Sometimes when I read historical fiction, I will find a book that has it all: characters that feel like someone I would know in real life, a setting that is so captivating that even when I'm not reading the novel, I'm thinking about it and the opportunity to learn about an event or period of time that I'm not familiar with or can't get enough of.  We Came Here to Shine checked every one of those of boxes.

Set at the 1939 World's Fair in New York, Vivi has come from Hollywood to star in the Aquacade show with promises that if she does well a starring movie role awaits her return.  Max is a journalism student with high hopes of being placed with the Times for her internship, only to find out that instead she has been assigned to Today at the Fair, the daily newspaper associated with the World's Fair.  Vivi and Max cross paths at the Fair and forge a quick bond.  While two very different personalities, they see each other strengths and weaknesses and promise to encourage each other to reach for their dreams.  

I absolutely loved this book.  All of the descriptions of the World's Fair and Aquacade were so vivid, I believe it was the next best thing to experiencing it first hand.  Vivi and Max's characters were flawed, yet perfect in a way.  I also loved the little hints to the author's other novel The Subway Girls, that was also one of my favorite historical fiction reads.  I couldn't help but wish my Mom was also around to read this book.  She loved Johnny Weissmuller and of course, Esther Williams, so I know she would have enjoyed this book as much as I did.  It is truly a great read and perfect for historical fiction fans looking for an immersive read.  

I received this book courtesy of St. Martin's Press through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  

The Girl from Widow Hills was the first book that I have read by Megan Miranda and I can assure you that it won't be my last.  This book kept me reading late into the night and was full of all the twists and turns needed to create a 5 star thrilling read.  

Arden Maynor was just a little girl when she became headline news for her sleepwalking disappearance and miraculous rescue days later.  Now, it is the 20th anniversary of the event and Arden Maynor has finally escaped all the notoriety, starting a life for herself miles away from Widow Hills as Olivia Meyer.  Even though Olivia has tried to put the past behind her, it is never too far out of sight.  Olivia awakens outside of her house and realizes she has been sleepwalking again.  Soon sleep becomes ever more elusive and she feels like she is being watched.  I don't want to give away too many spoilers, because you will want to read each and every nuance of this story for yourself.  

I highly recommend this thriller and know you will find yourself as drawn in as I was. I was surprised many different times during the book and the plot kept me engaged.  I received this book courtesy of Simon and Schuster via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

There are so many things that I really love about Lauren K. Denton's writing: the authentic Southern settings, the well developed characters that I build a bond with over the pages and the journey each novel takes me on.  The Summer House was the perfect summer read and I enjoyed every page.

Lily Bishop has just relocated to Foley, Alabama with her new husband Worth.  As she is preparing to go house shopping, she finds out he has been preparing for a divorce.  Suddenly her whole world is turned on end and Lily must find out which side is up.  She turns back to what she knows best: cutting and styling hair with a new job at the Safe Harbor Retirement Village.  Rose Carrigan runs the retirement village and keeps everything in order.  Something about Lily's situation breaks through Rose's tough exterior and they develop an unlikely alliance.  Both Rose and Lily see so much of their lives change over the course of the summer and as a reader, you will be transported right along with them.

This novel was a perfect immersive read. With so many unique characters living in the retirement village, combined with the fact that I would love to learn more about how Lily and Rose's lives continue, a sequel would definitely interest me.  

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

The concept of this book intrigued me as I love historical fiction mixed with a present day tie-in.  The Berachah Home for the Redemption and Protection of Erring Girls built in 1903 in Arlington, Texas provides the backdrop for the meeting of Lizzie Bates and Mattie McBride.  Their shared situation brings the two women to forge a sisterly friendship that will stand the test of time and many other tribulations.  In present day, university librarian Cate Sutton uncovers information in the archives about the Berachah Home and its residents.  She feels drawn to these women and their stories, inspiring her to deal with issues from her past as well.  

I thought the stories of Lizzie and Mattie were so interesting and compelling.  The fact that this home actually existed that long ago and touched so many lives was inspiring.  I failed to connect as much with Cate and found her portion of the story somewhat of a distraction for me.  I couldn't connect the importance of her assistant Laurel's character with the narrative.  That said, I did enjoy the book but just felt more drawn to the historical component.  

I received this book courtesy of Crown Publishing through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  

I loved the concept of The Second Chance Boutique.  Francesca Delaney has built her wedding dress business around some simple concepts:  1) Never covet a dress and 2) Never sell a dress that led to a doomed marriage.  Fran researches all of her shop's vintage wedding dresses to find the stories behind each one, the brides that wore them and the marriages that were created.  Fran has recently discovered a very unusual and beautiful vintage gown, but as she is tracking down the story of its bride, she crosses paths with Rafael Colt, whose mother and grandmother wore the gown.  Rafael is the ultimate playboy, but he is also a philanthropist heading up his family's foundation.  He and Fran consistently butt heads over almost everything, but sometimes love and hate are more closely related than we realize.

I did love the parts of the stories about connecting the brides with the unique dresses described and simply the concept of the wedding dress shop itself.  I felt that the exchanges between Fran and Rafael were a bit contrived and somewhat predictable.  I would have preferred their relationship to have developed a little differently in order to be more believable for me.

I received this book courtesy of Sourcebooks Landmark through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  
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This love story really took me through a range of emotions as I read it from cover to cover.  Missy Carmichael is 79 years old and finds herself in a new world that she isn't sure she is ready to be in.  Her son and grandson live in far away Australia; her relationship with her daughter is tenuous, at best; and the love of her life is gone.  Missy doesn't expect a spur of the moment trip to a local park to have such a tremendous impact.  Suddenly two complete strangers are making their way through all of Missy's barriers and finding a place in her life.      

The characters in this novel are so well written and real.  I would go from being a cheerleader for Missy to feeling she had let me down and then back to empathizing with her.  All of the relationships were unique and compelling.  It was a wonderful transformative journey to go through with Missy and I am grateful for reading this book.  What seems like a simple story in some ways is so multi-layered and touching that I will remember it for some time.  

I received this novel courtesy of Penguin Group Putnam, G.P. Putman Sons in exchange for an honest review.  

I fell in love with the cozy small-town of Winsome after reading The Printed Letter Bookshop so I was so thrilled to pickup Of Literature and Lattes and fall right back into that wonderful setting.  

While also being set in the same town, Of Literature and Lattes could truly be read as a standalone novel.  There are some familiar characters that appear but this novel introduces new individuals to the town.  The book primarily focuses on Jeremy Mitchell who has just moved to Winsome and taken over ownership of the local coffee shop and Alyssa Harrison, a Winsome local that is returning from Silicon Valley after a workplace scandal.  Both of these characters seem to be running from their past, and perhaps into each other's future.  

The author does an amazing job creating the town of Winsome and the cast of beloved characters.  Each character seems so realistic that that truly come to life off the page.  I think most readers would find many, if not all, of the characters relatable.  I very much hope that she will continue to explore the lives of the residents of Winsome, because I'm just not ready to let any of them go.  I just want to stroll the streets and visit The Printed Letter Bookshop, the coffee shop Andante, and the other quaint shops I envision there.  

I received this book courtesy of Thomas Nelson Fiction through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  

Little does she know but 17 year old Maddie Bright is embarking on a life changing journey.  Maddie has just taken a job serving the handsome Edward, Prince of Wales on his tour across Australia.  She's quickly drawn into the glamour and luxury of it all.  She makes fast friends with Helen Burns and develops a deep respect for her boss Mr. Waters.  Of course, she finds the Prince charming and identifies with his kind spirit.  However, Maddie soon learns that she can't rely on first impressions and love isn't always quite so simple.

In 1997, the world changed when we learned of Princess Diana's death.  Journalist Victoria Byrd has been asked to cover her death while she's also been given an exclusive opportunity to interview the elusive author M.A. Bright, who apparently has written a sequel to her bestselling novel Autumn Leaves.  On top of that, Victoria is trying to balance her own life as the girlfriend of an international superstar actor.  Like Diana, Victoria finds herself the prey of paparazzi looking for that money shot.  

I truly enjoyed Lost Autumn, reading the majority of the book in one setting.  I did have some trouble following the three different timelines in the beginning, but once I got that sorted, I couldn't put the book down.  Lost Autumn felt original and unique.  It made me interested in the real story of Prince Edward and later his marriage to Wallis Simpson.  Of course, the section dealing with Princess Diana's death connected me with the novel, as I still vividly remember where I was when I heard the news and also watching her funeral.  I thought the author did an excellent job creating strong female characters that were relatable.  I look forward to going back and reading the author's earlier works In Falling Snow and Swimming Home.

I received this book courtesy of G.P. Putnam's Sons, Penguin Publishing Group through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.  

I have so enjoyed reading the Lost Castle trilogy and The Painted Castle was a wonderful way to conclude the series.  

The Painted Castle tells the story of Keira Foley.  She has been working at her family's pub after returning from the States.  A mysterious stranger offers her a lucrative week-long job to survey a piece of art, and, Keira hopes, to put her life back in order.  What Keira finds when she arrives at the castle catches her off guard and she is immediately drawn into the mystery behind the painting.  

Equally compelling are the stories of Amelia and Elizabeth.  Amelia is trying to manage the castle during World War II, following the death of her husband.  The Allied Forces must lodge in the castle and that combined with the hundreds of children she is caring for at the castle turns things on end.  Amelia is dealing with the grief of losing her husband and trying to live through these grim times, but should she open her heart to love again.

Elizabeth is a talented artist living in Victorian England.  As a child, her father was murdered before her eyes and she has forever since been searching for his killer.  Elizabeth finds herself betrothed to a viscount, not entirely of her own choosing, and the more she finds out about him, the more concerned she becomes.  

It is very interesting to see how the separate plot lines come together, as well as concluding the stories of the Foley family.  I love how the books in this trilogy can be read independently or as part of a series.  I am glad to have discovered Kristy Cambron and look forward to reading more books written by her.  

I received this book courtesy of Thomas Nelson through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  

Such a Fun Age takes an in-depth look at the ways privilege, race, and the meaning of family.  The story begins with 25 year old Emira being called on her evening off to rush to the rescue of her young charge Briar.  Emira, who had been celebrating a friend's birthday, receives a telephone call from Mrs. Chamberlain that asks her to come to the house, no matter her dress or situation, because she needs Emira to take Briar somewhere for awhile so the police can take a vandalism report about their house.  Emira would do anything for Briar, so of course, she swoops Briar up and takes her Market Depot to do one of Briar's favorite things, look at all the different kinds of nuts.  While they are there, another customer becomes suspicious of Emira's attire and her intentions with Briar.  Enter the security guard who begins to question what an black woman is doing with a white child at this hour of the night. 

What I liked about Such a Fun Age was the relationship between Emira and Briar.  That narrative felt very genuine and was well developed.  I also appreciated how the author was able to tie up the story in the end.  For myself, it was somewhat difficult to relate to the various characters in the book, but I did appreciate the topics being considered and thought the author did so in a thought provoking way.  

I received this book courtesy of G.P. Putnam & Sons Penguin Publishing Group through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.