The Sirens by Emilia Hart (eARC/eBOOK)
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
Monday, February 3, 2025
REVIEW - I Would Die for You (eARC/eBOOK)
I Would Die for You by Sandie Jones (eARC/eBOOK)
OVERVIEW
So, I tried a book out of my comfort zone - a mystery thriller. I will stay with historical and contemporary fiction from now on.
This is the first book by Sandie Jones that I have read. It was just okay and was like reading a book that could be compared to cotton candy. Tastes good, but no depth.
TRIGGER WARNING: Sexual situations, rape, alcohol abuse, drug usage, mental health issues, strong language
OVERALL REVIEW: 3.0 stars
Writing: 2.5 stars
The writing was okay. But at times, some of the dialogue was overwrought, melodramatic, and unrealistic.
Character development: 3.0 stars
The main characters are Nicole (the older sister), Cassie (the younger sister), and Ben (a famous rock star).
The secondary characters are John (the sisters' father), Gigi (the sisters' mother), and Amelia (Cassie's friend).
The tertiary characters are the band "Secret Oktober", Zoe (a mysterious character), and Nicole's family.
Unfortunately, the only character that I liked was Hannah, Nicole's daughter.
Storyline: 3.0 stars
The basic premise was about two sisters and a major rock star in London in 1986 London. Chaos ensues and then both timelines become unhinged and unreal. For a somewhat interesting thriller, it fizzled at the end with a lackluster ending.
The main locations were: Los Angeles, San Diego, and London
Note, that I am purposely vague about the storyline to avoid giving away the big plot twists.
Memorable/Informative: 3.0 stars
The London rock scene in 1986 must have been as crazy as it was in Hollywood.
Book cover: 3.0 stars
Awful!
Book title: 4.0 stars
On point
Lukewarm recommend
NetGalley (eARC/eBOOK)
I Would Die for You by Sandie Jones
347 pages
Minotaur Books
FUTURE release date of 3/25/2025
INFORMATIONAL LINKS
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
Sunday, February 2, 2025
My next eARC/eBOOK is...
I Would Die for You by Sandie Jones (eARC/eBOOK)
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
REVIEW - A Map to Paradise (eARC/eBOOK)
A Map to Paradise by Susan Meissner (eARC/eBOOK)
OVERVIEW
Wow, what an inopportune book to read as the two big fires in So Cal are finally 100% contained. There is the 1956 Malibu Fire (there are always Malibu fires) in the plot of this novel.
This is the fifth historical fiction novel by Susan Meissner I have read. Her books are very entertaining, fun, and interesting about unique periods. But her books are not deep-dives into the time or characters or books that I will think about for a long time, unfortunately. Of the five novels that I have read by Susan, this is my least favorite.
TRIGGER WARNING: Fire, death, mental health issues, Hollywood blacklisting, war references with violence, domestic violence
OVERALL REVIEW: 3.5 stars
Writing: 3.5 stars
The writing was good, but not great. At times, some of the dialogue was trite and unrealistic.
Character development: 4.0 stars
The main characters are Melanie (a blacklisted Hollywood actress), June (sister-in-law/caretaker of a Hollywood screenwriter), and Eva (a displaced person due to WWII). These three women become entwined in a big secret and become friends in a very short time.
The secondary characters are Elwood (an agoraphobic Hollywood screenwriter), Nicky (Melanie's nephew), and Carson (Melanie's special friend).
The tertiary characters are Melanie's manager/Elwood's manager, Alex (Melanie's brother), and Malibu.
This is a very unique historical novel with few characters. It did make it easy to follow all of the characters.
Storyline: 3.5 stars
The basic premise was about a blacklisted actress hiding out in a Malibu neighborhood next door to a famous agoraphobic Hollywood screenwriter. He is cared for by his sister-in-law. Eventually, a part-time housekeeper works for both homes and discovers a secret that entangles the three women in lie after lie.
The main locations were: Los Angeles, Malibu, and Palm Springs, California.
Memorable/Informative: 3.5 stars
This historical takes place during the "red scare" and Hollywood blacklisting in Hollywood. The novel doesn't seem realistic as all three main characters overreact quite oddly to plot twists.
Book cover: 4.5 stars
Pretty!
Book title: 4.0 stars
Somewhat ironic.
Recommend
NetGalley (eARC/eBOOK)
A Map to Paradise by Susan Meissner
347 pages
Berkley
FUTURE release date of 3/18/2023
INFORMATIONAL LINKS
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
Saturday, February 1, 2025
booksbydorothea - January 2025 - Monthly Wrap-up
Goodbye
(and good riddance), January!!
WOW,
January 2025 was an awful month as I live fairly close to the three horrible
fires in So Cal. It will take years to return to normalcy. but we are
#LAStrong.
I read and listened to books to distract myself from the chaos and avoid doomscrolling. This is the most books (audiobooks and eBOOKS) I have ever read in a month - EIGHTEEN. Yeah, me!!
So I have made some changes to my Monthly Wrap-up which should make it more streamlined and easier to navigate. I’m always making small changes to improve this book blog.
Additionally, I have started using StoryGraph. There is much more analysis and graphs! I'm going to continue to explore and understand StoryGraph better. So far it is easier to use, well-thought-out, and a strong competitor to Amazon-owned Goodreads. What’s not to like?
Going forward, I will consider all 5-star books as nominees for the Best Books of 2025 with an eBOOK and an audiobook category. We should see a gradual increase in the list of nominees as we go through 2025.
For January, there were ten eBOOKS and two audiobooks that were 5-star reviews!
BEST BOOKS FOR JANUARY 2025
eBOOKS
The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern by Lynda Cohen Loigman
The Stolen Queen by Fiona Davis
What Happened to the McCrays? by Tracey Lange
More or Less Maddy by Lisa Genova
Paris Undercover by Matthew Goodman
The Bookstore Keepers by Alice Hoffman
Come Fly with Me by Camille Di Maio
The Memory of Cotton by Ann K. Howley
The Secret History of Audrey Jones by Heather Marshall
Looking for Jane by Heather Marshall
Audiobooks
JANUARY
Me by Elton John
Let’s Call Her Barbie by Renée Rosen
GOODREADS READING GOAL
My goal is to read 101 books in 2025. As of January 31st, I have read 18 books, or 17.8% of my goal.
JANUARY 2025 STATISTICS
18 total books
13 ebooks; 5 audiobooks; 0 physical books
8 books - ARC (Advance Reader Copy)
9 books - Library
0 books – Purchased
0 books - Amazon First Reads
0 books - Book Club Girl
1 book – author gifted
Audio listening time in January 2025: 51 hours, 19 minutes
Pages read in January 2025: 2,255 pages
Average review rating: 4.69 stars
JANUARY 2025 BOOK RATINGS with BOOK COVERS
eBOOKS
5.0-star eBOOKS
The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern by Lynda Cohen Loigman LINK
The Stolen Queen by Fiona Davis LINK
What Happened to the McCrays? by Tracey Lange LINK
More or Less Maddy by Lisa Genova LINK
Paris Undercover by Matthew Goodman LINK
The Bookstore Keepers by Alice Hoffman LINK
Come Fly with Me by Camille Di Maio LINK
The Memory of Cotton by Ann K. Howley LINK
The Secret History of Audrey James by Heather Marshall LINK
Looking for Jane by Heather Marshall LINK
4.5-star eBOOK
The Queens of Crime by Marie Benedict LINK
4.0-star eBOOKS
Let Us March On by Shara Moon LINK
The Lost Passenger by Frances Quinn LINK
Audiobooks
5.0-star audiobooks
Me by Elton John LINK
Let’s Call Her Barbie by Renée Rosen LINK
4.5-star audiobook
Whiskey Tender by Deborah Jackson Taffa LINK
4.0-star audiobook
Brooke Shields Is Not Allowed to Get Old by Brooke Shield LINK
3.5-star audiobook
The Girl on the Balcony by Olivia Hussey LINK
NOTE: There were no 3.5-star or 3.0-star eBOOKS or 3.0-star audiobooks this month.
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 (under JANUARY 2025 BOOK RATINGS with BOOK COVERS just above). Click on the specific book link ink to get to that book review.
If there is anything you would like to see in future monthly wrap-ups, please reach out! My primary goal is to make it easy for YOU to find new books to explore and read!
Happy reading!
Dorothea 💜
P.S. You can find out more about my book ratings HERE.
Friday, January 31, 2025
My next eARC/eBOOK is...
A Map to Paradise by Susan Meissner (eARC/eBOOK)
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
Thursday, January 30, 2025
REVIEW - Looking for Jane (eBOOK)
Looking for Jane by Heather Marshall (eBOOK)
OVERVIEW
OH. MY. GOODNESS!! This historical novel resonated with me beyond belief. Most especially because of the overturn of Roe which had always guaranteed me access to an abortion for all of my childbearing years! But the same cannot be said for my daughter, which terrifies me.
This is the second book by Heather Marshall that I have read. This is her first novel and it was AH-MAZING!!!! I cannot wait for her to write more amazing books!!
TRIGGER WARNING: Death, maternity homes, abortion, infidelity, infertility, medical procedures, rape, forced institutionalization, forced adoption
OVERALL REVIEW: 5.0 stars
Writing: 5.0 stars
The writing is intense, well done, and just so incredible. Heather put a lot of thought and effort into researching this book. The stories are heartbreaking and revolting. She writes about everything in this book including horrifying situations candidly while still allowing this to be an enjoyable book.
Character development: 5.0 stars
The main characters are Angela (an infertile woman trying to get pregnant), Evelyn (an abortion provider before it was legal), and Nancy (a pregnant young woman). All of their stories are from different times before, during, and after abortion was legal in Canada.
The secondary characters are Tina (Angela's wife), Molly (Evelyn's friend), and Michael (Nancy's friend).
There are so many tertiary and general characters that if I explained who they were it would ruin the story.
Storyline: 5.0 stars
The basic premise was about access to abortion from the 1960s to current times. But, this historical fiction novel is more than abortion. It is about motherhood and the issues and choices that we face from infertility, OB/GYN care, birth control, adoption, and abortion. People who become pregnant, trans women, and women in general have so much to consider and need good healthcare to live well and be healthy.
The main locations were Toronto and Montreal, Canada
Memorable/Informative: 5.0 stars
This novel is a feminist manifesto to be angry, fight, and advocate for body autonomy and our civil rights. We do not want to go back to the 1950s when a white, old man decided the course of a woman's life (whether or not she could have an abortion).
Unfortunately, the current administration in the U.S. wants us to return to the "dark ages" of women's health. I am hopeful that the courts will shut this nonsense down!
Book cover: 5.0 stars
So pretty!
Book title: 5.0 stars
Perfect, in so many ways!
HIGHLY recommend
Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) borrow (eBOOK)
Looking for Jane by Heather Marshall
400 pages
Atria Books
Release date of 3/7/2023
INFORMATIONAL LINKS
Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL)
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
Wednesday, January 29, 2025
REVIEW - The Lost Passenger (eARC/eBOOK)
The Lost Passenger by Frances Quinn (eARC/eBOOK)
OVERVIEW
This is my first book by Frances Quinn and is her third historical novel. Her previous two historical novels also had unique premises.
I'm struggling with this review because I liked the premise, but it didn't feel like it was executed as realistically as it could have been. Plus, I really didn't like many of the characters.
TRIGGER WARNING: Death, infidelity, alcohol abuse, sinking of the Titanic, poverty
OVERALL REVIEW: 4.0 stars
Writing: 4.5 stars
The writing in this novel is good. The sinking of the Titanic is vividly done almost worse than watching the movie as I could imagine the horror in my mind.
I did have some difficulty with the English slang of the period and couldn't always find definitions for some of it. A glossary of terms might have been helpful but would be cumbersome.
Character development: 4.0 stars
The main character is Elinor, the spoiled rich daughter of the "Cotton King" who marries the son of an earl. It was a loveless marriage and she is horribly unhappy and controlled.
The secondary characters are Frederick (Elinor's husband), Robert (Elinor's father), Molly (Elinor's temporary maid), and Molly's family in New York.
The tertiary characters are Frederick's friends and family and the Titanic.
This historical novel had a huge cast of characters. They were necessary to add richness to the story. But I didn't like most of them, especially the main character and the titled English people.
Storyline: 4.0 stars
The basic premise was a young rich woman in an unhappy marriage survives the sinking of the Titanic with her young son. To start a new life in New York, she must be listed among the dead. So she thinks quickly and decides to change their lives forever.
The main locations were in various cities in England; aboard the Titanic and the Carpathia; and the Lower East Side of New York City.
Memorable/Informative: 4.0 stars
The premise of this book is good and could have happened in the 1910s when this novel was set, but it still would have been difficult to pull off.
But, it would never work today. Social media would never let it happen. This makes me think about the role social media has in my life. It is definitely something to cut back on and engage in the present.
Book cover: 4.0 stars
Meh!
Book title: 4.0 stars
There could be a stronger title.
DEFINITE recommend
NetGalley ARC (eARC/eBOOK)
The Lost Passenger by Frances Quinn
384 pages
Simon & Schuster UK
FUTURE release date of 2/25/2025
INFORMATIONAL LINKS
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
Tuesday, January 28, 2025
My next eARC/eBOOK is...
The Lost Passenger by Frances Quinn (eARC/eBOOK)
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
REVIEW - The Secret History of Audrey James (eARC/eBOOK)
The Secret History of Audrey James by Heather Marshall (eARC/eBOOK)
OVERVIEW
Oh, my goodness! This book is absolutely AH-MAZING!! I inhaled it as I couldn't stop reading it!! This is my first novel by this author as this is only her second book. Now, I am off to find her first novel and inhale it too, I'm sure.
Yes, I know! I have said that I wouldn't read any more WWII historical novels. But, this novel appealed to me because it was about the German Resistance (Red Orchestra). I had no idea that there were so many resistance cells before and during WWII including SS officers, university students, and others who despised Hitler. It was fascinating to learn of the many reasons for the resistance from altruism to love of country to stopping the war.
TRIGGER WARNING: War, Holocaust, sexual assault, starvation, physical violence, blood, confinement, death
OVERALL REVIEW: 5.0 stars
Writing: 5.0 stars
The writing is phenomenal, beautiful, and heartbreaking. It is so appropriate that I was reading this incredible historical novel yesterday on International Holocaust Remembrance Day and the 80th Anniversary of the Liberation of Auschwitz concentration camp.
This historical novel makes me ponder the similarities in what is currently happening in my country after the change in the administration. It is a warning to us all to never forget and a call to resist!
Character development: 5.0 stars
There are two main characters in each of the dual timelines. In the WWII timeline, they are Audrey (an English-German young woman) and Ilse (Audrey's Jewish best friend). In the more contemporary timeline, they are Audrey (now an elderly woman) and Kate (Audrey's employee).
There is a secondary character in each timeline. In the contemporary timeline, it is Ian (Kate's friend). In the WWII timeline, it is Friedrich (SS officer).
The tertiary characters are Audrey and Ilse's families, Kate's family and husband, and WWII.
This novel had many interesting and nuanced characters developed well to enrich the storyline.
Storyline: 5.0 stars
This novel is told in dual timelines chronologically with a few flashbacks, as needed. The WWII story is about WWII, German resistance, and the end of the war and the contemporary story is about a woman surviving the loss of her parents in a horrible car crash and starting a new life.
The main locations were Berlin, Germany; Alnwick, England; various locales in the Netherlands and Germany.
Memorable/Informative: 5.0 stars
I did not know anything at all about German resistance before or during WWII. The only resistance that I learned about was the French resistance. The assumption was that the Germans collaborated or ignored what was happening around them, but this novel shows that this just wasn't the truth.
This author highlighted so many women who were part of the German resistance who were integral in fighting against Germany to defeat Hitler and end the war.
Book cover: 5.0 stars
Gorgeous!
Book title: 5.0 stars
Excellent!
HIGHLY recommend
NetGalley ARC (eARC/eBOOK)
The Secret History of Audrey James by Heather Marshall
429 pages
Simon & Schuster
FUTURE release date of 2/25/2025
INFORMATIONAL LINKS
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
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