Category: Book Reviews

The Secret Christmas Library by Jenny Colgan

Publication October 14, 2025-William & Morrow- Mystery, 320pp

Book Summary

A new holiday story set in the Scottish Highlands to warm booklovers’ hearts by Jenny Colgan, New York Times bestselling author of Midnight at the Christmas Bookshop.

Mirren Sutherland stumbled into a career as an antiquarian book hunter after finding a priceless antique book in her great aunt’s attic. Now, as Christmas approaches, she’s been hired by Jamie McPherson, the surprisingly young and handsome laird of a Highland clan whose ancestral holdings include a vast crumbling castle. Family lore suggests that the McPherson family’s collection includes a rare book so valuable that it could save the entire estate—if they only knew where it was. Jamie needs Mirren to help him track down this treasure, which he believes is hidden in his own home.

But on the train to the Highlands, Mirren runs into rival book hunter Theo Palliser, and instantly knows that it’s not a chance meeting. She’s all too familiar with Theo’s good looks and smooth talk, and his uncanny ability to appear whenever there’s a treasure that needs locating.

Almost as soon as Mirren and Theo arrive at the castle, a deep snow blankets the Highlands, cutting off the outside world. Stuck inside, the three of them plot their search as the wind whistles outside. Mirren knows that Jamie’s grandfather, the castle’s most recent laird, had been a book collector, a hoarder, and a great lover of treasure hunts. Now they must unpuzzle his clues, discovering the secrets of the house—forming and breaking alliances in a race against time.

A treat for booklovers and treasure hunters alike, The Secret Christmas Library serves up a delicious mystery with a hint of romance, and plenty of holiday spirit!

Grateful Reader Review by Dorothy Schwab

A treasure hunt that starts in the British Museum in Bloomsbury, the elegant area of London devoted to libraries, books, and studies. What could be better?  Jenny Colgan incorporates the sheer cliffs of the Scottish Highlands, secret passageways in a crumbling castle, and the search for a valuable book that could save an estate into this gem of novel set in Scotland at Christmas time.  

Jenny Colgan truly lives in a castle in Scotland, so her descriptions vividly depict the views of the spacious grounds and cottages, the biting cold inside and out, and the long, dark corridors leading to the libraries and bedrooms. The main characters are well developed with realistic doubts and fears, expectations and hopes, and family concerns and secrets. All these feelings play into the quandary of how to save the castle that’s been in Jamie McKinnon’s family for over 500 years! Jamie’s grandfather had always been obsessed with books, puzzles, and crosswords, so no one was surprised when his only hint as to the whereabouts of the valuable book came in the form of a poem. Mirren and Theo, antiquarian booksellers, Bonnie, an amazing cook on staff, and the laird himself, Jamie; are snowed in along with Jamie’s sister, Esme, all hoping to sort through the mystery and find the book. The logic and analysis of the poem, following the clues, and the relationships that develop, all add to the suspense. If Mirren was looking for a change in her life, for an adventure? She got one!  

The Secret Christmas Library is a suspenseful, mysterious tale – a stocking stuffer with a bit of spicy romance, soul-searching, and splendid holiday discoveries. Cozy up in front of the fire for that shivery, excited feeling when opening the pages of the perfect Scottish tale.

Sweet & Salty-Cookbook for Young Bakers

Publication September 30, 2025-Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers-Nonfiction-Cooking-280pp.

Book Summary

From the most trusted American baking resource comes a collection of over eighty sweet, salty, and very, very tasty recipes that will have bakers of all ages rolling up their sleeves and breaking out their rolling pins!

Grateful Reader Review by Dorothy Schwab

Not everyone grows up learning to bake from scratch like I did-thanks, Mom. Here’s your “teacher!” This is a step-by-step book for parents and kids who want to create in the kitchen! The Table of Contents is well designed and divided into categories for quick reference, and the recipes are leveled as Easy, Medium, or Project-an adult should help on the first attempt. The introductory pages with tips and tools are informative and include plenty of photos, without detaining “anxious to start” bakers. The sidebars are presented with explanations packed with chemistry and math; knowledge of why ingredients work-chemistry; measuring hints-math, which kids learn best in practical ways. Sweet & Salty is PERFECT for a family cookbook collection. Cue the sprinkles!    

The President’s Wife by Anna Stuart

Publication September 23, 2025-Bookouture-Historical Fiction-382pp

Book Summary

December 1941: ‘Pearl Harbor has been bombed.’ My husband, President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s, voice shakes as he tells me the devastating news. In this heart-stopping moment, I’m determined to do whatever it takes to protect America, but will it be enough?

Eleanor Roosevelt takes a deep breath. She knew this day was coming but now that it’s here she needs every ounce of courage to face it. She’s stood by Franklin’s side through thirty years of marriage and three terms in the White House but entering the war that’s been raging across the world will be their greatest challenge yet.

Eleanor watches thousands of women as they embrace their husbands for what could be the last time before they go off to war. She knows she needs to put aside the troubles in her own relationship for the sake of the country. But will the latest threat to her marriage finally tear her and Franklin apart? 

The stakes are higher than they’ve ever been. This is a moment that history will never forget, and all eyes are on them. Will Eleanor succeed in her role as the president’s wife and help to save her beloved country as well as her marriage? Or will tragedy strike before the war is won…?

Grateful Reader Review by Dorothy Schwab

A well-researched, poignant portrait of the amazing Eleanor Roosevelt; the political and private life from the First Lady’s point of view.

The novel opens as the Roosevelts move into the White House in 1933, fulfilling Franklin’s lifelong dream of becoming the President.  In this dual timeline, Eleanor’s reflections take the reader from meeting Franklin at a party in 1902 to visiting his gravesite in 1948. Stuart covers America’s political climate from before the bombing of Pearl Harbor through the end of World War II. That’s a lot of campaigning, train trips, and elections! Franklin and Eleanor’s political views and news is kept front and center: fireside chats, Eleanor’s daily news column, speaking engagements, and myriad women’s groups. Eleanor’s heart for freedom and justice for all Americans is revealed repeatedly as she makes unbelievable personal sacrifices for the good of Franklin’s career and the country.

Told from Eleanor’s perspective Stuart portrays the couple’s great respect and love for each other with compassion and candor.  Eleanor’s discovery of a bundle of violet scented letters creates a great divide in the Roosevelt marriage. Stuart shows discernment and sympathy for Eleanor’s true heart in her bold demand of two marriage conditions rather than divorce, while highlighting family relationships, the separate residences, and Eleanor’s own friends she called ‘intimates’.

Known as First Lady, but also as a writer, broadcaster, campaigner, and friend. This novel celebrates Eleanor’s cerebral bond with Franklin, her uncanny gift of being a great listener and her lifelong stand against prejudice.

The President’s Wife is a stunning jewel in Anna Stuart’s author crown.

DREAM by Barbara O’Connor

Publication August 26, 2025-Macmillan Children’s Publishing-Middle Grade-256pp

Book Summary

The highly anticipated follow up to Wish, which has spent six years on the New York Times bestseller list and is beloved by over two million readers. Dream follows a small town girl with big aspirations who discovers that anything is possible with your best friends and an adorable pup by your side!
      The sky is the limit.
Idalee Lovett is content with her life in small-town Colby, North Carolina, living in her family’s huge house with rooms for rent. But she has big dreams, just like her mama. While Mama is on tour for the summer with her cover band, Lovey Lovett and the Junkyard Dogs, Idalee decides to hone her craft as a songwriter—since her truest wish is to hear her country songs on the radio one day.
     When the local radio station announces a songwriting contest with the winning song being recorded by an up-and-coming singer, Idalee is determined to win. It would definitely be possible if only she could buy the shiny blue guitar in Asheville’s music shop. Idalee doesn’t have much money, but she knows exactly how to get it—the long-lost treasure her late granddaddy hid somewhere in their house. With the help of her friends Odell, Howard, Charlie, and an adorable little dog named Wishbone, Idalee is going to search in every nook and cranny until she finds it. But little does she know, the biggest treasure of all is only discovered when you believe in yourself with your whole heart.

     In this standalone companion to the #1 New York Times bestseller Wish, nothing is impossible as Idalee learns the power of chasing her dreams one guitar strum at a time.

Grateful Reader Review by Dorothy Schwab

Friends come in all sizes, shapes and ages. Idalee learns lots of lessons as she counts on a new guitar to bolster her creativity. All ages will enjoy DREAM and the story of friendship in the Blue Ridge Mountains. I did a paired reading of this with my granddaughter Leona Claire. Her response at the end of each chapter was always, “Let’s keep reading!”

The Secret Book Society by Madeline Martin

Publication August 26, 2025-Harlequin Trade Publishing-Historical Fiction-336pp

Book Summary

A captivating new historical novel from Madeline Martin, set in Victorian London about a forbidden book club, dangerous secrets, and the women who dare to break free.
You are cordially invited to the Secret Book Society…
 
London, 1895: Trapped by oppressive marriages and societal expectations, three women receive a mysterious invitation to an afternoon tea at the home of the reclusive Lady Duxbury. Beneath the genteel facade of the gathering lies a secret book club—a sanctuary where they can discover freedom, sisterhood, and the courage to rewrite their stories.
       Eleanor Clarke, a devoted mother suffocating under the tyranny of her husband. Rose Wharton, a transplanted American dollar princess struggling to fit the mold of an aristocratic wife. Lavinia Cavendish, an artistic young woman haunted by a dangerous family secret. All are drawn to the enigmatic Lady Duxbury, a thrice-widowed countess whose husbands’ untimely deaths have sparked whispers of murder.
        As the women form deep, heartwarming friendships, they uncover secrets about their marriages, their pasts, and the risks they face. Their courage is their only weapon in the oppressive world that has kept them silent, but when secrets are deadly, one misstep could cost them everything.

Grateful Reader Review by Dorothy Schwab

“You are cordially invited to the Secret Book Society.”  Madeline Martin’s novel is an intriguing study of the lives of three Victorian ladies, their personal struggles, and how one person, through kindness and caring, made a life-changing impact on each of them. In London, 1895, the young, widowed Lady Duxbury opens her home and her extensive library to establish a bond of friendship and protection for these women who had each been abandoned in some way. Lady Duxbury encourages and supports the women in finding their voice, expressing thoughts, and discovering passions. As the women continue to meet in secret, bonds are formed, and trust is forged. Madeline Martin’s narrative sinks the reader into the restrictive, stifling lives of women during the 1800’s; a time when choosing what to wear was one of the few decisions to be made and reading was limited to choosing menus and household improvements. Novels were considered a harmful distraction! The hopefulness, inspiration, and motivation each woman finds in truthful sharing gives credence to the popularity of book clubs today. The pleasure of finding kindred spirits is celebrated.

The Secret Book Society is a delightful glance back in time, as we rejoice in knowing that choices in present day reading is a “magical retreat.”

Dear Miss Lake by AJ Pearce

Publication August 5, 2025-Scribner-Historical Fiction-304pp

Book Summary


Plucky wartime advice columnist Emmy Lake discovers that sometimes it takes losing everything to find what we need most.

London, July 1944. After nearly five years of war, the readers of Woman’s Friendmagazine are relying on the support of Emmy Lake and her team more than ever. With the city under attack, the magazine staff decamps to the countryside for the summer. Determined to help the women of Britain carry on, Emmy and friends are hard at work finding new ways to inspire resilience.

With her army officer husband Charles posted close to home, and best friend Bunty by her side, Emmy happily throws herself into rural life, juggling children, magazine assignments, and plans for a very important wedding. And then a call comes that means she may finally fulfill her long-held dream of becoming a war correspondent.

But when disaster strikes, Emmy needs her friends, her community, and her readers more than ever. Filled with courage and compassion, a lovable cast of characters, and winning wartime details, Dear Miss Lake is an enormously uplifting testament to the power of friendship and hope.






Grateful Reader Review by Dorothy Schwab

I was overjoyed to receive a copy of Dear Miss Lake -like when you answer the doorbell and it’s a best friend grinning with arms open wide-kind of joy! Dear Miss Lake is the fourth and final novel in the Emmy Lake Chronicles by AJ Pearce.  From the beginning in Dear Mrs. Bird, “Emmy is a young woman who dreams of becoming a war correspondent and inadvertently becomes a secret advice columnist during World War ll.”  Follow her adventures in Yours Cheerfully, Mrs. Porter is Calling, and now Dear Miss Lake.

The Emmy Lake Chronicles is a series that has informed, entertained and inspired readers since Emmy Lake first popped round in Dear Mrs. Bird in 2018. AJ Pearce has such a delightful way with words; maybe it’s the British expressions that make the adventures at Woman’s Friend magazine so humorous OR the London Blitz so gut wrenching. The characters take up residence and will linger in readers’ memory long after the bloody war and the series ends!

The strong bonds of friendship and the supportive people that make up a family are brought to light through these fictional stories. Each reader will be reminded of a brave family member or relative who served in a war or supported troops at home. AJ Pearce perfectly portrays the fortitude and inner constitution it took to wait for news of loved ones as Emmy and Bunty do. The highest mountains of joy and the lowest valleys of despair are equally and emotionally depicted in The Emmy Lake Chronicles.

The Last Assignment by Erika Robuck

Publication August 19, 2025-Source Books-Historical Fiction-448pp

Book Summary

From bestselling author Erika Robuck comes the perilous and awe-inspiring true story
of award-winning photojournalist Dickey Chapelle as she risks everything to show the
American people the price of war through the lens of her camera.
Manhattan, 1956.
Since her arrest for disobeying orders and going ashore at Iwo Jima almost a decade earlier,
combat correspondent Georgette “Dickey” Chapelle has been unmoored. Her military
accreditation revoked, her marriage failing, and her savings dwindling, Dickey jumps at an
opportunity to work with an international refugee association—one with intelligence ties.
the aftermath of a refugee rescue that goes wrong, a flame is lit deep inside Dickey— to
survive in order to be the world’s witness to war from the front lines.
Never content to report on battles unless her own boots are on the ground, Dickey and her
camera journey with American and international soldiers from frozen wastelands, to raging
seas, to luscious jungles, covering the plight of those suffering from humanity’s endless
cycle of violence. Told in an alternating prose and epistolary format, The Last
Assignment takes readers along on Dickey’s missions to the Hungarian Revolution, the
Cuban Revolution, and the earliest days of the war in Vietnam, revealing one woman’s
extraordinary courage and tenacity in the face of discrimination and danger.
And it’s along the way, in Dickey’s desire to save the world, she realizes she might also be saving herself.

Grateful Reader Review by Dorothy Schwab

This is the story of female paratrooper and photojournalist, Dickey Chapelle. Erika
Robuck’s extensive research is evident as the narrative of Dickey’s life story plays out on
four different continents. Robuck laces her novel with letters, diary entries, telegrams, and
radio broadcasts based on real life accounts. These add authenticity and suspense to the
novel, which is divided into three main parts, spanning 1954, New York City-to 1965, Viet
Nam. A war correspondent grieving the loss of her parents and her marriage, Dickey
Chapelle’s life story exemplifies her courage, determination and commitment to her life
goal, “making the picture to end all wars.” This is a compelling account which leaves
images etched in one’s memory of scenes written with indelible detail and vivid accuracy.
Filled with tension from prison cell to battlefields, Erika Robuck’s Last Assignment bestows
an honorable tribute worthy of the highest award and a Marine salute: To the life and
accomplishments of Dickey Chapelle. Semper Fi.

The Secret Orphanage by Barbara Josselsohn

Publication August 15, 2025-Bookouture-Historical Fiction-272pp

Book Summary

“Nobody outside the village knows the orphanage exists, Celina. We’re hidden by the mountains and everyone is sworn to secrecy. Please don’t give the soldiers a reason to come here…” 

1944-In a quiet village in German-occupied France, schoolteacher Celina ushers young Jewish children into her classroom. Watching their bright smiles as they learn how to write, she and sweet, handsome Remy promise to protect them. Every day she pretends to send them home, waving at the local police roaming the streets, as instead they sneak away to hide upstairs.

But Celina can’t stop thinking about the note left on her bedside table last night. Written in the secret code used by the Resistance, it told her a baby she’s sheltering could be reunited with its mother. Will Remy ever forgive her if she attempts to take the baby home? If she’s caught, they could discover the orphanage…

New York, present day. Haunted by a loss he refuses to speak about, Rachel’s grandfather is slowly losing his memories. Then Rachel finds a name scribbled into the old children’s book he used to read to her, which leads her to a French village with a dark and dangerous past. Nothing can prepare Rachel for what she finds behind the orphanage’s crumbling façade. But as her own future becomes entwined with her grandfather’s wartime secrets, she will learn just how much courage it takes to follow your heart. A breathtaking, emotional historical novel that will sweep you away to World War Two France, to the dangers of Nazi occupation, and the hope that prevailed in the darkest of times. For fans of Victoria Hislop, Soraya Lane and Fiona Valpy.

Grateful Reader Review by Dorothy Schwab

After a trip to France Barbara Josselsohn was inspired to write about the courageous people who risked their lives to save Jewish children during the Nazi occupation. At the heart of this novel is a secret orphanage disguised as a school. The dual timeline alternates between a small village in the French mountains, 1942 and New York, 2018.

The aspect I enjoyed most was that the main characters in each timeline are connected by a children’s book, The Little Lost Fish by C. Tuilleur. Brielle Aimee, the name on the book’s dedication page, is the mystery that transports readers from the village where the orphanage is located, Paillettes au Sommet, the glittering summit, to a memory care center in New York.

The children’s book is about a lost baby fish searching for his mom. It connects readers to so many emotions of the main characters, Celine and Rachel. Celine’s World War II story of wanting to be a mother, a teacher, and protector, is filled with suspense and fear as she struggles to blend into a Nazi occupied village. Rachel, following a lead to discover her roots, is filled with doubt and wonder about her grandfather’s involvement in Brielle Aimee’s story. Her quest is to find the story behind the dedication page with her mom’s name on it. The constant strain of alluding the questioning police officers, searching for information and uncovering secrets adds to the novel’s suspenseful pace.  As the mystery unfolds readers wonder who is leaving clues on the pages of The Little Lost Fish? Who will stop the escape to Switzerland?

This is a book of stories and how our stories and our history tie us all together. Read The Secret Orphanage to find out -who is brave and who is a hero?  Order Here: https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Orphanage

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.

Louise Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun Portrait of an Artist 1755-1842 by Judith Lissauer Cromwell

Published May 2025-McFarland-Nonfiction, History, Biography-Softcover-281pp

The latest biography from historian Judith Lissauer Cromwell follows the remarkable life of Louise-Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun, whose portraits of European royalty and nobility hang in many of the world’s most important galleries.

Grateful Reader Review by Dorothy Schwab

Historian, Judith Cromwell unveils the multi-faceted female artist, Vigée Le Brun; the biography of a woman who overcame tremendous hurdles to accomplish her childhood ambition of becoming a great artist.

Cromwell chronicles Vigée’s life from childhood, adding iconic scenes of mother and daughter walking through the Tuileries Gardens.  The young artist is noticed for her beauty and fashion, adding to her popularity as a budding portraitist. Vigée later forms an infatuation with her own daughter, Julia. Her early marriage to a gambler and womanizer is well documented, including the frustrating details of financial laws regarding a wife’s income and the limitations on female artists. One of the only artists with a Salon, she attracted musicians, artists, and aristocrats. Using Vigée’s memoirs, Cromwell portrays Vigée’s suppers and visits to the theater with friends.  Events like her exquisitely described impromptu Greek Supper and diplomatic friendships between Marie Antoinette and her enemies, showed how adept Vigée was at combining business and pleasure. Vigée Le Brun is a perfect example of a woman balancing career and motherhood. She became the official portraitist for Queen Marie Antoinette and European royalty; portraits now found in galleries around the world.

This 281page biography is filled with history and politics of France. It also includes analysis of 50 paintings that provide great insight into social customs and artistic techniques of the time. Twelve color plates including 20 photographs are located mid book. Favorites depicting motherhood are Julie Le Brun Looking in a Mirror and Self Portrait with Julia.

Vigée’s life story takes readers from Revolutionary Paris to Rome, Russia, England, Switzerland, and back to Paris. Portrait of an Artist is packed with intriguing details like the emergence of dentistry which leads to open lips and smiles showing teeth! Descriptions of daily life and the historical background of paintings give readers a fresh perspective on the times.

Portrait of an Artist. The triumphant victory of Vigée Le Brun becoming a world-famous portraitist.

Highly recommended for fans of Art History, French History, Women of the 19th Century  

From The Valley We Rise by Elizabeth Musser

Publication June 2025-Bethany House-Historical Fiction-400pp.

Book Summary

In the heart of war-torn France, Isabelle Seauve’s resolve is tested after her father sacrifices his life to protect her involvement in the
French Resistance. Heartbroken, Isabelle becomes more dedicated to hiding Jewish children in and near the village of Sisteron despite the growing danger when she discovers a traitor within the Resistance ranks. As the shadow of betrayal looms, Isabelle’s world collides with that of US Army Chaplain Peter
Christensen, who carries emotional scars from his first position in Kentucky and his service in North Africa. Together, they face the brutal reality of war as the second D-Day–the Allied invasion of
Provence–unfolds. Fifteen-year-old René Amblard narrowly escapes a devastating German attack that claims the lives of his mother and their fellow Maquis fighters. With a Jewish orphan girl at his side, René seeks out his cousin, Isabelle, for refuge while he contemplates revenge. When the bombs of Operation Dragoon begin to fall, this unlikely group of heroes must find freedom in their souls before they can rebuild what has been destroyed.

Grateful Reader Review by Dorothy Schwab-First Published in Historical Novels Review Magazine August 1, 2025, for The Historical Novel Society

From The Valley We Rise, a Resistance story set in Provence, France, recounts the rebuilding of Sisteron after the Allied invasion known as “Operation Dragoon,” August 1944. Told in four parts with suspenseful plot twists and the search for a traitor, Musser’s main characters represent vital parts of the Resistance helpfully explained in an opening Lexicon.  Isabelle hides Jewish children with the assistance of her father’s expertise in forgery. Peter, a Protestant chaplain whose parents were missionaries in Algeria, serves as emotional and prayer support for the soldiers.  Real-life René Amblard is the lone survivor of a German attack on his farmhouse as he strives to protect young Delphine, formerly Sarah Levy. She represents orphaned Jewish children, names changed for protection, who were adopted and hidden by French families.

            Musser has lived in Provence for many years, providing authentic research and depictions of the Citadel, cliffs, and caves of Sisteron from personal experience. The networks of “ordinary citizens with extraordinary courage” who hid Jewish children are highlighted along with the undeniable bravery and determination of the French Resistance fighters, the Maquisard. The intriguing plot is filled with complicated personal relationships impacted by guilt, anger and fear as Peter and Isabelle compare stories of childhood and the plight of loveable, discerning Delphine and René is revealed. The high stakes relationship between Isabelle and German Tomas adds tension and suspense, while Musser’s epilogue ten years later provides a satisfying resolution to the lives of the Resistance fighters.

            Themes include finding courage, recognizing fear, and forgiving oneself to find hope and deepen trust in God.  Elizabeth Musser builds this suspenseful novel of the Resistance “one stone at a time” leading to an emotional conclusion.  From The Valley We Rise. Highly recommended for book club discussions.  For a signed copy: https://entertainmentwithasoul.square.site/product/from-the-valley-we-rise-signed-edition-/26 

ELIZABETH MUSSER writes ‘entertainment with a soul’ from her writing chalet—tool shed—outside Lyon, France. For over thirty-five years, Elizabeth and her husband, Paul, have been involved in missions’ work in Europe with One Collective, formerly International Teams. The Mussers have two sons, two daughters-in-law and five grandchildren.