The Diplomat's Wife, by Pam Jenoff

 

The Diplomat’s Wife

Author: Pam Jenoff

Published By: Mira Books

Date Published: May 1, 2008

Genre: Historical Fiction,  WWII, Spy & Espionage

Pages: 360

Recommended Age: Adult

Read & Reviewed By: Me

Rating: A/5

I borrowed this book from the library

Summary:

Marta Nederman has survived a Nazi concentration camp.  After recovering from the experience she meets Paul, an American soldier and they fall in love. They planned to marry, but their plans are thrown away when Paul’s plane crashes and he doesn’t meet her in London

Being pregnant and believing Paul is dead; Marta marries Simon, a British diplomat. When she learns there is a Communist spy in British intelligence she volunteers for the mission to find out who the spy is.

My Thoughts:

After reading The Kommandant’s Girl by Pam Jenoff, I was compelled to look up Pam Jenoff on the internet.  When I found out that Jenoof had written other books and one, The Diplomat’s Wife was the follow-up to The Kommandant’s Girl I had to read it. The heroine of The Diplomat’s Wife may not be the same as the one in The Kommandant’s Girl, but it cleared up a lot of loose ends from The Kommandant’s Girl, and the reader is able to find out what happened to Emma.

 I gave this book five stars and a grade of A, because I really enjoyed this book.  It pulled me right in, and it read like an action movie.  Marta is a girl you can root for, as well as, feel sorry for.  She lived a rough life and is trying to make the world a better place for her daughter.  If you have already read The Kommandant’s Girl by Pam Jenoff, I recommend reading The Diplomat’s Wife. Even if you haven’t read The Kommandant’s Girl you can still read The Diplomat’s Wife.  It’s one of those books that can be read on its own.  It’s a fantastic book.

Parents:

Language: Any swear words, derogatory terms, questionable language

Adult Content: Sexual Content, Drugs/alcohol use, Adult Subject Matter, Heavy topics

Violence: Any violent scenes or acts and their intensity

Homespun Bride, by Jillian Hart

 

Homespun Bride

Author: Jillian Hart

Published By: Steeple Hill

Date Published: February 1, 2009

Genre: Christian Fiction, Historical Romance, Western

Pages: 288

Recommended Age: Adult

Read & Reviewed By: Me

Rating: C/3

It’s from my personal Kindle library.

Summary:

Noelle Kramer has been blind for about five years because of a horse and buggy accident. Living in Montana Territory during 1883 makes it hard for a blind person to maneuver around, but Noelle is determined to remain independent. When a runaway horse nearly plungs her into a freezing lake a stranger rescues her. She then realizes it’s not a stranger at all, but Thad McKaslin her ex-beau. She hasn’t seen Thad since he ditched her five years ago and left Montana.

Thad came back to Montana after five years to find the love of his life was blind.  After losing Noelle five years ago, Thad’s faith had been terribly shaken, and then finding she went blind had him questioning his faith even more.

My Thoughts:

I have been trying to read more Christian fiction lately, especially Christian Romance, so I acquired this e-book last week. I liked it.  I always loved romances set in the old west and I like the character of Noelle. Steeple Hill created a town with interesting characters that the reader is able to picture them with clarity. Take Noelle’s aunt for instance, the way she spoke and her opinion on subjects made the reader chuckle right along with Noelle.

I gave Homespun Bride only three stars and a grade of C, because I felt something was lacking. I felt it needed more of a story line than Thad trying to find his way back to God, and the only thing keeping Thad and Noelle apart is Noelle’s belief that she wouldn’t make a good wife. She felt being blind kept her from living a full life and that she had to give up her dreams.  The story line seems to need more meat to it.

If you love Christian Romances, I recommend Homespun Bride by Jillian Hart.  It’s a sweet love story and with some good Christian wisdom written into the story.

Parents:

Language: None

Adult Content: None

Violence: None

The Kommandant's Girl, by Pam Jenoff

 

Book Title: The Kommandant’s Girl

Author:  Pam Jenoff

Published By: Mira Books

Date Published: March 1, 2007

Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance, WWII

Pages: 395

Recommended Age: Mature Adult

Read & Reviewed By:  Me

Rating: A/5

This book is from my personal collection.

Summary:

Nineteen year old Emma Bau has been married for only three weeks when Germany invades Poland. Her husband, Jacob disappears underground leaving her imprisoned within the city’s Jewish ghetto. After several months, the resistance smuggles her out and takes her to Krakow to live with Jacob’s Catholic cousin Krysia. Emma takes a new identity as Anna Lipowski, a Catholic.  She begins her new life working for the resistance and as a high-ranking Nazi official’s assistant.  She continually compromises her safety and her marriage vows to help the cause.

My Thoughts:

I love this book!  Pam Jenoff is a fantastic writer.  She has a way of sucking the reader in and holding him or hers interest. I was able to lose myself in the character of Emma. I became “Emma” and the story read like a movie I was part of. I was working for the Resistance and got nervous when Emma had her close calls. I was on the edge of my seat while reading this book.  When I got to the last 150 pages I stayed up until two in the morning finishing the book. I just could not put it down.

I gave The Kommandant’s Girl five stars and a grad of A+.  It’s been a long time since a book has captured me as this one has.  If you are interested in stories about World War II and also like adventures, I recommend The Kommandant’s Girl by Pam Jenoff. I already have my step-father reading it; he isn’t even a reader and he is enjoying it.  I love this book and I am glad it’s part of my book collection.

Parents:

Language: Some, but very little

Adult Content: Sex scenes, war talks

Violence: shootings and bombings

Friends Forever, by Danielle Steele

 

Book Title: Friends Forever

Author: Danielle Steel

Published By: Delacorte Press

Date Published:  July 24, 2012

Genre: Contemporary Fiction 

Pages: 308

Recommended Age: Mature Adult

Read & Reviewed By: Me

Rating: C/3

 A New York Times Best Selling Author

I borrowed this book from the library

Summary:

Five children meet on the first day of Kindergarten. In the years that follow they become best friends and some more than friends. Together they face life together, dealing with life struggles and painful losses.

My Thoughts:

I liked the novel, and yet, I didn’t like it. I liked that it was well written and the characters were well rounded.  Danielle Steel wrote the characters so well that I was able to really like some characters and not like others.  At one point, I wanted to reach in the book and slap the father of one boy when he made the death of his son about him at the funeral.  I couldn’t help thinking, “You’re the reason why he is dead, you jerk!”

I usually love Steel’s books and gave them high ratings, but this book must be the first of hers that I knew I would not be reading again. It was very depressing with all the deaths and such close proximity. Plus, she has the jock and the beauty queen hook up, which the reader can foresee that happening.

Unless the reader wants to get depressed from reading a book, I do not recommend this book.  I know a true Danielle Steel fan may still want to run out and by her latest book so I recommend keeping a box of tissues handy and read at your own risk.

Parents:

Language: some

Adult Content: drug and alcohol use, sex, domestic violence

Violence: domestic violence, death scenes

Murder of a Creped Suzette, by Denise Swanson

 

Book Title: Murder of a Creped Suzette 

 Author: Denise Swanson

Published By: Signet

Date Published: October 4, 2011

Genre: Mystery

Pages: 252

Recommended Age: Adults

Read & Reviewed By: Me

Rating: B/4

A Scumble River Mystery #14 

I got this book from the library.

Summary:

The heroine, Skye Denison stumbles upon a dead body (once again) and wonders if it’s connected to another death that happened 27 years ago. With the assistance of her hot fiancé, who is the chief of police, she is able to solve another crime before the police department does.

My Thoughts:

The Scumble River Mysteries are my favorite series. I really like that the heroine, Skye, has a personal life outside of solving crimes.  The secondary characters seem like real people.  Skye has an over-bearing, protective mother and an ex-boyfriend that won’t leave her alone.

I gave this book 4 stars and a grade of B because Ms. Denison does a wonderful job in this book by having some of the characters have personal growth and become better people, some by finally seeing their self-worth.  If you have read previous Scumble River Mysteries, I recommend Murder of a Creped Suzette.  If you like mysteries and love a bit of sarcastic sense of humor, I recommend the Scumble River Mysteries starting with the first book Murder of a Small-Town Honey.

Parents:

Language: Some swear words

Adult Content: some sex, some alcohol, Adult Subject Matter, Heavy topics

Violence: A murder scene and a scenes where a man is man-handles 

The Postmisstress, by Sarah Blake

The Postmistress

Author: Sarah Blake

Published By: Amy Einhorn Books/Penguin Group (USA)

Date Published: February 9, 2010

Genre: Historical Fiction, WWII

Pages: 326

Recommended Age: Adult

Read & Reviewed By: Me

Rating: C/3

This book is from my personal collection.

Summary:

The year is 1940 and WWII is raging. President Roosevelt is promising he won’t join the fight. American radio girl Frankie Bard is the first woman to report the war right from London.  Iris James is the post mistress in a small town on Cape Cod.   She listens to Frankie’s broadcasts and is in love with the town mechanic.  Emma Fitch is the town doctor’s new bride.  She is also listening to Frankie’s broadcasts.  She’s trying to escape fragile childhood memories while deal with her husband, Will going to London to offer his services.

My Thoughts:

I acquired this book because of my interest in reading stories about World War II, but I didn’t really care for this book.  I couldn’t get attach to the characters.  It kept switching from the three women so often that it made it difficult to feel for any of the characters.  I know I really didn’t like the character of Emma Fitch when she was so wrapped up in missing her husband that she couldn’t summon up enough compassion for a fellow townsman who lost his wife while she was giving birth to his baby girl.

There’s not much good I can say about the book but hearing about the war and the bombings of London was intriguing.  I feel Sarah Blake should have concentrated more on Frankie Bard and what when on in London. She seemed to have a more interesting tale to tell, if only Blake would have let her tell it, instead of jumping over to Iris or Emma.  This is the first book I’ve read by Sarah Blake, and I don’t see myself reading another.  I gave this book three stars and a grade of C because I found this book quite boring. If you are a fan of Blake already then you may enjoy this book.  Otherwise, I recommend passing this book up at the bookstore.

Parents:

Language: None

Adult Content: Talks of war

Violence: Bombings and shootings

Surrender the Wind, by Rita Gerlach

 

Book Title: Surrender the Wind

Author: Rita Gerlach

Published By: Abingdon Press

Date Published:  August 1, 2009

Genre:  Christian Fiction, Historical Romance

Pages: 382

Recommended Age: Adult

Read and Reviewed By: Me 

Rating: B/4

I received this book from Amazon.  It was one of Amazon’s free Kindle books they were giving away on a particular day.

Summary:

A young Patriot veteran of the Revolutionary war, Seth Braxton receives a letter from his grandfather’s lawyer stating he has inherited his grandfather Benjamin Braxton’s estate in England. With only intending to stay in England long enough to sell off everything and return back to Virginia with his little sister; he arrives to learn that his sister is a widow with a two year old toddler who has been kidnapped. He stays to help bring his nephew home and solve the mystery of who kidnapped his nephew and why. He also finds himself falling in love with his sister’s best friend and reawakens an old enemy who is set on revenge.

My Thoughts:

I don’t usually read Christian novels because I don’t believe they are quite realistic.  I being a Christian myself and attend church every week, I know people do not quote bible verses to one another and talk about God’s Will on a daily basis, but I thought I would give this book a chance. It seemed like it had some substance to it.

While I was reading, it seemed to have the impression of The Hound of the Baskervilles and I kept expecting Sherlock Homes to show up on the scene, but all I got was a lazy police officer who wanted to claim everything as an accident.  I say that it had the atmosphere of The Hound of the Baskervilles because it always seemed to be dark or raining, or both.  It added to the aura of the mystery.

Most of the characters were well developed and had depth, one was even functionally deranged.  The reader doesn’t realize how unbalanced the person is until the end. The one thing I found fault with was that I believe Seth’s sister and her new beau needed to have more depth to their characters since it was her son who was kidnapped and he beau was Seth’s friend and helped Seth at every turn.  Seth’s sister was treated as back ground characters when you would think a mother would be more involved in finding her son’s kidnapper, and her beau was treated more as a secondary character, but he’s character had no substance other than a friend to Seth and the beau of Seth’s sister.  I would have liked to know more about them two.

I gave Surrender the Wind four stars and a grade of B, because my first instinct was to give it a lower rating and grade, but only because of all the unrealistic religious talk.  Then I thought if I took all that out what grade would I give it?  That’s when I decided on the four stars and the grade of B.  It was a fantastic read that kept the reader intrigued to the end. Rita Gerlach is a superb story teller.  If you like Christian historical fiction, or just a good mystery with the aura of The Hound of the Baskervilles I recommend Surrender the Wind

Parents:

Language: Very clean language, biblical language

Adult Content: None

Violence: a couple of dead bodies and a fire but not in detailed words.