Life in 1950s North Carolina requires hard work, but 12 year old Martha "Sonny" Creech feels most at home alongside her father in the cotton fields.  Sonny shares with her father the gift of divining water. This special bond between them draws the relationship even closer. That is all shattered in an instant and life for the Creech family takes a dramatic turn.  Soon their neighbor Frank Fowler begins coming around and its clear he truly is a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde type. His influence in their lives brings a definite change to the entire Creech family.  

The Forgiving Kind is a coming of age story that also deals with some other weighty topics.  I found myself drawn into the book at times, but then found the pacing of the novel dragging at other times. It could be due to the heavy topics being handled, and also the just genuine meanness of some of the characters. So to that note, I would say character development was indeed very well written.  

I received this book courtesy of Kensington Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  

The Lost Girls of Paris grabbed me from the very beginning.  Grace Healey is drawn to an abandoned suitcase in Grand Central station and somewhat out of character for her, she opens the suitcase to find, among other items, 12 photographs of young women.  She takes the photos and finds herself on a quest to determine who these women are and what has become of them.  Her search leads to her discovery that the suitcase belonged to Eleanor Tripp, who was a leader of young women sent into the war as secret agents.  Grace begins following the threads of this story to weave together the full picture of the women and their fates.  

The story of Eleanor and the other young female agents is so engaging and truly had me turning pages at a quick pace.  I loved this group of strong, intelligent, courageous female characters.  The writing transports you right into the middle of Occupied Europe and the intensity of the situation.  I highly recommend this book which was a five star read for me.  I loved how Grace unraveled the story and brought it full circle.  

I received this book courtesy of Park Row though NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  

The Wartime Sisters is a very engaging story about two sisters Ruth and Millie and their tenuous relationship that at times nearly destroys them both.  While the story begins in Brooklyn, the heart of the plot develops at the Springfield Armory during World War II.  Ruth has always been known for her brains and responsible behavior, sometimes to the point of being termed a 'cold fish.' Millie, on the other hand, was known for her beauty and was always indulged by her mother.  These two differing views pitted the sisters against each other at an early age.  As in any instance, there are always two sides to a coin and people also grow and change.  The Wartime Sisters takes a look at their strained relationship with a well crafted story that also highlights two other strong and memorable female characters Lillian, the commanding officer's wife and Arietta, the cook/singer.  

I loved this story of complex women and their relationships with each other and their families.  Each character was so well written and deeply developed.  I would find myself empathizing with Ruth and then the next chapter completely understanding where Millie was coming from.  I also thought the stories of Arietta and Lillian added so much to the novel.  I think this book would make a marvelous book club selection as there is so much to discuss.  This was most surely a five star read for me.  It made me search out the author's previous novel to add to my reading pile.  

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

The Burning Island is the third installment in the Charlie Cates series.  While she has been able to keep her dreams a secret from most, Charlie's latest involvement puts her under scrutiny from the police and all at once, her psychic abilities are being covered in the news.  To give herself a much needed diversion from all the media circus, she travels to Hawaii with her best friend Rae to write a feature story about a scientist/tri-athlete.  This tropical getaway should be just the cure for Charlie's troubles, but when she quickly is met with a disturbing dream, she finds herself embroiled in the search for a missing girl that is full of dead ends and many more questions than answers.

I personally had some trouble becoming engaged in the story and found myself distracted with some of the side journeys that I felt the story took.  Charlie Cates is an interesting character, but for some reason, I just wasn't drawn into this particular installment in the series.  

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

The Only Woman in the Room tells the story of Hedy Kiesler and her journey from Austria to the United States where she becomes film star Hedy Lamarr.  

Hedy's story is a complicated one as a Jewish woman in Austria who faces uncertain fate as the Nazis come ever closer to her country.  She marries an arms dealer to help insure her safety as well as that of her parents.  That marriage may provide safety or it may not be the safe haven she hoped for.  Without giving out too many details or spoilers, Hedy will eventually travel to America and re-invent herself as Hedy Lamarr.  

This book provided me with many insights into the career of Hedy Lamarr and her contributions to the war effort.  It also gave glimpses into the Hollywood scene at that time, as well as details of Austria during World War II.  

I did not find myself really drawn into the storyline and felt that it jumped forward at points, although trying to tell the story of someone's life does call for that at times.  Fans of historical fiction should still be satisfied with this portrayal of Hedy Lamarr.  

I received this book courtesy of Sourcebooks Landmark through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.