A delicious blend of gothic horror and tragic tale of star-crossed lovers. When men seem to be doing things with the female staff that they shouldn't, young women make unfortunate choices or the occasion when we witness a sad event that we just can't forget - you call on a binder. Easy as pie he/she listens to your tale and removes it from your mind transferring it into your own bound book. Many binders have a strict code of secrecy and trust and it is one of these binders that young Emmett is apprenticed to. It seems like the right path for him to take until she passes away and his training is passed to a less than scrupulous binder. Emmett must wrestle with the right thing to do and his part in the book that took his love away from him. This clever fantasy has all the classic requirements of a gothic romance - an ill-fated love affair, the huge chasm between polite society and the working class and all the moral dilemmas of a Dickens novel. You will feel like standing on the windswept cliffs calling your lover's name and clutching your book of secrets of course.
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This astonishing debut features a Korean/American family who operates a pressurized oxygen tank called "miracle submarine" to treat a number of medical conditions such as autism. When tragedy strikes and the submarine catches on fire causing several clients to be insured or killed, a suspect is put on trial for her life. As the trial unfolds, secrets come out and the questions begin - who really caused the fire? An intense courtroom roller-coaster that tosses you into the action like a fly on the wall but also has you thinking like one of the jurors. The author's background as a trial attorney adds credibility to the courtroom drama but her gift of setting the stage, believable characters, and perfect pacing makes the story come alive.
The beginning of a little village called Hollywood in the 1920s was a place where dreams became reality or for some, a real nightmare.
Three unlikely traveling companions jump a train to escape the evil world of vaudeville and a burlesque show to begin what they feel is their destiny - the movies. For Irene, it offers a chance to discover her writing talents, for Henry, it is an awareness of who he really is and for poor lost Millie, it is a chance to find love and attention from any source. This historical novel touches on the seedier side of the movies - the racism, homophobia and sexual abuse that went on unchecked or swept under the rug. It includes many famous names and the events that occurred during that time as well as each chapter starting with a quote to set the scene. The characters and their stories are interesting and tragic when you realize that much of what they went through in the early days of moviemaking still exists today. Marianne is sort of quirky and doesn't fit into her well off family and Connell's mom is their housekeeper so their friendship is not typical in this small Irish town. It continues on the side but at school, they steer clear of each other. Soon they begin an on again/off again romance that will last through their university days in Dublin. They are complete opposites in the sense that Marianne doesn't care about what people think and Connell is obsessed with fitting in and his reputation. In high school, they seemed lost. In college, they seemed lost. Later in life, they are still lost. When Marianne gets herself in a toxic relationship Connell is powerless to save her. I enjoyed the writing style but could not identify with the characters. It is a sad look at two young people who loved each other but didn't understand the first thing about each other and were anything but normal people.
A charming tale of tough mature women with money and education but no real power. They band together to give young women a voice or at least inspiration to go out and do something with their lives. They call themselves the Amazons and their hope is that with the Suffragette movement a success that these bright young girls will pick up where Mattie and Florrie leave off. Years pass and Mattie now works the lecture circuit about the Suffragettes but she misses the fire and passion they all had for the cause. OLD BAGGAGE is funny and bittersweet and a reminder that no matter what the era we all carry friendships that last, keep secrets and hopefully make amends for harsh words or bad decisions. In other words, old baggage.
Take an unusual ability, a mysterious stranger, dangerous thugs, and artifacts that may unlock the mysteries of the ancients and you have the makings of a great mystical, historical romance. Roan finds a new psychometrist after seeing her unfortunate Utube video of her finding a priceless antique. Melicent's ability is one that Roan and a select group of others around the world are well acquainted with but he believes that she and her younger brother might be in grave danger because of it. A fast-paced thriller that is filled with enough interesting objects and historical mysteries to balance the mystical and romance elements. Fans of M.J. Rose, Steve Berry, Diana Gabaldon or any books that deal with ancient unsolved mysteries will eat this up.
I purposely read this in short bursts dragging out the time I had to finish for one simple reason - I couldn't bear for it to end. This hysterical tome is like Monty Python and THE PRINCESS BRIDE on steroids. In a land far away poor defenseless gnomes are being burned out of their homes and terrorized by despicable halflings (insert shudder here). It will take a ragtag group of gnomes, dwarves, a gryphon with a passion for omelets, an automaatti and a reformed halfling to bring the good creatures of Pell back together. Prepare thyself for hours of giggles, snorting and uncontrollable laughter. If I didn't know any better, I would say the two creative authors slipped in some morals, good advice and life lessons as well. Book two was almost more fun than book one and the best news of all - book three is in the making.
Two women, one a Russian Countess and the other one cream of the crop American wealth and society are fast friends and find themselves at a crossroads of a violent and troubled time. The Russian Revolution, the fall of the Tsar and his family and WWI all are at the forefront of their story. Eliza and Sofya continue to keep their friendship and close involvement in each other's lives until the war pulls them to opposite ends of the Atlantic where each will know great joy and suffer tragedy. Friendship, loyalty and unsurpassed strength are evident in each generation of these women who won't give up until injustices are righted and families are reunited. Martha Hall Kelly gives us a tragic and very honest look at a variety of people during that time from the New York society who seemed ambivalent to the plight of the aristocrats fleeing their homeland as well as the Russian aristocrats, their servants and the revolutionaries who sought to take over a world where they had no power. It is a compelling story of the haves and have-nots over two continents and a lifetime away.
Suzanna suffers from what scandals her mother committed in the '60s and now over thirty years later, her life is still a mess. She half-heartedly opens up a coffee/knickknack shop. Suzanna is floundering in her marriage (he wants kids, she does not), her shopkeeper skills, and her relationship with her complicated family. When she befriends a young woman helping her in the Peacock Emporium, she is introduced to a part of her life she didn't know she could have. This is a slow moving story where the upshot is- the sins of the mother should not land on the child and a tough childhood can leave you very damaged as an adult.
I was drawn to this debut because of the Texas connection but after the first 10 pages, I was fully engaged and needed more. A promising but humble chef, Rafael is the least likely guy that an older sophisticated billionaire like Tieresse would fall for but she does and the two fall deeply in love despite the odds. Then, despite the odds, Tieresse is brutally murdered and the guy they pin it on is her husband, Rafael. The odds again are not in his favor and he ends up on death row. Stunned and still maintaining his innocence he turns to a group of dedicated attorneys who work towards his release. Is he bitter about what happened to him? Is he sad beyond belief at the death of his beloved wife? Is he willing to forgive and forget? - not hardly. David.R.Dow delivers a powerful thriller that takes the reader inside death row and into the complexities of forgiveness and revenge. Was justice served? You be the judge and jury.
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