Two Dogs and a Book

The Alice Network by Kate Quinn My rating: 5 of 5 stars This plot is set shortly after the Second World War. A young American lady travels to England with her mother to deal with an unplanned pregnancy. Charlotte St. Clair has another agenda than the one planned by her parents. She is determined to find out what happened to her cousin Rose who disappeared four years earlier and presumed dead. Charlotte recruits the help of Evelyn Gardner and her chauffeur, Finn Kilgore. Eve was a spy who was part of The Alice Network during WWI and has knowledge of the whereabouts of Rose. The Alice Network is a true war fact and took its name from Alice Dubois (a.k.a. Louise de Bettignies), a French female spy who spied on the Germans for the British. Some information about her can be found at https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis... . The story jumps back and forth between Charlotte trying to find her cousin and Eve’s past as a spy. The two timelines collide in the last few chapters. ...

The Clockmaker's Daughter by Kate Morton My rating: 5 of 5 stars First, I have to say that the book cover is absolutely gorgeous. Never judge a book by its cover, but this time you would not be wrong. I love stories which have more than one timeline and encourage the reader to discover the connections across time. I would assume that it is a challenge for an author to make sure that each timeline has a beginning and an end and that anything in between keeps the reader interested. Kate Moron is an expert in multiple timelines novels. This is the third book I have the pleasure of reading from this delightful author and I was not disappointed. The Clockmaker’s Daughter is a tale of love, murder, ghosts, and a lost blue diamond. During the Summer of 1862, a group of artist friends pervades the Birchwood Manor to practice their arts. Edward Radcliffe is in love with his model Lily Mullington, but he is engaged to be married to Fanny Brown. He plans to quietly break off t...

Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman My rating: 5 of 5 stars Holy moly! What a ride! Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman is a sensational thriller. I could not put it down and I was out of breath by the end. Catherine Steadman delivers a phenomenal novel about a couple who finds a bag in the middle of the ocean. What the bag contains will change their lives. A series of deceptions and lies will drive Erin and her husband Mark to a criminal life. Who can they trust? Can they trust each other? Add this book to your To-Read-Next list, you will not be disappointed. #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #book #books #bookreview #bookworm #bookish #booklover #bookaddict #booksofinstagram #bookaholic #somethinginthewater #catherinesteadman View all my reviews

The Spook in the Stacks by Eva Gates My rating: 4 of 5 stars The Spook in the Stacks by Eva Gates is the fourth book in the Lighthouse Library Mystery series. A big thank you to @writing_fun for my free copy. This is the first book I read in the series and I was concerned that I might miss important background elements. It was not the case. The story is stand-alone, and Eva Gates offers enough insights to know what happened in the previous books. This is a light mystery and an easy read. It kept me guessing right to the end. A perfect book to enjoy on the beach or while camping. #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #book #books #bookreview #bookworm #bookish #booklover #bookaddict #booksofinstagram #bookaholic #thespookinthestacks #evagates #mysterybooks #mystery View all my reviews

The Book of Essie by Meghan MacLean Weir My rating: 4 of 5 stars A big thank you to Penguin Random House Canada (@penguinrandomca) for giving me a copy of this beautiful hard copy of The Book of Essie by Meghan MacLean Weir (@meghanmacleanweir). I must admit that I was a bit leery to start this book. I was concerned that the story would be dealing with religion and its flakiness. Well, it did, but not in a way I expected. Although this novel is dealing with the deceits of organized religion, it sends a clear message about the right to justice and freedom. Essie is one of the stars on a popular reality show called Six of Hicks which follows the day to day living of an evangelical minister and his family. At seventeen, Essie is the youngest child in the family. Essie is pregnant which is an issue to her mother Celia because of the impact it will have on their reputation and the popularity of the show. After analyzing all the possible solutions to this inconvenience, Cel...

The Little Shop of Found Things by Paula Brackston My rating: 4 of 5 stars Xanthe has a special gift; she hears certain objects singing. What does this mean? It means that she can hear and feel the stories of the object's owner. Xanthe and her mother are starting a new life as owners of an antique shop. There is much to do before the grand opening and getting some antiques at a local auction is one of them. While browsing the items that will be auctioned, Xanthe hears an object singing; it a chatelaine. She must have it, even if it means that it will deplete their bank account. The chatelaine comes with a very determined ghost. Xanthe soon finds herself forced to help a young maid in the 17th century accused of stealing pieces of the chatelaine which was owned by her employer. How can Xanthe help someone from the past? By going back in time. But time she does not have much of. To succeed in freeing Alice, she will need to act quickly. How will she do it? Who can help...

Dear Mrs. Bird by A.J. Pearce My rating: 4 of 5 stars Dear Mrs. Bird by A.J. Pearce is a fine example of a good mix of historical facts and a well-written story. The plot takes place in London in 1940. Emmeline Lake is doing her part in the war effort by volunteering as a telephone operator with the Auxiliary Fire Services. She sees an advertisement in the newspaper for a job at the London Evening Chronicle. She gets a job as a typist for Henrietta Bird, a renown but difficult advice columnist for the Woman’s Friend magazine. This is not what Emmy was expecting and working for Mrs. Bird comes with its challenges. After discovering that Mrs. Bird only gives advice on particular sorts of letters, Emmy decides to respond to some desperate writers using Mrs. Bird’s letterhead and signature. She even goes as far as sneaking some of the advice into the magazine. Emmy knows that she is risking being discovered, but the letters are so full of desperate comments, she cannot stop h...