The Lost Girl of Berlin - Ella Carey

 The truck stopped for a moment in the freezing, bombed-out street and Kate caught sight of a little

girl in a ragged dress on the steps of a once-beautiful mansion. The child’s eyes were startling blue, a pair of endless pools, drawing Kate towards her…

1946, Berlin. War correspondent Kate Mancini is in Germany, reporting on the aftermath of the devastating war. For her readers back home in New York, she tells the stories of innocent families, trying to rebuild the wreckage of their lives now the soldiers have left at last. But in the Russian-held sector of Berlin on an icy winter’s day, Kate breaks all the rules, rescuing Mia Stein, a silent orphan who she fears will otherwise perish.

Together with her fellow journalist, handsome Rick Shearer, Kate manages to find a safe house for Mia before she returns to America and vows to keep in touch. Back home, the reality of post-war life for women is stark. Whilst Rick walks into his dream job, no newspaper will hire a woman. The editors laugh her out of their offices, telling her to get married and raise a family. Rick does all he can to support her, as she takes her first steps towards the new medium of television news, and their friendship deepens into something more.

Then tragedy strikes: Rick is falsely named as a communist sympathizer. He is arrested, blacklisted and faces prison.

Kate knows she must do all she can to free the man she loves. But that means returning to Germany, to seek out the little orphan girl who is her only chance at salvation. Kate and Rick saved Mia—will she help them both now? And even if Kate succeeds, freedom might never be hers when she returns home…

From Amazon Charts bestseller Ella Carey comes an utterly heartbreaking historical novel, inspired by true events, about the courage, love and friendships that sustain us in the darkest of days. Fans of Fiona Davis, All the Light We Cannot See and My Name is Eva will be totally captivated.

Author Bio:

Ella Carey is the international bestselling author of The Things We Don’t Say, Secret Shores, From a Paris Balcony, The House by the Lake, and Paris Time Capsule. Her books have been published in over fourteen languages, in twelve countries, and have been shortlisted for ARRA awards. A Francophile who has long been fascinated by secret histories set in Europe’s entrancing past, Ella has degrees in music, nineteenth-century women’s fiction, and modern European history. She lives in Melbourne with her two children and two Italian greyhounds who are constantly mistaken for whippets.

Ella loves to connect with her readers regularly through her facebook page and on her website.

http://www.ellacarey.com/

https://www.facebook.com/ellacareyauthor/

https://twitter.com/Ella_Carey

Buy Link:

Amazon: https://bit.ly/3dK8lEK

My Review

This is the second book in the Daughters of New York series. While they are a series, you don't have to have read the previous book as the storyline does not continue. The previous characters do appear very briefly, but the continuity has more to do with location and the themes that are covered. Like book one, The Lost Girl of Berlin deals with women finding their place and challenging their roles in the male drive world of post-war America. This story deals with Katia, a successful journalist, who finds that now men are back from war and getting all of the jobs, she's lucky if she gets to cover fashion, cooking, and other 'women's' issues rather than the politics that she knows so much about.
There is an element of romance in this story, it isn't the main theme here but rather plays out alongside everything else that is happening and in many ways is used as a way to show how women were viewed and treated. If they wanted to have a career and be successful, then there was no chance of marriage.
The Lost Girl of Berlin also plays a large part in the story. The book begins with her being found by Katia and Rick, alone by her abandoned home in Berlin. Although she doesn't appear in person very much, thoughts of her are what drives Katia a lot of the time.
This was a gripping read and I was desperate to know what would happen to the various characters. It touched on many topics, but they were all woven together expertly to produce a complete storyline that didn't feel artificial or forced. Instead, I found myself carried along and dying to know what was going to happen to Katia, Rick, Biannca, Mia, and Frances. It isn't the kind of book that I would necessarily reach for immediately, but in this case, I'm glad that I did and I'd recommend that you do the same.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Pieces of Eight - Tricia Leedom

Pieces of Eight
Tricia Leedom
(Lost Souls’ Treasure, #1)
Published by: Firefly Hill Press
Publication date: July 13th 2021
Genres: Adult, Adventure, Romance

From the author who whisked you away on a wild escapade in The Key West Escape Series comes a sexy, adventure-packed spin off. Follow Mitch Thompson and his team of misfits as they find danger, intrigue, and romance on the hunt for the legendary Lost Souls’ Treasure…

Former special ops aviator Griffin Dodge spent two years working on a marine salvage crew based out of Key West after his military career abruptly ended.
The only person he let himself get close to on the Salty Dog Crew was a woman called “Bug.” They couldn’t have been more different – the former all-star golden boy from the Midwest and the scrappy French circus performer turned salvage diver – but she became his best friend. Griff was happier than he’d been in a long time, but when his first love called to say she wanted him back, he caught the next flight out of town.

A year later, Bug still resents Griff for ghosting her and the crew after he left. She’s furious when he shows up out of the blue to do a favor for her boss. It doesn’t matter that Griff is single again or that he’s sorry, she hates that she’s stuck flying shotgun to Martinique beside the guy who abandoned their friendship and betrayed her trust.

The trip was supposed to take two days tops. Just enough time to meet with an artifact collector who claims to have the missing pages of a diary that could lead them to The Lost Souls’ Treasure. But when the deal goes south, and Griff and Bug are caught breaking and entering, they’re forced to escape up the side of a volcano where the lava isn’t the only thing about to bubble over. The tension between them erupts into an unexpected night of passion that leaves them both uncertain about what comes next.

While Griff starts to question if settling down in the suburbs still fits the man he’s become, Bug isn’t so sure she’s willing to open her guarded-heart to the only man who’s ever broke it.

When a rival treasure hunter hellbent on beating the Salty Dog Crew to the treasure takes Bug hostage, Griff realizes his future plans won’t matter, if he can’t bring his best friend home alive.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

Author Bio:

TRICIA LEEDOM enjoys traveling to exotic destinations and having torrid love affairs with hot, dangerous men… even if it’s only in her own mind. When she’s not writing romantic adventure novels, she reads voraciously, tweets compulsively, and fangirls over a TV show based on her favorite book series. Tricia earned her BA in Creative Writing from The University of Tampa and her MFA in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University. Her favorite authors include Diana Gabaldon, J.R. Ward, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Karen Robards, and Johanna Lindsey. She lives in Southwest Florida with two very spoiled dogs. Follow Tricia on Twitter and Instagram @tricialeedom

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

My Review

Pieces of Eight is a friends to lovers story with an action/suspense storyline. Griff and Bug were best friends who worked together, but when Griff's long term on again off again girlfriend got back in touch, he ran off leaving Bug behind. Not only is she mad about the way that he left, but she's had a huge secret crush on him for all of that time.

I wasn't sure how I was going to get on with a heroine called Bug, it is just a nickname, but even so, seemed a little strange. I managed to get past that once I was into the story though.  She and Griff are clearly well suited, they just get one another and while he's never seen Bug as much more than a friend, there's clearly a connection there.

Griff isn't a particularly nice guy, he completely takes Bug for granted and treats her feelings quite callously. Although she tries to backtrack on her feelings for him, it's obvious he knows how she really feels. He does redeem himself somewhat towards the end of the book and Bug is certainly left happy and getting what she wants. I'm just not sure that what she thinks she wants is really all that great for her.

Overall this was an entertaining read with plenty of intrigue and action. It's the start of a series and I'd be interested to see where it might go next.

GIVEAWAY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hosted by:

Savage - Anna Ray

 He scares the living daylights out of me. But not for the reasons he might think. And that scares me even more.

Hazel

He’s magnetic. Tall and commanding.
Heartbreakingly gorgeous.
Borne of ice. Ruthless.
Dangerous.
And his dark, mesmerizing gaze is locked onto me.
This man is fantasy in the flesh.
Callum O’Daire.
Darling of Boston’s moneyed society and king of the underworld.
And I’m here to ask a favour from this soulless creature. Beg, if I have to.
I despise him. Body and soul.

Callum

Hazel Brentwood.
Even from a distance, she’s striking.
Stands out.
Eyes like dark gold that glittered with fire and untapped passion.
She needs my help. But I hate the Brentwoods.
All of them.
Old money that covers sins and crimes that will never be answered to
The very thing keeping Hazel so pampered and pretty.
Blood money.
If anyone’s going to tear her to shreds, to destroy her, it’s going to be me.
My way.

Sultry stares, passionate embraces, and suspense await you inside Savage. This enemies-to-lovers mafia romance will have you flipping the pages, begging Callum or Hazel to make the first move!

My Review

This was a bit of an unusual 'romance.' There was certainly chemistry between our hero and heroines and the relationship between them developed into something more than attraction, but in many ways, this book had more of a mystery element to it. I think that this was partly because there was something about it that reminded me of Raymond Chandler novels. That sounds a bit odd and it's perhaps not an obvious similarity, but there was something there.

Hazel and Callum both have things that they want to get to the bottom of and while Callum does his best to keep Hazel out of things, it's clear that she's not going to let him find out everything on her own. She might have grown up in a privileged world, but she has plenty of grit and determination.

This was a really good read. A romance with a really big helping of mystery and with plenty of twists and turns before we get to the end. 

Tell Me S'more - Beth Merlin

Tell Me S’more
Beth Merlin
(The Campfire Series, #4)
Published by: Firefly Hill Press
Publication date: May 25th 2021
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary

“A beautifully written contemporary romance, with plenty of enjoyable comedy, it challenges us to evaluate our lives and make big decisions on who we want to be and not necessarily what everyone expects us to be.” – Adventures in Lit about The Campfire Series

Camp Chinooka was supposed to be a place of inspiration, the place where Perry Gilman would finally compose his symphonic masterpiece. But four years later, Perry Gillman isn’t any closer to his dream of becoming a world renowned musician. Instead, he fell love in with Gigi Goldstein and he thought that love would be enough. Now, struggling to find the right subject for a new musical while hustling as a piano player at a local jazz bar, he can’t help but measure his own shortcomings to his famous father’s monstrous success. So, when he stumbles onto the idea to write a musical about the life and times of Elizabeth I, everything finally changes. The musical is an international sensation and suddenly, Perry is on the fast track to super stardom.

However, fame and success come at a price. When his relationship with Gigi is thrown into a tailspin, he must decide whether to follow his dream for which he fought for so long or sacrifice it all for true love.

Told from Perry’s perspective, Tell Me S’more shows that there are two sides to every story and a cost to every choice.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

Author Bio:

Beth Merlin has a BA from The George Washington University where she minored in Creative Writing and a JD from New York Law School. She’s a native New Yorker who loves anything Broadway, rom-coms, her daughter Hadley, and a good maxi dress. She was introduced to her husband through a friend she met at sleepaway camp and considers the eight summers she spent there to be some of the most formative of her life. One S’more Summer is Beth’s debut novel.

Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

My Review

It's always hard when you come to a series mid-way through. Will it work as a standalone? Will I understand what's happening? While I think that both of these are true for Tell me s'more, I do think I would probably have enjoyed it, even more, had I read the other books first.

This isn't a romance really, although perhaps the series as a whole might fall into that. Really, it tells the story of Perry and his slightly troubled relationship with his father and how that drives him to really chase his dreams and be all that he can be. His relationship does suffer alongside the growth of his career and this made for an interesting read, but with not having read previous books, I hadn't really got the connection between Perry and Gigi. By the end of it, I was invested in if Perry was going to be successful, but I wasn't bothered one way or another about their relationship. As I say, I'm sure that this might be different if I had read the other books. 

Perry is supposed to be British, I say supposed to be because I just didn't really see him as being a Brit. I think much of this is because the author made lots of little mistakes that probably wouldn't be noticed unless you were from the UK yourself. These weren't major things, just streets with numbers as high as 1112, which is almost unknown and certainly not likely where they were. Talking about Grammar school, when talking of secondary school years (even someone who went to a grammar would be unlikely to refer to it as such) being charged to go into the V and A. At one point he mentions the fourth year as being the same as a senior in the US. Again, such a minor thing, but fourth-year is around 14 years old, upper sixth would be nearer to the senior year, in any case, it's not a term that's been used for nearly thirty years as they are now year seven, eight, nine, etc. As I say, not something that would probably even be noticed by many people, but there was so many that they just built up and irritated me.

This was an interesting and entertaining read, it wasn't quite what I was expecting, but was good all the same. There's clearly still more to come with this story and I'm not sure where it will go next.

GIVEAWAY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hosted by: