This was a nice surprise. It's a good mystery, but it really shines with the complex characters of Maggie, Liz, Helen4 stars - Mystery/Women's Fiction
This was a nice surprise. It's a good mystery, but it really shines with the complex characters of Maggie, Liz, Helena, and Joni and the depiction of their friendship. I've also never read a book with the setting being the wilds of Norway, so that also added a unique element to the story. This is a solid 4 star read....more
This is a really unique mystery thriller/horror with a very interesting take on vampires. I'm definitely goi4 stars - Mystery/Thriller/Vampires/Horror
This is a really unique mystery thriller/horror with a very interesting take on vampires. I'm definitely going to check out more from this author. I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator did a fantastic job with the characters. A strong 4 stars!...more
I enjoyed this thriller. I had the killer figured out from the beginning, and there were a few breadcrumbs dropped 4 stars - Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
I enjoyed this thriller. I had the killer figured out from the beginning, and there were a few breadcrumbs dropped along the way for the reason why. I wasn't surprised with the climax and reveal, and I felt satisfied that I had it right. I didn't like the abrupt ending or that the author didn't divulge (view spoiler)[if Alexis and Hutch lived or not. (hide spoiler)] I'll definitely check out more books by this author....more
Wow. I honestly don’t have sufficient words to convey my love for this astounding b5++ stars – Contemporary Fiction/Women’s Fiction/Historical Fiction
Wow. I honestly don’t have sufficient words to convey my love for this astounding book, and I wish there was a way to rate it higher than 5 stars. It’s not only one of my favorite reads of this year, but it’s also one of my favorite books, ever. I ugly cried so hard reading the last chapter that I couldn’t even see the screen and had to stop several times to collect myself. So many feels. And the epilogue is truly soul-stirring.
Winter Garden is more than just a book. It’s an evocative, powerful intergenerational story that takes you on an unforgettable emotional journey. Although this is women’s fiction, for romance readers like me, there are actually multiple love stories in this book, and the one at the heart of the story is epically beautiful and heartrending.
I was intrigued from the very start of the book, but I think some readers might find it slow in the beginning and also feel unsure of the likeability of the characters. But the story reveals itself layer by layer brilliantly, and the evolution of Meredith, Nina, and Anya is part of what makes it such a wonderful read. Hannah captures the complicated dynamics of relationships (mothers and daughters, sisters, husband and wife, and lovers) with authenticity and poignancy. I especially found the depiction of Meredith’s marital struggles after 20 years together relatable and realistic. Women so often put their children, partners, family, home, and work above themselves, and marital relationships can be easily neglected from just the monotony of everyday life.
Winter Garden is an insightful and intimate portrayal of the enduring strength of women, a spellbinding family saga, and an epic love story that is compelling from start to finish. It’s a story of family, country, tragedy, sacrifice, love and loss, human suffering, survival, grief, forgiveness, and hope. It’s moving, lyrically written, expertly paced, heartbreaking, and ultimately uplifting.
I’ve always been fascinated by Russian language, culture, folklore, food, and history, and I want to learn more after reading this book. I hope I get to see its beauty someday, including the Belye Nochi, White Nights, of St. Petersburg, formerly Leningrad, that means so much to Anya in the story. I love that Hannah included some Russian recipes at the end of the book because food, both the overabundance and lack of it, is an integral part of the story as well.
I’ve read about the Soviet Union during WWII, and I knew about the Siege of Leningrad in a generic, factual way. But Hannah provides candid insight into the lives of those, mostly women, children, and elderly, in Leningrad during the siege who were left to struggle to survive the unforgiving, brutally cold winters without heat or food while being constantly bombed by the Germans. The 900-Day Siege resulted in the deaths of roughly one million of the city’s civilians, including more than 700,000 that froze or starved to death. Hannah researched firsthand accounts of survivors as inspiration to create a personalized story to strongly affect the reader by allowing them to experience it.
Winter Garden is a truly remarkable, deeply affecting, and haunting read that will stay with me forever. It gave me all the feels and all the tears but also left me inspired. Winter Garden joins Kristin Hannah’s The Nightingale as one of my top favorite reads of the year and most favorite books of all-time. 5++ and all the stars!
“And maybe that was how it was supposed to be, how life unfolded when you lived it long enough. Joy and sadness were part of the package; the trick, perhaps, was to let yourself feel all of it, but to hold on to the joy just a little more tightly because you never knew when a strong heart could just give out.”
“I’d be proud to have your strength. What you’ve been through—and we don’t know the worst of it, I think—it would have killed any ordinary woman. Only someone extraordinary could have survived. So, yeah, I do want to end up like you.”
“If there was one thing she’d learned in all of this, it was that life—and love—can be gone any second. When you had it, you needed to hang on with all your strength and savor every second.”
“We women make choices for others, not for ourselves, and when we are mothers, we...bear what we must for our children.”
(view spoiler)[The engraving from Sasha to Vera on the tombstone made me bawl my eyes out. “Remember our lime tree in the Summer Garden. I will meet you there, my love.”(hide spoiler)]
From the author’s In Her Own Words section at the back of the book: “It is Anya who haunts me. She is a fictional character, obviously, but she is drawn from research. The women who survived the Siege of Leningrad were lionesses, warriors. It’s deeply inspiring to me. And even though it happened a long time ago, I find the story of their courage relevant in today’s world.”
From the Behind the Novel section at the back of the book: “I wanted to give you all this story of survival and loss, horror and heartache in a way that would allow you to experience it with some measure of emotion. I am not a historian, nor a nonfiction writer. My hope is that you leave this novel informed, but not merely with the facts and figures; rather; I want you to be able to actually imagine it, to ask yourself how you would have fared in such terrible times.”...more
I was so excited to read this book based on the description and reviews. I love the idea of the book and plot of th2.5 stars - WWII Historical Fiction
I was so excited to read this book based on the description and reviews. I love the idea of the book and plot of the story, but unfortunately, it didn't deliver on my expectations. It was okay, but it was a little slow. I found the writing style a bit simplistic and amateurish, and I thought the horrors of the Holocaust were somewhat dialed down. The subject matter is important, and inspiring stories like this need to be told. So even though I didn't enjoy it as much as I'd hoped, I appreciate the author telling it....more
I really enjoyed this thrilling archaeological adventure mystery romance! It’s sort of4.5 stars - Historical Mystery/Action Adventure/Thriller/Romance
I really enjoyed this thrilling archaeological adventure mystery romance! It’s sort of a mix of Indiana Jones, Jungle Cruise, The Mummy, and Lara Croft, but it’s more authentic and not at all silly or cheesy. The Mayan and Aztec cultural references, mythologies, and mysteries were intriguing.
Ellie is a bold, brave, clever, and determined heroine, and I liked her, even though she was stubborn and frustrating at times. (view spoiler)[I didn’t like that she lied to Adam, or that she kept lying to him for so long putting their mission and lives in danger. But she had her reasons, and she was very remorseful and tried to make it right. (hide spoiler)] Adam is a swoon-worthy, perfect hero. He’s sexy, strong, smart, resourceful, skilled, brave, modest, and gallant.
My only issue with the book is that the ending is abrupt, and I really wanted an epilogue. I’m hoping she writes more adventures for Ellie and Adam and maybe for some of Adam’s friends from his archaeology club.
I’m so glad I’ve discovered author Jacquelyn Benson. The Charismatics series (The Fire in the Glass and The Shadow of Water) are two of my favorite reads this year. And this is another really great read! I’m looking forward to more books from this talented author....more
This book hooked me from the start, and it was a 5 star read for about the first 65/70% or so. Then some of th4-4.5 stars - Romantic Suspense/Thriller
This book hooked me from the start, and it was a 5 star read for about the first 65/70% or so. Then some of the twists and turns seemed a bit far-fetched. The ending was too rushed, and I was left wanting more answers, details, and conversations that didn't happen. There are still things that weren't fully explained or resolved.
***Spoiler warning/plot points mentioned.*** (view spoiler)[For being such a genius, Laurel seems blind when it comes to her sister, Abigail. What about Abigail lying about seeing Carl all those times and trying to frame him? What about the dog hair found with the victim? I think she is the one who tried to frame Huck. I also think it's possible she helped her brother, or at least covered for him. I also wanted Laurel to tell Huck about her father and about Abigail's manipulations. (hide spoiler)] ***End spoiler***
I hope we get more answers and more of Laurel and Huck together in the next book, You Can't Hide, which I'm eagerly awaiting. So even though I didn't rate this 5 stars, it's an engrossing thriller with unique, intriguing characters that I couldn't put down. I'm looking forward to more from this series....more
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