Finding Love at Mermaid Terrace- Book Review

Finding Love at Mermaid Terrace by Kate Forster

Publication Date: 4th Feb 2021
Genre: Romance, Small Town, Feel-good romance

3.7 Stars

The book is set in a picturesque town called Port Lowdy. It has colorful houses, friendly people, and no high ambitions to become a bustling city. With the sea, cliffs, and cute houses, the setting is perfect for a cute and heartwarming romance.

Tressa is an artist and works at the local paper. She comes from a rich family that doesn’t seem to understand what she wants.

Dan is a famous columnist in Ireland with a loud, angry voice (or so is his image). When a certain article leaves him without a job, he applies for the temporary position at the same paper Tressa works (and is now managing).

Thrown in Tressa’s tabby and Dan’s Golden Retriever, an ex-convict on parole, and a few locals- you can guess what happens next.

The story flows well, dealing with the lives of the locals as well as our lead couple and new entries. It has some conflicts that could have been exploited even better. But the author keeps the emotions touch and go with the lead characters.

What I love about the book is the setting and the equal importance given to secondary characters. Penny, Wendy, Remi, Markel, Jenny, Caro, George; we get a glimpse into some lives and an in-depth backstory for some. The characters felt quite real and relatable, despite the easy conflict-resolutions. Who doesn’t want to read a sweet book at times?

What I wished to be better was the relationship between Tressa and Dan. We know they are going to hit off, and they do. But the conflicts seemed silly. And considering the insecurities each of them had, it felt they were still not sure about their feelings for each other. The uncertainty (despite them saying they love the other person) reduced the overall impression of the story.

I’d rather see this as a small-town book rather than a simple love story. The relationship between other characters shone better than the one between the lead couple. The resolution didn’t have an impact either. It was a bit too mellow, even for a heartwarming romance.

Overall, this is a nice book if you are in the mood for something light and cute. Pick it up for the secondary characters. You won’t regret knowing them.

P.S: The history behind the name Lowdy was sweet, and so was the use of mermaid in the story. It was a good touch.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Aria & Aries and am voluntarily leaving a review.

#FindingLove #NetGalley

Ruby Falls- Book Review

Ruby Falls by Deborah Goodrich Royce

Publication Date: 4th May 2021
Genre: Thriller/ Mystery

3.3 Stars

The premise was exciting at its best, and I was delighted to get an ARC of the book. Ruby Falls is the story of Ruby/ Eleanor, a 26yo actress. It deals with her past where her father leaves her alone at Ruby Falls and leaves, never to come back.

Twenty years later, Eleanor is happily married to a stranger, Orlando Montague, and they move to LA for a fresh start. The story is narrated by Eleanor or Ellie, and we see how things are not what they seem.

What has happened? What is happening? Who is the victim? Who is the culprit? These questions need answers, and the book tries to work them out.

The descriptions are vivid. The setting is clear, and it was easy to visualize the scenes unfold as I read. Trying to get into Ellie’s mind was a fun exercise until towards the end. The book, as such, held a lot of promise.

Ellie grows up with psychological problems due to her father’s actions. It makes her a highly intriguing narrator if we can ignore the constant rambling (I confess I did find it hard to not roll my eyes at some of her ramblings).

Still, the plot keeps us hooked. It makes us want to know what had happened. We do get answers, but then, the ending just falls flat on the face. Literally. I should’ve guessed when the book was compared to The Silent Patient.

What could have been a wow moment turned into a ‘duh’ moment as the twist resulted in more questions that had no proper explanation in the story. There sure are subtle references to justify the twist, but the overall storyline doesn’t add up.

Considering that the book just ended without proper closure, the explanation in the previous pages seems more like an easy way out of a complex story rather than offering any real solution. What started as a 4+ story ended up with less than 3.5 stars because of this.

Overall, the book deals with some important topics of parental abandonment and lack of love from family, but that’s it. Readers who love to read stories with ‘punch in your face’ or ‘pull the rug’ twists are going to enjoy this one. It just isn’t for me.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Post Hill Press.

#NetGalley

In a Town Called Paradox- Book Review

In a Town Called Paradox by Miriam Murcutt and Richard Starks

Publication Date: 3rd Feb 2021
Genre: Historical Fiction, American Fiction

3.4 Stars

 

The book is set in a town called Paradox and deals with the lives of its people. Corin is sent from NYC to Paradox in southeast Utah after the death of her mother. She has to live with Aunt Jessie, a spinster, and a religious rancher.

As the town’s Mayor builds an entire new town, and names it Eldorado to attract the Hollywood, life chances for the townsfolk. We see Corin grow up, try a hand at acting, and get back to ranching. We see her relationship with Cal and the entry of Ark. We see Ark’s childhood and how it shaped his ideas.

Life changes when Corin and Ark get married and tragedy strikes soon after.

Yiska, a Navajo Indian, enters the town, and we get to see his past struggles.

A few more POVs are thrown in to give us more background details about different characters whose past actions have impacted others’ lives.

The book starts out very well, interesting and engaging. But from part two, it starts to have too much information, literally dumped on the readers.

Around 55%, the book picks up again, falls a bit, and gets better until it ends on a flat note. After reading almost 300 pages, I was surprised to see that the book just ended. The ending was incomplete, with some information left for the readers to assume as they seemed fit.

While the characters were etched well, the narration wasn’t as gripping. The book sure had its moments, but the overall effect was just about average. There was a lot of filler (imagine sharing two full chapters about a bull to set the stage for the coming twist). I mean, give us a gist, and we’d have still understood.

A whole lot of research has been done about Native Americans. It certainly must be applauded. But the tone of the presentation had to suit the book. It resembled non-fiction more than fiction. The book has quite a few places where it reads like non-fiction rather than fiction. That made the book dry even when it was supposed to be emotional and even passionate about the injustice faced by women and the Native Americans.

Overall, it was a decent book that taught me something new but not strong enough to make a lasting impression.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Prestwicke Publishing.

#InaTownCalledParadox #NetGalley

 ***

P.S: It's sad that the authors couldn’t find the contribution of ancient Bharat when talking about the stars and universe in the book. Our land gave much to the world. 

The Watchmaker of Dachau- Review

The Watchmaker of Dachau by Carly Schabowski

Publication Date: 20th Jan 2021
Genre: Historical Fiction, WW II

4.5 Stars

The Watchmaker of Dachau is yet another story that deals with the horrors of WW II. The main story is set during 1945, the last few months, where people who could escape for years got captured and tortured. Many more lost lives while some continued to hope and survive, waiting to be rescued.

The prologue and epilogue are set in 1996, Cornwall, England. The past is divided into three POVs (though all are written in the third person). Issac, the watchmaker, Anna, the maid, and Friedrich, the son of Senior Officer Becher and his bratty wife, are the major three people who offer us viewpoints. We see another POV, one that is filled with love, pain, confusion, memories, and philosophy.

Characters like Greta, Jan, Nina, Elijah, Levi, and others add to the story. We see many thoughts and reactions from the characters, all of which seem as real as they can get. It is evident that the author did her research very well. She and her editor also made sure not to dump their research into the book.

The focus was on bringing the characters to life and making them appear human rather than using them as mere tools to share historical details. For me, that’s what made the book so effective. I love how Friedrich’s character was used throughout the book. It’s one of the highlights of the story.

The writing is both descriptive and concise. It’s not fast-paced but is not too slow to make the reader lose interest.

Right from the prologue, we see hints provided to the reader about what’s to come. This is no crime fiction, but it’s seemed like the author’s way of preparing the reader and allowing them to make their own conclusions. It is clever writing.

I was disappointed by the ending (not for what it is was, but well, I wished it to be a wee bit different). I don’t want to say more and reveal anything. That said, I did have an inkling that it would be on similar lines (ref: hints).

Overall, this is a sad yet beautiful book about love, hope, and rebuilding a new life after surviving the worst nightmare.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bookouture and am voluntarily leaving a review.

#TheWatchmakerofDachau #NetGalley

Goya- Book Review

Goya by Priya U Bajpai

Genre: Short Stories 
4.5 Stars

People who know me know how much I love to read (and write) short stories. Imagine a book with a bunch of stories in different locations, with varying themes and a multitude of characters. And when friends publish their collection of short stories, it is always special.

Goya by Priya is one such book I’ve been eager to read for a while. We have been working closely for the past year, and I appreciate her determination, humor, and dedication even more.

Coming to the book, this is a delightful collection of 27 stories belonging to different genres. Most stories are short, crisp, and still manage to pack a whole lot of emotions. The biggest story happens to be my favorite, and why not? It’s detective fiction. Nothing like a crime waiting to be solved to make me happy.

I’ve already read a couple of stories online, and one of them has been my absolute favorite-

The Second-best Bed. I’m not going to list all my favorites (don’t worry) but will mention that there’s a story for every reader.

From science fiction to YA to family drama and historical fiction, Goya is an array of genres, colors, and emotions. The writing is lucid and flows like a gentle river. You can drift from one story to another and not feel any jerks, even though the stories are far from being connected to each other. There isn’t even a common theme in the book.

Still, it took me less than two hours to read from the first page to the last and remember the stories as well. Goya is a dreamy and delicious book (minus food, of course) for readers who enjoy short doses of interesting characters.

Grab your copy today and step into the world where words carry the readers to distant lands.

*****

P.S: I have been lucky enough to get an author-signed copy of the book.