This was such a fun story. I loved Aunt Sadie. She was such a quirky character. If you're looking for a light-hearted book that will make you laugh I would highly recommend this one.

Grab the tissues!

Well that was a wild ride! Science Fiction is not something I'm normally drawn to, but I heard such good things about this book that I decided to check it out, and I'm glad I did. It was a bit slow at times though and the ending dragged on a bit. Overall I really liked the story and the writing.

Cilka’s Journey is the follow-up to The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris. Cilka Klein was just 18 when Auschwitz-Birkenau was liberated by Soviet soldiers, but instead of being freed, Cilka is sentenced to a labor camp on charges of having helped the Nazis. Cilka did what she had to do to survive the concentration camp, but that is not taken into consideration. She is sent to the Vorkuta Gulag in Siberia where she is sentenced to 15-years of labor. Cilka once again uses her wits and charm to survive another awful ordeal.

I really enjoyed The Tattooist of Auschwitz especially Lale and Gita’s story. One thing that made that book special was that it was based on interviews with Lale. Unfortunately, Heather Morris was unable to track Cilka down before finishing this book so some of it is loosely based on her time in Vorkuta. The one thing I loved about Cilka in the first book was her strength. She did what she had to do to survive and then was punished for that. It was hard to remember she was just 16 in The Tattooist of Auschwitz and only 18 in the beginning of Cilka’s Journey. She seems so much older because of all she had to go through.

I did enjoy this book, but not as much as the first one. I liked the love story towards the end and was happy when Cilka was released from the labor camp and able to finally be free. I can’t imagine going through everything she went through and remaining so strong throughout it all.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 stars rounded up.

Emily moves to Maryland to help her sister after a car accident. Her niece wants to be part of the local Renaissance Faire, but needs an adult volunteer to be able to so Emily volunteers. She butts heads with the shows director, Simon, but once the Faire starts their two characters seem to have some chemistry. Is it just an act or is there something real between them?

I haven't read any books set at a Renaissance Faire, and I thought it made it a lot of fun. There were some parts that were predictable, but I think that's typical in a enemies turned lovers story. I was a little surprised with how steamy the sex scenes were since I didn't feel that the book was going there at all. Overall, I enjoyed it though and look forward to reading the second book in the series, [b:Well Played|50089191|Well Played (Well Met, #2)|Jen DeLuca|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1583510287l/50089191._SY75_.jpg|73438420] when it comes out in September.

I really wanted to love this book, but i didn’t. I think a major problem I had with it was that I listened to the audiobook and the narrator really irritated me. I might have liked it better if I read the actual book. The story did have some good points, but I figured out who the bad guy was very early on which was frustrating. I don’t plan to continue with the series.

This is not my normal genre, but I really loved this story.