REVIEW - Austen at Sea (eARC/eBOOK)

 Austen at Sea by Natalie Jenner (eARC/eBOOK)

OVERVIEW

Oh, my, my! This book was the perfect balance of historical fiction and good old storytelling. Natalie has done it again, for the fourth time, with another fantastic read centered around Jane Austen! 

This novel combines the real-life characters in Jane Austen's life with fictional characters after her death. This beautiful book is told in the spirit of Jane Austen and in her voice to create a lovely novel. 

NOTE: I must confess that I have not read ANY of Jane Austen's novels, but I love the movies and Natalie Jenner's books, especially. Also, per Family Search, Jane and I are 5th cousins, seven times removed!

 

OVERALL REVIEW: 5.0 stars

 

Writing: 5.0 stars

Natalie writes so perfectly in the language of the Reconstruction period of Boston and Philadelphia. Her writing is descriptive, poetic, and powerful.   

This is a dense read, but it is so well-researched and fascinating!

Character development: 5.0 stars

The main characters are two sisters from Boston, Henrietta (older sister) and Charlotte (younger sister), and two brothers from Philadelphia, Nicholas (older brother) and Haslett (younger brother). Two pairs of siblings are the heart and soul of this lovely novel. 

The secondary characters are Sir Francis (Jane Austen's only living sibling), Denham (a British newspaper writer), Sara-Beth (a friend of the siblings), and Louisa (a famous writer-to-be).  

The tertiary characters are Constance (Bostonite), William (the sisters' father), Nash (the sisters' chaperone), and  the Massachusetts Supreme Court reading group

There are many other characters, including ones on both sides of the pond. However, Jane Austen's presence is strongly felt throughout this novel and never far from the characters.  

 

Storyline:  5.0 stars

Four books make up this novel: Boston, The Sea, Hampshire, and The Court. However, each of the books is definitely necessary for the telling of this creative story. 

The two pairs of siblings write Sir Francis about his sister, Jane Austen. Before you know it, both sets of siblings are on a steamship from Boston to Portsmouth with incredible adventures and new incredible friends made along the way.  

The main locations were Boston, Massachusetts; the Atlantic Ocean; and Hampshire, England.   

 

Memorable/Informative:   5.0 stars

I never knew about the commonality of burning all correspondence after death,  specifically with authors in this novel. It is difficult to think that so much was lost, especially for future scholars and historical purposes.

Also, the fight for women's/Black vote in the U.S. and Great Britain and the right for women to divorce, inherit, and keep personal property. How far we have come, yet we have lost so much. 

Book cover: 5.0 stars

Perfect!

 

Book title: 5.0 stars 

Excellent!     

 

HIGHLY recommend

 

NetGalley eARC/eBOOK

Austen at Sea by Natalie Jenner

320 pages 

St. Martin's Press

FUTURE release date: 5/6/2025

 

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Natalie Jenner

My Goodreads review

My StoryGraph review

St. Martin's Press

NetGalley

TRIGGER WARNING: Sexual situations, death of a parent, death 

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

My next audioBOOK is...

 Say Everything by Ione Skye (audioBOOK)

Happy reading,

Dorothea 💜

Review - Open (audioBOOK)

 

Open by Andre Agassi (audioBOOK)

OVERVIEW

First off, this memoir was written sixteen years ago. The relationships, memories, and explanations may have changed during this time. Would this book be different if it were written now? We'll never know. 

I enjoyed this memoir, but it was overly long and could have used editing. There could have been an afterward to elaborate on some of Andre's relationships with friends, family, and professional staff as they just seem to disappear from his life. 

At times, it felt like a pity party, and other times like a cautionary tale. The bottom line is that it was a sad story about a sad person who finally finds happiness and love. 

OVERALL REVIEW: 4.0 stars

Writing: 4.5 stars

The writing was good because it was written by a ghostwriter. Unfortunately, Andre dropped out of school in the ninth grade for his tennis career, so he needed help. 

But at times, it seemed full of platitudes and overwrought, especially the tough times during Andre's tennis career.

Narration: 4.5 stars

The narrator was top-notch and did a great job with the male narration. But, the women's narration just grated on me. 

I wish Andre had narrated it himself, as it would have been so powerful and emotional. 

Character Arc: 3.0 stars

The audiobook is fairly chronological, with a few expected backtracks in time. 

Unfortunately, Andre only presents his side of relationships and doesn't take ownership for any that have gone awry. Self-introspection would have been useful for the reader to understand him, his motivations, and his psyche. As usual, I wanted more!

Also, there are many tennis athletes mentioned throughout the book that I didn't know, but it didn't really matter.

 

Memorable:  4.0 stars

The biggest takeaway for me is that parents who live through their children are usually idiots, asses, and wannabes. This was the case with Andre's dad, Mike. 

Just like children on movie sets, the amateur and professional underage athletes also need protection with how they are treated, their earnings, and their safety. This specifically includes parent managers/coaches and "academies" like Nick Bolletterieri, which, not surprisingly, seem to be based in Florida. 

What bothered me most is that his mother, Betty, never stepped in and never stopped this child abuse by his father or by the tennis academies. Yes, I said it: Andre and his siblings were subjected to child abuse, both mental and physical. 

 

Entertaining:   4.0 stars

At times, it was funny. Andre does have a good sense of humor about life and himself. 

I never, ever knew that he wore a hairpiece and that he prematurely balded. His attitude about letting go of the hairpiece and shaving his head was the most powerful story in the memoir. 

Book cover: 5.0 stars

Yes, it was perfect.        

 

Book title: 4.5 stars 

A double-entendre that didn't work.   

 

STRONG recommend

 

STATISTICS

Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) borrow (audioBOOK)

Open by Andre Agassi (audioBOOK)

Random House Audio

18 hours, 4 minutes

Release date of 11/9/2009

 

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Andre Agassi

My Goodreads review

My StoryGraph review

Random House Audio

Los Angeles Public Library

TRIGGER WARNINGS

Drug use, child abuse, cursing, alcohol usage, cancer, pregnancy, bullying

 

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

My next eARC/eBOOK is...

 Austen at Sea by Natalie Jenner (eARC/eBOOK)

Happy reading,

Dorothea 💜

DNR - The Sublet (eARC/eBOOK)

 The Sublet by Greer Hendricks (eARC/eBOOK)

I will not review this short story, an Amazon First Reads freebie for March 2025. 

This short story would have received a score less than 3.0 (Lukewarm Recommend) if reviewed. Plus, I don't believe in a solely negative review. So this is a DNR (Did Not Review). 

Happy reading,

Dorothea 💜

My next eARC/eBOOK is...

 The Sublet by Greer Hendricks (eARC/eBOOK)

Happy reading,

Dorothea 💜

REVIEW - This One Life (physical book)

 This One Life by Amanda Prowse (physical book)

OVERVIEW

Oh, my goodness!! I loved this lovely book by the darling Amanda Prowse. Her books are always real, honest, and enjoyable to read. This book was no exception to the rule! AWESOMENESS!!

This novel tells the story of Madeliene Woods's life. It is her voyage of self-discovery, choice, and career. 

NOTE: I have loved all FIFTEEN of Amanda Prowse's books I have read. So this book is no exception!

FULL DISCLOSURE: I won this book as a giveaway in a private Facebook group. 

TRIGGER WARNING: Pregnancy, sexual situations, medical content

OVERALL REVIEW: 5.0 stars

 

Writing: 5.0 stars

Amanda writes so descriptively, beautifully, and powerfully. The characters, locations, and interactions all seem so real. It is as if I can visualize them all before my eyes! 

 

Character development: 5.0 stars

The main character is Madeleine. Her life is told in two timelines that are perfectly woven together. Madeleine is a career woman who wants to leave her poor upbringing and trade it for a perfect career and life. But life throws her several curveballs in the telling. 

The secondary characters are Doug (Madeleine's father), Marnie (Madeleine's mother), Trina (Madeleine's best friend), and Jimmy (Madeleine's friend). 

The tertiary characters are Rebecca (Madeleine's boss) and Nico (Madeleine's friend). 

There are other important characters, but I cannot say too much or I will ruin the story. 

 

Storyline:  5.0 stars

There are dual storylines - the present day and eight years ago. As Madeleine navigates life with her friends, family, and career, there are many boulders in the road. All of these issues ultimately come to a head when the two timelines intersect. 

Again, I am being vague on purpose, as this blog is a no-spoiler zone!

The main location was London.  

 

Memorable/Informative:   5.0 stars

I never knew about "lock keeper houses" that used to manage the locks for the canals and rivers in London. The more you read, the more you know!

Book cover: 5.0 stars

Cute and funny!

 

Book title: 5.0 stars 

Perfection!     

 

HIGHLY recommend

 

Author gift (author giveaway)

This One Life by Amanda Prowse (physical book)

364 pages 

Lake Union Publishing

Release date: 1/7/2025

 

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Amanda Prowse

My Goodreads review

My StoryGraph review

Lake Union Publishing

 

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

My next audioBOOK is...

 Open by Andre Agassi (audioBOOK)

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

REVIEW - Fearless and Free (audioBOOK)

 

Fearless and Free by Josephine Baker (audiobook)

OVERVIEW

This was a very different memoir than what I am used to, which makes it TOTALLY Josephine Baker. From what little I knew about Josephine before reading this memoir, she was quite the character. 

I really liked this memoir but didn't love it. It was originally published in 1949 in French and is being translated and published in English for the first time. What a life! 

However, this memoir was somewhat superficial and didn't explore her thoughts, feelings, or psyche like most do. But as Josephine would say, "Ooo la la"! This was her memoir, and she did it her way, as if she was was sitting in front of you just chatting in front of her interviewer. 

This novel only covers her life until 1949 and does not cover her later years at all, including her adoption of her children and her civil rights activism. 

TRIGGER ALERT: War, racism, racial slurs, and xenophobia 

OVERALL REVIEW: 4.0 stars

Writing: 4.0 stars

The writing was good because it was in Josephine's own voice. It did have moments when it dragged and was a little slow or monotonous.. 

The two translators also did a fantastic job as this was a 75-year-old memoir. Bravo to them both!

The foreword by Ijeoma Oluo was very well done, added context, and set the stage for this memoir. 

Narration: 5.0 stars

The narration was amazing. Josephine did not narrate her memoir (as I prefer) as she has been gone for quite some time. However, the male and female narrators captured her essence beautifully. 

Character Arc: 3.0 stars

The audiobook is somewhat chronological but highly scattered, as I expect Josephine would have been in person. She obviously had a brilliant mind that was always in overdrive!  

But I wanted more. I wanted Josephine to dig deep into her life and analyze it so we could learn from her personal experiences, especially her childhood and WWII spying.    

 

Memorable:  4.0 stars

Since this memoir was written almost 75 years ago, there was a lot of horrible racism directed directly and indirectly towards Josephine. What shocked me was that this occurred in New York City and was incredibly blatant and obvious. The acceptance by the French people makes it understandable why she felt so much more comfortable in her adopted country of France. 

I do believe that some will focus on her brief diatribe on the conflict between the Jews and Blacks in Harlem. It was a different time, and it was a sad situation, period. 

 

Entertaining:   4.0 stars

This memoir was full of anecdotes, funny stories, and lots of spilled tea (for people of that time). It was dark and sad, especially when Josephine talked about racism, WWII, and her illnesses. 

Additionally, Josephine talks about many characters I didn't know who they were, but I could follow due to the context. Their names and what they did didn't matter as this memoir was about Josephine.

 

Book cover: 5.0 stars

Beautiful.       

 

Book title: 5.0 stars 

Perfect.  

 

DEFINITE recommend

 

STATISTICS

Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) borrow (audioBOOK)

Fearless and Free by Josephine Baker (audiobook)

Penguin Audio

8 hours, 42 minutes

Original release date of 1/1/1949

Rerelease date of 2/4/2025

 

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Josephine Baker

My Goodreads review

My StoryGraph review

Penguin Audio

Los Angeles Public Library

 

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

REVIEW - My Name is Emilia del Valle

My Name is Emilia del Valle by Isabel Allende (eARC/eBOOK)

OVERVIEW

This was another mythical realism/historical fiction novel by Isabel Allende. It was a beautifully written book, but it didn't deliver for me and will not be one of my favorites by this incredible author. 

It was about a journey of self-discovery by Emilia del Valle in Chile, her father's homeland. So much heartache, pain, and true wonderment occur while she is there. 

TRIGGER WARNING: Violence, guns, murder, assassination, war, racism, sexism, xenophobia, sexual violence, and genocide

OVERALL REVIEW: 3.5 stars

 

Writing: 5.0 stars

As always, Isabel writes in pure poetry. Her vivid descriptions of life in San Francisco and Chile are simple yet incredibly beautiful. She writes powerfully, instinctively, and from the heart and soul. No one writes like La Reina, Isabel Allende. 

 

Character development: 3.0 stars

Unfortunately, the character development was weak. The characters were only developed on a very superficial level. 

The main character is Emilia del Valle. She is vividly portrayed as a wanderer, seeker, and writer, but there is limited depth as to her motives, psyche, and innermost thoughts. 

The secondary characters are Papo (Emilia's stepfather), Molly (Emilia's mother), and Eric (Emilia's best friend). 

The tertiary characters were Americans in San Francisco and Chile, Chilean loyalists and rebels in the Chilean Civil War of 1891 (Civil War), various military and governmental figures, the Civil War, and the country of Chile.

Many historical figures and minor characters were mentioned in this novel, but they are too numerous to mention.   

 

Storyline:  3.0 stars

The storyline started out slowly to set everything up. But it included some extraneous side stories, such as Emilia's trip to New York City. As I understood the premise of this novel, it was to be a story about a young woman and her self-discovery. 

But once the story got moving before the Civil War in Chile, then the overwhelming detail of the Civil War took over. The violent descriptions and the visualizations of war made it all about the before, during, and after of this senseless Civil War. It was exceedingly wasteful and horrific, which all wars are, but it was not really about Emilia, period.

The main locations were San Francisco, New York City, and Chile. 

 

Memorable/Informative:   3.0 stars

The violence of this Civil War will stay with me. It was not what I expected to read about, and at times, it felt gratuitous. 

 

Book cover: 4.0 stars

Pretty!

 

Book title: 3.0 stars 

It really wasn't the appropriate title.     

 

Recommend

 

NetGalley ARC (eARC/eBOOK)

My Name is Emilia del Valle by Isabel Allende

304 pages 

Ballantine Books

FUTURE release date is 5/6/2025

 

INFORMATIONAL LINKS

Isabel Allende

My Goodreads review

My StoryGraph review

Ballantine Books

NetGalley

 

Happy reading, 

Dorothea 💜

My next (physical) book is...

 This One Life by Amanda Prowse (physical book)

Happy reading,

Dorothea 💜