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The Tuscan House - Angela Petch - Bookouture Blog Tour

4/10/2021

1 Comment

 
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​Description:
Corbello, Italy, 1947. A woman and a little boy stagger into the ruins of an old house deep in the forest, wild roses overwhelming the crumbling terracotta walls. Since the war, nowhere has been safe. But they both freeze in shock when a voice calls out from the shadows…

For young mother Fosca Sentino, accepting refuge from reluctant British war hero Richard – in Tuscany to escape his tragic past – is the only way to keep her little family safe. She once risked everything to spy on Nazi commanders and pass secret information to the resistenza. But after a heartbreaking betrayal, Fosca’s best friend Simonetta disappeared without trace. The whole community was torn apart, and now Fosca and her son are outcasts.

Wary of this handsome stranger at first, Fosca slowly starts to feel safe as she watches him play with her son in the overgrown orchard. But her fragile peace is shattered the moment a silver brooch is found in the garden, and she recognises it as Simonetta’s…

Fosca has always suspected that another member of the resistenza betrayed her. With Richard by her side, she must find out if Simonetta is still alive, and clear her own name. But how did the brooch end up at the house? And with a traitor hiding in the village, willing to do anything to keep this secret buried, has Fosca put herself and her young son in terrible danger?

An absolutely gripping and heartbreaking page-turner that explores the incredible courage of ordinary people in extraordinary times. Perfect for fans of Rhys Bowen, The Nightingale, and anyone longing to lose themselves in the mountain landscapes and olive groves of rural Tuscany.

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My thoughts
Wow!!!! There are many World War II novels on the market and each time I think there is no way anyone can come up with something unique that hasn't been used as a storyline before. This book proved me wrong! I would consider this book a cross genre novel: historical WWII fiction meets mystery/suspense. The characters are fantastic and THANK YOU, Angela Petch, that the book didn't have any "InstaLove" romance in it. That drives me crazy in a lot novels listed as romance and the reason I'm steering clear of romance as much as a vampire does with garlic or silver bullets. This book didn't only have slow burn romance, but also so many other different elements in it: you have the typical WWII resistance element, the romantic elements I just mentioned, a murder mystery, a single mom trying to find answers, a soldier who seems to keep running away from his past (the typical anti-hero), and also elements of a travel journal. Tuscany is the perfect setting for this novel and look at that cover!!!! I would have read this book simply because of the cover!!! From my own experience I can tell you that Tuscany is just as pretty as shown on this cover! The characters come to life in this novel and the plot is believable. I loved how I had to wait almost until the end of the book to find out what really happened to Simonetta. I loved slowing putting together the puzzle. This was my first novel by this author and it will definitely not be my last.
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About the author:
I’m an award winning writer of fiction – and the occasional poem.

Every summer I move to Tuscany for six months where my husband and I own a renovated watermill which we let out. When not exploring our unspoilt corner of the Apennines, I disappear to my writing desk at the top of our converted stable.
In my Italian handbag or hiking rucksack I always make sure to store notebook and pen to jot down ideas.
The winter months are spent in Sussex where most of our family live. When I’m not helping out with grandchildren, I catch up with writer friends.
​https://twitter.com/Angela_Petch
​Product details:
  • ​Pages (ebook): 400
  • Publisher: Bookouture (April 7, 2021)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN (ebook): B08XY49QXY
​Where to buy:
Amazon: https://bit.ly/31wEgSJ
Apple: https://apple.co/3uPJlCS
Kobo: https://bit.ly/3qi9V3Y
Google: https://bit.ly/2O6S574

My blog post is one of many as part of a blog tour. For more thoughts on this particular book, check out the other blog tour participants' blogs and show them some love!!
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1 Comment

The Museum Murder - Katie Gayle - Bookouture Blog Tour

4/1/2021

0 Comments

 
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Description:
Dastardly deeds, daring deceptions and a dress to die for… Epiphany Bloom is back on the case!

Epiphany ‘Pip’ Bloom, would-be detective and London’s unluckiest woman, finds herself in a real costume drama when she unearths a theft at a fashion museum.

The missing dress is a proper piece of Hollywood history, worth a fortune. And as Pip investigates, she finds the museum staff all had reasons to want the garment gone. From fancy boutiques to sketchy back alleys, Pip discovers the fashion world is not all glitz and glamour as she hunts down her prize.

As if she doesn’t have enough on her plate, Pip also has her growing feelings for her housemate Tim to contend with, a family of cats to feed and her mother keeps phoning about a shipment of llamas arriving any day now from South America.

But there’s no time for distractions because Pip’s not the only one after the dress. And for the most dedicated collectors, a piece like this is worth any price – even murder…

A laugh-out-loud, light-hearted cozy mystery for fans of M.C. Beaton, T.E. Kinsey and Joanne Fluke, that will have you reading late into the night.

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My thoughts
Aaaaaaahhh, one of my favorite morally grey characters is back at it!! This time Pip goes pop culture, trying to find the iconic dress worn by Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman. Yes, the red off-the-shoulder dress with the white long gloves Vivian wears to the opera on her date with Edward. Once again, Pip puts her sleuth skills to work and once again she is a walking disaster (albeit not quite as bad as in the first book). Struggling in her work life, she finds a job she might actually finally keep for a longer period of time. If you know Pip from the previous books, you know that she gets in trouble a lot in her professional life. Her sexy housemate Tim appears in the book again and helps her with his hacker skills. I loved seeing that Pip and Tim finally seem to get to "base 2" in their relationship. There is more to their relationship, whether they like to admit it or not. Pip's sister with her mad skills of using the wrong idioms which make her super funny makes a cameo as well. Those three make this book just as good as the previous one. If you expect a 100% realistic book, you may be in for a slight disappointment. But if you are all for an entertaining story in which the characters are just a bit too over the top to be quite from the real world and love the 1990s, you should give this book a try. There are lots of pop culture and movie references and of course the book also includes a murder, as the title suggests. This book is a quick and fun cozy mystery novel set in London!
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About the authors:
Katie Gayle is the writing partnership of best-selling South African writers, Kate Sidley and Gail Schimmel. Kate and Gail have, between them, written over ten books of various genres, but with Katie Gayle, they both make their debut in the cozy mystery genre. Both Gail and Kate live in Johannesburg, with husbands, children, dogs and cats. Unlike their sleuth Epiphany Bloom, neither of them have ever stolen a cat from the vet.
 
https://www.facebook.com/KatieGayleWriter
https://twitter.com/KatieGayleBooks
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​Product details:
  • ​Pages (ebook): 260
  • Publisher: Bookouture (March 31, 2021)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN (ebook): B08PPVZ6QP
​Where to buy:
Amazon: https://bit.ly/3chaM1l
Apple: https://apple.co/3qzldlV
Kobo: https://bit.ly/3mTY1MV
Google: https://bit.ly/33QqdsO

My blog post is one of many as part of a blog tour. For more thoughts on this particular book, check out the other blog tour participants' blogs and show them some love!!
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0 Comments

    Author

    This part of my blog is all about books and reading! I believe in reading aloud to my kids and being creative with books (e.g., in the form of Bible journaling). 
    My goal for 2021 is --just as in 2020-- to continue to minimize my electronics time (mindless TV watching, binge-watching shows on Netflix, game apps, social media scrolling). Instead, I will continue to replace those hours with reading challenges, audiobooks, and reading time with my kids. 

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