Just a fantastic story! I love WW2 so much that it's nice to go to the Cold War for this one.... That's one I don't think I have ever read.

I love that this is based on Bob's true story. Make sure you read the author's note at the beginning and the chapter notes at the end. They give a lot of insight to what was real in the story.

It's beautiful that during a hard time in prison, Bob was able to become friends with a guard called "Adolf" (real name unknown). His fictional friendship with Luisa (but she being based on a real aquanintance of his) helped get him through some very hard times too.

This was a sweet, Hallmark/Lifetime movie in a book.

Jenna loses her precious Aunt May and a big project at work along with her boyfriend of 4 years all the same day. She heads back home to the island where she learns she and her sister have been left May's house and there is a contractor, Ben, that she wants to help restore the house (and only him) and then sell it if that's what's wanted.

Along the way, I felt she discovered what it is to really be "at home" and to find the people who will be there for her no matter what. It's a shorter book that has a lot of heart. I love Jenna's dad the most. He's such a sweet man and he is the one who really turns things around for Jenna at the end.... Doesn't hurt to have a handsome man to work side by side with either!

Anna Gallagher has been living in Washington territory with her brother and Grandfather from Russia. Her family wants to see her married to a respectable man (messing, has money). Anna herself longs for adventure. She has always loved looking at Mt. Rainier. She is determined to summit it one day.

Anna is a wonderful person. I love that she isn't intimidated by the large responsibility of climbing and what it will take to do what she wants. I love her friendship with Heather and her daughter. I love that she didn't fall for Connor or the guy who demeaned women but instead for Ben- who didn't want to dampen her spirit of adventure. I was proud of her accomplishments on the mountain.

I loved every bit of this book!

Noelle and Sam meet when they are both stranded on a snowy motorway and Noelle needs to borrow a charger for her phone. They end up spending 8 hours together and pay knowing that's the last time they will see each other. But fate has other plans as they keep running into each other!

Noelle is such a good person. She deals with the heavy loss of her friend. She takes wonderful care of her mom even at the expense of doing what she really wants to do. I love that Noelle gets the chance to start doing her passion and love that get mom for to get the proper care that she needs.

I love Sam too. He's also grieving his cousin's loss long ago. He really sees Noelle and the potential within her. He's more supportive in their short interactions than her off/on ex Ed.

This looks like just a light and fluffy romance but there are other works at play!

Charlotte goes to New York to visit with her friend Rachael and to scout out a possible location for her stationary shop. She meets Ethan (who Rachael had hoped to introduce them first) when Rachael can't get out of meetings. Charlotte and Ethan find a mutual friendship through the loss of each other's spouses. Then Charlotte uncovers (while looking at spaces to rent) inadvertently a possible terrorist cell at play.

I thought the book was a little bit longer than it maybe could have been. Charlotte is very capable and smart but at times maybe seemed too smart and put together. Maybe it's because she's well established in her military career and in her 40s but I wish I had seen more vulnerability in her like I felt we saw on Ethan.

The romance is a very slow burn and when they get together it's very sweet and closed door type of romance.

At the beginning of the book, you know there is a murder but you don't know of who.

The book follows the lives of 5 different families living in a cul-de-sac. Most of these people are not that likable- some for good reason and some for reasons not understood.

Some of these people are truly horrible and I just knew who was going to be the one ending up dead.

I liked the growth of Maggie the most (though not all characters had to grow). I understand a bit of why she behaved the way she did...I would have probably behaved the same! I also liked how Mark turned his life around at the end.

4.5 stars

*I was on the street launch team for this book and these opinions are all my own.*

This book is the exciting second story that takes place right where Wings of Fury ends. Althea/Hera and her sisters now need to get a plan together to defeat the God of God's father Cronus. Cronus has vowed to gather up the Titans and Gods of old to take down the mortal world to its knees. Hera must find her brothers, even going into the underworld to get Hades, to have a chance at saving Earth.

I love that Hera shows us that we don't have to be burdened down by our birthright, we can be the people we want to be. Theo helped show that when you love someone so much, you want what they want and will sacrifice anything to achieve it. Zeus is still the petulant God that his father hid away....I didn't like who he becomes in the end.

I really like Hades in this story. He was just not what I've come to expect from other stories and myths. He was kind and did what he needed to do to help Hera.

Wren had a very difficult and different childhood when her soldier father comes home and moves his family off the grid because he feels the world has ended but humanity hasn't gotten the memo. But Wren got away from that world when a raid happens.

Years later, successful and thriving, she joins a dating app. She finds a guy, falls in deep with him, and then gets ghosted. She finds out she's not the first and is determined to find out why.

I loved that I didn't guess the ending of who this guy really was. It was wild and thrilling. Wren has people in her life that are so good for her. They keep her grounded I feel from her past. Wren is also so capable and strong. She learned things that might have seemed weird at the time to a kid becomes useful to her.

I really like the premise of this.

The author in the book, Erica, needs a plot for her first ever book contract. She is on a vacation and finds 13 discarded items on the beach, items that don't have to do with each other.

I like that she made up a story for each object instead of lumping them all somewhere in one story. My favorite part was the novella about the laminated concert badge. 4 women all bound by their love of a band. I knew (from the back synopsis) that there was a shooting at a concert but I was really surprised by how it happened. I didn't see it coming and I think that is a good mark of an author's talent.

It's hard for me to review short stories but each one has something to offer. You can just see this object and its place in the story in your mind's eye. I love that the headings to the chapters are flowers and their descriptions.

I have never read a WW1 novel that takes place in Egypt and I loved every bit of it.

Ginger is a nurse and comes across a man dying. He tells her he has intelligence that he needs to get in the right hands. Major Noah Benson arrives and throws her world into a tailspin.

Through the whole book, I didn't know who Ginger could or should trust! As soon as you think, oh this person is trustworthy, it switches. Back and forth so many times. I really liked trying to figure out who I thought was the trustworthy one!

This book I found myself reading super fast because it's just a lot of action. The romance and tension between Ginger and Noah is exciting. I am so happy this will be a series and I can't wait to see where it goes!