Happy Summer, Readers! I can’t believe we are already nearing the end of July. This summer is flying by. I feel like we still have so many things left to check off our bucket lists and not a lot of time left to do it. Also, it has rained more often than it hasn’t this month so I’m crossing my fingers August will be a stunner filled with sunshine and good books. This 10 stack has a good mix of everything – historical fiction, thrillers, beach reads, hits and some misses. With the last few weeks of school vacation upon us I’m hoping to find as much time to read as I can. (Maybe squeeze in another 10 stack before September?) I hope what remains of your summer is filled with sunshine, family time and relaxing days filled with “just one more chapter” moments.

“The Au Pair” by Emma Rous

Following the untimely death of her father, Seraphine begins the process of going through his belongings. Among them she finds a picture of her father, mother, older brother Edmund and in her mother’s arms, an infant. The photo was dated the day her mother died which tragically was also the day Seraphine and her twin brother Danny were born. Confused as to why the picture only includes one of the twin babies, Seraphine is desperate for answers that only those who were at Summerborne on the day her mother decided to jump can give to her. Haunted by her mother’s decision all those years ago, Seraphine begins to track down the few people that are left that can help her put together the mystery of her mother’s last days. While reading “The Au Pair” you have the feeling that the answer is just slightly out of reach until all is revealed. I had to question Seraphine’s 0-60 jump at the beginning and the ending would be largely problematic in reality but as long as you can get past things being slightly far-fetched “The Au Pair” is an okay read.

“The Disappearing Act” by Catherine Steadman

Actress Mia Eliot has arrived in Los Angeles after a very public break-up ready to take on pilot season for a change of scenery. The young star is sparking BAFTA nomination rumors so the auditions begin to stack up. At one of her first auditions state-side, Mia strikes up a conversation with Emily in the waiting room and when Emily’s name gets called first Mia offers to hold on to her things and refill her parking meter. By the time Mia returns for her own audition, Emily is nowhere to be found leaving Mia unsure of what to do. How far could she have gone without her wallet and car keys? When Mia is finally able to track Emily down days later she makes plans to pick up her belongings from Mia’s apartment. Only when Mia opens the door, the woman standing there is not the Emily she remembers at all. Though their encounter was brief Mia is sure that the woman standing in her apartment is not who she is claiming to be but if this isn’t Emily then who is she and where is the woman she met just a few days ago? I really wanted to like this book but found it to be a little unrealistic. I couldn’t wrap my head around the lengths Mia went to and the choices she made. Overall I found “The Disappearing Act” to be an entertaining read just prepare yourself to forgive some plot points. Thank you to NetGalley & Ballantine for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

“500 Miles from You” by Jenny Colgan

After witnessing a shocking crime, Lissa is suffering from PTSD and is finding it difficult to manage her job as a home healthcare nurse. Thinking a break from the hectic pace of London is just what she needs, Lissa’s supervisor arranges an exchange with a small village in the Scottish Highlands. Lissa will go and live there for three months and Cormac will come and replace Lissa in London. Army veteran, Corman McPhearson loves his small way of life and never dreamed of spending three months away from it but eventually warms to the idea of seeing what nursing is like in the big city. As the two begin to adjust to their new surroundings they stay in touch through email keeping the other updated on their patient’s care. As time winds down on their exchange the two begin to wonder what would happen if they were to actually meet? “500 Miles from You” is the third book in a loosely connected series highlighting the beautiful village of Kirrinfief. (I reviewed book one “The Bookshop on the Corner” back in October ’20.) The books from the series can be read independently and Colgan does a nice job highlighting characters you meet in the other books in a subtle way. “500 Miles from You” is a heartwarming story that is the perfect read to whisk you away to the UK for a summer break while most of us still can’t get there in person just yet. Don’t miss this great series.

“You Never Forget Your First” by Alexis Coe

George Washington like you have never read him before. Alexis Coe has written a light, overview biography of America’s First that makes reading this genre fun, manageable and accessible to all. If those door-stopper size academic biographies have you backing away, look no further than “You Never Forget Your First”. Coe gives the reader enough content to understand who Washington was in several stages of his life without overwhelming and finds a way to make history entertaining through fun facts often in list form while dispelling some of history’s most believed myths. (If only my history textbooks had looked like this!) “YNFYF” dives into Washington’s youth, his involvement in the Revolutionary War, his tireless commitment to the creation of the United States but also doesn’t gloss over G.W.’s faults – like his less than stellar stance on slavery (even for his time he was behind the times). I found the laundry list of his major illnesses mind-blowing! How this man lived long enough to be President without modern medicine is beyond me. For history fans this will be a quick read that will entertain and for those of you who may want to learn a little more about the man who started it all “You Never Forget Your First” is a great place to start. I would love to see Coe tackle the lives of other Founding Fathers along this same vein. Don’t be afraid to add this biography to your TBR list.

“Live Your Life” by Amanda Kloots with Anna Kloots

“Live Your Life” is not just the story of Nick Cordero’s fight with Covid-19, it’s so much more. It’s love, strength, kindness, loyalty, honesty, hope, community and the most strongly felt genuine positivity. Amanda Kloots, along with her sister Anna, have written the most touching tribute to the life of Amanda’s husband Nick. The 41 year old, who with no preexisting conditions became gravely ill at the start of the pandemic in March 2020, an otherwise healthy, strong Broadway performer who everyone believed would pull through quickly. The world began following along with Amanda’s #wakeupnick campaign on Instagram (@amandakloots) as she built an army of positivity every day at 3:00pm singing and dancing to Nick’s song, “Live Your Life”. Amanda’s social media posts were also spreading awareness about this relatively unknown illness – young, healthy people can get severely ill with Covid. The Kloots family rallied behind Amanda and her infant son, Elvis, dropping everything in their lives to move in and manage day to day life especially her older brother Todd (known as Biggie) and her youngest sister Anna. In my personal opinion, everyone needs an Anna in their life. I have followed Anna Kloots on social media for some time now (@annakloots) but after reading this book I have a new found respect and admiration for the person that she is and the love and loyalty she gave her sister. I can’t recommend reading this book enough as the powerful way this family has handled this unimaginable loss is one we should all strive for. I listened to the audiobook while reading along in my physical copy as I wanted to hear this story told by Amanda herself and in my opinion is the way everyone should experience this story. “Live Your Life” reminds us all that the power of positivity can move mountains, create community, and helps us all to live our lives each day to the fullest.

“The Undomestic Goddess” by Sophie Kinsella

On the verge of partner, high-powered lawyer Samantha Sweeting is about to get everything she’s dreamed of until a career-ending mistake comes to light. Samantha flees out of shock and embarrassment getting on a train to nowhere. When she finally comes around miles away from London she approaches a large stately home in order to ask for directions and some medicine for the crushing stress-headache she now has. When the door is answered Samantha is mistaken for an interviewee and in the whirlwind of the day somehow accidentally accepts a job to be a housekeeper. With her cooking skills limited to the toaster, never having used an iron and the inability to sew even a button, being a top London lawyer is looking easier by the minute. Unable to go back to the life she had before Samantha decides to lean into the miscommunication. After all, how hard can it be to pretend to be a Cordon Bleu trained chef and a domestic Wonder Woman? In my opinion, you can never go wrong with a Sophie Kinsella book and “The Undomestic Goddess” doesn’t disappoint. Kinsella is a master at light-hearted, rom-com and she is one of my favorite go-to authors. Though I’m very late to the party (this book was published back in ‘06) if you are like me and have yet to get to this title be sure to add it to your summer TBR list.

“The Last Charm” by Ella Allbright

Leila Jones has lost her most prized possession, a charm bracelet given to her by her mother the day she left. When she is asked to identify it to the person that locates it, Leila takes the reader on the journey of her life through each charm. Each one represents a momentous occasion or a small memory she has collected along the way, mostly with Jake by her side. Jake and Leila have known each other since they were children and now over twenty years have passed since the day they met outside on the road when Jake moved in and Leila was forced to move away. Neither of them were dealt a perfect hand at life but fate intervenes bringing them together for Jake and Leila to help each other grow. Leila must start at the beginning sharing her memories of what each charm means to her in the hopes of getting this most precious item back where it belongs. “The Last Charm” is a slow-burn, coming of age love story. Many, many times I wanted to shake Leila myself for being short sighted and selfish, definitely not someone you are pulling for throughout the whole book. For the right reader this will be a heart-warming book but, I fear for most, might hit at the lukewarm level. Fans of light romance give this a try and see what you think. Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

“The Inspector of Strange and Unexplained Deaths” by Olivier Barde-Cabuçon

When a woman’s body is discovered brutally murdered in the streets of Paris, the Inspector of Strange and Unexplained Deaths is called to the scene. Given the title by King Louis XV himself, Chevalier de Volnay is tasked with uncovering who this criminal is and what connection the victim has to the King himself when a letter from him was found among her possessions. After another woman is killed Volnay finds himself tangled up in dangerous conspiracies, assassination attempts and revolutionary factions that want to overthrow the crown. Upon reading the premise of this book I thought this sounded like something I would really enjoy. Mystery, history, old world Paris – what’s not to love? Well, this entire book for one. The actual premise takes a full-on backseat to lengthy descriptions, side plots as well as vulgar scenes and dialog that have no relevance to the story. I signed on for a historical murder mystery and ended up with “locker room talk” in a Versailles bordel. Yes, the mystery gets solved along the way but it’s almost an afterthought. Having been translated from French I wonder if the writing style has just left this plot literally lost in translation. Maybe it’s just me but the book blurb should actually be a fair assessment of what the book is really about, no? In my opinion, the description needs a bit of a rewrite. This was a hard no from me. Thank you to NetGalley and Steerforth Press for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

“Love & Olives” by Jenna Evans Welch

When she was eight years old Olive’s father left. Moving back to Santorini leaving her and her mother behind in the US in order to hunt down the lost city of Atlantis, something he has obsessed over for as long as Olive could remember. Now a teenager and almost a decade of radio silence later, a postcard has arrived for her. Nico Varanakis is extending an olive branch. National Geographic has come calling and Olive’s presence on Santorini has been requested. Nico’s dream of finding Atlantis seems to be right at his fingertips and Olive could be less thrilled. Strangely, her mother seems to think this trip is a good idea and the next thing she knows Olive is landing on the beautiful Greek island dreading every minute ahead of her and filled with a thousand questions only her absent father can answer. Olive decides to suck it up for the next ten days and get back to her life as fast as humanly possible before the sunsets, clear ocean and amazing food trick her into actually enjoying herself. “Love & Olives” is the third companion book in the “Love &” series written by YA author Jenna Evans Welch. (Book one, “Love & Gelato” is set in Florence, Italy and book two “Love & Luck” is a road trip around Ireland.) Each book is like a warm hug of wholesomeness perfect for the YA audience and for those who enjoy a sweet, heart-warming read. “Love &” books never fail to give me the travel bug, how I would love to see the turquoise blue water and those sunsets! Definitely recommend checking this series out if you haven’t yet.

“The Rose Code” by Kate Quinn

At the start of World War II three women dedicate themselves to serving their country at the top secret country estate Bletchley Park, where the smartest minds in Britain have gathered to help crack German military codes. Mab and Osla are sent to billet together at Beth’s home and an unlikely sisterhood is formed. Each of the women are assigned a different role at BP – translating, working the code breaking machines and one of them earns a spot as a cryptanalyst. As the war rages on Mab, Osla and Beth will each be tested and brought to their breaking points with the insurmountable pressure and loss. Fast forward to 1947 just days before the Royal Wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip and post-war England is ready to celebrate. The once friends-now enemies have been brought back together thanks to an encrypted note claiming that there had been a traitor in Bletchley Park all those years ago, a traitor that sent one of them to an asylum for good. Now the three women must work together to crack one last code to uncover the true enemy of Bletchley Park and for one of them their life depends on it. I love a good Historical Fiction read and “The Rose Code” is a 5-star addition to my collection. One of the many events included in Kate Quinn’s newest book, the bombing of Coventry, has a personal connection for my family. My grandmother was a young girl on November 14th, 1940 when the 500 German bombers blitzed the town she lived in for over 11 hours. Thankfully she survived that night by taking shelter with her mother and sisters but over 43,000 homes were destroyed and close to 550 lost their lives. Stories like these are such an important part of history and Kate Quinn has done a wonderful job preserving these heroes’ stories for all time. Be sure to add this to your TBR list.

’til next time,

The Booked Mama

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