best friends. The story goes downhill from there. 

The main location is Fairfield, Connecticut.   

Memorable/Informative:  4.0 stars

I learned a new term - love bombing. 

Book cover: 4.0 stars

Pretty.

Book title: 3.0 stars 

Appropriate.  

LUKEWARM recommend

BOOK INFORMATION

Amazon First Reads Kindle short-story ebook

When We Were Friends by Jane Green

44 pages 

Amazon Original Stories

Release date of 10/01/2024

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Jane Green

My Goodreads review

Amazon Original Stories

Amazon First Reads - September 2024

Happy reading,

Dorothea 💜

My next ebook is...

 When We Were Friends by Jane Green (ebook)

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

REVIEW - The Lost English Girl (ebook)

 The Lost English Girl by Julia Kelly (ebook)

OVERVIEW

This is the sixth book that I have read by Julia Kelly. I have enjoyed both her historical fiction mystery series (Parisian Orphan) and her historical fiction novels.  

In this historical novel, the author has several timelines that completely work with pre-WWII, WWII, and post-WWII periods. As stated in other reviews, I have a personal embargo on reading more WWII books, but Julia's books are always exceptions.   

I knew a little about the British relocation of children during WWII because my daughter's Kindergarten aide was one of these children. The parents who let their children were the real heroes of this novel as it undoubtedly saved many lives. 

This novel has a bit of a mystery and it has some great twists and turns! I will be vague again to avoid any spoilers!!

OVERALL REVIEW: 5.0 stars

Writing: 5.0 stars

As always, Julia Kelly writes so beautifully! Since I have read so many of her books, I inhale them quickly because the writing is that good! She ties the multiple timelines together so well and utilizes flashbacks to create intensity and layers to the story. 

Character development: 5.0 stars

The main characters are Viv (mother), Joshua (father), and Maggie (relocated daughter). To add depth to the characters, Julia writes each chapter with a main character highlighted which is a lovely touch.

The secondary characters are Viv's parents (John/Edith), Joshua's parents (Seth/Anne), and Maggie's foster parents during the evacuation (Matthew/Sarah).

The tertiary characters are Kate (Viv's sister), Father Monaghan (the priest who arranges Maggie's relocation), Joshua's friends/co-workers, and Viv's friends/co-workers. 

Storyline:  5.0 stars

The storyline begins when Viv finds out that she is pregnant. She and Joshua marry and then a twist happens. Due to the threat of war, Maggie is relocated to the countryside. Then many turns happen with Viv and Joshua. Finally, the big twist and turn happens  

The main locations were London, Liverpool, and the English countryside. 

Memorable/Informative:  5.0 stars

I had no idea that there was so much animosity in England against the Jewish population and towards Jewish-Catholic marriages during this time. The animus seems surprising as everyone lived together without segregation by religion according to the Author's Note.   

Book cover: 5.0 stars

Beautiful!

Book title: 4.5 stars 

On point!

HIGHLY recommend

BOOK INFORMATION

Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) borrow (ebook)

The Lost English Girl by Julia Kelly

320 pages 

Gallery Books

Release date of 3/7/2023

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Julia Kelly

My Goodreads review

Gallery Books

Los Angeles Public Library

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

Amazon First Reads - September 2024

Hi, everyone!!

Did you know as part of your Amazon Prime Membership you receive a FREE monthly Kindle book available?? It is called Amazon First Reads!! You can find out more about it here: Amazon First Reads.

The Amazon First Reads email went out yesterday! There is a free Kindle book and a free Kindle short story for September 2024. I am really enjoying the additional short story along with the free ebook!

My TWO choices for September 2024 are:

When We Were Friends by Jane Green (short story)

Hill of Secrets by Galina Vromen (ebook)

So what Kindle book are you SELECTING?!? 

Also, as a reminder, remember to "buy" AND download the FREE books from Amazon! You cannot read the books for free if they are not downloaded! Ask me how I know?

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

My next audiobook is...

The Moment of Lift by Melinda Gates (audiobook)

 

Happy Labor Day!!

Happy reading!

Dorothea 💜

AUGUST 2024 - Monthly Wrap-up

Good afternoon, everyone!

First off, I hope that everyone is enjoying this long weekend! I am grateful for those who created the weekend, work weeks, and overtime through their efforts.

So August was a good improvement in books read! Unfortunately, the Olympics cut into my reading time, but it was worth the time!

 

2^nd ANNUAL “booksbydorothea” BEST BOOKS OF 2024:

All We Were Promised by Ashton Lattimore (January) 5 stars (ebook)

Miss Morgan's Book Brigade by Janet Skeslien Charles (February) 5 stars (ebook)

The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer (March) 5 stars (ebook)

How To Read A Book by Monica Wood (April) 5 stars (ebook)

Here One Moment by Liane Moriarity (May) 4.5 stars (ebook)

The Friday Afternoon Club (June) 5 stars (audiobook)

The Bookstore Wedding by Alice Hoffman (July) 5 stars (ebook)

The Briar Club by Kate Quinn (August) 5 stars (ebook)

 

GOODREADS READING GOAL:

My goal is to read 100 books in 2024. As of 08/31/2024, I have read 59 books, or 59% of my goal.

 

AUGUST 2024 STATISTICS:

8 total books

5 e-books; 3 audiobooks; 0 physical books

1 book was an ARC (Advance Reader Copy)

6 books were library books

0 books were purchased

1 book was an Amazon First Reads

0 books were a Book Club Girl

 

Audio listening time in August:  28 hours, 15 minutes

Pages read in August:  1273 pages

Average review rating: 4.44 stars

 

AUGUST BOOK RATINGS with BOOK COVERS: 

5.0-star book (2)

The Briar Club by Kate Quinn (ebook) LINK

What Does It Feel Like? by Sophie Kinsella (ebook) LINK

4.5-star book (4)

Drama - An Artist's Education by John Lithgow (audiobook) LINK

What A Fool Believes by Michael McDonald (audiobook) LINK

The Light Over London by Julia Kelly (ebook) LINK

 

4.0-star book (1)

It. Goes. So. Fast by Mary Louise Kelly (audiobook) LINK

3.5-star book (1)

Natural Selection by Erin Hilderbrand (ebook) LINK

3.0-star book (0)

 

If you want to read my full review of any of these books, there are individual review links for each ebook or audiobook next to the book title and author. Click on the specific book link to get to that book review!! 

 

Happy reading!

Dorothea 💜

 

P.S. For more information about my book ratings, you can find out more HERE.

REVIEW - It. Goes. So. Fast (audiobook)

It. Goes. So. Fast by Mary Louise Kelly (audiobook)

OVERVIEW

My family, especially my husband, are huge NPR and our local LAist radio stations. Our daughter grew up listening to it on her way to school with her dad and her love of politics grew from this exposure. 

So when I saw this audiobook, the name seemed familiar as did the voice. The premise was to enjoy and be involved in every moment of her older son's last year at home before college. It did do that, but it all strayed from the original premise and was told in a random order that was difficult.   

OVERALL REVIEW: 4.0 stars

Writing: 4.0 stars

Mary Louise can write and I would expect nothing less from a world-renowned NPR journalist. But, she misses it with the heart and soul I was expecting. I wanted and expected more emotion and nitty gritty. My expectations were very high with her writing. 

Narration: 4.0 stars

Mary Louise narrates well as I expected, but again the emotion and real feeling were not there as I wanted and expected. There was some emotional reading, but it needed more, IMHO. 

Character Arc: 4.0 stars

The audiobook is in random order and seems haphazard at times. It is fine to tell backstories to add depth and character. But in this memoir, it was constant backstories and it was sometimes off-putting. It spans the birth of her sons to her older son's high school graduation in 2022.

Memorable:  4.0 stars

Mary Louise's stories about being on assignment in multiple war zones were fascinating and scary. But, again, I wanted more. 

Entertaining:   4.5 stars

The author sprinkled some funny stories throughout the memoir, but the most entertaining was the guinea pig in Ukraine. 

Book cover: 4.5 stars

Appropriate!  

Book title: 5.0 stars 

Truth!

DEFINITE recommend

STATISTICS

Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) borrow (audiobook)

It. Goes. So. Fast by Mary Louise Kelly (audiobook)

MacMillan Audio

7 hours, 1 minute

Release date of 4/11/2023

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Mary Louise Kelly

My Goodreads review

Macmillan Audio

Los Angeles Public Library

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

My next ebook is...

 The Lost English Girl by Julia Kelly (ebook)

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

REVIEW - The Light Over London (ebook)

 The Light Over London by Julia Kelly (ebook)

OVERVIEW

This is the fifth book that I have read by Julia Kelly. I have enjoyed her historical fiction mystery series (Parisian Orphan) and her historical fiction novels.  

In this historical novel, the author has two timelines - WWII and a contemporary timeline. As a personal aside, I have a personal embargo on reading more WWII books, but Julia is one of the few exceptions.  

I learned about another piece of British history I knew nothing about - the "gunner girls" of WWII. These women were incredible heroines who saved many British lives by downing Luftwaffe planes before they dropped bombs over cities and military targets. 

This novel has some twists and turns so I am being vague about the plot and the characters.

OVERALL REVIEW: 4.5 stars

Writing: 4.5 stars

As always, Julia Kelly writes so beautifully! She ties the two timelines together by weaving historical information to create a multi-layered story. I loved learning about British history in the novel, but it was written in such a well-done manner as to be pleasant and not scholarly.  

Character development: 4.5 stars

The main characters are Louise (a WWII character) and Cara (a contemporary character).  

The secondary characters are Paul (Louise's friend), Liam (Cara's friend), Iris (Cara's grandmother). Paul, Liam, and Iris are yin and yang characters. 

The tertiary characters are Kate (Louise's cousin), Nicole (Cara's friend), assorted military characters, and Cara's boss. 

Storyline:  4.5 stars

The storyline begins when Cara finds Louise's diary while working on an estate consignment sale with her boss. Cara becomes curious and wants to return the diary to Louise's family. She reads the diary and begins to research Louise while also trying to convince Iris to share about her WWII service. 

The main locations were Cornwall, London, and Gloucestershire England. 

Memorable/Informative:  4.5 stars

The British female gunners in WWII were brave, smart, and patriotic. They were real heroines who helped Britain win the war over Germany. 

Book cover: 4.5 stars

Lovely!

Book title: 4.5 stars 

Very appropriate!

STRONG recommend

BOOK INFORMATION

Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) borrow (ebook)

The Light Over London by Julia Kelly

305 pages 

Gallery Books

Release date of 1/8/2019

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Julia Kelly

My Goodreads review

Gallery Books

Los Angeles Public Library

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜