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 Stolen Life of Colette Marceau by Kristin Harmel

Publication June 17, 2025-Gallery Books-Historical Fiction-384pp

Book Summary

Kristin Harmel, returns with an electrifying new novel about two jewel thieves, a priceless bracelet that disappears in 1940s Paris, and a quest for answers in a decades-old murder.
Colette Marceau has been stealing jewels for nearly as long as she can remember, following the centuries-old code of honor instilled in her by her mother, Annabel: take only from the cruel and unkind, and give to those in need. Never was their family tradition more important than seven decades earlier, during the Second World War, when Annabel and Colette worked side by side in Paris to fund the French Resistance.

But one night in 1942, it all went wrong. Annabel was arrested by the Germans, and Colette’s four-year-old sister, Liliane, disappeared in the chaos of the raid, along with an exquisite diamond bracelet sewn into the hem of her nightgown for safekeeping. Soon after, Annabel was executed, and Liliane’s body was found floating in the Seine—but the bracelet was nowhere to be found.

Seventy years later, Colette—who has “redistributed” $30 million in jewels over the decades to fund many worthy organizations—has done her best to put her tragic past behind her, but her life begins to unravel when the long-missing bracelet suddenly turns up in a museum exhibit in Boston. If Colette can discover where it has been all this time—and who owns it now—she may finally learn the truth about what happened to her sister. But she isn’t the only one for whom the bracelet holds answers, and when someone from her childhood lays claim to the diamonds, she’s forced to confront the ghosts of her past as never before. Against all odds, there may still be a chance to bring a murderer to justice—but first, Colette will have to summon the courage to open her own battered heart.

Grateful Reader Review by Dorothy Schwab

Kristin Harmel adds another World War II novel to her growing collection. The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau centers on the definition of right and wrong and the gray areas that are personal to each reader. The Marceau family legacy of stealing jewelry to rebalance justice is based on the legend of Robin Hood. This moral deliberation is embedded in every jewelry heist and the lives of Annabelle and Colette are the resulting outcomes of very debatable decisions and choices. This theme of morality, combined with survival guilt, self-discovery, and the power of ordinary people makes this novel a treasure trove of discussions for book clubs.

The timeline alternates between the war in Paris, 1942 and Boston, 2018. Kristin Harmel’s mystery puzzle is framed by four corners: Annabel’s family heritage of stealing, Colette’s later life including the Tristan love story, the twin bracelets’ provenance, and the murder of Colette’s little sister, Liliane. The puzzle pieces slowly fall into place, leaving readers in great emotional suspense and anticipation as the complete picture comes into view. We know “diamonds are forever” and Kristin Harmel proves this beautiful sentiment once more in The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau.

Kristin Harmel is the New York Times bestselling, USA Today bestselling, and #1 international bestselling author of The Forest of Vanishing Stars, The Book of Lost Names, The Winemaker’s Wife, and a dozen other novels that have been translated into more than 30 languages and are sold all over the world. Many of her novels have been optioned for film and television. The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau is coming this June.

Abigail and Alexa Save the Wedding by Lian Dolan

Publication May 20, 2025-William Morrow-Romance-Women’s Fiction-352pp

Book Summary

Everyone loves—and hates—a big fancy wedding! From the author of Lost and Found in Paris and The Marriage Sabbatical comes a champagne-sparkling summer read about two very different women planning their children’s wedding in glamorous Montecito, California. You’re invited…to a delightful modern comedy of manners about two moms, the best-laid plans, and one very memorable wedding.

Penelope and Chase make a lovely couple. She’s a bubbly Southern California girl with killer work ethic. Chase is smart and charming and has political aspirations. They’re planning a spectacular California wedding, wrapped in peonies and thousands of little white lights, soaked in custom cocktails and romantic hashtags. Everyone’s excited about Penny and Chase’s wedding­­­­­­—except their mothers.

The Mother of the Bride, suave Greek-born Alexa Diamandis, doesn’t understand why any woman would get married. Ever! Raised in Athens and now perfectly situated in sun-splashed Montecito, California, she raised Penny as single mother by choice, supported by Lord Simon Fox, her old college friend who just happens to be an English aristocrat, and a wealthy circle of lady friends who call themselves the Merry Widows.

The Mother of the Groom, Abigail Blakeman, is a garden club stalwart firmly planted in coastal Connecticut. She thinks the whole enterprise would be so much easier if the wedding was at their golf club. Especially because the Blakeman’s fortunes have taken a turn for the worse—not that you would ever know it by looking at Abigail. Keeping up appearances is exhausting, but it is everything.  

But when a sudden twist of fate calls them into action, these two very different women are forced to take over the wedding planning. Despite their differences, Alexa and Abigail charge in to save the day. How far will two moms go to make their children’s dream wedding a reality?

Grateful Reader Review by Dorothy Schwab

Just in time for wedding season! Jump aboard with the MOB, MOG, and the happy couple to check all the boxes for a perfect “near New Year’s Eve” wedding. The countdown to the blissful wedding day of Chase and Penny is told from the point of view of the two mothers instead of the happy couple.

 Alexa, MOB, is from a Greek family, runs her own business-Odyssey Vacations, and is a single mother by choice. She adds a whole new dynamic to the wedding party planning since there is no official FOB. She is surrounded by her wealthy friends in beautiful Montecito, California, who each lend their own opinions, wisdom and skill sets to the “big day.” These “Merry Widows” add a hilarious but heartfelt layer to the friend circle supporting Penny.

Abigail, MOG, clutching her DAR heritage while “keeping up appearances, lives with her husband George in a quietly crumbling Connecticut home with a three-million-dollar view! Her gardens are filled with hydrangeas, my favorite, and through all her self-talk and self-doubt, I was rooting for a Connecticut venue for the wedding.   Lian Dolan keeps readers on the wedding roller coaster known as Operation Butterfly, with chapter titles that give pace to the wedding timeline. “The Call, The Dress, The Engagement Party, Venue Hunting.”” Readers will sense the wedding frenzy as the participants travel from coast to coast!

There are plenty of wedding party guests to raise eyebrows. The mayor of New York City, a Lord with a seat in Parliament, and the groom’s best friend and scientist, Lloyd, each have a surprising part in the wedding story. Then there’s Sarah, the groom’s sister who plays college field hockey and is a perfect contrast in age & personality to the Merry Widows. A wedding gift to readers is Aunt B, Abigail’s friend and social columnist. Her letters, signed Big Kiss & Wedding Bliss, are filled with relationship advice and sprinkled throughout the narrative like bridal confetti.  Who doesn’t like advice and letters???

Lian Dolan’s Abigail and Alexa Save the Wedding is the perfect way to experience a wedding while sitting on your own patio with your own cocktail! The Merry Widows would be pleased. Dress for a cool, beach vibe, preferably in blue.

Lian Dolan is a writer and talker. She’s the USA Today Bestselling author of The Marriage Sabbatical, a People Magazine Best Book of the Week, published by  William Morrow in April 2024.  Her other books are Lost and Found in Paris, The Sweeney Sisters, Helen of Pasadena and Elizabeth the First Wife- all LA Times bestsellers. https://www.liandolan.com/about/

The Martha’s Vineyard Beach and Book Club by Martha Hall Kelly

Publication May 27, 2025-Random House Publishing-Ballantine-Women’s Fiction, Historical Fiction-336pp

Book Summary

Two sisters living on Martha’s Vineyard during World War II find hope in the power of storytelling when they start a wartime book club for women in this spectacular novel inspired by true events, from the New York Times bestselling author of Lilac Girls.

2016: Thirty-four-year-old Mari Starwood is still grieving after her mother’s death as she travels to the storied island of Martha’s Vineyard, off the coast of Massachusetts. She’s come all the way from California with nothing but a name on a piece of paper: Elizabeth Devereaux, the famous but reclusive Vineyard painter. When Mari makes it to Mrs. Devereaux’s stunning waterfront farm under the guise of taking a painting class with her, Mrs. Devereaux begins to tell her the story of the Smith sisters, who once lived there. As the tale unfolds, Mari is shocked to learn that her relationship to this island runs deeper than she ever thought possible.

1942: The Smith girls—nineteen-year-old aspiring writer Cadence and sixteen-year-old war-obsessed Briar—are faced with the impossible task of holding their failing family farm together during World War II as the U.S. Army arrives on Martha’s Vineyard. When Briar spots German U-boats lurking off the island’s shores, and Cadence falls into an unlikely romance with a sworn enemy, their quiet lives are officially upended. In an attempt at normalcy, Cadence and her best friend, Bess, start a book club, which grows both in members and influence as they connect with a fabulous New York publisher who could make all of Cadence’s dreams come true. But all that is put at risk by a mysterious man who washes ashore—and whispers of a spy in their midst. Who in their tight-knit island community can they trust? Could this little book club change the course of the war . . . before it’s too late?

Grateful Reader Review by Dorothy Schwab

Martha’s Vineyard Beach and Book Club is inspired by the author’s family history and summers spent on the island off the coast of Massachusetts. Martha Hall Kelly blends the two timelines into a puzzling mystery sketched out for Mari Starwood by the local artist Mrs. Devereaux. The story of sisters Cadence and Briar Smith during 1942 is filled with historical details but the main spotlight is on those left behind on Martha’s Vineyard. The visual, aromatic descriptions of the community of Vineyard Haven, the honeysuckle hedges, and the local lore depict Martha’s special love for the island.  Kelly pays tribute to the bonds of sisterhood, familial relationships, and the profound impacts of war. These impacts are shown through the conflict involving Cadence and Briar, the plight of Tom and Bess, and the life-changing discovery on the North Shore.  

My favorite character is Cadence, whose side hustle is writing summaries and reviews. The wealthy women involved in publishing who visit the island, support Cadence and add an unexpected suspenseful layer to her dreams of working in New York City; it’s an exhilarating but exasperating thread in the novel. Briar, the quirky, independent, brilliant 16-year-old sister is a font of war information for her family and the reader! I enjoyed the precocious banter between “Briar the Liar” and the FBI agent, McManus.

There are several characters who add uncertainty and excitement to the plot. The suspicious activities of Tyson and Sandra, along with the encouraging, pie-baking Gram, and mostly irritating, unlikeable Margaret-a Jane Austen fan, so she earns points there- all have parts in the story being told by Mrs. Devereaux.  MHK has an uncanny sense of ending chapters at a point where one simply must keep reading.

As the title suggests, Martha’s Vineyard Beach & Book Club is at the heart of the book. Like most book clubs, the reading selection and discussion are important, but so is connecting daily lives! I love how Cadence calls impromptu meetings and announces the book choice in her weekly column! It turns out the Putnam yacht, Never Moor, plays a delightful role, a treat for the book club and for readers. Yes, the Putnam that published Edgar Allen Poe-you’ll learn so much and enjoy the club’s fabulous classic book selections!

Classics Mentioned in The Martha’s Vineyard Beach and Book Club

Sense and Sensibility- Last of the Mohicans- The Great Gatsby-Ben-Hur -The Song of Bernadette- Great Expectations- Rebecca- Brideshead Revisited

The Love Haters by Katherine Center

Publication May 20, 2025-St. Martin’s Press-Women’s Fiction, Romance-320pp.

Book Summary

It’s a thin line between love and love-hating.

Katie Vaughn has been burned by love in the past—now she may be lighting her career on fire. She has two choices: wait to get laid off from her job as a video producer or, at her coworker Cole’s request, take a career-making gig profiling Tom “Hutch” Hutcheson, a Coast Guard rescue swimmer in Key West.

The catch? Katie’s not exactly qualified. She can’t swim—but fakes it that she can. Plus: Cole is Hutch’s brother. And they don’t get along. Next stop paradise! But paradise is messier than it seems. As Katie gets entangled with Hutch (the most scientifically good looking man she has ever seen . . . but also a bit of a love hater), along with his colorful Aunt Rue and his rescue Great Dane, she gets trapped in a lie. Or two.

Swim lessons, helicopter flights, conga lines, drinking contests, hurricanes, and stolen kisses ensue—along with chances to tell the truth, to face old fears, and to be truly brave at last.

Grateful Reader Review by Dorothy Schwab

Every reader needs a dose of Katherine Center’s wisdom, most effectively absorbed through her annual summer rom-com.

Katie: “The swimmer I’m profiling hates love. He’s a love hater. Beanie: “What does that mean?”

 And…. There’s the hook! The back stories of main characters, Katie and the “love hater” Hutch, will captivate readers as the story unfolds. Katherine Center fills The Love Haters with tips for handling anxiety through conversations between Katie and her best friend Beanie-a friendship to treasure. Hutch faces his own demons of sibling rivalry through his non-communicative relationship with his brother. As always, the pearls of wisdom are strung from beginning to the triumphant end. Because we all know there WILL BE a triumphant ending; and this journey -one with helicopters and hurricanes-makes the arrival wonderfully satisfying! So, what’s Katie’s Big News? You will LOVE it.

In a nutshell, Katherine Center reminds us to “see our life as it really is; the hard stuff turns out to be good for us. And love stories are the best therapy. They make us better at love which means getting better at life.” I’ll just say, this book is Katherine Center’s annual therapy session wrapped in a warm snugly blanket. Indulge yourself. Read The Love Haters.

https://katherinecenter.com/about/

Read all about Katherine here on the beautiful website she designed herself-she “almost” went to art school! https://katherinecenter.com/about/

The Girls of Good Fortune by Kristina McMorris

Publication May 20, 2025-Sourcebooks Landmark-Historical Fiction, Multicultural Interest-416pp

Book Summary

She came from a lineage known for good fortune…by those who don’t know the whole story. Portland, 1888. Amid the subterranean labyrinth of the notorious Shanghai Tunnels, a woman awakens in an underground cell, drugged and disguised. Celia soon realizes she’s a “shanghaied” victim on the verge of being shipped off as forced labor, leaving behind those she loves most. Although well accustomed to adapting for survival—being half-Chinese, passing as white during an era fraught with anti-Chinese sentiment—she fears that far more than her own fate hangs in the balance.

As she pieces together the twisting path that led to her abduction, from serving as a maid for the family of a dubious mayor to becoming entwined in the case of a goldminers’ massacre, revelations emerge of a child left in peril. Desperate, Celia must find a way to escape and return to a place where unearthed secrets can prove deadlier than the dark recesses of Chinatown.

A captivating tale of resilience and hope, The Girls of Good Fortune explores the complexity of family and identity, the importance of stories that echo through generations, and the power of strength found beneath the surface.

Grateful Reader Review by Dorothy Schwab

The Girls of Good Fortune is a heart pounding, deep dive into anti-Chinese sentiments of the 19th century. Kristina McMorris sets this thrilling tale of Celia’s search for identity in Portland, Oregon, 1888. The California Gold Rush had ended in 1855, and the Transcontinental Railroad had been completed in 1869. These two events greatly impacted the American workforce where the Chinese immigrants had been willing to endure longer hours for lower pay. Now Portland’s port and labor market, ripe with racism and unsavory, illegal political dealings, intensified the danger of Celia “passing” as white. The nonlinear timeline creates intrigue and suspense as the plot sequences are set to collide. This format leads the reader through the labyrinth of the Shanghai Tunnels to the cargo hold of a ship, a San Francisco jail and even the harrowing perils of train hopping. McMorris develops Celia into an admirable, bold young woman as she navigates motherhood, the pitfalls of whom to trust, and finding her voice amidst constant perils.

The Girls of Good Fortune takes readers from the attack on Chinese gold miners at Hells Canyon in northeast Oregon to Portland’s Shanghai tunnels and along the dim alleys of Chinatown. Heartbreak, Heritage and Honor-all are at stake.

KRISTINA MCMORRIS is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of two novellas and seven historical novels, including the million-copy bestseller SOLD ON A MONDAY. The recipient of more than twenty national literary awards, she previously hosted weekly TV shows for Warner Bros. and an ABC affiliate, beginning at age nine with an Emmy Award-winning program, and owned a wedding-and-event-planning company until she had far surpassed her limit of “Y.M.C.A.” and chicken dances. Kristina lives near Portland, Oregon, where she somehow manages to be fully deficient of a green thumb and not own a single umbrella. For more, visit KristinaMcMorris.com

Austen at Sea by Natalie Jenner

Publication May 6, 2025-St. Martin’s Press-Historical Fiction-320pp

Book Summary

Two pairs of siblings, devotees of Jane Austen, find their lives transformed by a visit to England and Sir Francis Austen, her last surviving brother and keeper of a long-suppressed, secret legacy.

In Boston, 1865, Charlotte and Henrietta Stevenson, daughters of a Massachusetts Supreme Court Justice, have accomplished as much as women are allowed in those days. Chafing against those restrictions and inspired by the works of Jane Austen, they start a secret correspondence with Sir Francis Austen, her last surviving brother, now in his nineties. He sends them an original letter from his sister and invites them to come visit him in England.

In Philadelphia, Nicholas & Haslett Nelson—bachelor brothers, veterans of the recent Civil War, and rare book dealers—are also in correspondence with Sir Francis Austen, who lures them, too, to England, with the promise of a never-before-seen, rare Austen artifact to be evaluated.

The Stevenson sisters sneak away without a chaperone to sail to England. On their ship are the Nelson brothers, writer Louisa May Alcott, Sara-Beth Gleason—wealthy daughter of a Pennsylvania state senator with her eye on the Nelsons—and, a would-be last-minute chaperone to the Stevenson sisters, Justice Thomas Nash.

It’s a voyage and trip that will dramatically change each of their lives in ways that are unforeseen, with the transformative spirit of the love of literature and that of Jane Austen herself.

Grateful Reader Review by Dorothy Schwab

In a nod to Jane Austen’s use of alliteration: Lovers of literature lend me your ear! Austen at Sea is a sublime celebration of Jane Austen’s 250th birthday. Like classic Victorian novels, Natalie Jenner divides the novel into four books. Set in Boston and London,1865, Jenner’s novel packs a political punch for women. She craftily lends an eavesdropping feel as seven justices of the Massachusetts Supreme Court discuss Jane Austen’s five novels during summer recess.  Current male viewpoints on women’s right to vote, owning property, and divorce laws, the backbone of Jenner’s novel, are juxtaposed to the main female characters’ refusal to settle for the low expectations of society, including most of the males around them. Jenner’s law degree shines an infuriating light on history and precedent providing ample fodder for discussion groups, possibly necessitating another conversation and another bottle of wine!  

Natalie Jenner creates characters readers would want to spend time with long after the novel ends. Charlotte’s gift for the stage and Henrietta’s quest for research takes readers within a lecture hall and the library of Gore Hall at Harvard. A fabulous scene but also maddening since women weren’t allowed to register nor were they invited to the discussion group after auditing lectures.  The sisters’ determination and endurance in overcoming obstacles continues to develop as their journey extends across the Atlantic. Sara-Beth, vivacious and socially ambitious, sly, independent Constance, and lonely, Louisa May Alcott add different age & class dimension to the plot. Readers get a giant dose of “paternal protection” as Justice William Stevenson agonizes over his daughters’ trip across the Atlantic-without a chaperone! Tension and the male point of view is deftly created through the Nelson brothers, Justice Nash, and of course, the reason for the transatlantic crossing, Sir Francis Austen.

The narrative is rife with references to Jane Austen’s characters. Sir Francis Austen, the last living sibling of Jane, takes on the role of Emma Woodhouse, becoming an adorable, giddy, 90-year-old matchmaker, but also keeper of secrets.  Actions of Jane’s sister Cassandra and the admiral’s youngest daughter and live-in caretaker, Fanny, add an unsettling thread to a plot already laden with relationship angst and courtroom drama. In true Austen fashion Jenner transports readers from the wharves of Boston, on to the decks of the SS China, and through the streets of London. Travels include the grounds of Sir Austen’s Portsdown Lodge with views of his “beloved sea”, and even to the Austen family home and graveyard in Chawton.

Do you fancy letters, manuscripts, antiquarian bookshops, first editions, libraries? Then you know books are a gift. Austen at Sea is a stunning gift for Jane Austen fans from years past and for newfound readers. Thank you, Natalie Jenner, for inspiring another generation of readers through the world’s beloved Jane Austen. Happy 250th Birthday!

Natalie Jenner is the internationally bestselling author of The Jane Austen Society, Bloomsbury Girls, Every Time We Say Goodbye and Austen at Sea, which have been published in over twenty languages worldwide. https://www.nataliejenner.com/

The Seven O’Clock Club by Amelia Ireland

Publication April- 2025-Penguin Random House-Women’s Fiction

Book Summary

Four strangers are brought together to participate in an experimental treatment designed to heal broken hearts in this surprising and heartfelt debut novel from author Amelia Ireland.

A PEOPLE MAGAZINE BOOK OF THE WEEK ∙ A SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER ∙ A ZIBBY OWENS MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK OF 2025


Freya, Callum, Mischa, and Victoria have nothing in common–well, except for one thing: they’ve each experienced a deep personal loss that has led them to an unconventional group meeting, every Tuesday night at seven. A meeting they’ve been particularly selected for that will help them finally move on. At least, that’s the claim.

As they warily eye one another and their unnervingly observant group leader, one question hangs over them: why were they chosen? To get the answer, they are going to have to share a whole lot of themselves first. Getting Freya, Callum, Mischa, and Victoria to trust each other is vital–because the real reason they’re connected will shift the ground beneath their feet.

Riveting and wise, The Seven O’Clock Club shows us the courage needed to face your past and the joy that can be found in stepping into your future.

Grateful Reader Review by Dorothy Schwab- First reviewed for BookBrowse-First Impressions- 11/24

Good Grief!

Four strangers, each grieving a loss, are brought together for an experiment conducted by an aspiring young therapist. Each Tuesday at seven o’clock the proverbial onion layers are peeled back to reveal the situations that brought the four together. The therapist begins by asking each wary client to hearken back to a happy childhood memory. Through weekly conversations and outside interactions, bonds are slowly built, showing the power of sharing, trust, and speaking the truth aloud. The revelations are spellbinding, heart wrenching, and believable, making for anxious reader moments awaiting the next meeting. Startling discoveries lead to an unsettling, thought-provoking ending.

The Seven O’ Clock Club is a scientific rather than spiritual approach to grief. Unpacking feelings of guilt, learning to trust, seeking forgiveness, and finding truth, are themes in this soul-searching journey through grief.

The Mademoiselle Alliance by Natasha Lester

Publication April 8, 2025-Random House Publishing-Historical Fiction-448pp.

Book Summary

How did a young Parisian mother, celebrated for her beauty and glamour, come to lead the largest spy network in occupied France?

Morocco, 1928. Marie-Madeleine Méric is not the kind of woman who stays quietly at her husband’s side. Polyglot, pianist, and pilot, she is a woman of many skills, with unconventional interests—like driving in car rallies—that earn her a daredevil reputation. But dabbling in intelligence work to assist her military officer husband and the French government helps her recognize who she is at heart: an adventurer.

Paris, 1936. As Europe teeters on the brink of war, Marie-Madeleine is living in France, her marriage now in shambles, when a chance encounter with an enigmatic spy turns her life upside down. He recruits her to help build a resistance network, and she conceals her identity—and gender—as she navigates a perilous double life.

Eventually, she steps into the role of leader of what is now known as Alliance, despite the naysayers who doubt in a woman’s ability to do so. Capture and death are only a heartbeat away for both Marie-Madeleine and the agents under her care. At the helm of Alliance, she achieves seemingly impossible feats of espionage that help turn the tide of the war. But the most impossible, and dangerous, feat of them all? Falling in love.
New York Times bestselling author Natasha Lester beautifully brings Marie-Madeleine Méric Fourcade’s story to life in this powerful, heartbreaking tale of resilience that reminds us what it means to cherish those we love and fight for them with every breath.

Grateful Reader Review by Dorothy Schwab

Natasha Lester’s dual timeline creates the World of Intelligence lead by Marie-Madeleine Meric, the only female leader of a Resistance network in France during World War II. Said to have commanded with grace, courage, humility and flair, the Alliance grew to three thousand agents, mostly military men decades her senior. Agents known by animal names came to be called Noah’s Ark.  Lester’s impeccable research, painstaking translations from French, and vast details of the Resistance movement keep the narrative moving from Moracco in 1928, to the end of the war in Paris, 1945. Marie-Madeleine’s dedication to her children and the love of her life, second in command, Leon Faye, create the angst and heart wrenching choices she faces as a mother and leader.  Crossing borders in disguise, outwitting Nazis, the highs and lows of prison escape plans, separations, and reunions; all intriguing elements that keep hope alive.  Like the Allies receiving maps of the Normandy beaches from Noah’s Ark agents, readers will discover newfound admiration and respect for the unimaginable fortitude of the Resistance fighters in The Mademoiselle Alliance. Highly recommended

Natasha Lester is the New York Times bestselling author of eight historical novels including The Three Lives of Alix St Pierre, The Paris Seamstress, The Paris Secret and The Paris Orphan,

The Wandering Season by Aimie K. Runyan

Publication April 1, 2025-Harper Muse- Romance-Women’s Fiction-368pp.

Book Summary

Unraveling the tangled roots of her family takes her places she never expected. Veronica Stratton, a specialty food broker with a business on the cusp of brilliant success that would change the trajectory of her life, visits her parents in idyllic Estes Park for Christmas. She’s fresh from a breakup with her longtime boyfriend, so she’s eager to reconnect with her beloved family in the mountains and forget about her troubles for a few days. But with the holiday comes a DNA test from her younger sister that confirms her secret suspicions: she’s adopted. Having the truth out in the open leaves her feeling unmoored in ways she didn’t anticipate. With so much of her life in upheaval, Veronica is looking for an escape. Inspired by her best friend, she plans to go to Europe to see four of the places listed on her DNA ancestry report. She treks to County Mayo in Ireland; the Dordogne region of France; the countryside of Lombardy in Italy, and Copenhagen, Denmark. She hopes to learn about where her family lived while also making connections for her rapidly expanding business, but she finds that each stop brings her visions of her ancestors that raise more questions than they answer. And among those pressing questions is how charming Irish castle keeper Niall Callahan will fit into her visions for the future.

Grateful Reader Review by Dorothy Schwab

The Wandering Season is to an avid reader what fine dining is to a foodie-perfection on every level! This culinary experience begins with an introduction to Veronica’s situation and family dynamics on Christmas Eve in snow covered Estes Park, Colorado. The wait staff is comprised of fabulous characters: Veronica’s darling, bubbly fashionista sister, Avery, her best friend Stephanie, and the loving, always supportive parents.

The main course or plot is driven by the findings of the DNA test kits given as presents from Avery. Veronica embarks on a journey planned by Avery, through four countries that correlate with her ancestors. Thank goodness for dad’s American Express and Avery’s two steps ahead planning savvy! Food sourcing vendors and new products was Veronica’s mission but visions of generations before helped guide and reveal her family background and history. Runyan’s transitions between reality and dreams fade in and out seamlessly like an adroit waiter anticipating your dining needs at every turn.

Every menu is capped with a fine dessert and so it is in The Wandering Season. Thoughts of the romantic possibility of an alluring Irish castle and its keeper will linger as Veronica explores her roots and finally realizes her own self-worth. The “close your eyes and savor” moment comes when Veronica reveals her new life plan- and the pièce de résistance- her favorite recipes from each country visited!

Aimie K. Runyan’s The Wandering Season is a delicious literary and culinary experience worthy of five Michelin stars.  

Aimie writes fiction, both historical and contemporary, that celebrates the spirit of strong women. In addition to her writing, she is active as a speaker and educator in the writing community. She lives in Colorado with her amazing husband, kids, cats, and pet dragon.

The Secret History of Audrey James by Heather Marshall

Publication February 25, 2025-Ballantine Books-Historical Fiction -464pp

Book Summary

An astonishing historical novel of one woman’s dangerous journey through World War II Germany and her life-changing friendship with a young woman decades later—from the #1 international bestselling author of Looking for Jane


Northern England, 2010. After a tragic accident upends her life, Kate Mercer leaves London to work at an old guest house near the Scottish border, where she hopes to find a fresh start and heal from her loss. When she arrives, she begins to unravel the truth about her past, but discovers that the mysterious elderly proprietor is harboring secrets of her own.

Berlin, 1938. Audrey James is weeks away from graduating from a prestigious music school in Berlin, where she’s been living with her best friend, Ilse Kaplan. As war looms, Ilse’s family disappears and high-ranking Nazi officers confiscate the house. In desperation, Audrey becomes their housekeeper while Ilse is forced into hiding in the attic. When a shocking turn of events embroils Audrey in the anti-Hitler movement, she must decide what matters most: protecting those she loves, or sacrificing everything for the greater good.

Inspired by true stories of courageous women and the German resistance during World War II, The Secret History of Audrey James is a captivating novel about the unbreakable bonds of friendship, the sacrifices we make for those we love, and the healing that comes from human connection.

Grateful Reader Review by Dorothy Schwab

In alternating timelines between London 2010, and Berlin, 1938, Heather Marshall weaves the trauma in the lives of Kate and Audrey with the guilt of survival and complicated relationships.
Audrey, who is at the end of her life, shares her history with Kate, who is looking for a new start. Losses forge a quick bridge as Marshall’s emotionally drawn characters understand terror, guilt, and forgiveness by sharing their stories. Crossing the bridge that connects Audrey and Kate involves Kristallnacht, Resistance cells in Berlin, new identities, lifelong loves, escape plans and assassination attempts. Was Audrey a pianist, an assassin, or a spy? These threads of history intertwine!
This novel takes readers from the rubble of streets in Berlin to the rambling paths and gardens of Oakwood Inn on the Scottish border. The Secret History of Audrey James is an emotional, rewarding journey filled with secrets and survival.

About

Heather Marshall lives near Toronto with her family and their giant golden retriever. She worked in politics and communications before finally turning her attention to her true passion: storytelling.