The Weight of Air by Kimberly Duffy

 

In 1911, Mabel MacGinnis is Europe's strongest woman and has performed beside her father in the Manzo Brothers Circus her entire life. But at his unexpected death, she loses everything she's ever known and sets off in the company of acrobat Jake Cunningham for America in hope of finding the mother she's just discovered is still alive.

Isabella Moreau, the nation's most feted aerialist, has given everything to the circus. But age and injury now threaten her security, and Isabella, stalked by old fears, makes a choice that risks everything. When her daughter Mabel appears alongside the man who never wanted to see Isabella again, Isabella is forced to face the truth of where, and in what, she derives her worth.

(excerpt from back of book)

This may not be Duffy's most polished novel but I feel like it may be one of her more memorable and emotional ones. I feel pretty confident saying this won't be everyone's cup of tea and more conservative readers will probably find the subject matter uncomfortable. However, I found the story highly engaging and a thoughtful attempt to address some deeper topics in fictional form.

While the story may be centered in the world of 1911 circus life, Duffy uses the tale to explore themes such as post-partum depression, abandonment, suicide, loss of spouse, and having to rebuild your life/self. 

Mabel and Isabella were interesting leads in both their comparison and contrasts. I appreciated how Duffy used their storyline to highlight just how often generational pain can be unintentionally handed down and how much strength can be required to being healing at any age. While I was sometimes frustrating with either woman's decisions Duffy really works hard to provide framework within her characters stories to highlight how past trauma and fear can drive her characters decisions even years later (and yes I'll include Jake in that as well).

Though Mabel and Jake do fall under the marriage of convenience trope, it still comes across as a wonderful slow burn romance and really helped give the characters some space to heal from the previous mentioned trauma to come to a place where they were ready to pursue a relationship. Which made it a much more satisfying read, in my opinion.

4 out of 5 stars. 

Book was provided courtesy of Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. and Baker Publishing Group.

The Metropolitan Affair by Jocelyn Green

 

I will confess, Jocelyn Green has always been a hit or miss writer for my personal taste. So I was thrilled to find myself on the edge of my seat as Green takes readers back to Prohibition era NYC.

Leading this tale is Dr. Lauren Westlake, the assistant curator of the Met's Egyptology department. I mean, there was so much I liked about Lauren, she's a smart and capable scholar, a caring and attentive friend, and yet Green writes her longing for family and stability with such vulnerability to make her feel relatable and well-rounded.

As usual, Green does deliver a strong and complex storyline. The Egyptology/art forgery storyline is utterly fascinating. Green's descriptions of key signs for forgeries, her ability to convey the excitement and dismay of Lauren as items were confirmed or found short really helped to engage the story as I was relatively clueless on the subject before this book.

I also appreciated Lauren's more personal storyline centering on the theme of her family both with her strained relationship with her father as well as her reconnection with detective Joe Caravello. Green does such an excellent job capturing that alternating hope and pain that can be present with childhood trauma.

With Green's attention to detail and ability to capture the feel of her settings there are definitely times this novel feels like a written film noir. Joe's plotlines with police corruption, prohibition, and murder have that grittier feel with Green's detailed world building.

Readers looking for a clean, happy ending will probably find themselves a little disappointed by the ending. While Green wraps up the story beautifully there's definitely not the "storybook happy ending" for all the plot threads that readers may expect from this publisher. However, I think Green made the best choice for her story as anything else would have felt hollow to the characters she has created and the realities of their tale.

4 out of 5 stars

Book was provided courtesy of Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. and Baker Publishing Group.

A Match in the Making by Jen Turano

A Match in the Making is my first time reading a book by author Jen Turano but I certainly hope it won't be the last. This latest story was a delightful mix of romance, humor, and heart that gave me some modern day Pride and Prejudice vibes as well.

Here our protagonist is Miss Gwendolyn Brinley, former travelling companion to her cousin turned assistant matchmaker in Newport's well-known summer season. I really loved Gwendolyn's no nonsense approach to life, her sense of humor, and her care for those she encounters. She's a lead you just want to cheer for. While there is some tension in her storyline  about traditional vs. nontraditional goals the takeaway felt more about finding one's own path wherever that may lead which felt appropriate for Gwendolyn

Her male counterpart is Walter Townsend, a widower looking for a wife who ends up one of Gwendolyn's clients in Newport. Townsend had a lot more depth than I expected and I truly enjoyed watching his growth with regards to his family throughout the tale, not to mention his frequent head to heads with his matchmaker. 

My favourite part of the whole story though was simply the experience that comes through Turano's writing. Her ability to capture the little details, to add the ridiculous and hilarious scenarios that come from both life with small children and from a pack of socialites looking for a catch, and the careful ways she slowly weaves her characters together to a satisfying ending just makes this an enjoyable read start to finish.

 As a final note, Adelaide really stood out among the Newport Summer crew and I'm definitely excited to see that she'll be continuing the series in To Spark a Match  the second addition to this series currently slated for release in late 2023.

5 out of 5 stars

Book was provided courtesy of Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. and Baker Publishing Group.

After the Shadows by Amanda Cabot

 

Amanda Cabot is back with another small town tale on love and finding life after loss.

After the Shadows focuses on the story of Emily Leland. Faced with the recent loss of her parents, her husband, and the departure of her sisters, Emily finds herself running a boarding house out of her childhood home for Mrs. Carmichael, the new schoolteacher Mr. Ferguson, his son Noah, and more as she struggles to rebuild her life and find the truth behind her father's passing.

Now, one thing you can count on with Cabot's writings is a romance that will pull on your heartstrings and After the Shadows is no exception.  

Given Emily's introduction, it would be easy to see her "in need of rescuing" in this genre but Cabot has provided a protagonist who's a wonderful balance of heart and determination as well as vulnerability and healing. Cabot really works well to provide a balance for the type of space and grieving the difficult and painful situations in Emily's recent life would have created while also showing the resilience possible when people are given room and support to heal.

I also must say Cabot created a wonderful male lead in Craig. I appreciated how he too had his points of grief and restoration needed rather than the default "white knight." 

 Cabot also included a subplot that brought up the topic of ableism centered upon the young resident Beulah a young girl who physical and mental disability. I'm definitely a fan of including disabilities into the stories we read and Beulah was a sweet young girl in the story that had to face down many challenges. The story was a bit hard to read as a disabled person though when I realized how many of the Christian townsfolks protests at Beulah's inclusion are still prevalent in churches today.

Now, I will say, I wish there had been a little more satisfaction with the storyline involving the new ministers family. It felt a little rushed and incomplete compared to Cabot's usual attention to detail, which threw me for a little seeing how much these characters affected the town. However, I've made note of similar "hanging threads" in the first of a Cabot trilogy before only to find more revealed in books 2 and 3. So perhaps the minister's wife and daughter may return?

For readers who may be sensitive to certain topics, it's worth noting that this particular novel does touch on spousal abuse, suicide, murder, and as noted above ableism where a town's actions are directed towards a minor.

4 out of 5 stars.

Book was provided courtesy of Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. and Baker Publishing Group.

The Maid of Ballymacool by Jennifer Deibel

 

Jennifer Deibel is inviting her readers back to 1930s Ireland in a tale filled with mystery, charm, and heart. Deibel has such a talent for infusing her stories with the little details and nuances that help bring them to life and it's one I see growing with each novel she writes. From her usage of Irish in her characters dialogue, to her sensory filled descriptions of the Irish landscape, to her attention to detail in building her stories you can feel the excitement and love she has for the characters she's created and the country itself.

Anchoring this particular story is Brianna Kelly, a young maid who works and lives at Ballymacool House and Boarding School. Brianna feels, to me, like a wiser and more lively Cinderella type character. Brianna serves as a wonderful guide as the story leads readers through questions of identity, faithfulness through hardship, and grief. 

Michael provides a strong counter as this story's "prince charming" a bookish member of the gentry. While he definitely has his heroic moments it's his willingness to serve and to advocate that makes him such a memorable character. 

I really appreciate how Deibel is able to walk the fine line between giving readers a cozy romance that feels like it deserves it's own cuppa and a cozy blanket with allowing her characters to engage in a full range of emotions and the consequences of their decisions and the actions of those around them. 

I do wish that there had been a little more time to give cousin Adeline more nuance throughout the plot. Deibel gave hints of her story that just leave her story feeling like it was still swirling with untapped potential. Maybe Adeline will make an appearance in a later novel as Deibel has shown she is open to having old characters reappear if the era and location allows.

Deibel fans, old and new, will not be disappointed 

4 out of 5 stars

Disclaimer - I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. The opinions are my own.

All the Lost Places by Amanda Dykes

 

Amanda Dykes is back with a tale of love, redemption, and discovery of self in a beautiful tale set amongst the historic canals of Venice.

Dykes infuses beauty and poetry into every element of her storytelling. I'm always amazed at the amount of heart and soul that streams out of her narratives. Dykes, by far, is one of the most talented storytellers in her genre today. 

Honestly, if I could only recommend one historical novel from the last 12 months this would be it.

While I'm usually drawn in by a character in the fictions that capture a piece of my heart, with All the Lost Places it wasn't so much a character but a question -Who am I? Dykes draws on the tensions between the weight of the past and the hopes of the future throughout the plot with each character holding to the central question of identity. From Sebastien's mysterious origins as an infant in a basket on the canals of Venice, to Daniel's life of loss and regrets, to Venice herself shifting and flowing against the plans of stronger forces each story draws readers back again and again to that query of who am I and who can I become.

That's not to say the characters aren't strong as well. Sebastien, Daniel, Marianna, Vittoria, and the Guild each hold their place as Daniel seeks to find the lost book detailing the life of Sebastien Trovato. 
The character pairings balance each other well and are engaging, well thought out characters. But this is one of those novels where it's the story shines beyond its characters long after the last page is finished.

5 out of 5 stars 

Book was provided courtesy of Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. and Baker Publishing Group.

The Sound of Light by Sarah Sundin

 

WWII fiction lovers are in for a treat with Sundin's latest novel  The Sound of Light. 

In this latest novel, Sundin is inviting readers to Denmark 1943 alongside American physicist Dr. Else Jensen and Baron in hiding Henrik Ahlefeldt. 

I was quite excited to see Sundin chose to base her novel around Denmark's own tale of resistance and community during the German occupation as it's a story that has continued to catch my interest throughout the years and I find people are either very familiar or completely unaware of the courage the Danish people illustrated during this time. It really is such a fascinating slice of history.

It also served as a solid backdrop for Else and Henrik as the wrestled through questions of courage, truth, and standing up for what is right. I really appreciate when an author can explore a theme from multiple angles without it feeling forced or overused. Between Henrik's relationship with his past, his role at the shipyard, and his work with the villa through to Else's challenge with her coworkers and her work with the paper, to the Dane's decisions regarding the "cold shoulder" and their Jewish neighbours, Sundin managed to weave courage in all it's forms into each corner of her tale.

I also appreciated how Sundin allowed both her main characters to have an arc that allowed them to grow and develop rather than a one sided rescuer romance. Else's challenges really resonated as she struggled to find her voice in a male dominated field and then as she sought to find her courage in the face of societal wrongs with the occupation. However, I loved that Henrik had a solid redemption arc of his own that required personal and emotional work before Sundin allowed the story to veer into romance. Honestly, it made the story feel richer and made the relational story threads feel healthier.

As usual, Sundin has delivered a solid Europe based WWII novel filled with heart, historical detail, and hope. 

4 out of 5 stars

This book was provided as part of the #RevellReads book tour. The opinions are my own.