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leighsnerdlife
I’m not really sure how to describe Lanny - I’ve never read anything quite like it. The narrative structure is very unique, and almost reminds me of poetry. I think writing it that way was a good call made by Porter - it makes more of an emotional impact. At least, it did for me!
The story is told from multiple POVs, and even when it jumped around rapidly, it was still easy to figure out and follow. It also has a bit of a supernatural element, and yet it also makes you question whether that aspect is even real. It bends your brain - which I liked! Now I really want to read Porter’s other work.
The story is told from multiple POVs, and even when it jumped around rapidly, it was still easy to figure out and follow. It also has a bit of a supernatural element, and yet it also makes you question whether that aspect is even real. It bends your brain - which I liked! Now I really want to read Porter’s other work.
I had the good fortune to visit Monaco back in 2014. I took the palace tour and visited the church where Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier are buried. It’s a beautiful place (with amazing food!). So, when I spotted this title I just knew I had to read it. Thanks HarperCollins Canada for a copy of this book!
The story is set around the time of Grace and Rainier’s romance and eventual wedding, with the actual focus on a woman Grace happens to meet during Cannes.
Sophie Duval is a perfumer and her passion for her work practically jumps off the page. The story shows her struggle to keep her business afloat and her attempts to manage her romantic life as well. It sucked me in immediately, and I ended up reading the whole thing in a single sitting. I could not put it down! I managed to predict a couple of the climactic events in the book, but the direction it took afterwards was a complete surprise to me.
Meet Me In Monaco is beautiful, vibrant, and took me on a roller coaster of emotions. The ending positively wrecked me! And I wouldn’t have it any other way.
The story is set around the time of Grace and Rainier’s romance and eventual wedding, with the actual focus on a woman Grace happens to meet during Cannes.
Sophie Duval is a perfumer and her passion for her work practically jumps off the page. The story shows her struggle to keep her business afloat and her attempts to manage her romantic life as well. It sucked me in immediately, and I ended up reading the whole thing in a single sitting. I could not put it down! I managed to predict a couple of the climactic events in the book, but the direction it took afterwards was a complete surprise to me.
Meet Me In Monaco is beautiful, vibrant, and took me on a roller coaster of emotions. The ending positively wrecked me! And I wouldn’t have it any other way.
With the Fire on High is a fantastic story about a young woman trying to figure out her place in the world. Emoni loves to cook, and the story centres around her passion for it. There’s a bit of magic tied to her cooking - the food she makes triggers feelings and memories in those who eat it. It reminds me of the movie Simply Irresistible (with Sarah Michelle Gellar). Go watch it - it’s an awesome film.
There are some heavy themes in this story as well (teen parenthood being one of them), but somehow it still manages to feel really light and lovely. I keep thinking of the words ‘sunny’ and ‘warm’ when trying to describe how the book makes me feel. Does that make sense?
With the Fire on High was really really hard to put down, and I ended up reading it in a day. The chapters are very short, which kept the story moving at a brisk pace. I did end up predicting early on where Emoni would end up in the end, but figuring that out didn’t diminish it at all for me.
There are some heavy themes in this story as well (teen parenthood being one of them), but somehow it still manages to feel really light and lovely. I keep thinking of the words ‘sunny’ and ‘warm’ when trying to describe how the book makes me feel. Does that make sense?
With the Fire on High was really really hard to put down, and I ended up reading it in a day. The chapters are very short, which kept the story moving at a brisk pace. I did end up predicting early on where Emoni would end up in the end, but figuring that out didn’t diminish it at all for me.
I received this book from the publisher.
The Girl in the Letter is kind of hard to define - it doesn’t really fall into a specific genre. I would say it’s part historical fiction, part mystery and part thriller. It’s an interesting mix, and I quite enjoyed it.
The central character is Sam, a single mother and journalist. She and her young daughter live with Sam’s grandmother as she tries to sort out her new single life. But then a series of old letters send Sam down the rabbit hole of an investigation that has widespread ramifications.
The story jumps between Sam’s narrative and the letters, written by a young woman named Ivy. The jumps are really well done. Ivy’s story is a tragic one, and the book really succeeds in building an emotional connection between her and the reader.
The pacing is brisk and engaging - I managed to read it in about a day. It’s definitely a page turner! But by the end, I found myself wishing that Sam’s grandmother was a bit more present in the story. She’s an important part of the plot and I struggled to understand her motivations at times. But other than that, this book is great - I definitely recommend it.
The Girl in the Letter is kind of hard to define - it doesn’t really fall into a specific genre. I would say it’s part historical fiction, part mystery and part thriller. It’s an interesting mix, and I quite enjoyed it.
The central character is Sam, a single mother and journalist. She and her young daughter live with Sam’s grandmother as she tries to sort out her new single life. But then a series of old letters send Sam down the rabbit hole of an investigation that has widespread ramifications.
The story jumps between Sam’s narrative and the letters, written by a young woman named Ivy. The jumps are really well done. Ivy’s story is a tragic one, and the book really succeeds in building an emotional connection between her and the reader.
The pacing is brisk and engaging - I managed to read it in about a day. It’s definitely a page turner! But by the end, I found myself wishing that Sam’s grandmother was a bit more present in the story. She’s an important part of the plot and I struggled to understand her motivations at times. But other than that, this book is great - I definitely recommend it.
