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.  

I fell in love with the characters of Zig and Nola when they first appeared in The Escape Artist and could not wait for this sequel.  

The Lightning Rod gives us a deeper insight into both characters and their backstories.  We learn more about Nola's troubled past and Zig's family.  While The Lightning Rod could easily be read as a standalone, these characters are so unique and compelling that I would recommend starting by reading The Escape Artist and then reading The Lightning Rod.  You won't regret it.  

The Lightning Rod sees Zig and Nola trying to work from opposite angles to unravel the complicated web of who was responsible for the death of Archie Mint.  Zig is called in to assist with preparing Archie Mint's body for his memorial service and soon discovers he might have been summoned for other reasons.  Nola seems to be pursuing this case with a different level of commitment that no one quite understands.  As they examine every lead, it only gets more complicated and more players get introduced into the game.  

Brad Meltzer is one of the best at crafting a page turning novel full of intrigue and suspense.  Fingers crossed that we have more Zig and Nola novels in the future.

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

Katy's mother Carol was more than just a mother to her.  She was her best friend and Katy doesn't know what her life is supposed to look like without her mother in it.  They had planned a trip together to visit Positano so Carol could show Katy all the beauty that beloved city has to offer, since it was where Carol spent the summer before she met Katy's father.  Still reeling from the her mother's death, Katy decides to embark on the trip alone.  When she arrives, she can certainly see why her mother loved this area so much.  Then, she sees Carol, looking absolutely stunning and 30 years old.  Katy cannot understand what is happening, but if she has the opportunity to spend even one more minute with her mother, she is going to do everything it takes to do so.  

I related to this book on so many levels.  My mom was also my best friend and my everything, so when she passed away suddenly, I felt so many of the emotions that Katy had.  I thought the author did a wonderful job handling that sense of loss and really tapped into those feelings.  I think many of us would love to know our parents as their younger selves and ask all the questions we didn't ask when we had the chance.  The descriptions of the Amalfi coast are so vivid that I felt transported away from the snowy days we have had here.  

One Italian Summer was a beautiful novel that showcased the power of family bond and the love between a mother and daughter.  I received this book courtesy of the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  

Val is still struggling with the loss of her twin Andy when she receives an unexpected email from Wyatt, his mentor and fellow researcher.  Wyatt needs Val's help immediately at their Arctic research center.  The e-mail has an audio file of a young girl that Wyatt says they found frozen in ice but thawed out alive.  She doesn't speak a language that anyone recognizes.  Val, a talented linguist, is haunted by the sound of the young girl's voice, but is conflicted about visiting the site of her brother's death.  Ultimately, she feels she must go and what she finds in the Arctic is not at all what she expected.  

Girl In Ice takes many twists and turns throughout the book.  It is an action packed novel, but the middle section seemed to lag slightly for me, but it could have been because I was wanting to move the story along more quickly.  I did find the topic of Girl in Ice to be original and unique.  It definitely peaked my interest and was not like any other books I have read.  

It was a strong 3 1/2 star rating for me.  I received this book courtesy of the publisher ​through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.