Author: Dorothy Schwab Grateful Reader DFW

I have loved reading and meeting authors for as long as I can remember! As an elementary teacher I integrated literature into every part of the core curriculum. Since my retirement, reading and flower gardening are my two favorite pastimes. I look forward to sharing my passion for reading by providing reviews of the books I've read. Perhaps you will join me as I explore new authors and genres!

The Brunswick

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A World War ll Novel of the American South by Callie Murray

Publication May 2026-Revell Romance-340pp

Book Summary

In 1939 Georgia, far removed from the war brewing overseas, Cora Cain’s world feels small–and shrinking. There, she runs The Brunswick, her family’s once-grand hotel, which is now struggling as the town’s general store. When Thomas Watkins arrives seeking work and solace after his mother’s death, a connection sparks between them. Through Thomas, Cora glimpses a life beyond obligation and her war hero father’s unpredictable moods.

But everything changes when Cora’s asked to turn The Brunswick into a sanctuary for Jewish refugee children fleeing persecution in Germany. As Cora and Thomas prepare for the children’s arrival, they struggle to confront their pasts–and the prejudice of their neighbors–as their fragile hope is put to the test.

Meanwhile, in Vienna, ten-year-old Charlotte is offered refuge in America. But even with the horrors she sees around her, Charlotte wonders how her parents could possibly send her away. As war’s shadow begins to reach small-town Georgia, each person must face what love demands and decide what they must hold on to and what they must let go.

Inspired by true events, Callie Murray weaves a sweeping and heartfelt tale of courage, romance, and the extraordinary choices that define us.

Grateful Reader Review by Dorothy Schwab

The Brunswick is a captivating debut novel by Callie Murray. The novel is based on the history of approximately 1400 unaccompanied Jewish children rescued in Nazi-occupied Europe and brought to the United States in small group operations. Much has been published about the British Kindertransport, but American efforts were funded by private organizations and individuals; the situation Murray highlights in The Brunswick. Based on a true story, a Jewish couple is chosen to lead a rescue mission to Vienna, Austria. Brith Shalom will sponsor 50 Jewish children to live in Norcross, Georgia, until their parents acquire visas to come to America.  

Murray’s novel focuses on both sides of the situation. From Vienna, readers follow Charlotte, a ten-year-old Jewish girl, whose father was taken and sent to Dachau. She and her mother are living in hiding at her aunt’s apartment in Vienna, hoping Charlotte will receive a visa and escape. Murray’s details and descriptions of the struggle to buy food, constant hunger, the restrictions on daily living, and the fear of discovery, sink the reader into the frightening world of Jewish survival.  Cora is across the ocean in America, struggling to care for her father and run the Brunswick. The once popular hotel in Georgia, with twenty empty rooms, seems to be the perfect place for the Jewish children. Murray blends the struggles of the business with the angst of being a young woman attempting a normal life.

Murray achieves an excellent balance between the two threads of the novel. In Europe, the plight of the American Germans attempting to escort the children out of Austria is suspenseful and emotional, with enlightenment on the Hotel Metropole, headquarters of the Austrian Gestapo. Here in America, there are “new neighbors” with German heritage in Norcross. Murray reveals both welcoming, trusting citizens and those fearful, doubtful of people of different nationalities, languages, and backgrounds. 

Callie Murray’s debut novel, laced with wisdom, reveals heartwarming insights into how humans manage victory and loss. The analogy of families being grafted like fruit; cut, bound, and healed-to make new blooms, is gratifying and restorative. Highly recommended.

Callie Murray is an entrepreneur and debut author whose work has been covered in The TODAY Show and The New York Times. Her historical fiction novel THE BRUNSWICK, blurbed “a beautiful bit of art” by Allen Levi and “a brilliantly executed debut” by Lisa Wingate, tackles lesser-known events preceding WWII. She lives in Norcross, Ga with her husband and seven children—four who joined recently through the honor of adoption—where they are probably hosting a potluck right now.

The Pearl Farmers-Debut by Stacey Gordon

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Publication Nov. 3, 2026-She Writes Press- 336pp-Multigenerational, Sisterhood, Family Secrets & Legacies

Book Summary

A layered, multigenerational family novel about three sisters carrying on the legacy of their family’s pearl farm in small-town Tennessee.

Three estranged sisters—Helen, Anna, and Penn Lockshire—are bound by the shimmering but fragile legacy of their family’s freshwater pearl farm in rural Tennessee. When the business that once made them famous faces collapse, the sisters are pulled back into each other’s lives and forced to reckon with old betrayals, unspoken resentments, and the complicated truth of their inheritance. Soon, what began as a fight for survival becomes a reckoning with the myths that shaped them and the secrets buried in the family’s past.

From the discovery of a rare pearl in 1981 to the struggles of a failing farm in 2008, the Lockshire sisters must navigate love, loss, ambition, and forgiveness to decide whether their heritage is a blessing to preserve—or a burden to escape.

Grateful Reader Review by Dorothy Schwab

The Lockshire family reunion sets the stage for this multigenerational saga. With chaotic preparations underway, Gordon reveals insights into family dynamics between the parents, James and Kate, and the three sisters. While swimming in the lake, the youngest Lockshire sister, Penny, finds the largest natural pearl ever discovered in North American waters, and the family is forever changed. Stacey Gordon started her career as a trade journalist covering the cultured pearl and jewelry industries, visiting farms across Asia and companies around the world. Her bountiful knowledge and experience are evident throughout the novel.

Told from each sister’s point of view, Gordon reveals personalities, strengths, and weaknesses. The pearl farming business is set in Ferry’s Landing, a rural town in the Tennessee River Basin. Gordon’s plot laced with intriguing, compelling background examines the pearl and jewelry design industry and the financial instability of the early 2000’s. Experiencing financial setbacks, each sister must consider family duty and personal struggles. These dilemmas and decisions add to the suspense and keep the plot moving. Oldest sister, Helen, told she bases her decisions on guilt, loyalty and history, has sacrificed her career to return home. Middle sister, Anna, divorced, with two children offered a job working on the revitalization of Ferry’s Landing, now has an opportunity to play a role in reversing the demise of their hometown. Youngest Penny, forever restless, a floundering graduate student in NYC, has not seen the sisters for ten years. Perfect for students of birth order personalities.  

The three sisters have grown up without the guidance of their mother who died when they were young. Gordon creates an omniscient voice for Kate, by weaving flashbacks to show relationships and how each sister processed her death. Kate, the secret sauce for the family business, considered odd, a colorful mad scientist; had tremendous impact on the sisters’ lives, how they dealt with each other, and saw themselves. As the plot unfolds family secrets, long lost connections, resentments, and faith in family are uncovered.

This family saga emerges like a pearl from an ugly shell, shimmering with reconciliation and hope.

https://www.staceygordonauthor.com/booksI

In my own writing, I enjoy exploring complex family and friend relationships, multiple timelines, art and work, small town life, family secrets, and how the stories we tell ourselves reconcile with reality. 

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Falling for Peachtree Bluff by Kristy Woodson Harvey

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Publication September 15, 2026-Gallery Books-Women’s Fiction-320pp

Book Summary

Eldest sister Caroline has never been happier. The family business is thriving, her kids are great, and her sister Emerson’s hunky costar has absolutely swept her off her feet. But when her not-quite-ex-husband decides it’s high time he begged Caroline for a second chance, she is thrown into the midst of a love triangle she never saw coming. Caroline is the family fixer and, when her sisters Sloane and Emerson and daughter Vivi need her help with their troubles, she has to decide whether to swoop in and save them—or if it’s finally time to focus on what she wants.

Matriarch Ansley and her new husband, Jack, have finally hit their stride. But when a scandal rips through Peachtree Bluff—and Jack just might be at the center of it—Ansley is left questioning whether the man she has loved since she was sixteen years old, the man she fought so hard to be with, is actually who she thought he was at all.

The air is crisper, the water is calmer, but, when it comes to the Murphy family, nothing is ever quite as simple as it seems… Through it all, these Southern women must rely on their powerful family bonds and the quirky characters and small-town charm of the place that, no matter what, always calls them home. This is the kind of heartfelt fall treat that “readers will unwrap with glee” (Mary Kay Andrews, New York Times bestselling author) from the “go-to for elevated beach reads” (People).

Grateful Reader Review by Dorothy Schwab

I’ve read this series from the beginning! I’ve always enjoyed returning to Peachtree Bluff, but this one “takes the cake!” And knowing the Murphy family as I do, this is one doozy of a cake! Kristy Woodson Harvey opens the novel with a family tree, which is quite helpful whether you’re a frequent visitor to Peachtree Bluff or a first timer. The characters are complex and the family dynamics are chaotic; what family isn’t? Along the way, KWH fills in the backstory of Ansley, the matriarch, and her three daughters, Caroline, Sloane, and Emerson. The family manages life in all its difficult stages; infertility, infidelity, financial woes, boyfriend struggles, moving possibilities, a Halloween festival-all while planning Emerson’s wedding? I left out the building of Sloane’s house, which is waaay behind schedule, causing angst for the mother-to-be. There might be even more coastal community turmoil, but readers will discover that and the joy of knowing the Murphys when cozied up with a pumpkin latté and Falling for Peachtree Bluff.

Leaves turning, temps dropping, pumpkin spice and cinnamon in the air, plus football! And now-Falling for Peachtree Bluff is here, too!

Kristy Woodson Harvey is the New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly bestselling author of thirteen novels including Beach House Rules and the Peachtree Bluff series. A Happier Life is in development for film with MGM/Amazon, The Summer of Songbirds is in development for television with Hulu, and many of her other projects are in various stages of option or development for film and television. Her work has received numerous accolades, including Good Morning America’s Buzz Pick, Southern Living’s Most Anticipated Reads, Katie Couric’s Featured Books, and JoAnna Garcia Swisher’s The Happy Place Reads. Kristy is the winner of the Lucy Bramlette Patterson Award for Excellence in Creative Writing and a finalist for the Southern Book Prize. Access her wonderful website here: https://www.kristywoodsonharvey.com/

DEBUT: The Oxford Guide to Scandal and Lies by Kate Westbury

Publication September 1, 2026-St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books-Historical Fiction, Mystery, Romance-352pp

    

Book Summary

     Set against the backdrop of post-WWII Oxford University, The Oxford Guide to Scandal and Lies is the irresistible debut from Kate Westbury that seamlessly layers mystery, romance, and a dash of academia to introduce the Crown’s newest undercover operatives.
Oxford, England, 1951 – The Honorable Ginevra Bishop likes red lipstick, clever retorts, and earning top marks in her tutorials. She’s following her mother’s footsteps by studying at Oxford, eager to prove she’s more than a debutante.

     Sidney Braithwaite likes brooding, Latin, and ignoring his nightmares. He’s determined to forge a new life for himself at Oxford, far from his childhood mining village and free from memories of the war.

     Though Gin and Sidney have little in common, the British Security Service is keen to unite her charm with his espionage experience: there’s a Soviet spy at the university, and the agent tracking them down was poisoned. MI5 wants Gin and Sidney to pick up the trail and identify the informant before more sensitive information is compromised. As a team, the pair of undergraduates clash in personality, upbringing, and taste––but have a connection neither can deny. Gin and Sidney must unite their respective talents to follow the clues before they’re caught in the traitor’s crosshairs…if the sparks flying between them don’t blow up the operation first.

Grateful Reader Review by Dorothy Schwab

Kate Westbury’s debut novel is a must-read for mystery fans that relish espionage, a slow burn romance and a bit of British humor served up in the halls of Oxford University, 1951.

Ginevra Bishop, a debutante who lost her mother and has no relationship with her father, is paired with Sidney, a coal miner’s son escaping the mines and the memories of war, to find a Soviet spy at the university. An unlikely team, they get off on the “wrong foot,” with their working relationship taking two steps forward, one step back. This tension and the murder of Mr. Tolliver, librarian, sets the stage for the mystery. The shenanigans in and around Oxford University involve Gin’s friends: Iris (Tweety) and Sarita, Donald Craddock, family friend tirelessly proposing marriage, and Harold, heir to the Universal Biscuit fortune. A couple of Classics tutors from Oxford-Dr. Sam Neville and Dr. Jacqueline Watkins, names on the suspect list, complete the cast. Westbury’s characters are well developed with intriguing details of background, family expectations, and reveal plenty of suspicious weaknesses. Behind the scenes are dynamics with the Damocles Club, an exclusive drinking group, where Dr. Neville “holds court” for chess matches and the newspaper, Blue, with Marion Kirk, a suspected Communist sympathizer. Westbury reveals the ‘moves’ of the ‘pieces’ on the suspect list along with Gin and Sidney with great precision; keeping the suspense and angst of uncovering the spy at a high level, especially in the second half of the novel.

Westbury’s plot unfolds in a chess-like fashion, each move affecting the next. Whether the chess openings are the Italian Game or the Queen’s Gambit, mystery fans will be quite satisfied with the final moves of this match. Checkmate!

Kate Westbury grew up a voracious reader of detective fiction, and unraveling plot twists became her favorite pastime. She now puts her whodunnit obsession to good use writing historical mysteries. Beyond the page, Kate teaches Latin and dreams of moving to an English village with crimes to solve.

Kate Westbury’s debut novel is a must-read for mystery fans that relish espionage, a slow burn romance and a bit of British humor served up in the halls and Bodleian Library of Oxford University, 951.

Kate Westbury’s debut novel is a must-read for mystery fans that relish espionage, a slow burn romance and a bit of British humor served up in the halls and Bodleian Library of Oxford, 1951.

The Paper House by Barbara Josselsohn

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Publication September 2, 2026-Bookouture-Women’s Fiction-292pp

Book Summary

It was a shop full of wonder; sheets of colorful paper, pots of ink on every surface, and spools of ribbon suspended on gleaming brass hooks. But it was even more magical when it was filled with people. Rumor was that the owner, Tilly, could send letters to long-lost loved ones if you penned them on the long wooden desk…

Everyone on the island would go there, not just to buy writing supplies, but to write these letters. To the people they’d not been able to say goodbye to, to the people they wished would come home. The Paper House was a place for grieving, for remembering, for forgiving.

And now, years later, as Kayla reopens the beautiful front door, and feels the memories of her Great Aunt Tilly come flooding back, it has the chance to become a place for someone who lost everything to finally find herself again. If only Kayla can find the courage to face the ghosts of the past…

A compelling and captivating novel full of heart, imagination and magic, The Paper House is perfect for fans of The Lost Bookshop, The Glass House and The Keeper of Lost Things.

Grateful Reader Review by Dorothy Schwab

I’ve read Barbara’s The Secret Orphanage, The Sisters of War series, and the Lake Summer series. All excellent. The Paper House touched my heart in a special way.

Do you treasure bundles of letters tied with ribbon or Christmas cards with personalized messages kept year after year? Then The Paper House, Tilly’s story, is for you! Written with a dual timeline,The Paper House is an absorbing mystery filled with gripping suspense and haunting life lessons. Central to the novel is the theme of “Choose life-giving in, giving up, or turning away is not a choice.” Josselsohn develops characters, Tilly and Kayla, through chilling accounts of the past, misgivings, secrets, and learned lessons. At the heart of the mysterious timelines is a baby cradle in the attic of Tilly’s house and a long-ago life-changing event during Kayla’s summer stay with Tilly.

 Tilly’s Paper House was a haven for people to write to loved ones, whether grieving, asking for forgiveness, or sharing family updates. The long trestle table beckoned patrons to sit and write. Tilly sat and listened. The patrons learned: it is the writing that matters most; physically writing has power. This poignant gift from Tilly reminds readers that writing a letter to another person, whether it’s received or not, makes one immortal.

After reading The Paper House, a trip for stationery may be a delightful beginning to a letter writing revival. Will you write to a friend or loved one from the past, present, or future?

Barbara’s work is marked by richly developed characters, intricate emotional landscapes, and immersive settings that transport readers to the heart of each story. With a talent for blending history and human drama, Barbara’s novels explore complex themes of love, loss, resilience, and the enduring power of secrets. Her storytelling often spans generations, drawing readers into a tapestry of personal and historical struggles. Known for her lush descriptions and evocative prose, Barbara has garnered praise for her ability to bring history to life while crafting deeply emotional, character-driven narratives. Her books resonate with readers who appreciate stories that combine rich details with powerful personal journeys. Currently, Barbara is working on a new World War II novel set in the mountains of southern France.

Meet Me in Paris by Kristin Harmel

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Publication July 28, 2026-Gallery Books-Women’s Fiction-368pp

Book Summary

Nine Americans in Paris. Seven intertwined love stories. One City of Light.

Love Actually meets The Notebook in a tale of love, loss, and finding your way home, all set over the course of one life-changing week in Paris.

Julia Glover has brought her twenty-three-year-old daughter, Piper, to Paris for the first time—but they know it will also be their last trip here together. Julia is dying, and as the mother and daughter desperately try to make memories together as the clock ticks down, the world opens up around them. Piper meets a cute French waiter, who might just understand her better than anyone she’s ever met, and Julia meets a man at a dive bar and struggles with how to tell him the truth about her future.

Rock star Jackson Quick’s glory days are behind him. He had a handful of hit songs thirty years ago, but he hasn’t toured in a decade. This week, he’ll launch his reunion tour in Paris, the city where it all began. But he wants more out of life than being defined by fame. When he meets a woman who finally sees him for who he is at his core, the ground shifts beneath his feet.
Henry McGee has been writing hit songs for decades—including Jackson Quick’s biggest hit, City of Light. But his secret is that every love song he’s ever written is for a woman named Celeste, whom he loved a lifetime ago, when they were both teenagers in Paris during World War II. He has spent eighty years believing she died—but when a letter arrives telling him the opposite, he’s on the first flight to France. Can he break through the haze of her dementia, using the songs he’s written all these years, to remind her of who they once were to each other—and to tell her he came back for her?

Henry’s granddaughter, Melody, has just discovered that her husband of twenty years, Gilles, a French cosmetics executive, is having an affair. When she confronts him, he tearfully apologizes and begs her to forgive him. But can she? And, perhaps even more importantly, does she want to? Or is there a different kind of life out there for her if she chooses to be alone?

These intertwining stories—plus several others—unfold over a few breathtaking spring days, as an unforgettable group of Americans in Paris must find their way to their own versions of happily ever after in the City of Light.

Grateful Reader Review by Dorothy Schwab

Meet Me in Paris, a vacation between the covers of a novel, is a collection of life stories intertwined and illuminated on the streets of Paris. The City of Light becomes a charming character all its own, as Kristin Harmel creates the magic of Paris for Piper, visiting for the first time with her dying mother, while recreating the world Henry knew when he was first there during World War II as a soldier protected by Celeste and the Resistance.  The love stories of Shelby and her friends attempting a “divorce party,” three Viet Nam veterans returning for a reunion, and Jackson Quick, a “has been” rock star hoping for a successful comeback tour, are all packed into this travelogue. Readers will delight in the streets and bridges, bistros and bars, museums and memories as seven love stories of Americans from different walks of life rendezvous in the City of Light. The heartache of losing love and the joy of finding love; Meet Me in Paris is the pièce de résistance.  

Kristin Harmel is the New York Times bestselling, USA Today bestselling, and #1 international bestselling author of The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau, The Paris Daughter, The Book of Lost Names, The Winemaker’s Wife, and a dozen other novels that have been translated into more than 35 languages and are sold all over the world.  After graduating with a degree in journalism (with a minor in Spanish) from the University of Florida, she spent time living in Paris and Los Angeles and now lives in Orlando, with her husband and son. A breast cancer survivor, she is also the co-founder and co-host of the popular weekly web show and podcast Friends & Fiction.

A Love Once Lost- Bridwells’ Grand Tour Series by Jennie Goutet

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Publication June 23, 2026-Haven Historical Fiction, Romance-

Book Summary

Amy Bridwell reluctantly accompanies her family on a Grand Tour of the Continent–the very trip her former sweetheart proposed they take as newlyweds. Receiving no suitable marriage offer in the six years since and with her heart still guarded by regret, Amy has no choice but to go along with her widower father and younger sisters to ensure their travels proceed smoothly. 
 
James Fletcher has built a successful practice as a physician in the fashionable resort town of Spa. Though he came to the Netherlands with a wounded heart, seeking distance from Amy’s rejection, he’s managed to build a respectable life and is now engaged to a woman who will ensure his professional future. If only he could be certain that his betrothed’s heart is truly his. 
 
When the Bridwells arrive at their first destination, Amy is stunned to encounter James again. He is promised to another, and as old feelings resurface, Amy must confront the choice she made six years ago, facing the possibility that her heart has never truly moved on. 
 
Bestselling historical romance author Jennie Goutet weaves a story of lost love and second chances against the scenic backdrop of Georgian-era Europe.

Grateful Reader Book Review by Dorothy Schwab

A Love Once Lost is an 18th century, second-chance romance set in Spa, Belgium,1770. Spa is the town that launched the global self-care industry we know today. Springs of acidic, iron-rich water drew visitors to evaluate the health benefits, so the area was first known for “drinking therapy” rather than bathing in the thermal waters. Jennie Goutet introduces readers and the Bridwell family to Spa as the first stop on their Grand Tour, in hopes that drinking the mineral waters will help Mr. Bridwell.

Jennie Goutet’s diligent research has provided insight into society’s daily living, social expectations and, through James Fletcher, the possibilities for economic growth due to the healing waters. Amy, the oldest of the three sisters, is devoted to her eccentric father, and Goutet shows great discernment in Amy’s feelings of responsibility, self-doubt, and expectations regarding her sisters’ futures.

Goutet explores several relationships, their heartaches, and challenges. I felt empathy for James, and even frustration due to the acceptable social mores of the Georgian era. The well-drawn supporting characters gain readers’ confidence, disdain, or interest in the outcome of their relationships. A Russian princess, visiting Spa incognito, is my favorite. In the princess’s request for Amy’s help to improve her English, Goutet revealed the Russian’s direct nature and desire for human connection.

The best news is that after readers have experienced A Love Once Lost, Book One in Bridwells’ Grand Tour Series, the next in the series is coming summer 2027.

Jennie Goutet is the best-selling author of eighteen historical romances, including the Clavering Chronicles, Memorable Proposals, and The ‘Bridwells’ Grand Tour series. Jennie is an American-born Anglophile who lives with her French husband and their three children in a small town outside of Paris, but her imagination resides in Georgian England, where her proper historical romances are set.

Shortbread in the Highlands by Robin Jones Gunn

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Publication June 23, 2026-Revell- Christian, Women’s Fiction-299pp

Book Summary

Cousins Nora and Allie are sent to Scotland to claim an inheritance but are hindered by delayed flights and canceled reservations before settling into a picture-perfect cottage. Surprised by an encounter with a man in a kilt and a visit from a nosy neighbor and her five Scottie dogs, the cousins begin to experience life in the village where their grandmother grew up. But a brewing mystery along with more delays make this adventure far different than they expected.

Undaunted, the Suitcase Sisters stock up on shortbread from the village bakery and explore the beauty of Scotland in autumn, beginning with a leisurely boat ride on Loch Lomond. Buoyed by laughter and shared childhood memories, they head to the Highlands for a tour of their ancestral castle and a luxurious stay at a resort.

An enchanting train ride returns them to the village, where a secret their sweet Gran hid from them all these years comes to light, and a final stop in Edinburgh holds more life-changing revelations for them.

On this armchair trek to Scotland, readers will experience a journey of surprises brimming with God’s mysterious ways and the unbreakable bonds of family.

Grateful Reader Review by Dorothy Schwab

Lads and Lassies- This armchair trek through Scotland is filled with clans, castles, and shortbread! Robin Jones Gunn captures Scotland’s beauty and the quest for Gran’s diary through the eyes of Nora and her cousin Allie. Gunn’s story of the mystery of the diary, its importance, and the revealing story of Edward, (Another Edward, not their grandfather Edward)- provides the opportunity to weave in some Robert the Bruce, William Wallace, and Edinburgh’s Royal Mile. Having lived in Scotland, I can attest to the vivid descriptions in Nora’s journal while traveling by train and car to Kildegren, Inverness, Glasgow; visiting Dunrobin Castle and St. Giles Cathedral.  Scottish sayings from poets and authors also add a heartwarming opening to each chapter.

The “suitcase sisters” learn about the Sutherland and Campbell clans, tartans, and mottos. As Allie and Nora explore Gran’s home village of Kildegren and Bird’s Nest House, they learn about themselves, their cousin relationship, and most importantly “to rely on the creative purposes of God.” The theme of “letting go” is carried through the characters Allie and Nora meet along their journey and through their personal disclosures. Robin Jones Gunn has done a “bonnie” job of Scottish storytelling in this tale of family heritage and love.

Libraries, rare books, shortbread, scones and if you’re brave, some haggis! Well, maybe just some fish ‘n chips and a copy of Shortbread in the Highlands.

Robin’s stories invite you into a world where the characters feel like your new best friends. Her non-fiction nudges you along in your faith as she opens her heart and shares her love for God. Robin’s novels have been adapted into four Christmas movies, and you can listen to her podcasts! Listen to the Women Worth Knowing podcast hosted by Cheryl Brodersen and Robin Jones Gunn. Each week Robin and Cheryl tell the stories of ordinary women who lived extraordinary lives.

The Chateau on Sunset by Natasha Lester

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Publication June2, 2026-Ballantine-Women’s Fiction-384pp

Book Summary

A sheltered young woman living at the Chateau Marmont falls under the spell of a scandalous, secretive man as all of Hollywood’s glamour swirls around her—a stunning feminist reimagining of Jane Eyre from the New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Seamstress.

In 1957, newly orphaned Aria Jones is sent to live with her aunt, a fading star who hides away in Hollywood’s infamous Chateau Marmont. There, two aspiring actresses, Calliope and Flitter, take grieving Aria under their wing.

But the Marmont isn’t meant for small girls with big hearts, and Aria’s first few nights reveal an insidious secret that continues to haunt her as she grows up in the hotel’s halls, where the bright lights of Hollywood cast even darker shadows. If Aria can just stay invisible and invite no trouble as she saves money, then she can leave the Marmont and live life on her own terms—alone, but free. 

All her carefully laid plans are shattered when the hotel is bought by Theo Winchester: a reclusive rockstar turned unexpected caretaker of his daughter Adele, and unlike any man Aria has met before. To earn the last bit of money she needs to escape, Aria becomes Adele’s tutor, which brings Aria closer to Theo and ignites a passion she never expected. 

Suddenly, Aria finds herself wondering if she still wants to remain invisible—and if inviting trouble is a risk she’s willing to take to pursue what she truly desires.

Grateful Reader Review by Dorothy Schwab

Natasha Lester’s dual timeline is set at the famous Hollywood hangout, the Chateau Marmont on Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles. Alternating between 1957 and 1964, the Chateau is a character that plays a key role in determining the paths of the inhabitants. The main roles in Lester’s Jane Eyre reimagining include “Three Sisters”- Calliope, Flitter and Aria Jones, former star, Miss Devine Rey, Director Bob Ashenhurst-King of Hollywood and Theo Winchester-Rockstar & new owner of the Chateau. This backdrop of ambitious starlets, the control and manipulation of starlets by directors, along with the addictions and overindulgences of the Chateau’s residents set the stage for Part 1. I viewed the 2011 Jane Eyre movie as a reminder of key elements: unusual noises, screams, rooftop death, a wedding, and fire-all of which are monumental in Lester’s reimagining.

Part II, in Italy, focuses on Aria’s fears, suffering, and dreams; searching for a skill to make her smile. Perhaps a typewriter? The influence of new characters and Aria’s personal discoveries add to the suspense of whether dreams come true for Aria, Calliope, Flitter, and the fading, addicted, Miss Devine Rey. I found part II very compelling as Lester unravels the plot line which involves a Hollywood remake of Jane Eyre. Speaking of divine- that describes Lester’s use of symbolism-stars, night, flames, fire, and the sea.

Whether it’s a poolside cabana at the Chateau or on a stool at the soda fountain in Schwab’s Drugstore-The Chateau on Sunset is the quintessential summer read filled with 1950-60’s Hollywood atmosphere and energy.

The Chateau Marmont at 8221 Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, California, was renowned in the 1960s and 1970s as a place that attracted visitors from Hollywood such as Roman Polanski and Donald Cammell; and celebrities from the music industry, such as the singer Ray Charles and the music producer Denny Cordell. This was not however the only era in which it was well-known: it has had a long and exciting history. Read more about the Chateau! https://www.theswinging60s.com/places/chateau-marmont/

Schwab’s Pharmacy was a drugstore located at 8024 Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, California, and was a popular hangout for movie actors and movie industry dealmakers from the 1930s through the 1950s. Opened in 1932 by the Schwab brothers, Schwab’s Pharmacy in Hollywood became the most famous and longest-operating outlet of their small retail chain.[2] Like many drug stores in the United States during the mid-twentieth century, Schwab’s sold medicines and had a counter serving ice cream dishes and light meals. In the 1930s, Schwab’s was the inspiration for songwriter Harold Arlen to write the music for the song “Over the Rainbow” for the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz. From Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schwab%27s_Pharmacy#History

The Windsor Affair by Melanie Benjamin

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Publication June 2, 2026-Ballantine, Delacorte Press-Historical Fiction-384pp

Book Summary

A scandalous affair. A power struggle for the throne. A sensational rivalry between an English queen and an American social climber. In this electrifying novel, the New York Times bestselling author of The Swans of Fifth Avenue tells the story of the Abdication of Edward VIII—and the two women at the center of it all.

Feuding Windsor brothers and their wives—some things, it seems, never change. The Men: Edward David Windsor, heir to the British throne, and younger brother Albert, aka Bertie, “the spare.” The Women: Edward’s wife Wallis, an American divorcée, and Bertie’s wife Elizabeth, daughter of Scottish nobility. The Feud: a rivalry that will last all their lives, make headlines, and still fuel gossip pages a century later.

The Windsor Affair recreates the cataclysmic events that nearly toppled the monarchy and incited the power struggle between Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, the queen-to-be, and Wallis Simpson, aka “That Woman,” who fell into a calculated love affair with Prince Edward. Told from the perspective of both women, the novel propels readers into the fabulous world of the debonair Prince of Wales, café society of the 1930s, and the glittering private lives of the Windsors.

The first novel dedicated to the infamous rivalry between these two world-famous women, The Windsor Affair brings us all the gossip and intrigue between the two very different—yet perhaps more similar than they would admit—wives of royals. As Queen, Elizabeth would become the symbol of British pluck and courage during World War II and remain a British institution for the rest of her long life. Wallis would be forever forced to enact the World’s Greatest Love Story even after it sours, as she goes from being admired to vilified and, ultimately, pitied.

Against the backdrop of the Abdication Crisis, World War II, coronations, funerals, births, and deaths, these two women maintain a bitter, biting, sharp-tongued feud—until age and the long arm of history bring about a kind of understanding. For the last communication between these bitter rivals was a simple, surprising message: “In friendship, Elizabeth.”

Grateful Reader Review by Dorothy Schwab

The royal name of Windsor conjures many names and events. Perhaps the most acrimonious is the decades long, ongoing feud between the English Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon and the American, Mrs. Ernest Simpson. A royal feud known as the “Windsor Affair!”

Melanie Benjamin opens The Windsor Affair with the theft of the Duchess of Windsor’s jewelry at an estate in the outskirts of London. Benjamin vividly recreates the animosity between Queen Elizabeth I, “Cookie,” and Wallis Simpson, known as “That Woman,” from 1936-1976.  Laced with plenty of British history and details, Benjamin explores the royal feud from several points of view, including the Abdication and the war years, 1940-1945. Royal readers follow the feuding women to London, Scotland, the Bahamas, and Windsor.  Details of Bessie Wallis’ childhood, born without money and privilege, her marriages, her travels to Hong Kong, and her quest to be wealthy, attempt to explain this complex woman.  Likewise, Benjamin covers Elizabeth’s early debutante years, courtships, proposals, and finally marriage to the “spare” Bertie. She adds plenty of queenly maneuvers, conniving conversations, and society gossip to add fuel to the fiery feud!

For the first time in history, the King of England voluntarily abdicated the throne. Also, for the first time, the two women at the center of the abdication come face to face for readers’ examination; saintly or manipulator, victim or heroine? The Windsor Affair has “castles, jewels, the Blitz; scandal and designer clothes!”  A novel for readers with a royal fascination with two “Kingly” brothers; the heir in love with an American divorcée and the spare, the daughter of a Scottish earl. The women become sisters-in-law, but would they ever be friends? An insightful peek behind the royal gates and straight into the breakfast room, dining room, and dressing room conversations of the royal families.

Melanie Benjamin is the New York Times bestselling author of nine works of historical fiction: Alice I Have Been, The Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb, The Aviator’s Wife, The Swans of Fifth Avenue, The Girls in the Picture, Mistress of the Ritz, The Children’s Blizzard, California Golden and The Windsor Affair.