A murder mystery centering around a New York speakeasy during prohibition sounded like a book I definitely needed to read.  Vivian Kelly spends her days working at a dress shop and her nights dancing for hours at the Nightingale.  So when she discovers the body of a man in the alley behind the Nightingale, which is followed by police raid that may put everything she loves about the Nightingale in jeopardy, Vivian has to investigate the murder and find out who is behind it.  

I enjoyed the mystery aspect of the book, but felt like some portions of the book could have been tightened up a little.  The interactions between Vivian and her sister at times felt like it was the same conversation over and over about Vivian going out and her sister disliking it.  I know that it is important to the storyline, but just felt those interactions could have been slightly shorter.  I liked Vivian's character and it was fun to read about a strong woman during that time period.  

Overall, it was an enjoyable read full of memorable diverse characters.  I received this book through NetGalley courtesy of the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  

The Grand Design had me from the beginning!  I love a historical fiction novel that transports me completely, and I gives me the opportunity to learn about something, someone or somewhere new.  The Grand Design hit all those boxes.  

My best friend had been to the Greenbrier Resort, but other than hearing about her trip, I really wasn't familiar with the Resort or its famous designer Dorothy Draper.  The story is told in a split time line where we meet Dorothy as a young lady in the early 1900s staying at Greenbrier Resort with her family.  She feels the societal constraints so tightly around her, and simply knows she wants something different for her life.  She meets Enzo, a young Italian race car driver, and her heart is immediately taken  but their path is not so easily laid out for them.  In 1946, Dorothy Draper is now a rising interior designer who has been hired to return the Greenbrier Resort to its former glory and establish it as the place for stars and high society to visit.  

The descriptions of the Greenbrier Resort and Ms. Draper's designs are captured so vividly that when I looked at photos online they were exactly as I had envisioned them.  I absolutely fell in love with this story and am now trying to figure out when I can plan a trip to West Virginia to visit the Greenbrier in person.  I had not heard of Dorothy Draper before and am in awe of her story and accomplishments.  

The Grand Design gets all the love from me and a five star rating.  I received this book courtesy of the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  

Metropolis is a really unique approach to a suspense filled novel.  I have enjoyed B.A. Shapiro's previous novels that typically have some connection to the art world, and Metropolis is very different yet also gives a nod to the photography art world.  

All the characters are connected in some way through the storage facility known as Metropolis.  The reader knows from the beginning that something has occurred to cause the storage facility to close, with some of the tenants leaving everything in their units behind.  As each chapter unfolds, we learn more about the various tenants in the building, why they were renting space there and what their connection is to each other.  I really enjoyed the diverse cast of characters and how they were each so well developed and unique.  You could find some relatable quality to almost everyone and were drawn into their stories.  I felt the story was well paced and intriguing, unlike anything I've read.  

Metropolis would make an interesting book club discussion book and also would be an excellent summer beach read.  I received this book courtesy of the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  

I could not have been more excited about this book since it was going to be a new spinoff series by one of my favorite authors.  I have treasured the Tradd Street books and to know that this new series would feature Nola, the daughter of the main characters from the Tradd Street novels, in another historic locale New Orleans, I was hooked from the start.  

The Shop on Royal Street is a wonderful kickoff to a new series that pays tribute to the Tradd Street series in its own way but certainly can be read as a stand alone or as a great entry point to Karen White's books.  Set several years after the end of the Tradd Street series, Nola has returned to New Orleans with plans to purchase a historic home and restore it.  She is ready for a fresh start and to leave her past troubles behind her.  Not everyone is on board with Nola's decision to renovate and restore the home, particularly knowing that it was the site of a murder, but Nola is determined that this house is the perfect home for her.   Her path crosses again with Beau Ryan, and much to Nola's frustration, she agrees to accept his help with the renovations.  As the restoration progresses, so does the mystery surrounding the murder that occurred in the home.  It will take both Nola and Beau along with help from some friends to set the restless spirits in the house free.  

I loved many of the new cast of characters, particularly Jolene.  I can't wait for more books in the series as the plot develops and the characters continue to grow.  

I received this book courtesy of the publisher through NetGalley.  

I've always been fascinated by the lost colony of Roanoke since I was in elementary school so, of course, I couldn't wait to read The Lost Book of Eleanor Dare.  

Alice was set to receive the Lost Book of Eleanor Dare when her mother's death upended her world and the book was left behind when Alice moved from Evertell, her family home.  Now years later, Alice must return to Evertell to settle her father's estate and she brings along her daughter Penn for the journey.  They are both still struggling following the death of Penn's father/Alice's husband during World War II and Alice hopes to bring some of the spark back into Penn's eyes with a change of scenery.  Penn falls in love with Evertell and her family's history as descendants of Eleanor Dare, spending hours pouring over all of the writings in the Lost Book, but unbeknownst to her, Alice has kept some of the pages for herself in hopes of resolving the conflict from her own childhood.

While I enjoyed this book, I was hoping for more narrative about Roanoke, but the book is well written and the characters are captivating.  The setting is so well depicted that you can truly envision roaming Evertell yourself.  I received this book courtesy of the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  

Caroline Payne receives a call out of the blue from Mat Hammond, an old college friend.  Mat says he is writing a story about her great-aunt and a well kept family secret that she was a traitor during WWII.  Caroline knows this has to be wrong since her aunt died at a young age and was never alive during WWII.  Soon Caroline learns that everything she thought was true has all been a lie.  She realizes she must uncover the truth and try to heal this family wound.  She heads to London to dive into her grandmother's diaries and letters in hopes of finding out the truth.  

I found Caro's (Caroline's great-aunt) story along with Margo's (Caroline's grandmother) diaries very interesting.  I did at times feel like it was a bit hard to follow since the letters and diaries aren't read in order and it also goes back and forth between present day and the past.  I also had some difficulties with the way the book tried to mirror the characters lives and struggles, past and present.  At times, that part felt a little contrived.   Understandably, the characters all seem quite tragic and broken, but the book does leave room for healing now that the truth has been uncovered.  

I received this book courtesy of the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  

I'm really conflicted about my thoughts on this book.  On one hand, I was drawn into the story and connected to the characters for the first half of the book.  Then when the script is quite literally flipped, I became disconnected and honestly, almost felt like it was a bait and switch.  It seemed to me like it could have been two separate books that were mashed into one narrative.  I had this same struggle with The Book of Two Ways as well.  I always appreciated how Jodi Picoult could take an issue and make me see it from a perspective I had never considered before.  I felt her novels were eye-opening and they were books that I wanted to discuss with my friends.  Unfortunately, her last two novels have left me feeling disappointed.  I find it hard to relate to the dream/alternate reality type novels when they are presented in this way.  I received this book courtesy of the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  

Brighter by the Day was exactly what I needed in my life right now.  The messages that Robin Roberts pens in this book are so authentic and uplifting.  I am always impressed with how she is able to be so relatable and speak to me from the pages with words that resonate so deeply.  

I don't consider myself a person that follows celebrities or public personalities.  I always find people I meet in real life to be the ones that I admire the most.  However, I have become a follower of Robin Roberts over the last few years.  I watched her MasterClass on communication and was drawn in by her positivity, down to earth personality and genuine nature.  I then read her book Everybody's Got Something and it just reaffirmed everything I took from her MasterClass.  When I heard about Brighter by the Day, I was thrilled.  I had another chance to soak up all her brightness and authentic words.  

I highly recommend Brighter by The Day for all readers.  It is a beautiful reminder of so many real moments in life and how to choose joy for yourself.  Brighter by the Day is the kind of book you want to gift to all your friends and family.  I've already been sharing with my friends many of Robin's messages that spoke to me.  I continue to be inspired by her and know that you will too.

I received this book courtesy of the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  I also borrowed the audio book from our local library so I could hear Robin read the book in her own voice, which I believe, enhanced my reading of the book.    

I've been wanting to visit Biltmore Estate for years, so when I heard about The Wedding Veil, it was the perfect opportunity for me to visit with a journey inside the pages of this book.  

"Four women.  One family heirloom.  A secret connection that will change their lives --and history as they know it."  

Julia Baxter has dreamed since she was a little girl of wearing the family heirloom wedding veil that was gifted to her great-grandmother by a mysterious woman on a train in the 1930s, and has brought love and luck to her family ever since.  On the eve of her wedding day, Julia receives a video message of her fiancee with another woman and her world is suddenly turned on end.  She calls off the wedding and takes her honeymoon alone so she can sort out what her future holds.  

Babs, Julia's grandmother, is also learning to navigate new waters.  Her husband Reid was the love of her life and with him gone, Babs is lonely and afraid, but she is hoping a move to the new retirement community will help her find a path forward.  

Edith Dresser Vanderbilt and her daughter Cornelia Vanderbilt have just suffered the terrible loss of Edith's husband and Cornelia's father George Vanderbilt.  How will Edith keep Biltmore Estate going and how will Cornelia deal with the bright spotlight that is being shown on her?  

Learning about the women behind Biltmore Estate and also the way the Biltmore Estate developed over the years was fascinating.  I appreciated the balance of Julia's story as a young woman finding her way and Babs' story of a more experienced woman finding new ways to grow.   It was a satisfying book, that was at times slightly predictable, but I wouldn't have had it any other way.  

I received this book courtesy of the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  

Nancy Mitford's husband is fighting in the war and her allowance has been cut, so when the opportunity to work at the Heywood Hill book shop arises, Nancy is quick to take the job.  She isn't certain if she has any more books left to write and working at the book shop more than fills her days, until a French soldier arrives and stirs something new in Nancy.

In present day, Katy Cabot feels that her writing career is over and her personal life is also in shambles.  Her best friend JoJo buys her a plane ticket to come to London for a visit.   On a visit to the Heywood Hill book shop, Katy encounters a handsome stranger who is searching for the missing biography of Nancy Mitford.  It just so happens that Nancy Mitford was the subject to Katy's senior thesis and she is intrigued by the idea of a missing biography.  

Of course, the title of this book hooked me from the start.  I was not familiar with Nancy Mitford or her family so that also sparked my interest.  Katy, in particular, made me laugh out loud at times with her banter and the situations she would find herself in.  If strong language bothers you, I would mention that the present day narrative does use some, but it also plays into the character development.  

I enjoyed the unique plot of this story and found both storylines equally compelling.  I can definitely see how this would be a great book club choice or could lead the reader into other books to learn more, since you could tie in other books about the Mitford family or even reading The Pursuit of Love and watching the film.  

I received this book courtesy of the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.