What the River Knows by Isabel Ibañez
Goodreads blub: Bolivian-Argentinian Inez Olivera belongs to the glittering upper society of nineteenth century Buenos Aires, and like the rest of the world, the town is steeped in old world magic that’s been largely left behind or forgotten. Inez has everything a girl might want, except for the one thing she yearns the most: her globetrotting parents—who frequently leave her behind. When she receives word of their tragic deaths, Inez inherits their massive fortune and a mysterious guardian, an archeologist in partnership with his Egyptian brother-in-law. Yearning for answers, Inez sails to Cairo, bringing her sketch pads and an ancient golden ring her father sent to her for safekeeping before he died. But upon her arrival, the old world magic tethered to the ring pulls her down a path where she soon discovers there’s more to her parent’s disappearance than what her guardian led her to believe. With her guardian’s infuriatingly handsome assistant thwarting her at every turn, Inez must rely on ancient magic to uncover the truth about her parent’s disappearance—or risk becoming a pawn in a larger game that will kill her. The Mummy meets Death on the Nile in this lush, immersive historical fantasy set in Egypt filled with adventure, a rivals-to-lovers romance, and a dangerous race.
My take: 4 out of 5. I had a wonderful time reading this book. I Was also very glad I got into it late and that I could go on to book 2 right away because there is definitely quite a bit of a cliffhanger at the end. The book is a Beautiful historical fiction meets thriller in the heart of Egypt, with some magic pixie dust thrown into the mix. I enjoyed the depths of the characters, how nuanced they were and how the twists were no obvious at all. A lovely quick dive into the Egyptian beauty.
Where the Library Hides by Isabel Ibañez
Goodreads blurb: The stunning conclusion to the story that started in What the River Knows. A lush immersive historical fantasy set in Egypt filled with adventure, and a rivals-to-lovers romance like no other! 1885, Egypt Inez Olivera is left reeling from her cousin Elvira’s murder, and her mother’s betrayal, and when Tío Ricardo issues an ultimatum about her inheritance, she’s left with only one option to consider. Marriage to Whitford Hayes. Former British soldier, her uncle’s aide de camp, and one time nemesis, Whit has his own mysterious reasons for staying in Egypt. With her heart on the line, Inez might have to bind her fate to the one person whose secret plans could ruin her.
my take: 3.75 out of 5. Second books are hard. They rarely meet expectations because they are always too high and the don’t have the element of surprise of the first edition. However they are needed as you need conclusions and this series definitely needed it after the cliffhanger book no. 1 left me in. It is not as original as the first, and the twists were more predictable (or maybe I was already way immersed into their world and could think ahead?). IN any case a worthy conclusion, but it really could have been just one longer book.
Any Trope but You by Victoria Lavine
Goodreads blurb: A bestselling romance author flees to Alaska to reinvent herself and write her first murder mystery, but the rugged resort proprietor soon has her fearing she’s living in a rom-com plot instead in this earnestly spectacular debut by a stunning new voice. Beloved romance author Margot Bradley has a dark secret: she doesn’t believe in Happily Ever Afters. Not for herself, not for her readers, and not even for her characters, for whom she secretly writes alternate endings that swap weddings and babies for divorce papers and the occasional slashed tire. When her Happily Never After document is hacked and released to the public, she finds herself canceled by her readers and dropped by her publisher. Desperate to find a way to continue supporting her chronically ill sister, Savannah, Margot decides to trade meet-cutes for murder. The fictional kind. Probably. But when Savannah books Margot a six-week stay in a remote Alaskan resort to pen her first murder mystery, Margot finds herself running from a moose and leaping into the arms of the handsome proprietor, making her fear she’s just landed in a romance novel instead. The last thing Dr. Forrest Wakefield ever expected was to leave his dream job as a cancer researcher to become a glorified bellhop. What he’s really doing at his family’s resort is caring for his stubborn, ailing father, and his puzzle-loving mind is slowly freezing over—until Margot shows up. But Forrest doesn’t have any room in his life for another person he could lose, especially one with a checkout date. As long snowy nights and one unlikely trope after another draw Margot and Forrest together, they’ll each have to learn to overcome their fears and set their aside assumptions before Margot leaves—or risk becoming a Happily Never After story themselves.
This is an ARC review thanks to a gift from the publisher.
my take: 3.75 out of 5. The beginning of this book seemed like it was just going to be predictable, and not in a good way. I was wrong. Interesting characters, good character development and beautiful settings make this not a traditional trope, as the title lets you believe, but a lovely romance. It was sweet, and nice and a lovely read during winter. One to curl up with a hot beverage with.
Three Days in June by Anne Tyler
Goodreads blurb: A new Anne Tyler novel destined to be an instant classic: a socially awkward mother of the bride navigates the days before and after her daughter’s wedding. Gail Baines is having a bad day. To start, she loses her job—or quits, depending on whom you ask. Tomorrow her daughter, Debbie, is getting married, and she hasn’t even been invited to the spa day organized by the mother of the groom. Then, Gail’s ex-husband, Max, arrives unannounced on her doorstep, carrying a cat, without a place to stay, and without even a suit. But the true crisis lands when Debbie shares with her parents a secret she has just learned about her husband to be. It will not only throw the wedding into question but also stir up Gail and Max’s past. Told with deep sensitivity and a tart sense of humor, full of the joys and heartbreaks of love and marriage and family life, Three Days in June is a triumph, and gives us the perennially bestselling, Pulitzer Prize–winning writer at the height of her powers
This is an ARC review thanks to a gift from the publisher
My take: 3,25 out of 5. This book is one that is beautifully written but that ended up being somewhat boring to me. The concept is cool, and the setting of the family stress of three days of a wedding weekend does lend itself for some interesting meditations on family dynamics. My issue was that I was bored and didn’t really care that much about any of the family members to get thoroughly invested. A nice but not great story. I actually still don’t know whether I liked the ending or not. Take that for what you want, at least it might be controversial. I don’t know if it was perfect, simplistic or very anti feminine.
The Martha’s Vineyard Beach and Book Club by Martha Hall Kelly
Goodreads blurb: Two sisters living on Martha’s Vineyard during World War II find hope in the power of storytelling when they start a wartime book club for women—a spectacular novel inspired by true events from the New York Times bestselling author of Lilac Girls. 2024. Mari lands on the storied shores of Martha’s Vineyard, fresh off the heels of her mother’s funeral, with plans to meet the famous painter, Elizabeth Devereux. She is there to paint, but few understand why the notoriously reclusive Ms. Devereux would agree to take Mari on. It soon becomes clear that her teacher brought Mari there for a She holds the key to Mari’s past and among this magical island’s sandy beaches and the shimmering ocean, the history of her family and their fateful connection to this place becomes clear. 1942. The Smith sisters, still reeling from the explosion of war and their brother’s enlistment, are left to care for their family’s Martha’s Vineyard property—alone. Briar, the rambunctious younger of the two, begins to suspect that a German U-boat lurks on the horizon, spying on a neighbouring Army base. Ginny, the eldest, dreams of being a writer in New York and falls headlong into a passionate romance with a British Navy Officer. When they start up a book club that pores over Armed Service Editions, what begins as an attempt to bolster the war effort by getting books into the hands of soldiers becomes a powerful means of connection for the women who have been left behind to fend for themselves. But when a German soldier washes ashore, one who claims to have knowledge of their brother’s whereabouts, paranoia seeps Who can they trust? And who among them is telling the truth? Traversing time to tell a remarkable story of the power of literature to unite communities, acclaimed author Martha Hall Kelly’s epic novel explores one of America’s most renowned locales and its role at the forefront of the greatest war humankind has ever known.
This is an ARC review thanks to a gift from the publisher
my take: 4 out of 5. I ran to request this book as I really enjoyed Lilac Girls, and historical fiction, especially War historical fiction is one of my favorite genres. This book did not disappoint. Is it perfect, no. But it is enjoyable, emotional and extremely well researched which are musts for me in the genre. Although some of the actions and connections could seem far fetched, what I loved about the book was the connection between the family members and the small town impact of such a big event. Briar is crazy but such fun, and I totally got a Little Women vibe from it all. Its also always wonderful when the power of a book is highlighted and here in little and big ways books make a stance and an impact.
Tati's Tidbits 