YEAH! I love when I get my Bookmarks magazine. I have a lot of books already in my queue from previous editions so am not going to list those.
There is so much more to this book than just the books that I picked out. It is my absolutely favorite subscription that I look forward to having show up in my mailbox. I am going to talk about it in my "February books" video on YT next week.
My Rating: 4.7
Skye and Nicholas are childhood friends that are separated at too young an age. As WWII unfolds, Skye is determined to be a pilot for the Royal Air Force. She is reunited with her childhood soulmate Nicholas but learns he is engaged to a Frenchwoman, Margaux Jourdan.
1947: Designer Christian Dior unveils his glamorous first collection to a world weary of war and grief. He names his debut fragrance Miss Dior in tribute to his beloved sister Catherine, who forged a friendship with Skye and Margaux through her work with the French Resistance.
Present Day: Fashion conservator Kat Jourdan discovers a priceless collection of Dior gowns in her grandmother's vacant cottage. As she delves into the mystery of their origin, Kat begins to doubt everything she thought she knew about her beloved grandmother. (less)
I enjoyed this immensely and learned a few things about WWII. I loved the tie in with the Christian Dior gowns and even the contrast of the heavy war scenes with the lighter romance. I enjoyed Skye's childhood so much I was sad when it switched to the rest of the book which was about her life as an adult. After that brief moment of mourning, I enjoyed her adult-life and the other story lines. Very well done and I will be reading more by this author.
My Rating: 3.2
On her 25th birthday, Libby Jones gets a much anticipated letter that will tell her who her birth parents are...and a lot more.
25 years ago, the police are called to a scene of an apparent suicide. There are three dead bodies, four missing children and a crying baby.
There was too much dysfunction and no likable characters for my taste. I also felt that the pacing of the book was completely 'off' - it dragged for the first 3/4 of the book and then felt rushed. I have loved other books by this author but wouldn't recommend this book.
My Rating: 4.6
Enchanted's family has recently moved to the suburbs and she is trying to fit in to her high school. She is on the swim team and also is an aspiring singer. When legendary R&B artist Korey Fields spots her at an audition, her dream of being a professional singer takes flight. Enchanted is dazzled by Korey’s luxurious life but soon her dream turns into a nightmare.
This definitely has a very strong young adult feel to it but I think that is intentional as Enchanted is young. I felt that it was very well told. As a former rape & assault crisis counselor, I felt it resonated. Definitely a disturbing but honest read.
My Rating: 4.7
Cassandra Bowden is a huge binge drinker. Her job with the airline making it easy to find adventure, and the occasional blackouts seem to be inevitable. She lives with them, and the accompanying self-loathing. When she awakes in a Dubai hotel room, she tries to piece the previous night back together. As she gets out of bed, she sees the man she spent the night with lying beside her. Then she sees blood, a slick, still wet pool on the crisp white sheets.
Afraid to call the police—she's a single woman alone in a hotel room far from home—Cassie begins to lie. Could she have killed him? If not, who did? (less)
Her life is such a mess and she makes so many bad decisions that you just have to keep reading to find out what happens. This was a fast, easy read that kept me turning the pages to go along on the wild ride.
My Rating: 3.7
Winter in Ridgedale, New Jersey and the body of an infant is discovered in the woods near the town’s university campus. No one knows who the baby is, or how her body ended up out there.
Freelance journalist, Molly Anderson is unexpectedly called to cover the story. Molly is still dealing with the severe depression that followed the loss of her own baby. Soon Molly is unearthing some very dark secrets including a twenty year old death in the same spot.
This is told from various perspectives and shows how their lives are more intertwined with what happened to the baby than they ever could have imagined.
I have read and loved some of McCreight's other works so I wanted to like this one as well. Unfortunately, the characters didn't feel well developed and some were very grating. By the end of the book, I was glad when it was over.
