Amazon Customer

Page Turner

Revisado: 08-26-23

I have read most of DeMille’s novels. The Charm School is my favorite. Despite it being 24 hours of listening, it never lagged. In fact, it was a page turner from Page 1 to the last few pages. It takes place mostly in Moscow and the American Embassy staff are the main characters. Information about Moscow and, especially, the KGB was interesting. This is espionage at it’s best. My favorite character was Colonel Hollis. Whether or not you’re a fan of Nelson DeMille and if you like good suspenseful novels, don’t hesitate a second. Get The Charm School and be prepared for one of the best espionage books that you’ll ever read.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Good Entertainment

Revisado: 02-27-23

This is my favorite JoJo Moyes novel to date. It’s quirky. The women characters are relatable and they are strong. Despite going through adversity, they maintain their core values. It’s a fun romp. The story is largely centered in a 5 * hotel in London. Nisha and Sam, the 2 main characters, along the way are joined by a couple more women. All the women band together to help each other.

I hesitate to write more because I don’t want to give anything away. I do recommend this book to JoJo Moyes fans and to anyone else who enjoy’s women’s fiction.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

The Real Harry

Revisado: 01-16-23

To hear Harry tell his side of the story is a treat. Mostly, the listening experience felt like Prince Harry was speaking to me - telling me his inner thoughts amid his struggles with the press. The death of his mother at the hands of the press scarred Harry. To have his wife vilified at the hands of the press with no support from his family became too much for Them both. I was appalled at his telling of family betrayals to the press. Granted, the numerous leaks to the press could have come from staff. But why didn’t Harry’s father and brother put aside the institution and defend/reach out to lend a hand rather let things get to the point of estrangement. I guess the ‘Institution ’ is more important than a son and brother.

While some stories are TMI, they reminded me that Harry is an open person. His mother’s son, he was never meant for Royal life just as Diana wasn’t.

A compelling read with much insight into the real Harry.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Another Winner

Revisado: 02-10-21

I love Kristin Hannah's books, period. This one was no exception. Once again, she has created strong women characters. I, of course, had heard about dust storms in the plains during the depression but Hannah's descriptions of these storms depicted them to be so much worse than I could have imagined. I remember wondering at one point if she was exaggerating. I cannot imagine living through one of those much less dozens of them. Her depiction of the life of farmers in the depression made that period real to me.

I have high praise for The Four Winds but let me warn you.....this is one of the most depressing books I have ever read. With one exception in the Epilogue, nothing positive happened in the entire book. You may find more 'good' things that happen. I still highly recommend The Four Winds.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

Another Winner

Revisado: 09-27-20

This is the 6th book by Balson that I've read and it's the best one. I read many books about WWII. Balson and Pam Jenoff are my favorite writers. First, I love the character Eli. Nothing takes place in the concentration camp except the liberation of Eli and his son at the very beginning. The rest of the book is divided among the first 3 years of the war in Poland, after the war in an American displaced persons camp in Bavaria, and in 1960's Chicago. There's a bit of mystery to follow and Balson's characters are likable and believable. This is the first WWII book I've read that goes into detail about life in the displaced person's camps. Reading about the relationships that formed in the American camp was thought provoking.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who's looking for a good read whether you're into WWII books or not. One of my Jewish friends is almost finished with it and she loves it as much as I do.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

My Favorite Author does it again

Revisado: 07-12-20

I look forward every June to Elin Hilderbrand's latest book. This year's delivery, 28 Summers, is one of her best. I fell in love with both Jake and Mallory, the 2 main characters. Following their lives for 28 years was a treat. I've never been to Nantucket but I've become familiar with the island through Hilderbrand's books. The other characters, Cooper, Ursula, Frasier, Bess, and Link all come alive through their interactions with Jake and/or Mallory. My favorite thing about Hilderbrand's writing is her characters. I want to like and feel I care about characters. And she delivers in spades. Whether you're a fan of Hilderbrand's or deciding to give her boksva try, I say dive into this one head first. You won't be disappointed.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 3 personas

Magic of Venice

Revisado: 06-15-20

I hadn't read any books about Italy in WWII. This was a great beginning.
The story took me a little while to warm up to. The 'Italian' narrator who played Stella wasn't very easy to warm to. Often it seemed that she was simply reading the story. I did fall in love with Stella and cared what happened to her. I love happy endings and found one in this novel. It's an easy but compelling read. I'm a voracious reader of WWII historical fiction. This one about the Venetian Resistance and the office life of Stella and Christian stands up well to the others I've read. But if you want a WWII story that's more suspenseful and has more grit, do read The Alice Network'.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 4 personas

Another great listen by a good author

Revisado: 08-27-19

I have now finished 5 of Ronald H Balson's books. I'm happy to have found this author. This is his 2nd one and it's equal to the other 4. In fact, I've loved all of his books. And I love the narrator.

I learned a lot of history of the Middle East in relation to Israel. The recap of the Israeli wars and how and when the West Bank and Gaza became part of Israel were interesting. Further explained was how the various parts of Israel are divided and by whom they are governed. I worked in Israel for 5 months based in Tel Aviv so I was particularly interested.

I love Liam and Kathryn. They make such a good team. The characters are well developed. There are 3 threads woven in the story and they are all tied together nicely. It was an easy read and a 'page turner'. I liked the settings: Chicago, Hawaii. and Hebron. I felt like I was in each location when visiting a character there. The plot was believable and interesting.

Not sure what else to say except, if you like intrigue, a bit of a thriller populated with characters who come to life, dive right into this book.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Spoiler Alert for an Enjoyable Read

Revisado: 08-23-19

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I read many books on WWI but this is the first one centered on Americans or the Red Cross that I've read. It was pretty light weight but the 6 Red Cross girls and their newly acquired boyfriends were characters that I both liked and cared about.

Some reviewers said they wanted to know about the girls' lives going forward. I thought the book ended just right. All of the girls had their lives to live and went their separate ways. Intense situations, like the war, bring people close but once the artificial situation is over, the closeness remains but the lives move on from there. The girls had a bond that could never be broken.

I loved the men that Vivian, Dottie, and Fiona paired with. Each one seemed to be a good match. I also enjoyed descriptions of the places in Europe that the girls were in. I've spent a lot of time both working and vacationing in Europe and I love it there. So I was pleased that the 3 girls from Boston decided to remain in Europe after thebwar.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

Another winner from Balson

Revisado: 08-20-19

I read Balson’s other 3 books before this one. Since this one wasn’t about the holocaust or WWII, I wondered how much I would like it. Well, it not only kept engrossed, but I couldn’t stop listening. Like his other 3 books, I learned something. This time it was about the Irish Troubles in Northern Ireland. I love Kathryn and Liam and they feel like old friends. Kathryn takes a backseat in this one but I loved hearing about Liam’s family. I am hoping that Balson will write a book about Kathryn now.

This book is a little more mystery than the others. I figured out who was behind the murders but didn’t figure out the full story of the killer’s motives so the ending still held some surprises for me. Nearly at the end, there was a huge surprise that saw me burst into tears. I won’t spoil it for you though.

If you’re considering listening to this book, don’t hesitate! Just get it and buckle up for a wonderful, exciting story that keeps you listening well into the night just to see what happens next. In fact, all 4 of the Ronald H Balson books I’ve read are Great listens!

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña