Review: Dark History of Hollywood by Keiron Connolly

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There have always been whispers and rumors about how dark Hollywood truly is. The majority of Hollywood secret stay secrets. This was especially true in the early decades of Hollywood. Gossip magazines were not as popular and Hollywood executives were control of everyone and everything.

Dark History of Hollywood: A century of greed, corruption and scandal behind the movies provides an in-depth look at Hollywood. It’s eye opening; it’s gruesome and sometimes heartbreaking. This book was extremely intriguing and it was hard to put the book down. I would recommend this to anyone who has interesting in learning about the Hollywood. Especially, anyone who looks at it with a pair of rose colored glasses because Hollywood is not pretty. It may look pretty, but it definitely is not.  

The Dark History of Hollywood tells 100 years’ worth of dark secrets about Hollywood. Some are well known secrets and some are not well-known. However, regardless, the author provides enough information to provide a detail account of the situation. The book was well organized and seamlessly moves from decade to decade revealing the dark history for Hollywood.

I think the most difficult and shocking secret that I uncovered was about Judy Garland. Her life was anything but perfect and she struggled with addictions and several other issues. And the majority of her issues arose when she was younger and were only heightened by Hollywood executives.

Final Analysis

Dark History of Hollywood provides an in-depth look at Hollywood and all of the deep dark secrets.

Review: American Duchess by Karen Harper

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Synopsis

Before there was Meghan Markle, there was Consuelo Vanderbilt, the original American Duchess. Perfect for readers of Jennifer Robson and lovers of Downton Abbey.

Karen Harper tells the tale of Consuelo Vanderbilt, her “The Wedding of the Century” to the Duke of Marlborough, and her quest to find meaning behind “the glitter and the gold.”

On a cold November day in 1895, a carriage approaches St Thomas Episcopal Church on New York City’s Fifth Avenue. Massive crowds surge forward, awaiting their glimpse of heiress Consuelo Vanderbilt. Just 18, the beautiful bride has not only arrived late, but in tears, yet her marriage to the aloof Duke of Marlborough proceeds. Bullied into the wedding by her indomitable mother, Alva, Consuelo loves another. But a deal was made, trading some of the vast Vanderbilt wealth for a title and prestige, and Consuelo, bred to obey, realizes she must make the best of things.

At Blenheim Palace, Consuelo is confronted with an overwhelming list of duties, including producing an “heir and a spare,” but her relationship with the duke quickly disintegrates. Consuelo finds an inner strength, charming everyone from debutantes to diplomats including Winston Churchill, as she fights for women’s suffrage. And when she takes a scandalous leap, can she hope to attain love at last…?

From the dawning of the opulent Gilded Age, to the battles of the Second World War, American Duchess is a riveting tale of one woman’s quest to attain independence—at any price.

Review

I’ve always been fascinated with this period of history, especially learning more about the Vanderbilts. Inspired by Consuelo Vanderbilt, American Duchess had all the elements to sweep me away. I loved the book broken down into parts based on the periods of time in her life. I felt like it guided the book to get to know her better.

I felt the overall story was beautifully written and kept me interested in wanting to know more. Following her journey through her perspective and see her evolve as a person through her life given her circumstances, really piqued my curiosity to learn more about her outside the book. Something that I really loved was the role of the women in this book. It was really interesting seeing the influence of women, especially who had titles and weight behind their names given their place in society.

Despite this being historical fiction and we are getting Consuelo through the eyes of the author, you can really see the love for her and appreciate the thought behind her and the other characters throughout their portrayals in the book. I found several moments interesting of how people can be unlikable until they have a humbling moment in their life that changes them for the good. I found that relevant to my love hate relationship with her mother and her first husband. Some of my favorite moments include with her father, children and her second chance at love with her second husband.

Overall, this was a really good read. This was my first by Karen and I hope to get a chance to read her other books. If you love historical fiction, especially interest of the Vanderbilts, grab a copy and check it out for yourself.

Review: The Sisters Hemingway by Annie England Noblin

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The Sisters Hemingway centers on three sisters- Hadley, Pfeiffer, and Martha Hemingway. Three sisters who are, unfortunately, too familiar with grief and tragedy. In their youth, they had lost their parents and younger sister. As they grew, they each left behind their small town. Hadley went to New York and ended up marrying a senator. Pfeiffer landed a job at a publishing company in New York. And Martha chased her dreams in Nashville. They don’t return home until another tragedy emerges.

I enjoyed The Sisters Hemingway. In essence, this book is about coming home and family. Those two themes were heavily emphasized within the book and I think the author did it beautifully. It was heartwarming and compelling.

The Sisters Hemingway also features an intriguing mystery. Sometimes it is hard to keep a mystery engaging and exciting, but this book does not have this problem. Everything about this book is a page turner, it was hard to put it down.

Characters

Although I find myself having a particular liking towards Pfeiffer, all of the sisters well-developed, interesting, and likable characters.

Each sister appeared to have been leaving them dream, but that was far from the truth. Hadley’s marriage was suffering, Pfeiffer had lost her job, and Martha was struggling creatively and just left rehab. They were almost lost. And it was interesting to see them return to their roots and find themselves again. And in addition, learn to be sisters again. Because they distant and guarded at first.

Final Analysis

The Sisters Hemingway is a beautifully written book about coming home and coming together.

*ARC was provided by TLC Book Tours for an honest review*


Review: Low Country Hero by Lee Tobin McClain

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Synopsis:

Welcome to Safe Haven, where love—and a second chance—is just around the corner…

Sunny, carefree days splashing in the ocean—it’s the life Anna George has always wanted for her five-year-old twins. And now that they’ve made it to Safe Haven, South Carolina, she won’t let anyone stand in her way. Not the abusive ex she’s just escaped and not the rugged contractor who caught her setting up house in the shuttered beachfront cabins he’s refurbishing. When he offers Anna and her daughters a place to stay in exchange for her help with renovations, she’s tempted. His gentle way with her girls makes her want to trust him, but she’s been wrong before…

A family is the last thing contractor and former military man Sean O’Dwyer wants right now. But when he discovers Anna and her girls, he recognizes kindred spirits. They’re survivors who’ve seen the worst of people, just like he has, and he’ll do anything he can to help them. As he and Anna spend their days bringing the cottages back to life and their nights sharing kisses in the warm bayou breezes, Sean must choose between the life he always wanted and the family he can’t live without.

Review

Honestly, I’m torn on my thoughts for this book. Low Country Hero is the first book in Lee Tobin McClain’s Safe Haven series. I’m always up for a new second chances novel.

Right out the gate, the book had me hooked at the Prologue. It really intrigued me and I wanted to know what happened to this woman and her children. Here comes my conflicted thoughts. I’m not sure if this was to set up the foundation of the series for their story to unravel over time. If that is why, than I’ll accept it but I did feel cheated because it sort of was a let down because I really wanted to know. Even though we get little bits of information there were moments of the book that it could’ve been explored and revealed but it didn’t. So, I guess I’ll just have to stick around and see how it all plays out. By the way, this was my only issue, everything else was good.

The book touched upon domestic violence bringing different perspectives in the storylines. Safe Haven, such the fitting name for a town that took care of each other. I loved the role Yasmin and Ma Dixie had in the book. They gave a safe haven to the women and children who needed support in their lives. It would be nice to see in the other books more about them and their lives.

It was refreshing reading about Anna’s journey. Seeing a character such as her is inspiring for women who didn’t have the courage to leave their situation. She risked everything to leave her abusive husband . Trying to stay strong for girls and rebuild their life was a wonderful thing. Also seeing the evolution of her children puts things in perspective.

Seeing the effects of abuse from the perspective of the children as adults. Sean, who befriended Anna, he and his brothers Liam and Cash with the guidance of Ma Dixie and Safe Haven grew up to make good lives for themselves in spite of the psychological abuses as children. It was interesting seeing their perspective and how it affected their lives and relationships. The was more evident in the relationship with Anna and Sean. It was thought provoking seeing two abused people struggle and break through the boundaries to moved from their abused pasts to where they are now.

Overall, the book had a really nice story mixed with some important themes that blended well into it. There is many perspectives with a great takeaway. The other characters in the book brought some warmth and charm. I’m looking forward to seeing how the other characters are explored in the upcoming books, especially getting my questions answered. This looks like it’s going to be a nice series. I’d recommend checking it out.

Spotlight: The Risk (Briar U Book 2) by Elle Kennedy

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Compared to the first book in the Briar U series, I think this one may be my favorite. I will attempt that is was hard to read at times. It tended to be a little too slow and dragged on. But all and all it was an enjoyable book  with a good romance. 

The Risk is about Brenna and Jake. Brenna's dad is the hockey coach at Briar and has a long standing rivalry with Harvard- the team that Jake plays for it. The Risk is full of fake dating, banter, & hockey. 

Like mentioned, earlier I enjoyed the book. There were funny moments and it did attempt to throw in some realistic, grounded moments. However, it is worth mentioning that it sometimes felt too much. Those moments were introduced and then quickly wrapped up without fully exploring them. For example, Brenna & her cousin. They have this big moment and then her cousin isn't mentioned again until the book is almost finished. I had completely forgotten about her. 

I'm a sucker for the fake dating trope and the enemies to love trope. If completed well, it can really elevate a book for me. Jake & Brenna's relationship was nicely done and I enjoyed it. I want more of them.

Final Analysis 

The Risk isn't perfect but it is enjoyable. This is particularly due to the outstanding romance. 

Review: Between Before and After by Maureen Doyle McQueery

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Summary:

“The carnage began with the roses. She hacked at their ruffled blooms until they dropped into monstrous drifts of red on the parched yellow lawn … Only two things kept my mother grounded to us: my uncle Stephen and stories.”

Fourteen-year-old Molly worries about school, friends, and her parents’ failed marriage, but mostly about her mother’s growing depression. Molly knows her mother is nursing a carefully-kept secret. A writer with an obsession for other people’s life stories, Elaine Donnelly is the poster child of repressed emotions.

Molly spends her California summer alternately watching out for her little brother Angus and tip-toeing around her mother’s raw feelings. Molly needs her mother more than ever, but Elaine shuts herself off from real human connections and buries herself in the lives and deaths of the strangers she writes about. When Uncle Stephen is pressed into the limelight because of his miracle cure of a young man, Elaine can no longer hide behind other people’s stories. And as Molly digs into her mother’s past, she finds a secret hidden in her mother’s dresser that may be the key to unlocking a family mystery dating to 1918 New York—a secret that could destroy or save their future.

Told in dual narratives between 1918 New York City and 1955 San Jose, California, Between Before and After, by award-winning author Maureen McQuerry, explores the nature of family secrets, resiliency, and redemption. This is an historical coming-of-age Young Adult story about the complex bonds between mothers and daughters.

Review:

I’m not sure why this book didn’t immediately take to me. The foundation of the story, the setting, characters and plot was good but I only found myself deeply in the book about midway where it came alive for me.

Between Before and After, the reader is told it’s story through dual time perspectives which I really appreciated. One perspective told through teenage Molly at the present and the past told through her mother Elaine. I feel through Elaine’s perspective, we are learning about the past. Some moments I wish could’ve been explored more because it felt like something was left out or we rushed right buy. Molly’s perspective helped us understand who Elaine was and why she feels the way she does through the past. Getting to know their lives this way gave us a backstory and a overall perspective on who they were.

In hopes to learn more about Elaine, Molly decided to look into her past. When she discovered something hidden, she decided to put up ad to get any information. Not knowing what it would uncover, when an accident occurred, the past collided with the present leaving opening secrets that had consequences that would change their lives forever.

I thought it was a beautifully written story with several memorable moments. There were moments that I wish we could’ve learned more to experience more of their journey. I thought it was a wonderful addition to the book embedding snippets from Hansel & Gretel in there. Despite a couple of my thoughts, I will recommend this book for you to consider.