Page Turners: Book Reviews and Obsessions

Bound by Honor is the first book in the Born in Blood Mafia Chronicles series by Cora Reilly. It's the complex love story of Aria and Luca, two seemingly polar opposites married off as part of a Mafia arrangement. Both were born into the Familia - Luca in New York and Aria in Chicago - and are married as a sort of peace agreement between the two factions. I felt really bad for Aria at the beginning of the novel. Her mobster father just informs her that she'll be marrying a total stranger and she's just expected to go along with it, regardless of how she feels about the guy. She's basically just a piece in a pretty vicious game of chess, and it was sad how she just accepted it out of love for her family and this twisted sense of duty to them. She was obviously scared of her husband, especially after Grace's nasty warning at the wedding, and a good chunk of the plot ended up revolving around her fear and avoidance of being with him, if you catch my drift. WAY too mu...

Saint is the fourth book in the Boston Underworld series, following the twisted and complicated relationship between Scarlett and Rory. While all of the books in the series have a darker theme, this one certainly takes the cake as the darkest (to me, anyway). Scarlett is definitely the anti-heroine. I was curious about her from the bits of information in the previous books, especially after Talia confirmed that she wasn't a call girl but rather a trick roller. In short, Scarlett endured unspeakable trauma at the hands of her so-called boyfriend and his friends as a teenager, and she's been out for vengeance ever since. Understandably, she also despises men and prefers to mostly keep to herself. "Relationships are just a headache. I've never understood why anyone would want to put themselves through such hell. And willingly too. I might be sadistic, but a masochist I am not." Despite her ice cold demeanor toward him, Rory falls for Scarlett and does what he h...

Ghost is the third book in the Boston Underworld series by A. Zavarelli, following Talia and Alexei. ...it's also my favorite book of the series, thanks largely in part to Mr. Alexei Nikolaev. The 6'6 (wowza!), heavily tattooed Russian Vory just stole my heart. He's almost completely deaf, and knowing that it would be seen as a weakness in the Mafia, hides his condition by mostly isolating himself in his home out in the country. That changes when, as a favor to Lachlan and Mack, he tracks down Talia. Although their marriage was simply supposed to be one of convenience, it's obvious that these two are meant to be together. I think I loved Alexei so much because he accepted Talia, even in her worst state. He understood her darkness because he also experienced it, first at the hands of his parents and then as a result of Katya's betrayal. Magda was right that these two were more alike than either of them realized, and I loved that together they were able to learn h...

Reaper is the second book in the Boston Underworld series by A. Zavarelli. It follows Sasha and Ronan, a seemingly unlikely pair who share a deadly secret, as well as some pesky feelings for one another. Unlike Mack, who willingly dove into the Mafia world in an effort to save her best friend, Sasha was forced into the life at the hands of her abusive ex, Blaine. She's been working as a stripper at Slainte for the past few years, mostly because she needs the money to care for her dying mother. I really felt for her because it was obvious that Sasha just got in over her head and realized that there was no easy way out of the Mafia life. The other strippers don't like her because she's too sweet, and some of the guys just take advantage of that sweetness. Ronan is no such guy. He's this sinister Clark Kent type, always wearing suits and glasses, and he's well-earned his nickname, the Reaper. The guy is a stone cold killer who never shows emotion, and yet there...

Crow by A. Zavarelli is the first work in the Boston Underworld series. It follows Mackenzie (Mack for short) as she dives into the gritty, dangerous, and downright scary world of the Irish Mafia, all for the sake of finding out what happened to her best friend, Talia. Soon, though, she gets more than she bargains for in the form of a hot as hell mobster named Lachlan. The chemistry between them is electric, and both parties get shocked as they try to sort out their complicated feelings. Mack is just such a cool, kick-ass lead. She's had a pretty rough life and has had to fend for herself since her father's death when she was just 13. Still, under her tough outer shell she's got a good heart and is fiercely loyal to and protective of the few people she cares about. Seriously - she volunteers for an underground fight as a way to infiltrate the Irish Mafia and hopefully gain some leads on Talia, and the girl kicks some major ass. That's above and beyond best friend stuf...

A Special Kind of Evil by father-daughter true crime authors Blaine Pardoe and Victoria Hester is the chilling account of the Colonial Parkway Murders. These murders took place during a 3 year span in the late 80s, and then stopped just as suddenly as they had started. Four couples were senselessly murdered in the dark of the night, their vehicles left abandoned in various locations from the Colonial Parkway to a rest area on the interstate with little clues as to what happened. All but one of the couples bodies were eventually found, yet the elusive killer still left little to no evidence for law enforcement to work with, and to this day has yet to be identified. I'm a local who grew up hearing about the Colonial Parkway murders, so I was really excited to order this book and find out more about what happened. I've heard pretty much all of the theories about who the killer might be and have watched countless documentaries on the murders, but there was still much I didn't...

So, as predicted I tore through the next two books in this series once they arrived. Finishing a series is always a mixture of excitement and sadness because of course I want to find out what happens, but then the series is over and I have to look for more works that live up to the finished series. Ah, the perils of a bookworm... Book two in the Sons of Odin series, A Flame Put Out, continues to follow Selia as she adjusts to life in Norway with her berserker husband, and of course she begins to have misgivings about her decision to stay with him. Her love spell is officially broken when Alrik goes into a total rage and seriously hurts their son, but Selia's hope of escape is complicated by the fact that while in his rage, Alrik also put a slave collar on her and essentially made her his thrall. She does manage to escape eventually, though, along with her children and Ingrid and Eydis. I thought the plot was pretty interesting in that Selia finally realizes what everyone else h...

Alright, so I planned on waiting until I finished the whole series to post my review, but I was so taken by the first work in the series that I HAD to share my love. The Sons of Odin is a 3 book series written by Erin S. Riley, and the first book - titled Odin's Shadow - follows Selia, a young Irish woman, as she meets and journeys to Norway with her new Viking husband, a handsome yet volatile man named Alrik. Alrik's brother Ulfrik, equally as handsome but sans the deadly temper, befriends Selia and tries to help her as she adjusts to her new life, and of course a certain tension builds between the two. I have to admit that when I first read the synopsis for this book, I almost didn't buy it because of the apparent love triangle angle. I just thought it sounded tacky and like this would be one of those cheesy romance novels - you know the ones, with the cover art featuring a fair maiden and some knight in shining armor. Gag! I let the many good reviews sway me into givin...

Dancing on Coals by Ellen O'Connell is a captivating and riveting story that follows Katherine Grant, a young woman who escapes stagecoach robbers only to be captured by a group of Apache Indians. One of the Apaches, Gaetan, has a particular hatred for white men and the evils they have perpetrated against his people, so it's safe to say he's way less than pleased when he ends up having to look after Katherine. They eventually form an uneasy bond of sorts that results in love, but of course they have to endure many hardships that threaten to break them apart. Set in 1881, this novel is a great glimpse into what life was like during such a pivotal time in America. As the white men began to build and expand, Native Americans still fought for their way of life - often resulting in bitter feuds, hatred, and mistrust as the government either took land or made false promises. With that in mind, it's no wonder that Gaetan harbors deep resentment for the whites - including the...

Of Windmills and War by Diane Moody is a beautiful yet tragic tale set during WWII. It follows an American bomber pilot named Danny and a young Dutch woman named Anya as they both struggle to survive one of the darkest times in history. Danny and Anya first became acquainted through Anya's older brother, Hans, who was Danny's high school pen pal. Tragically, Hans is killed in a freak accident, and his grief-stricken sister and friend begin writing to one another. Their correspondence is halted by the sudden Nazi occupation of The Netherlands, and Danny goes on with his life as best he can, often worrying about his Dutch friend and her family when he watches the news. Fast forward a few years and Danny enlists as a pilot in the Eighth Air Force, flying a B-17 bomber. It's while on a mission flying over The Netherlands that he's forced to parachute out of his aircraft, and he's quickly rescued by Dutch resistance workers. One of the workers recognizes Anya and her fam...

Emilia by Ellie Midwood is the heart-wrenching account of a young Jewish woman trying to survive in Nazi Germany. This work addresses an often closeted topic in a way that truly made me feel for what countless women had to endure during the Nazi occupation. It wasn't enough that innocent people were forced out of their homes and into concentration camps simply because of their religion; sadly, so many women were also raped and brutalized during their incarceration, either by capos or by the SS guards. In this work, Emilia is one such woman. The subject matter is obviously quite sensitive, but I really appreciated the fact that the author chose to write about it. Emilia's experience, although fiction, reads like a true account. At the beginning of the novel she's just an innocent, naïve young woman, afraid of the war but hopeful that she'll survive it along with her family. That all changes after her family is forced to move into the Ghetto, and Emilia quickly realizes...

Wings of Glory is a three book series by Sarah Sundin. Each book follows the Novak brothers - Walt, Jack, and Ray - as they proudly serve their country during WWII. The brothers are all starkly different in looks and personality, and each faces his own unique issues...including, of course, love. I found the first book in the series, A Distant Melody, while browsing on Amazon. I listened to the many good reviews and decided to order it, and ended up ordering the next two books in the series before I even finished the first one! Sundin is a masterful storyteller, and within the first few chapters I felt transported back the 1940s. As a big history fan, I especially appreciated her attention to detail and obviously thorough research of actual battles and campaigns that were included in the books. Most of all, I loved all of the characters. I know I've mentioned this before, but a huge part of good storytelling is writing characters that feel human, like they're a friend and not...

I happened to find the whole set in this series for pretty cheap and decided to finally join the bandwagon and read them. I'd begrudgingly watched the movies and was totally unimpressed, mostly because of the bad acting and seemingly worse storyline, and I figured the books would be at least improve my opinion of this series. Aaand...I was totally wrong, because the books actually worsened my opinion of the series. First, let's start off with the most bland, underwhelming, and annoying lead character I've met - Bella Swan. I get that this series takes place in high school while Bella is still going through her awkward teen phase, but I just really disliked her. She started out alright, but the obnoxious soon came out when Edward entered the picture and all she could do was obsess over how much she loves him. The only interest she seemingly has is reading the classics, and even that just seemed cliché. She's just this damsel in distress type who always seems to ma...

Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer is the haunting true account of Chris McCandless, a young man who went off the grid and disappeared into the wilds of Alaska. His body would be found some months later by local hunters. Krakauer, completely fascinated by this guy's extraordinary and confusing journey, does his best to understand McCandless through this work. I thought this was a pretty fast-paced and engrossing read. The author obviously put a lot of time and effort into researching McCandless's entire life and activities, but it didn't read like a cheesy biography. Instead, he included just enough details to give a glimpse into this unique man's psyche as events unfolded. Even so, I still found myself largely unable to relate to or understand McCandless, except for his seeming desire to live a simpler life. Just like Thoreau and his famous quote about getting away to Walden Pond because he wished to live deliberately, I understood how the frontier land of Alaska could be...

The Girl From Berlin is a 3 book series by Ellie Midwood; Standartenfuher's Wife, Gruppenfuhrer's Mistress, and War Criminal's Widow. It follows Annalise Friedmann, a young Jewish woman living in Germany as the second world war begins. Her family has well hidden their Jewish heritage, and Annalise marries a family friend who just so happens to be an SS Officer. However, it's soon revealed that he's more friend than foe, as Annalise's husband Heinrich is actually a counterintelligence agent for the American Secret Service. Annalise soon begins helping with her husband's work, and to condense the synopsis, ends up having an affair with the very powerful, very intense head of the RHSA, Ernst Kaltenbrunner. Yes, that's right - the actual Kaltenbrunner, whose 6'7 frame and scarred face certainly contributed to his intimidating appearance. I'll start off by saying that this series is a total guilty pleasure for me. I believe it's a self-published...

Finding Rebecca by Eoin Dempsey tells the complicated love story of Christopher and Rebecca. Neighbors on the island of Jersey, their lives are irrevocably changed by the onset of WWII. Rebecca, a Jew, is shipped away after the Nazis take over the island, and Christopher, a native German, decides to join the SS in an attempt to save the woman he loves. This is such a powerful story. Christopher is the protagonist and it follows him as he serves at Auschwitz, desperately trying to rescue Rebecca while pretending to be a loyal servant of the Fuhrer. Even though it's fictional, the horrors he witnesses and experiences read like a true account - mainly because such evils did happen at concentration camps. It's hard to even fathom that such cruelty and evil could occur, but it did, and it was definitely difficult to read about - fiction or not. I felt so bad for Christopher, who detested what was happening around him but who kept up the charade in order to save Rebecca. The inten...

Army Wives by Tanya Biank is the nonfiction account of four women who married into the military and whose stories all give a unique glimpse into what it's like. It's best known as the book that inspired the popular Lifetime TV series of the same name. It's also the first non-WWII book I've reviewed for a while, so see, I do read more than one genre... Okay, so back to the work. The women it follows are as diverse as their husband's ranks, from newly enlisted to senior officer, and so are their struggles. While one young woman deals with adjusting to military life, another grieves over the suicide of her soldier son. This book definitely tackles some very heavy issues while addressing the often complicated role the Army plays in those issues. I liked that the Army was essentially another character in the story, as was the town. It takes place at Fort Bragg in Fayetteville, NC, and having lived there, I can see why both the Army and good ol' ...

Another novel by Pam Jenoff, The Winter Guest is set in the same time and place as the two previous reviews - Poland during WWII. Helena, her twin sister Ruth, and their 3 younger siblings struggle to survive after their father passes away and their mother is sent to the hospice ward of the hospital. Although they look just alike, the twin sisters are very different in personality. Helena is the tomboy of the family, hunting and procuring the necessities, while Ruth prefers undertaking a more motherly role. It's during an outing in the woods that Helena discovers an injured soldier, and despite her reservations, decides to help him. She treats his injuries as best as possible and continues to visit and bring supplies to the soldier whenever she can sneak away. It turns out that the soldier is an American paratrooper named Sam. The two fall for each other as they spend more time together, but hold back because of the uncertainty and danger of the situation. Eventual...

As promised, next up for review is The Diplomat's Wife, also by Pam Jenoff - and also set during WWII. I swear I read more than WWII historical fiction, but I wasn't lying when I said it's my favorite... Okay, so this novel picks up slightly after where The Kommandant's Girl left off. Marta has been arrested and imprisoned by the Gestapo and miserably drifts in and out of consciousness in a nasty jail cell while recovering from the gunshot wound courtesy of the Kommandant, and the beatings courtesy of the Gestapo. She can hardly believe her eyes when two young American soldiers come to her rescue, and one of them in particular comforts her and gives her water while calling for a doctor. Before drifting back out of consciousness, she exchanges names with her rescuer, Paul. The next time she wakes up, Marta is in a hospital ward. The American soldiers were real and they rescued her, and she begins the recovery process in a hospital ward in Austria while befriending he...

Another personal WWII historical fiction favorite is The Kommandant's Girl by Pam Jenoff. It's the story of a young Jewish woman, Emma Bau, set in Poland during the Holocaust. Emma is newly married and barely has time to enjoy any wedded bliss before her new husband disappears to work for the Resistance. Emma is soon forced to move to the city's Jewish ghetto with her family, and it's there that she is introduced to some of her husband's fellow Resistance members. They soon manage to smuggle her out, and Emma moves in with her husband's Catholic aunt, Krysia, complete with papers identifying her as an ordinary Polish girl, Anna Lipowski. Krysia soon decides to host a dinner party to introduce her 'niece' Anna to some of the town's top brass, all of whom are either pro-German or Nazis. Emma is nervous but plays her role well, but she's rendered speechless when a tall, strikingly handsome guest arrives late to the party. The man is Kommandant Ric...

Oh. My. Gosh. I happened to discover this book on Pinterest and had to get it after reading the synopsis and the heaps of good reviews. As previously mentioned, I love historical fiction - especially anything involving WWII - so I couldn't wait for this book to arrive.  This novel begins on June 22, 1941, with Tatiana, her family, and so many other Russians listening to the horrifying radio announcement that German troops have attacked the Soviet Union. WWII was on in full force, and Tatiana's cramped but safe and stable life is suddenly upturned. It becomes even more uncertain when, by chance, she meets a handsome Red Army officer named Alexander. Little does Tatiana know that this man hides a huge secret that would have devastating consequences if revealed, or that meeting him will forever alter her life.  Honestly,  this novel starts off quite slowly. There's a definite buildup as events unfold, which held my interest, but I was impatiently waiting for things ...

I stumbled upon the Mortal Instruments series a few summers ago while looking for a good read. If a book is any good I typically tear through it like a dog with a rawhide bone, and I was in search of a series that would keep my interest. The first three books (City of Bones, City of Ashes, City of Glass) came together as a set for about $20, so I just bought that with the intention of purchasing the rest if the set was any good. I was a bit skeptical about the series at first because it's young adult and I feared it would be another Twilight, but the rave reviews on Amazon convinced me to at least give the books a shot. So, were the books worth it? Excuse me while I climb on my rooftop to shout "YES!" Okay, dramatics aside, this was an awesome, well-written series that totally exceeded my expectations. Cassandra Clare is a master at setting the scene and I became completely immersed in the world of Shadowhunters, the Angel descendants tasked with killing demons and ke...

Hi, and welcome to my new blog! As a reading enthusiast, I've often devoured works so powerful and so well written that I've just wanted to shout about it from the rooftop. Afraid of being arrested and not a huge fan of heights, I've instead settled for reviewing those books on Amazon and Goodreads...until (drumroll please) now! I'll be connecting this with my Goodreads account and I'm really excited about sharing and reviewing books with my fellow book lovers. A little more about me: I have a B.A. in English Language and Literature and enjoy a wide range of literary genres - mystery, thriller, nonfiction, paranormal, historical. You name it and I've probably read it. I'm really into history, especially anything involving WWII, and I voraciously read any books set in that era. Some of my all-time favorite works include The Bronze Horseman series, To Kill a Mockingbird, Finding Rebecca, The Diplomat's Wife, and pretty much anything by Sarah Sundin (I ab...