Susan Coventry's Blog, page 37

The Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simons

The Bronze Horseman is the first book in a trilogy that takes place in Leningrad during WWII.  The story revolves around Tatiana, a beautiful young woman, and Alexander, a handsome soldier in the Red Army.  When Tatiana and Alexander first meet, they have an instant attraction, however, Tatiana soon discovers that her sister Dasha saw him first.  Neither wants to hurt Dasha, but their relationship blooms anyway against the backdrop of the siege of Leningrad. The story follows Tatiana's close-knit family as they struggle to survive during the German occupation, creating vivid images of the death and destruction that surrounds them.  However, the primary focus of the story is the love between Tatiana and Alexander, which is both passionate and tumultuous.  I thoroughly enjoyed this trilogy, although it became a bit tiresome by the time I read the third installment.  If you like WWII fiction that combines war with a great deal of romance, you will probably enjoy The Bronze Horseman.

The post The Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simons appeared first on Susan Coventry.

Outlander (series) by Diana Gabaldon

Outlander is one of my favorite books ever! I loved it so much, that I read the entire series back-to-back (8 lengthy books). This series has everything: action, adventure, time travel, romance and history. The story revolves around Claire, a married nurse who served on the front during WWII. After the war, Claire and her husband, Frank, are on a "second honeymoon" in Scotland, where she encounters a magical stone formation that sends her back in time to 1743. The magic really begins when she meets Jamie, a handsome Scottish warrior who is wanted by the English government. The story has numerous twists and turns and many subplots but it kept my interest from beginning to end. I have read countless romance novels but the sizzling romance between Claire and Jamie tops them all!!  I highly recommend this series to readers who like stories with a little bit of everything and don't mind lengthy novels.  If you don't want to invest the time to read the entire series, at least give the first book a try.  Outlander has also been adapted for television and is available on DVD.  (Love it there too!)

The post Outlander (series) by Diana Gabaldon appeared first on Susan Coventry.

The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman

I read The Light Between Oceans four years ago but wanted to share my review since the movie adaptation will soon be released.  In this story, Tom and his wife Isabel move to a desolate island off the coast of Australia, where Tom will work as a lighthouse keeper.  The quiet, monotonous lifestyle is difficult, especially on Isabel, who longs to have a child, and suffers through several miscarriages.  One day, a boat washes ashore and Tom and Isabel are shocked to find a dead man and a living baby inside.  Tom's position demands that he report the incident immediately but Isabel convinces him that they should keep the baby and raise it as their own.  Two years later, the family returns to the mainland where they must face the ramifications of their actions.  Haunting is the word that I would use to describe The Light Between Oceans.  The reader can empathize with the struggles that these characters face and anxiously flips through the pages to find out how the story ends.  I enjoyed this book and look forward to seeing it come to life on the big screen!

The post The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman appeared first on Susan Coventry.

Last Day to Enter Goodreads Giveaway!

Today is the last day to enter the Goodreads Giveaway for my new novel Starring You and Me.  I'm looking forward to mailing out 25 signed copies to the lucky winners very soon!!

The post Last Day to Enter Goodreads Giveaway! appeared first on Susan Coventry.

The Villa by Rosanna Ley

The Villa is a fictional account of the lives of three generations of women that spans the period between WWII to present. The story begins when Tess, a single mother of a teenager, is bequeathed a villa in Sicily, by a man who once knew her mother Flavia.  When Tess travels to Italy to inspect the villa, she falls in love with the place and the lifestyle.  She also meets two mysterious and handsome Italian men, who add to the appeal.  Flavia is less than thrilled about the arrangement, because it calls up painful memories from her past.  The villa is where she met and fell in love with an English airman during WWII, however, their love remained unrequited for years.  Tess's daughter, Ginny, stays behind in England where she's grappling with problems of her own.  Woven throughout the story is an unsolved mystery involving the villa and three families who were once friendly but have become enemies.  I enjoyed several elements of this novel, including the setting and the portrayals of the characters.  I especially liked the sections of the story that related to WWII. My only real complaint is the length of time it took to unravel the mystery.  The Villa is over 500 pages long but I felt that the story could have been told in less pages.  If you enjoy women's fiction with a historical element, The Villa is an engaging read.

The post The Villa by Rosanna Ley appeared first on Susan Coventry.

Listen to Me by Kristen Proby

Listen to Me is the first contemporary romance novel in the Fusion series.  In this story Addie and her gal pals own a hip restaurant in Portland and they're on the look-out for musicians to help pack the house on the weekends.  Enter Jake, a semi-retired rock-star, who's looking for a small venue to play in.  When Jake and Addie meet there's an instant attraction, but Addie is determined to keep her hands off the hired help.  Eventually, they succumb to their desire but their relationship is weighed down with the baggage they've carried over from their past.  Listen to Me has a predictable plot line, but it may have worked if there had been more sizzle between the characters.  I didn't find Jake or Addie to be particularly likable or relatable, especially compared to the main characters of similar novels.  I have read other books by Proby that I've enjoyed more (i.e. Love Under the Big Sky series), but this one fell short for me.  If you like romance novels that feature hot musicians, I would recommend the Thoughtless series by S. C. Stephens.

The post Listen to Me by Kristen Proby appeared first on Susan Coventry.

Kissing the Maid of Honor by Robin Bielman

Kissing the Maid of Honor is Book 1 of the Secret Wishes series which was selected by the book club that I belong to on Goodreads. In this story, Sela's best friend is getting married and Sela is happy to be her maid of honor.  The only problem is that Sela will have to walk down the aisle with her friend's brother Luke, who Sela has pined after since high school.  Luke is a traveling photographer and he only plans to be in town long enough to see his sister get married.  He didn't intend to fall for Sela, especially since he rebuked her all those years ago.  This was a sweet and simple romance novel without a lot of heat.  I liked the characters and while I don't mind sweet, I would have liked to feel a little more intensity between Sela and Luke.  If you like romance novels that are on the softer side, you might enjoy Kissing the Maid of Honor.

The post Kissing the Maid of Honor by Robin Bielman appeared first on Susan Coventry.

Goodreads Giveaway for Starring You and Me

I'm giving away 25 signed copies of my latest novel, Starring You and Me.  Click on the link to enter the contest and good luck!  (Note: certain restrictions may apply.)

https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/198635-starring-you-and-me

The post Goodreads Giveaway for Starring You and Me appeared first on Susan Coventry.

Brooklyn by Colm Toibin

Brooklyn is a historical fiction novel that follows the life of a young woman named Eilis Lacey, a native of Ireland, who emigrates to the United States in search of a better life.  Eilis's struggles begin immediately as she crosses the ocean on a crowded ship where she endures horrible seasickness.  When she lands in Brooklyn, she is taken under the wing of a Catholic priest who helps her get settled at a boarding house and finds her a job at a department store.  Over time, Eilis acclimates to life in America and even falls in love with an Italian immigrant named Tony.  Just when life starts to smooth out for Eilis, she learns of a death in the family and decides to return to Ireland.  Once Eilis returns to her homeland she takes up with her old friends (including a man) and considers giving up on the new life she had built in Brooklyn. Here is where I became disenchanted with the story.  I really liked the character of Tony and didn't agree with the careless way Eilis treated him when she left.   The reader is probably meant to empathize with Eilis but I found her behavior wishy-washy and immature.  Without giving away the details, I will say that I was unsatisfied with the ending to this story.  If you like books about people forging a new life for themselves in a foreign land, you may like this one.  Personally, I've enjoyed others of this type more, such as The Shoemaker's Wife by Adriana Trigiani.

The post Brooklyn by Colm Toibin appeared first on Susan Coventry.

The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott by Kelly O’Connor McNees

The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott is a historical fiction novel based on the life of the famous author of Little Women. The story begins when Louisa is a young woman in her twenties and she lives with her parents and three sisters in Walpole, New Hampshire.  Louisa was a feisty woman with lofty ambitions of becoming a successful author at a time when the goal of most women was to become a wife and mother.  McNees takes some creative liberties and imagines a summer where Louisa falls in love with a local merchant named Joe.  Their romance comes to a screeching halt, when Joe's father arranges a marriage for him with another woman from a wealthy family.  Heartbroken as she is, Louisa sets off for Boston to pursue her writing career.  The romance between Louisa and Joe isn't confirmed, however, many of the other aspects of this story are based on fact.  I learned that the Alcotts were a poor family, with a father who barely scratched out a living as a philosopher/speaker.  While Louisa's mother and sisters accepted their meager existence, Louisa always aspired for more.  It wasn't until much later in her life, that she became an established and well-loved author but by then she was in poor health from a bout with typhus.  She suffered much tragedy with the loss of her two younger sisters at early ages and she died a "spinster" at the age of 56.  If you enjoy novels about famous authors or are a fan of Little Women, you will probably like this book.  I certainly did!

The post The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott by Kelly O’Connor McNees appeared first on Susan Coventry.