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A Tempest Soul
This is an alternate cover edition for ASIN: B00MJDZQWI
Seventeen year old Gina Falcone has been alone for much of her young life. Her father passed away while she was young. Her unaffectionate mother eventually leaves her to care for herself when she is only thirteen.
Though her epic journey begins in 1920 by an almost deadly mistake, Gina will find many of her hearts desires in the most unlikely of places. The loss of everything is the catalyst that brings her to an unimagined level of accomplishment in her life.
Yet Gina soon realizes it is the same events that brought her success that may also bring everything crashing down around her. The new life she has built soon beckons for something she left behind. Now the new woman must find a way to dance through a life she could have never dreamed of.
Seventeen year old Gina Falcone has been alone for much of her young life. Her father passed away while she was young. Her unaffectionate mother eventually leaves her to care for herself when she is only thirteen.
Though her epic journey begins in 1920 by an almost deadly mistake, Gina will find many of her hearts desires in the most unlikely of places. The loss of everything is the catalyst that brings her to an unimagined level of accomplishment in her life.
Yet Gina soon realizes it is the same events that brought her success that may also bring everything crashing down around her. The new life she has built soon beckons for something she left behind. Now the new woman must find a way to dance through a life she could have never dreamed of.
251 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 7, 2014
52 people are currently reading
475 people want to read
About the author
Oliver Phipps
20 books1,531 followersOliver served as a Paratrooper in the United States Army and studied at MSC. In the late 1980s through mid 90s Oliver pursued his love of music. He enjoyed traveling, playing percussion and writing lyrics for popular bands. During this time Oliver also began writing short stories and articles.
After playing for thousands through the fall and winter of 1996 Oliver's band abruptly disbanded. In early spring of 1997 Oliver along with a good friend who was a guitarist got together with the intention to form a new group. But rather than form a new band the two put together an expedition plan for traveling to Northern Canada and Alaska in order to prospect for gold.
Leaving in April of 1997 Oliver and company traveled up the historic AL-CAN highway. After exploring the Yukon and Northwest territories of Canada as well as the Arctic Circle the team traveled over the Top of the World highway to Alaska.
1999-2000 Oliver traveled through Asia, visiting Indonesia, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia and Taiwan among other countries.
In 2004 Oliver published his first book and continues to write books, articles and short stories. Currently Oliver and family reside happily in the U.S.
After playing for thousands through the fall and winter of 1996 Oliver's band abruptly disbanded. In early spring of 1997 Oliver along with a good friend who was a guitarist got together with the intention to form a new group. But rather than form a new band the two put together an expedition plan for traveling to Northern Canada and Alaska in order to prospect for gold.
Leaving in April of 1997 Oliver and company traveled up the historic AL-CAN highway. After exploring the Yukon and Northwest territories of Canada as well as the Arctic Circle the team traveled over the Top of the World highway to Alaska.
1999-2000 Oliver traveled through Asia, visiting Indonesia, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia and Taiwan among other countries.
In 2004 Oliver published his first book and continues to write books, articles and short stories. Currently Oliver and family reside happily in the U.S.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews
August 22, 2015
Intense and gritty. A tempest soul is a tale of passion, a story of a woman, a virtual nobody who raises herself from obscurity to dizzy heights. Two thumbs up!
March 31, 2015
See the full review on Katie's Corner
Wow! This book was just amazing! It was the first time I have read a book by Oliver Phipps, and I believe it will not be the last one. The book has a lot of emotions woven into it. It tells a story of a woman who had nothing and then climbed to her success with her power and determination.
The book has really string characters, especially Gina – the main character. I cheered on her all the way though out the book. I was screaming at her (in my mind) in the beginning, and catching my breath every time she succeeded or failed in something. I was something infuriated with her, especially in the last chapters, but afterwards I understood why it was done as it was. The way flamenco was described, made me want to study it and dance, but I just know that I am not that passionate about it, so I would not have that soul inside of me like Gina had. Her life “adventures” are amazing and are really lifely. Is there such word? The book is a story of a life. It has hardships and those hardships make a person harder.
The way Gina behaves and lives makes you wonder if you would have lived like that if you were she. The time frame is described as if the author lives in the 20s and seen everything himself. The style of writing, the words that he chooses to say in this or that situation makes the reader believe he is right next to the characters and not sitting on a couch and reading about them. The book sucked me into it from the first pages. It was the first time I could read in the bus, and I remember my friends were patting me to bring me back to reality.
I loved the book very much. I think it taught me something new. I can’t pinpoint it yet, but I know that after reading it something changed in me. I recommend this book to everyone, especially to whose, who have lost their way in life and try to seek something new. I hope you will enjoy it to its fullest. Happy reading, and don’t forget to share your thoughts with me. Stay tuned for more reviews at Katie’s Corner!
Wow! This book was just amazing! It was the first time I have read a book by Oliver Phipps, and I believe it will not be the last one. The book has a lot of emotions woven into it. It tells a story of a woman who had nothing and then climbed to her success with her power and determination.
The book has really string characters, especially Gina – the main character. I cheered on her all the way though out the book. I was screaming at her (in my mind) in the beginning, and catching my breath every time she succeeded or failed in something. I was something infuriated with her, especially in the last chapters, but afterwards I understood why it was done as it was. The way flamenco was described, made me want to study it and dance, but I just know that I am not that passionate about it, so I would not have that soul inside of me like Gina had. Her life “adventures” are amazing and are really lifely. Is there such word? The book is a story of a life. It has hardships and those hardships make a person harder.
The way Gina behaves and lives makes you wonder if you would have lived like that if you were she. The time frame is described as if the author lives in the 20s and seen everything himself. The style of writing, the words that he chooses to say in this or that situation makes the reader believe he is right next to the characters and not sitting on a couch and reading about them. The book sucked me into it from the first pages. It was the first time I could read in the bus, and I remember my friends were patting me to bring me back to reality.
I loved the book very much. I think it taught me something new. I can’t pinpoint it yet, but I know that after reading it something changed in me. I recommend this book to everyone, especially to whose, who have lost their way in life and try to seek something new. I hope you will enjoy it to its fullest. Happy reading, and don’t forget to share your thoughts with me. Stay tuned for more reviews at Katie’s Corner!
December 6, 2015
Oliver Phipps's novel has been recommended to me by a friend who read it and absolutely adored it. As such, as she had never led me astray before, I decided to heed her advice and purchase the novel. I could not be happier that I did so. A Tempest Soul is a wonderful coming of age story that allows the reader to root for the person whom fate seems to hold in disfavor, in comparison to other novels where the protagonist has luck on their side. Gina is a character to whom the reader can elate, a character that is dealt a bad hand in life, but struggles to climb to success using only sheer willpower, determination and inner strength.
I particularly enjoyed the descriptions about flamenco, which in turn made me wish to read more books that feature it. Although dancing has never been and will never be a passion of mine, the way Phipps described everything made it relatable, even to a person that has no connection whatsoever to that world. Overall, the book was a wonderful rollercoaster of emotions, featuring an insight in the life of a character that by the end of the book shapes herself as being incredibly realistic and believable. It is a book about life and hardship, a book that can teach people a lot about finding their way in life. I loved it!
I particularly enjoyed the descriptions about flamenco, which in turn made me wish to read more books that feature it. Although dancing has never been and will never be a passion of mine, the way Phipps described everything made it relatable, even to a person that has no connection whatsoever to that world. Overall, the book was a wonderful rollercoaster of emotions, featuring an insight in the life of a character that by the end of the book shapes herself as being incredibly realistic and believable. It is a book about life and hardship, a book that can teach people a lot about finding their way in life. I loved it!
February 7, 2018
TBHOS BOOK REVIEWS
A Review by Nicole S. Aviles
A Tempest Soul by Oliver Phipps
When thinking of one word to define this read, over and over again the same simple word comes to mind: different. A Tempest Soul is unique. The book opens introducing us to its young, naïve, and lovely protagonist: Gina. Gina is basically an orphan by her teenage years with a deceased father and Mother who’s abandoned her. Immediately, one feels empathetic towards the character, which should always be a goal for the writer, and in this novel, it is executed well.
Initially, the novel brings us through a bit of a scary experience as the young woman is tricked to join a yachting party, and ends up stranded on a small island off Mexico, after being washed up on shore. She finds herself tumbling over the edge of the ship after being served a bad cocktail by her supposed “host”—and the story ends up traveling into other unexpected worlds following.
I found the book to have very strong positives; it’s written in a way that flows nicely, has a powerful message, and is quite delicate in a way that is often no longer produced by writers of fiction. The narrator is a young woman, yet the writer is a man, so we can get a vision of what his idea is of a young girl’s mind—her pathologies, and quirks. It makes for an interesting narrative. Gina is likeable, and it’s hard not to root for her. She is taken under the wing of natives of the land, and eventually a woman steps up to allow her to live with her, whom then decides to teach her flamenco dancing in hopes to help Gina earn a living, and buy a ticket back to her own native land; wherever that may be. They think she is from Italy due to a communication barrier, but when she is taught the native tongue, it doesn’t change her desire to continue being a flamenco dancer with her mentor; Olivia.
The writer has a graceful quality, his over-all oeuvre is soft and stunning, as the story unfolds with Gina becoming the most talented flamenco dancer, and walks us through her trials and tribulations in doing so--she quickly begins to see this new world as her permanent world, and the people her new family. Of course, she faces challenges along the way, but the story isn’t predictable, and isn’t at all bleeding with clichés or redundancy. The only real flaw in my honest opinion would be, that I would have liked to see some character development outside of Gina, and her own experiences. I found the novel to be inspiring, and up-lifting. A tale that should be viewed by those can appreciate a good, old-fashioned story, as this is set in the 20’s. I applaud the efforts of the author, penning something that is entertaining, tasteful, and quite beautiful.
A Review by Nicole S. Aviles
A Tempest Soul by Oliver Phipps
When thinking of one word to define this read, over and over again the same simple word comes to mind: different. A Tempest Soul is unique. The book opens introducing us to its young, naïve, and lovely protagonist: Gina. Gina is basically an orphan by her teenage years with a deceased father and Mother who’s abandoned her. Immediately, one feels empathetic towards the character, which should always be a goal for the writer, and in this novel, it is executed well.
Initially, the novel brings us through a bit of a scary experience as the young woman is tricked to join a yachting party, and ends up stranded on a small island off Mexico, after being washed up on shore. She finds herself tumbling over the edge of the ship after being served a bad cocktail by her supposed “host”—and the story ends up traveling into other unexpected worlds following.
I found the book to have very strong positives; it’s written in a way that flows nicely, has a powerful message, and is quite delicate in a way that is often no longer produced by writers of fiction. The narrator is a young woman, yet the writer is a man, so we can get a vision of what his idea is of a young girl’s mind—her pathologies, and quirks. It makes for an interesting narrative. Gina is likeable, and it’s hard not to root for her. She is taken under the wing of natives of the land, and eventually a woman steps up to allow her to live with her, whom then decides to teach her flamenco dancing in hopes to help Gina earn a living, and buy a ticket back to her own native land; wherever that may be. They think she is from Italy due to a communication barrier, but when she is taught the native tongue, it doesn’t change her desire to continue being a flamenco dancer with her mentor; Olivia.
The writer has a graceful quality, his over-all oeuvre is soft and stunning, as the story unfolds with Gina becoming the most talented flamenco dancer, and walks us through her trials and tribulations in doing so--she quickly begins to see this new world as her permanent world, and the people her new family. Of course, she faces challenges along the way, but the story isn’t predictable, and isn’t at all bleeding with clichés or redundancy. The only real flaw in my honest opinion would be, that I would have liked to see some character development outside of Gina, and her own experiences. I found the novel to be inspiring, and up-lifting. A tale that should be viewed by those can appreciate a good, old-fashioned story, as this is set in the 20’s. I applaud the efforts of the author, penning something that is entertaining, tasteful, and quite beautiful.
April 16, 2016
I'm gonna keep this review short and simple.
This book was beautiful. I loved how Gina's character built up throughout the book. You can say I fell in love with this book. I fell in love with the idea of a naive girl from Jacksonville becoming a sassy and confident woman in the end. I fell in love with the passion of dancing Gina/Serena and her adoptive mother Olivia had. I fell in love with every character in this book (except Paco and the guys in the beginning). I also liked the writing style. I think it was different than the books I've read so far. I mean by how the story is written. I loved the bond between Serena and Olivia, Serena and Alicia, and Serena, Alicia and Mimi.
When I came across Dangerous Flaming Costume Paco made Serena wear, I think I imagined it to be something like this:
Quotes that I loved the most:
"Every dance has a purpose, and every dancer has a destiny."
"You must allow the dance and the destiny to follow through you as one. you master the dance, but the art demands a price in return."
This book was beautiful. I loved how Gina's character built up throughout the book. You can say I fell in love with this book. I fell in love with the idea of a naive girl from Jacksonville becoming a sassy and confident woman in the end. I fell in love with the passion of dancing Gina/Serena and her adoptive mother Olivia had. I fell in love with every character in this book (except Paco and the guys in the beginning). I also liked the writing style. I think it was different than the books I've read so far. I mean by how the story is written. I loved the bond between Serena and Olivia, Serena and Alicia, and Serena, Alicia and Mimi.
When I came across Dangerous Flaming Costume Paco made Serena wear, I think I imagined it to be something like this:
Quotes that I loved the most:
"Every dance has a purpose, and every dancer has a destiny."
"You must allow the dance and the destiny to follow through you as one. you master the dance, but the art demands a price in return."
November 18, 2017
Loved it
Do you ever watch your favorite show and find yourself hollering at the t.v.? This book had me doing the same thing. The character Gina is very inspirational in this book. Her dad passed away and her mom abandoned her at age 13. This book starts off at the downfall of Gina but builds her back up throughout the book.
Her first mistake was trusting some guy she just met that said he can get her an acting job. She boarded a ship with him. He attacked her and she ran. Luckily she put on a life jacket and she fell off the ship. She woke up in Mexico where a couple took her in.
She went to live with the lady's cousin Olivia at a restaurant where they dance for entertainment. Olivia is a dance teacher and Gina is very interested in the dance she teaches. This leads to Gina’s new dance career. Trouble starts when Olivia’s ex lover wants Gina for himself and will stop at nothing till he gets her. But you’ll have to read to see if Gina is able to escape him.
I loved this book and highly recommend it. I was very interested in it and managed to read the whole book in one day. Gina is very inspirational cause no matter what is thrown at her, she manages to pick herself back up and fight through it.
Do you ever watch your favorite show and find yourself hollering at the t.v.? This book had me doing the same thing. The character Gina is very inspirational in this book. Her dad passed away and her mom abandoned her at age 13. This book starts off at the downfall of Gina but builds her back up throughout the book.
Her first mistake was trusting some guy she just met that said he can get her an acting job. She boarded a ship with him. He attacked her and she ran. Luckily she put on a life jacket and she fell off the ship. She woke up in Mexico where a couple took her in.
She went to live with the lady's cousin Olivia at a restaurant where they dance for entertainment. Olivia is a dance teacher and Gina is very interested in the dance she teaches. This leads to Gina’s new dance career. Trouble starts when Olivia’s ex lover wants Gina for himself and will stop at nothing till he gets her. But you’ll have to read to see if Gina is able to escape him.
I loved this book and highly recommend it. I was very interested in it and managed to read the whole book in one day. Gina is very inspirational cause no matter what is thrown at her, she manages to pick herself back up and fight through it.
June 24, 2015
A Tempest Soul is one of the best books I’ve read this year – another of the best being Oliver Phipp’s book Twelve Minutes Till Midnight. Mr. Phipps is a talented and diverse writer, and manages to write his female protagonist, Gina, with remarkable depth, narrating her multi-faceted life with great emotion. He writes her journey around the world and across our hearts as she faces a plethora of challenges, not the least of which is patriarchal oppression. Perhaps my favorite part of the book was the conversation about the grasping need to own the beautiful talent behind art; Gina learns that if she gives too much of herself to her audience, she will start to lose herself. But is she already lost? Loss of self and art is a theme carefully woven into the plot, yet presented with a light hand and easy manner. If you want a passionate, artistic read, this is it! Think Paulo Coelho’s The Witch of Portabello with flamenco. I can’t recommend this book highly enough!
November 26, 2015
I liked this book. The pacing was fast and the prose a little mechanical, but the storyline was interesting. There were parts of the book where the plot challenged my sensibilities, but those transgressions can be overlooked by the powerful central theme that evolved from how a poor, uneducated and abandoned girl from the Deep South in 1920’s developed a relationship with flamenco dancing that ultimately helped her to resolve her inner conflicts. All in all, this book is a thumbs up.
January 28, 2016
What incredibly creative and unexpected turns this story takes! I really enjoyed taking this daring and adventurous journey with Gina who seemed destined for a simple life and, through unfortunate events, ends up living what many of us only dream of. A fantastic lesson in turning lemons into lemonade - and how struggle and devastation can bring out our strength and determination. Loved the story, the characters, and the ending (without giving anything away) was very satisfying!
May 15, 2016
I was suggested by one of my friends to read A Tempest Soul because of a splendid story. After reading, it goes beyond my expectation. While reading all the characters seemed to me real. The character named Gina was very interesting to me. Thanks Oliver Phipps for these types of master piece writing.
August 22, 2015
Another goodread from Oliver, this time it's a story set in '20s told through the eyes of Gina Falcone, an orphan determined to survive and find her destiny. Great storytelling, amazing adventure, this is a perfect movie material!
October 17, 2016
Great read keeps you guessing and intrigued about what's going to happen next. Every time I put it down I had to pick it right back up... the suspense was eating me up. Very good story line...well written. Thank you, Oliver Phipps.
October 18, 2016
Engaging, well-written book with intriguing unusual characters and twists, with unexpected connections revealed. This book is an awesome read. I loved how the author (Oliver Phipps) kept me intrigued with every turn of the page.
Can't wait to see what's next. I give this book 5 stars easily.
Can't wait to see what's next. I give this book 5 stars easily.
January 8, 2017
A very sweet story of passion...for the dance
I really liked this book. I really love flamenco dancing and music so I feel this is a very interesting story. I highly recommend this book.
I really liked this book. I really love flamenco dancing and music so I feel this is a very interesting story. I highly recommend this book.
October 17, 2016
This is a great book. It kept me interested throughout the entire book. Reading this book made me want to read all of the books written by Oliver Phipps.
November 18, 2016
I cannot believe I finished this.
Helpful hint to authors from an old lit major: Novels require plots. Plots require conflicts.
This book has no real conflict after the first chapter until you are nearly to the end. And the conflict introduced in the end is so vague and pointless that it is not engaging enough to keep anyone reading unless, like me, they force themselves to do so.
On top of the lack of conflict, the characters are not well developed at all. Many--such as Olivia, Alicia and Mimi--are completely interchangeable as Phipps has not bothered to give them personalities of their own. In fact, his main character Gina/Serena has no actual personality herself.
If a character is nearly sexually assaulted and the reader plows on with no emotional response whatsoever, character development has massively failed. And if you think that the cure for the PTSD symptoms that follow attempted sexual assault is a few visits from a comedian, well, I don't know what to tell you, Mr. Phipps. I'm sure some assault survivors would have a better answer for you than I do.
The undeveloped characters do, however, frequently weep. They rarely cry. They nearly always weep. And the weep over every little thing. If this is Phipps' idea of how women behave on a regular basis, perhaps the women in his life need to see a therapist. Or he needs to pay enough attention to them to see that if he is trying to write strong female characters (and I suspect he at least wanted Gina/Serena to come off as such) having them drowning in a pool of tears over everything is not exactly accurate or showing strength.
Overall, I would strongly encourage other readers to not waste their time on this one.
Helpful hint to authors from an old lit major: Novels require plots. Plots require conflicts.
This book has no real conflict after the first chapter until you are nearly to the end. And the conflict introduced in the end is so vague and pointless that it is not engaging enough to keep anyone reading unless, like me, they force themselves to do so.
On top of the lack of conflict, the characters are not well developed at all. Many--such as Olivia, Alicia and Mimi--are completely interchangeable as Phipps has not bothered to give them personalities of their own. In fact, his main character Gina/Serena has no actual personality herself.
If a character is nearly sexually assaulted and the reader plows on with no emotional response whatsoever, character development has massively failed. And if you think that the cure for the PTSD symptoms that follow attempted sexual assault is a few visits from a comedian, well, I don't know what to tell you, Mr. Phipps. I'm sure some assault survivors would have a better answer for you than I do.
The undeveloped characters do, however, frequently weep. They rarely cry. They nearly always weep. And the weep over every little thing. If this is Phipps' idea of how women behave on a regular basis, perhaps the women in his life need to see a therapist. Or he needs to pay enough attention to them to see that if he is trying to write strong female characters (and I suspect he at least wanted Gina/Serena to come off as such) having them drowning in a pool of tears over everything is not exactly accurate or showing strength.
Overall, I would strongly encourage other readers to not waste their time on this one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 4, 2015
I love Oliver Phipps work but this is a masterpiece. I wish there would be a second book but I don't think anyone could create anything worthy of this one, even Oliver. My hope is he will write something similar in the future (are you reading this Olie hint hint).
September 24, 2015
A beautiful and emotional story. I believe it will be a movie someday but the book will always be most fantastic.
October 13, 2019
I had decided to purchase this as an eBook as I had read the synopsis, and enjoyed what it was about. This book started off with Gina Falcone, a young girl who wants to become famous in the entertainment world. However, a fateful night leaves her in the hands of a con artist, leading her to a life that she is unfamiliar with. At first, Gina is scared of where she ends-up, however, as time leads on, she begins to embrace her new surroundings, even becoming a full-fledged legend in the dancing world. As soon I began reading this book, I immediately enjoyed the courage and strength that Gina displayed, especially when she was faced with the unknown. I loved the supporting characters of Olivia and Alicia, both of whom were excellent sources of comfort for Gina, as she began her new life as Serena. I hated how Paco took advantage of the dance troop, and how his actions often led to minor consequences, if any at all. In the end, I was thrilled with what happened to Gina, and felt that she deserved all of the happiness that came to her. The author did an excellent job of engaging the reader on Gina's journey, giving us a glimpse of the beauty in trust, friendship, and love. I would love to read a sequel of this novel, just to see how Gina fares in her new role!
January 5, 2016
Nice story, but the writing was kind of...eh.
November 17, 2018
I was hooked from the very first page. This was a great book—I really had a hard time putting it down!!
January 30, 2016
A Tempest Soul is aptly named. The protagonist, through a series of life events, winds up alone and supporting herself at the tender age of thirteen. The reader arrives on the scene of now seventeen year old Gina Falcone, who after several years on her own, is hungering for a more glamorous life – or at least a slightly more interesting one. Following a set of selfish and nearly deadly choices in pursuit of a better life, Gina winds up as a stranger in a strange land. Having lost it all, Gina’s story unfolds as she faces her new life’s trials and struggles to finally realize her dreams and ultimately find herself.
While the story concept is intriguing and imaginative, I struggled with several things. First and foremost, I found it difficult to relate to the characters; the emotions, at times, felt contrived, the life struggles and circumstances were not altogether believable and I did not completely buy the historical time period within which the story was set. I did however see glimmers of reality in the connections between Serena and Olivia, as well as Serena and Alicia – both are special and touching relationships. Additionally, (and admittedly a pet peeve of mine) there were many instances of improper word use, such as “too” instead of “to”, “her” instead of “she” and other simple grammatical errors that should have been picked up by a competent proofreader or editor prior to publishing.
Overall, A Tempest Soul is a potentially compelling coming-of-age story that really just needs a little life breathed into the main characters to give them a bit more depth. While I did not dislike this novel, it just left me feeling like something was missing.
While the story concept is intriguing and imaginative, I struggled with several things. First and foremost, I found it difficult to relate to the characters; the emotions, at times, felt contrived, the life struggles and circumstances were not altogether believable and I did not completely buy the historical time period within which the story was set. I did however see glimmers of reality in the connections between Serena and Olivia, as well as Serena and Alicia – both are special and touching relationships. Additionally, (and admittedly a pet peeve of mine) there were many instances of improper word use, such as “too” instead of “to”, “her” instead of “she” and other simple grammatical errors that should have been picked up by a competent proofreader or editor prior to publishing.
Overall, A Tempest Soul is a potentially compelling coming-of-age story that really just needs a little life breathed into the main characters to give them a bit more depth. While I did not dislike this novel, it just left me feeling like something was missing.
October 8, 2025
Wonderful story and adventure
This is a touching story set in the 1920s. The young woman who is central in the story has been abandoned by her mother. She is left to fend for herself and just as she is becoming more confident in doing so, life throws her a curve ball.
The characters have depth and are genuine. The story is unique and interesting. There is excitement, humor, intrigue, adventure and all the ingredients needed for a wonderful book. Five stars without a doubt.
This is a touching story set in the 1920s. The young woman who is central in the story has been abandoned by her mother. She is left to fend for herself and just as she is becoming more confident in doing so, life throws her a curve ball.
The characters have depth and are genuine. The story is unique and interesting. There is excitement, humor, intrigue, adventure and all the ingredients needed for a wonderful book. Five stars without a doubt.
November 14, 2022
CW: kidnapping, sexual assault/attempted rape, vomit
My teenage-self downloading hundreds of free ebooks for my brand-new Kindle strikes again!
Acclaimed dancers train for decades; Serena gets to travel Europe after dancing for three years. 😬
I'm not sure exactly why this is set in the 1920s, because beyond the rumrunning, there's not really any reason it should be.
My teenage-self downloading hundreds of free ebooks for my brand-new Kindle strikes again!
Acclaimed dancers train for decades; Serena gets to travel Europe after dancing for three years. 😬
I'm not sure exactly why this is set in the 1920s, because beyond the rumrunning, there's not really any reason it should be.
November 18, 2023
I found this book to be a foundational work to add to my library. It's fills in gaps I didn't necessarily know I had in my knowledge (I felt it explained the 'why' behind a lot of things). Very happy to have discovered this one.
March 25, 2021
I’ve enjoyed all of Oliver Phipps’s books, but this one is for sure my favorite. The setting, descriptions, history and characters all leap from the pages, fully drawn and alive.
April 10, 2021
This was a good book, there were twists and turns and it left the reader wanting to know what comes next!
April 26, 2021
This book had me not wanting to put it down from the start. Go ahead and read it yourself and see if you feel the same.
May 12, 2021
The characters were intriguing and kept me trying to figure out how it would end. Very good book. Thanks Oliver Phipps.
May 28, 2021
The book is well written and offers the personal perspective of three characters. The plot is charming and has a surprising twist.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews