Category: Net Galley

Net Galley

Book Review: Artemis by Andy Weir

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4⭐️’s from me

Goodreads Summary: “Jazz Bashara is a criminal. Well, sort of. Life on Artemis, the first and only city on the moon, is tough if you’re not a rich tourist or an eccentric billionaire. So smuggling in the occasional harmless bit of contraband barely counts, right? Not when you’ve got debts to pay and your job as a porter barely covers the rent.

Everything changes when Jazz sees the chance to commit the perfect crime, with a reward too lucrative to turn down. But pulling off the impossible is just the start

of her problems, as she learns that she’s stepped square into a conspiracy for control of Artemis itself—and that now, her only chance at survival lies in a gambit even riskier than the first.”

My Review:

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Like many of you, I was excited to read Weir’s new novel although skeptical of how it would hold up. There was a bit too much science for my liking causing the story to be a bit boring/dry in those parts. The characters, especially Jazz, were overly intelligent so that the reader could understand

the story. I felt more of this could have been done through narration.

However, the descriptive language and background enabled Weir to perfectly create a new world who’s existence doesn’t seem so far off from the present day – ultimately allowing the reader to more easily understand and relate to the comings and goings in what should be an otherwise alien place.

The excitement and pace of the novel made this a quick read from me. I repeatedly found myself wondering where Weir would take the storyline next. I loved how Weir was able to throw in economics with science and a heist story, a little something for everyone. Perhaps this will be another Hollywood Hit.

**I received my copy via Net Galley in exchange for a fair and honest review. Thank you to the author and publisher for this opportunity.**

Net Galley

Book Review: Miss Kopp’s Midnight Confessions by Amy Stewart

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3.5 ⭐️’s from me.

Goodreads Synopsis: “The best-selling author of Girl Waits with Gun and Lady Cop Makes Trouble continues her extraordinary journey into the real lives of the forgotten but fabulous Kopp sisters.

Deputy sheriff Constance Kopp is outraged to see young women brought into the Hackensack jail over dubious charges of waywardness, incorrigibility, and moral depravity. The strong-willed, patriotic Edna Heustis, who left home to work in a munitions factory, certainly doesn’t belong behind bars. And sixteen-year-old runaway Minnie Davis, with few prospects and fewer friends, shouldn’t be publicly shamed and packed off to a state-run reformatory. But such were the laws—and morals—of 1916.

Constance uses her authority as deputy sheriff, and occasionally exceeds it, to investigate and defend these women when no one else will. But it’s her sister Fleurette who puts Constance’s beliefs to the test and forces her to reckon with her own ideas of how a young woman should and shouldn’t behave.

Against the backdrop of World War I, and drawn once again from the true story of the Kopp sisters, Miss Kopp’s Midnight Confessions is a spirited, page-turning story that will delight fans of historical fiction and lighthearted detective fiction alike.”

My Review:

One of my first reviews was of the first Kopp sisters novels. I was fascinated by the way Stewart took the past and intertwined it into her stories. So, naturally, I was very excited about the next novel in this series.

33413882Unfortunately, book number three had something missing for me. The underlying crime-solving element seemed muted in this novel as the sisters face their own drama. Instead of the whimsical, but historical crime-solving tale of a female cop, we heard more about the sisters themselves. I know Stewart is planning on continuing the series and this novel is definitely helpful for developing characterization. Don’t get me wrong, I will add the future novels to my TBR pile as this is still a very fun and light read. And the Kopp sisters are entertaining.

**I received my copy via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. Thank you to the author and publisher for this opportunity.**

 

2017 Book Review, Net Galley

Book Review: The Address by Fiona Davis

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4.5 ⭐️’s from me!

Goodreads Summary:33607640 “After a failed apprenticeship, working her way up to head housekeeper of a posh London hotel is more than Sara Smythe ever thought she’d make of herself. But when a chance encounter with Theodore Camden, one of the architects of the grand New York apartment house The Dakota, leads to a job offer, her world is suddenly awash in possibility–no mean feat for a servant in 1884. The opportunity to move to America, where a person can rise above one’s station. The opportunity to be the female manager of The Dakota, which promises to be the greatest apartment house in the world. And the opportunity to see more of Theo, who understands Sara like no one else . . . and is living in The Dakota with his wife and three young children.

In 1985, Bailey Camden is desperate for new opportunities. Fresh out of rehab, the former party girl and interior designer is homeless, jobless, and penniless. Two generations ago, Bailey’s grandfather was the ward of famed architect Theodore Camden. But the absence of a genetic connection means Bailey won’t see a dime of the Camden family’s substantial estate. Instead, her -cousin- Melinda–Camden’s biological great-granddaughter–will inherit almost everything. So when Melinda offers to let Bailey oversee the renovation of her lavish Dakota apartment, Bailey jumps at the chance, despite her dislike of Melinda’s vision. The renovation will take away all the character and history of the apartment Theodore Camden himself lived in . . . and died in, after suffering multiple stab wounds by a madwoman named Sara Smythe, a former Dakota employee who had previously spent seven months in an insane asylum on Blackwell’s Island.

One hundred years apart, Sara and Bailey are both tempted by and struggle against the golden excess of their respective ages–for Sara, the opulence of a world ruled by the Astors and Vanderbilts; for Bailey, the free-flowing drinks and cocaine in the nightclubs of New York City–and take refuge and solace in the Upper West Side’s gilded fortress. But a building with a history as rich–and often tragic–as The Dakota’s can’t hold its secrets forever, and what Bailey discovers in its basement could turn everything she thought she knew about Theodore Camden–and the woman who killed him–on its head.

With rich historical detail, nuanced characters, and gorgeous prose, Fiona Davis once again delivers a compulsively readable novel that peels back the layers of not only a famed institution, but the lives –and lies–of the beating hearts within.”

My Review:

I was thrilled to get the opportunity to review this book. I loved Davis’ other novel The Dollhouse, but I have to say The Address was even better! Davis has truly mastered the art of intersecting the history of an iconic building with her fictional characters.

I felt as if I was transported to the 1880’s and the construction of the Dakota. The gilded age was a perfect backdrop for the mystery of this novel. Then as the parallel plot with the characters in the 1980’s, you can’t help but be pulled into a voyage of rapid page-turning.

The overlap with fact and fiction was just want you want in historical fiction. A little intrigue layered with facts like arrival of the Statute of Liberty or maybe the appearance of famous journalist, Nellie Bly.

The Dakota is the local of love, betrayal, adventure, new beginnings and tragic endings. Definitely pick this up if you were a fan of The Dollhouse.

**I received my copy via Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. Thank you to the author and publisher for this opportunity.**

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Book Review: The Changeling by Victor Lavalle

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3⭐️’s from me

Goodreads Summary: “Apollo Kagwa has had strange dreams that have haunted him since childhood. An antiquarian book dealer with a business called Improbabilia, he is just beginning to settle into his new life as a committed and involved father, unlike his own father who abandoned him, when his wife Emma begins acting strange. Disconnected and uninterested in their new baby boy, Emma at first seems to be exhibiting all the signs of post-partum depression, but it quickly becomes clear that her troubles go far beyond that. Before Apollo can do anything to help, Emma commits a horrific act—beyond any parent’s comprehension—and vanishes, seemingly into thin air.

Thus begins Apollo’s odyssey through a world he only thought he understood to find a wife and child who are nothing like he’d imagined. His quest begins when he meets a mysterious stranger who claims to have information about Emma’s whereabouts. Apollo then begins a journey that takes him to a forgotten island in the East River of New York City, a graveyard

31147267full of secrets, a forest in Queens where immigrant legends still live, and finally back to a place he thought he h

ad lost forever. This dizzying tale is ultimately a story about family and the unfathomable secrets of the people we love.”

My Review:

This novel starts off incredibly well. The excitement and mystery quickly drew me in.  Apollo, a man tormented by his past family issues, struggles to live-up to his own expectations of the perfect father. He strives to be the best for his family, but doesn’t quite realize what it is costing him. This is an excellent depiction of the conflict between social expectations and reality.

True to fairy tale form, this normal beginning soon introduces dark elements. The story picks up the pace that somehow within its fantasy still seems to capture the struggles of the modern day. It was hands-down a creative and exciting ending – that definitely shocks.

Unfortunately, this was a little too unrealistic for me; but I know this is not my typical genre. If it is, definitely give this one a try!

**I received my copy via Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. Thank you to the author and publisher for this opportunity.**

Net Galley

Book Review: The Little French Bistro by Nina George

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4 ⭐️ ‘s from Me.

Goodreads Synopsis: “From the New York Times and internationally bestselling author of The Little Paris Bookshop, an extraordinary novel about self-discovery and new beginnings.

Marianne is stuck in a loveless, unhappy marriage. After forty-one years, she has reached her limit, and one evening in Paris she decides to take action. Following a dramatic moment on the banks of the Seine, Marianne leaves her life behind and sets out for the coast of Brittany, also known as the end of the world.

Here she meets a cast of colorful and unforgettable locals who surprise her with their warm welcome, and the natural ease they all seem to have, taking pleasure in life s small moments. And, as the parts of herself she had long forgotten return to her in this new world, Marianne learns it s never too late to begin the search for what life should have been all along.

With all the buoyant charm that made The Little Paris Bookshop a beloved bestseller, The Little French Bistro is a tale of second chances and a delightful embrace of the joys of life in France.”

My Review:

When I had the opportunity to read another book by Nina George, I could not say no! I absolutely loved The Little Paris Bookshop. The same familiar, light-hearted tone while exploring deeper subjects is present here as well.

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As we follow Marianne from desperation to her journey to a little bistro, we meet a lovely group of characters. This cast is one you fall in love with, wanting the best for everyone of them. Each person carries their own damage while looking for something. But just as important is the scenery that George depicts, an integral backdrop to the characters’ own attempts to define who they really are – especially for Marianne. George asks us is it ever really too late for second chances? Can we always have hope?

This is an uplifting and empowering story that will leave you thinking the rest of the day.

**I received my copy via Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. Thank you to the author and publisher for this opportunity.**