In The Fashion Orphans, Gabrielle and Lulu, sisters who have been estranged for the last several years, must come together for the reading of their mother Bette's will.  They discover that their mother has not left them with the money they had hoped, but instead left them a "collection" that they must agree on how to handle.  Neither one of them is aware of what this collection might be until they visit Bette's apartment and discover she had an entire room full of vintage Coco Chanel clothing, jewelry, shoes and handbags.  This leads both sisters on a path to self-discovery and learning more about their distant mother.  

I had a difficult time connecting with the characters in this book, and felt like the sisters tended to switch quickly back and forth from arguing to making up and then back to arguing.  It was also a little difficult for me to keep track of all the characters from both families and then Bette's friends.  The story seemed somewhat predictable at times, which is ok, but I just couldn't really get invested in the characters.   I'm sure many readers will enjoy this book, but it wasn't the right book for me at the right time.  

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

Donna Everhart never fails to amaze me with her character development and her ability to completely draw me in to her stories.  

The Saints of Swallow Hill is the story of Del Reese, Rae Lynn Cobb and the residents of Swallow Hill turpentine farm.  Del Reese and Rae Lynn Cobb both have left complicated situations behind when they arrive at Swallow Hill.  Del doesn't plan to stay long at the camp, but he quickly makes an enemy of Crow, one of the men in charge of the  camp  workers.  Rae Lynn tries not to draw attention to herself and just make the best of her situation, but she can't escape Crow's evil ways.  Through all the difficult working conditions and hardships the residents face, there still is a sense of goodness among many of the people there.  The Saints of Swallow Hill is a beautiful story of forgiveness, resilience and the triumph of the human spirit.  

I appreciated the opportunity to learn more about the turpentine camps and the conditions at that time.  I really was invested in these characters and how their lives played out over the pages.  I've seen this book compared to The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah and also Where the Crawdads Sing by Della Owens, and would definitely agree that The Saints of Swallow Hill deserves a spot on that shelf.  

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

Everything about Our American Friend screamed "Read Me".  "A propulsive Cold War-era spy thriller crossed with a fictional biography of a First Lady. Spanning from the 1970s to the present day, traveling from Moscow and Paris to Washington and New York," how could I resist?  

After seeing President Henry Caine reelected to a second term, Sofie Morse knows she can no longer continue as a journalist covering the White House.  She is just too fed up with his outlandish behavior and all the chaos surrounding his administration, so she quits her job with no plans for the future.  While she is trying to figure out what is next for her, she receives a phone call from the the First Lady's office asking her to come to the White House for a visit.  Intrigued, she can't refuse.  The First Lady wants Sofie to write her biography and agrees to give her unlimited access.  This sets Sofie on a path with life changing implications that reach far beyond what Sofie could have imagined.  

Our American Friend reveals just enough of the backstory and the current narrative in each chapter that I was compulsively turning pages, unable to step away.  It keeps you in suspense until the very end.  

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

The House on Tradd Street was one of the first Karen White novels that I read and I've loved the series ever since.  So it is somewhat bittersweet to see the series come to a close, but The Attic on Queen Street was a fitting send-off.  

The Christmas Spirits on Tradd Street ended with Jack and Melanie's marriage on the rocks and Marc Longo still up to his villainous ways.  The Attic on Queen Street picks up right where that left off, but it now seems that Marc is having some financial difficulties and with his wife and Melanie's cousin Rebecca pregnant, Jack and Melanie agree to help them out and allow the filming of Marc's movie to continue in Jack and Melanie's home.  Of course, Marc's intentions aren't as pure as they seem, and it isn't long before Jack and Melanie realize Marc is after something more.  With Jack and Melanie struggling to figure out if their relationship can be mended and dealing with whatever Marc has up his sleeve, will they ever find their way back to each other?   And can Melanie finally help her friend Veronica figure out what happened to her sister?  And what is the spirit of the young girl trying to protect Nola from?

The Tradd Street series is so much fun to read and I highly recommend reading all the books in order to truly appreciate how the characters grow and develop over time.  I just recently realized that on Karen White's website, you can see photos of the some of the locations featured in the series.  It just made me want to visit Charleston that much more.  While the Tradd Street series may be over, I can't wait to read The Shop on Royal Street,  a spin-off series featuring Jack and Melanie's daughter Nola set in New Orleans, coming out in March.

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

I am such a fan of Marie Benedict's novels and how they shed light on amazing women that have been sometimes overshadowed or overlooked by history.  Her Hidden Genius is a captivating novel about Rosalind Franklin and her work on DNA research.  Last year, I had read The Code Breaker by Walter Isaacson and it touched on the contributions that Rosalind Franklin made, so I was eager to delve into this fictional work that I knew would also be superbly researched.  

Her Hidden Genius will make you appreciate the dedication Rosalind Franklin had to her research and her desire to contribute something to society.  It will also infuriate you how Rosalind was often treated by some of her male peers.  It will sadden you that her life and brilliance were cut short, but it will inspire you that her legacy still glows bright and through Her Hidden Genius more people will learn of her work.  

As always, Marie Benedict writes a marvelous novel that I can't wait to recommend. I received this book courtesy of the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.   

My family can always tell when I'm reading a Sophie Kinsella book because I can't stop smiling and my laughs can't be stifled.  The Party Crasher was exactly that kind of book and the perfect escape from these winter days.  

Two years later, Effie still cannot believe her parents are divorced, and now her dad has a new, much younger, girlfriend (Krista) that Effie might have jokingly called a gold digger at the last family dinner.  To make matters worse, Effie has just found out that Greenoaks, their beloved family home, has been sold.  Krista is throwing a big send off party for the house, but Effie has been left off the original guest list and then receives an invitation which seems like an afterthought  Effie is definitely not going, but then remembers her childhood treasured Russian dolls are there and she cannot be without those.  Effie decides to go full out "Mission Impossible" mode and stealthily enter the house during the party to retrieve her dolls, except it doesn't quite work out that way.  What comes next is pages of hilarious blunders, edged with the true love of family.  

The Party Crasher was a fun and laughter filled adventure with a heartwarming feel and I loved it all.  

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