Review - - After Paris

After Paris

by Mary Ellen Taylor

Publisher: Montlake

Release Date: May 13, 2025

Reviewed by PJ

 

At twenty-five, Ruby Nevins has already endured more than most. But after two years of battling cancer, she’s warily determined to move forward. Researching a new project about a French actress, she soon uncovers an old diary that will change her life forever…

Cécile, the “it” girl of early 1940s French cinema, vanished from Nazi-occupied Paris in 1942. Sylvia Rousseau, Cécile’s dressmaker and confidante, left that same year. Working to piece together the truth behind Cécile’s disappearance and Sylvia’s extraordinary life, Ruby recognizes the women as kindred spirits. They risked their hearts and lives to aid the Resistance, and each day was a struggle to survive.

Ruby knows her cancer could come back, but she’s learning to embrace the future rather than fear it. If Cécile and Sylvia could live their lives in the shadow of death, so can Ruby. Because she knows there’s so much life―and love―to fight for.

PJ's Thoughts:

Mary Ellen Taylor has written a compelling, thought provoking, dual-timeline story that immersed me into the lives of three remarkable women - two in the past and one in the present. Opening with a harrowing scene in the days following the liberation of France, she then moves to present day, setting the stage for Ruby's story before returning to the past and the unfolding journeys of Cécile and Sylvia before, during, and after the German occupation of Paris. 

The transitions between past and present felt organic and seamless as both stories unfolded. I was equally immersed in both timelines as well as the fates of the characters. Ruby may not have been caught in the life or death consequences Cécile and Sylvia faced at the hands of the Nazis but her life or death battle with cancer was no less consequential. I enjoyed her journey and the twists that awaited her, both personally and in her professional quest to discover the fates of Cécile and Sylvia. I especially enjoyed her unexpected romance (yes, there's a happy ending).

What strength all three of these women exhibited in the face of danger. Taylor doesn't hold back in showing readers all sides of them, especially Cécile and Sylvia. Their courage, vulnerability, morally questionable actions, wants, desires, and fortitude are all important parts of their human story. 

A portion of this book with which I was not familiar was the path taken by the French film industry during WWII. I was not aware of the number of people who were compelled to work with the Germans during that time even though they were against everything the Nazis stood for, how they were forced to straddle two worlds without alienating either side. It's a fascinating part of the book. 

If you enjoy dual timeline stories featuring complex women with the courage to face seemingly insurmountable obstacles, told with strength, compassion, emotional depth, and undying hope, pick up a copy of Mary Ellen Taylor's After Paris. I highly recommend it. 

Review Reprise - - The Garden of Lost Secrets

The Garden of Lost Secrets

by Kelly Bowen

Publisher: Forever

Original Release Date: May 16, 2023

Mass Market Paperback: April 15, 2025

Reviewed by PJ

1940 - Stasia always found comfort in the idyllic French countryside where she spent her childhood summers, roaming the gardens of an old chateau and finding inspiration for fairy tales full of bravery and adventure. But these days are much darker, and with Nazis storming across Europe, she soon finds herself one of the most hunted agents of the Resistance. The only safe haven she can think of is Chateau de Montissaire. But she’s about to discover that it just may be the center of her biggest mission yet.
 
Present day - When Isabelle purchases a crumbling chateau in Rouen, it’s not just a renovation project—it’s a chance to reconnect with her sister, Emilie, the only family she has left. What she uncovers instead is an intriguing mystery… As the siblings piece together the incredible truth behind the books written by their great-grandmother Stasia, they discover an exciting story of courage in the face of treachery and an explosive secret that will change everything they believed about their family.

PJ's Thoughts:

Kelly Bowen has written another compelling, dual-timeline, WWII/Present Day novel that sucked me in and refused to let go. In the present day, we get dreams realized, complicated family dynamics, a possible romantic connection, and an unexpected - no, shocking - revelation about a beloved great-grandmother. I enjoyed Isabelle's journey but the heart of this book takes place some eighty years earlier, in the days leading up to WWII and those that followed during and after the Nazi invasions across Europe. 

Nobody lives through a war and emerges unscathed. Childhood friends, and later sweethearts, Stasia and Nicholas certainly don't. What befalls them over the course of four years, both individually and as a couple, is immense. It can't help but change them, sending each on different paths of growth and evolution. Bowen conveys these changes in organic, breath-stealing, deeply emotional ways as the world they've known implodes around them. The changes are particularly immense within Stasia as the scenes in the Netherlands show in gut-wrenching ways. 

Friendship - and it's impact on each of these characters - is a key facet of this book. The bonds between Stasia and Nicholas, Stasia and her school friend Margot, and Nicholas and fellow seaman Oscar are strong and enduring whether they are together or not. Their trust, admiration, respect, and affection, forged in the fires of combat, and in the perilous streets of Nazi-occupied Amsterdam, have an incalculable impact upon the lives - and actions - of each of them. I was with them every step of their journeys, feeling their fear, devastation, anger, and determination. These characters were developed to the point where I was almost certain that if I had researched their names in historical documents I would have found evidence of their daring, patriotic exploits...and of their enduring love.

Bowen's books are well researched and authentic to time and place. Reading this novel was like watching the triumphs - and horrors - of WWII come to life across my mind. There are scenes that broke my heart and left me sobbing. Others that still haunted me weeks after reading them. Ultimately, I was left with admiration and respect for those ordinary (but in reality, extraordinary) citizens who, without being asked, put their lives on the line daily while helping to save the world from the evil of the Nazi empire, expecting nothing in return. Those like Stasia who, after the war, built new lives, not forgetting, but never divulging, their roles in winning the war for freedom.  

I highly recommend The Garden of Lost Secrets. 

 

Review & Giveaway - - Tomorrow is for the Brave

Tomorrow is for the Brave

by Kelly Bowen

Publisher: Forever

Release Date: May 14, 2024

Reviewed by PJ

1939, France: Lavish parties, fast cars, and a closet full of the latest fashion—to the average eye, socialite Violet St. Croix seemingly has it all. But what she truly wants is a life full of meaning and purpose. So when France falls to Germany, Violet defies her parents’ wishes and joins the war effort.  With her impeccable skill for driving under pressure, she is soon sent to North Africa to shepherd French Foreign Legion officers carrying valuable intelligence through dangerous territory.

But as the Allies encounter one mishap after another, Violet becomes convinced there is a spy in their ranks. And when her commanding officer is murdered, Violet realizes she might be the only one who can uncover the traitor and save the lives of countless soldiers on the front lines. Convincing others to believe her is difficult enough. Finding someone she can trust just might be impossible.

PJ's Thoughts:

I have a book hangover. I started reading Tomorrow is for the Brave yesterday. It didn't take long before I realized that I may as well toss my to-do list to the side. Clearly, nothing was going to be accomplished until I had read the entire book and I didn't care. I was that deeply immersed into the life of Violet St. Croix. With each chapter read, I was that much more invested in her, a woman who defied her family - and fiancé - to do what was right for her country, a woman who risked her life on the front lines of the WWII North Africa campaign, a woman who became a symbol of hope against the murderous Nazi regime, a woman who seemed to be the only person willing to entertain the idea that there might be a deadly spy among them. I simply had to know what happened next!

Kelly Bowen, a historical romance auto-buy author for years, has now become one of my go-to authors for WWII historical fiction. Her research is impeccable with fictional and actual events - and people - woven together into compelling stories that are darn near impossible to put down and a sense of place that puts the reader in the middle of whatever is occurring. Each time I looked up from the pages of this story, it took me a minute to realize that I was reading a book in the comfort of my home in 2024 and not on a twisty coastal road in southern France in 1939 or a dug-out desert bunker in North Africa in 1941. It's that immersive and realistic.

Bowen's character development is so complete that it's difficult to not think that these were actual people who lived. Violet, George, and Henri, in particular, are characters who engaged my interest - and affections - completely. I was right there with them through all of the peaks and valleys of their intertwined journeys and fully invested in what happened to them. (While all three of these characters are fictional, Violet was inspired by a real woman, Susan Travers, the only woman to ever serve in the French Foreign Legion. Be sure to read the Historical Note at the back of the book for more information about Travers as well as events depicted in the book.)

As if the trials of war weren't enough, Bowen has also woven a deadly mystery through this book with plenty of twists and turns to keep me guessing as to the actual identity of the "spy among us." Just when I decided I had figured out the spy's identity, she would throw another twist into the mix that had me second guessing. I love when authors stump me like that. I did finally figure it out but even then, it in no way took anything away from the suspense and danger as events played out.  

If you're in the mood for a compelling, immersive, coming-of-age story featuring a young woman raised in the lap of luxury who leaves it all behind for a greater purpose amidst the turmoil and danger of WWII, finding courage, love, and a sense of self in the process, look no further than Tomorrow is for the Brave by Kelly Bowen. It has my highest recommendation. 

~~~~~~~~

Have you read any of Kelly Bowen's books?

In Tomorrow is for the Brave, Violet is both an accomplished driver as well as mechanic, very unusual for a woman of her time. How are your driving/mechanic skills? Any wanna-be car racers among us?

I love historical fiction, especially those set in the WWII era. Have you read any WWII books lately that you would recommend?

One randomly chosen person who posts a comment before 11:00 PM, May 18 will receive a print copy of Tomorrow is for the Brave. 

*U.S. / Canada only

*Must be 18

 

Tour Review - - The Keeper of Hidden Books

The Keeper of Hidden Books

by Madeline Martin

Publisher: Hanover Square Press

Release Date: August 1, 2023

Reviewed by PJ

All her life, Zofia has found comfort in two things during times of hardship: books and her best friend, Janina. But no one could have imagined the horrors of the Nazi occupation in Warsaw. As the bombs rain down and Hitler’s forces loot and destroy the city, Zofia finds that now books are also in need of saving.

With the death count rising and persecution intensifying, Zofia jumps to action to save her friend and salvage whatever books she can from the wreckage, hiding them away, and even starting a clandestine book club. She and her dearest friend never surrender their love of reading, even when Janina is forced into the newly formed ghetto.

But the closer Warsaw creeps toward liberation, the more dangerous life becomes for the women and their families – and escape may not be possible for everyone. As the destruction rages around them, Zofia must fight to save her friend and preserve her culture and community using the only weapon they have left - literature.

PJ's Thoughts:

I've read a fair amount about the effects of WWII on the populace of France, Italy, England, etc. What I don't know as much about is what happened during this time in Poland. Or, I didn't, until reading Madeline Martin's The Keeper of Hidden Books. What an intense, inspiring, heartbreaking, hopeful, poignant story, authentic story about a group of Poles (both Christian and Jew) working together to fight their Nazi occupiers in a courageous effort to protect the treasures of Poland: her citizens, her history, her cultural heritage, the knowledge of her leaders (doctors, lawyers, scientists, etc.), and perhaps most important of all, her humanity.

This book was almost impossible to put down. The characters are so incredibly well developed and complex. They put a human face on a devastatingly difficult time in our world's history, immersing me in their lives in a realistic and relatable way that left me in tears more than once. Martin doesn't shy away from the heart-wrenching realities of the Nazi regime. That, and her impeccable research, bring an authenticity to the events in the book that affords intimate insight into Zofia, Janina, their family, and friends. It's that intimacy that brings these characters to life as they risk everything to protect all they hold dear, including one another.

As a lover of books and a staunch believer that all books should be available to all people, I was especially impressed to learn that this book is based on actual people who risked everything during WWII to preserve and protect the libraries of Warsaw and the books housed within. It speaks to the knowledge to be found in books, to the free thought, ideals, patriotism, and resistance within. To the empathy that occurs from learning about and understanding other people, religions, and cultures rather than attempting to homogenize a populace by denying access to any book that goes against the government's chosen ideals. It's no wonder the Nazis were determined to ban and then destroy the literature of Poland. There's a lesson there that all generations should take to heart.  

The Keeper of Hidden Books is a powerful, thought-provoking, beautifully-written story. I highly recommend it. 

  

Review - - Escape to Florence: A Novel

Escape to Florence: A Novel

by Kat Devereaux

Publisher: Harper Paperbacks

Release Date: July 11, 2023

Reviewed by PJ

Moving between the Second World War and the present, an exhilarating debut novel in the vein of Jennifer Robson, Kate Quinn, and Natasha Lester, about two women, decades apart, whose fates converge in Florence, Italy.

Only fourteen, Stella Infuriati is the youngest member of her town’s resistance network during World War II. Risking torture and death, she relays messages, supplies, and weapons to partisan groups in the Tuscan hills. Her parents have no idea, consumed instead by love and fear for their beloved son, Achille, a courier and unofficial mechanic for a communist partisan brigade.

Then, after 1945, Stella seemingly vanishes from the records. Her name and story are overshadowed by the tragic death of her brother—until a young writer arrives in Tuscany in the spring of 2019, uncovering long-buried secrets.

Fleeing an emotionally abusive marriage and a lonely life on an isolated estate, Tori MacNair has come to Florence, the beautiful city her grandmother taught her to love, to build a new life. As she digs into her family history with the help of Marco, a handsome lawyer, Tori starts to uncover secrets of the past—truths that stretch back decades, to a young woman who risked everything to save her world . . .

PJ's Thoughts:

Escape to Florence is a promising debut from author Kat Devereaux. Set in the dual timeline of 1940's and 2019 Italy, it tells the stories of Tori MacNair, her late grandmother, and the surprising connection shared with Italian resistance fighters during WWII.

The stories that unfold during the book are both compelling in their own ways. I enjoyed watching Tori slowly reclaim herself after enduring years of an emotionally abusive marriage. Her evolution was presented in a realistic and relatable manner with steps forward - and backward - as would be expected in a real life similar situation. Marco was exactly the type of man she deserved in her life. In fact, Marco is the type of man we all deserve. Her sister and mother, on the other hand, deserved a long ride in a small boat with no oars. Endearing, they were not. 

I love history and found the story of Stella, Achille, and Tori's grandmother to be fascinating. Devereaux included enough historical facts with the fiction to bring their journeys to life. Her descriptions of the events that unfolded, vivid depictions of the Italian countryside, and the development of Stella (primarily) and her brother, Achille brought it all to life, as a movie rolling across my mind.

The only quibble I had with this book was the abrupt manner in which it ended. I would have loved an epilogue or at least a bit of a look into Tori's future. I like things tied up with a pretty bow, I guess. In this case, as much as I enjoyed the book up to that point, I felt like I was left with too many questions at the end. Not everyone will feel the same, I'm sure. 

If you enjoy dual-timeline stories, especially those set during WWII and present day, give Escape to Florence a try. I'm pleased to discover a new author writing in this era and will be looking forward to more books from Kat Devereaux. 

Review & Giveaway - - The Garden of Lost Secrets

The Garden of Lost Secrets

by Kelly Bowen

Publisher: Forever

Release Date: May 16, 2023

Reviewed by PJ

1940 - Stasia always found comfort in the idyllic French countryside where she spent her childhood summers, roaming the gardens of an old chateau and finding inspiration for fairy tales full of bravery and adventure. But these days are much darker, and with Nazis storming across Europe, she soon finds herself one of the most hunted agents of the Resistance. The only safe haven she can think of is Chateau de Montissaire. But she’s about to discover that it just may be the center of her biggest mission yet.
 
Present day - When Isabelle purchases a crumbling chateau in Rouen, it’s not just a renovation project—it’s a chance to reconnect with her sister, Emilie, the only family she has left. What she uncovers instead is an intriguing mystery… As the siblings piece together the incredible truth behind the books written by their great-grandmother Stasia, they discover an exciting story of courage in the face of treachery and an explosive secret that will change everything they believed about their family.

PJ's Thoughts:

Kelly Bowen has written another compelling, dual-timeline, WWII/Present Day novel that sucked me in and refused to let go. In the present day, we get dreams realized, complicated family dynamics, a possible romantic connection, and an unexpected - no, shocking - revelation about a beloved great-grandmother. I enjoyed Isabelle's journey but the heart of this book takes place some eighty years earlier, in the days leading up to WWII and those that followed during and after the Nazi invasions across Europe. 

Nobody lives through a war and emerges unscathed. Childhood friends, and later sweethearts, Stasia and Nicholas certainly don't. What befalls them over the course of four years, both individually and as a couple, is immense. It can't help but change them, sending each on different paths of growth and evolution. Bowen conveys these changes in organic, breath-stealing, deeply emotional ways as the world they've known implodes around them. The changes are particularly immense within Stasia as the scenes in the Netherlands show in gut-wrenching ways. 

Friendship - and it's impact on each of these characters - is a key facet of this book. The bonds between Stasia and Nicholas, Stasia and her school friend Margot, and Nicholas and fellow seaman Oscar are strong and enduring whether they are together or not. Their trust, admiration, respect, and affection, forged in the fires of combat, and in the perilous streets of Nazi-occupied Amsterdam, have an incalculable impact upon the lives - and actions - of each of them. I was with them every step of their journeys, feeling their fear, devastation, anger, and determination. These characters were developed to the point where I was almost certain that if I had researched their names in historical documents I would have found evidence of their daring, patriotic exploits...and of their enduring love.

Bowen's books are well researched and authentic to time and place. Reading this novel was like watching the triumphs - and horrors - of WWII come to life across my mind. There are scenes that broke my heart and left me sobbing. Others that still haunted me weeks after reading them. Ultimately, I was left with admiration and respect for those ordinary (but in reality, extraordinary) citizens who, without being asked, put their lives on the line daily while helping to save the world from the evil of the Nazi empire, expecting nothing in return. Those like Stasia who, after the war, built new lives, not forgetting, but never divulging, their roles in winning the war for freedom.  

I highly recommend The Garden of Lost Secrets. 

Do you enjoy WWII novels or movies?

Are there any authors writing in this era that you would recommend?

Have you read Kelly Bowen yet? Either her WWII novels or her historical romances?

One person who posts a comment before 11:00 PM, May 17 will receive a print copy of The Garden of Lost Secrets. 

*U.S. only

*Must be 18

Thank you to Forever for the generous donation of today's giveaway.

 

Review - - CORNERED

CORNERED

by Suzanne Ferrell

Neptune's Five - Book 3

Publisher: Suzanne Ferrell Productions

Release Date: May 9, 2023

Reviewed by PJ

August, 1941
America remains neutral in the war in Europe, but signs of the Axis army’s expanding power grab have many in America believing their involvement in the war is only a matter of time. In preparation for that event, they begin gathering information from all areas of conflict.

A Moroccan Mission
A descendant of the Pirate Blackbeard, Warren Smith, aka Chief, has spent his life on the sea, and now he pilots the Folly for the undercover Neptune Five team. As war rages in Europe, danger lurks everywhere, even in remote parts of the world. The Neptune Five embark on a perilous mission to map safe passage up the Sebou river in Morocco to a crucial airstrip, without drawing the attention of the Vichy French navy or the Nazis soldiers stationed there.
Enter Elizabeth "Betty" Devereaux, a missionary nurse with a secret. She knows the Sebou river and needs to deliver life-saving medical supplies to the Bedouins living along the shores. She agrees to guide the Folly's crew up the river. As Betty and Chief navigate the treacherous waters of Morocco, they find themselves drawn to each other despite the dangers threatening to tear them apart.

November 1942

America has entered the war. On the eve of Operation Torch, the invasion of Morocco, Chief and the Neptune Five team has another mission—to find Betty who has gone missing. They fear she’s landed in the hands of the Nazi SS. With the help of the Bedouin resistance fighters the team races across the desert to a kasbah fortress prison to free her before she’s killed.

PJ's Thoughts:

Suzanne Ferrell's Neptune's Five has become one of my favorite romantic suspense series and book three, CORNERED, one of my most anticipated books this spring. After two clandestine, highly suspenseful missions ferreting out spies stateside, the team heads to Morocco for something new. This time, they are the spies, gathering intel in the months leading up to America's entry into WWII. There's plenty of action, suspense, danger, and a bit of romance to keep readers flipping pages right up to the breath-stealing conclusion. 

Ferrell's grasp of time and place in this book is impeccable, bringing to the page the tension, secrecy, and danger of missions such as those assigned to the Neptune's Five team. Her descriptions of the foreign locales allowed me to visualize everything experienced by the characters, from weather to terrain to customs, dangers, and more. I really felt like I was right there with them every step of the way, whether navigating treacherous rivers, outsmarting the enemy, or racing across deserts to rescue one of their own. The secondary characters are well developed, adding another layer of complexity to the story, especially the villains. The author doesn't shy away from atrocities perpetuated by Nazis, which may make some of the scenes difficult to read. Good triumphs over evil - with justice served in a particularly satisfying way - but there is also pain in the journey to get there. Such are the realities of war. 

I love the complexity of this team, the nuances of the individual members, all of whom come from a variety of backgrounds, the range of ages, experience, and skills. It lends a realism and authenticity to these characters, making them more approachable and engaging. By now, I've become invested in all of them and feel like I'm coming to know them better with each book published. 

The romance between Betty and Chief is one that hits quickly then slowly plays out over time in a series of letters. Typically, I prefer face-to-face growth between a couple but in this case the tensions, heightened emotions, and sacrifices of war lend believability to their unconventional "courtship." The letters provide a viable method of getting to know one another while separated, allowing both of them to reveal the depths of their feelings and fears, creating a strong bond between them that deepens into an enduring love. It gave me everything I needed.

While CORNERED can be read and enjoyed as a standalone, it's my opinion that you'll have a much better understanding of the characters if you read the books in the series in order. I highly recommend them all. 

Review - - The Three Lives of Alix St. Pierre

The Three Lives of Alix St. Pierre

by Natasha Lester

Publisher: Forever

Release Date: January 10, 2023

Reviewed by PJ

Alix St. Pierre. An unforgettable name for an unforgettable woman. She grew up surrounded by Hollywood glamor, but, as an orphan, never truly felt part of that world. In 1943, with WWII raging and men headed overseas to fight, she lands a publicity job to recruit women into the workforce. Her skills—persuasion, daring, quick-witted under pressure—catch the attention of the U.S. government and she finds herself with an even bigger assignment: sent to Switzerland as a spy. Soon Alix is on the precipice of something big, very big. But how far can she trust her German informant…?
 
After an Allied victory that didn’t come nearly soon enough, Alix moves to Paris, ready to immerse herself in a new position as director of publicity for the yet-to-be-launched House of Dior. In the glamorous halls of the French fashion house, she can nearly forget everything she lost and the dangerous secret she carries. But when a figure from the war reappears and threatens to destroy her future, Alix realizes that only she can right the wrongs of the past …and finally find justice.

PJ's Thoughts:

The Three Lives of Alix St. Pierre is one of those books that wrapped me up in its story and refused to let go. This one kept me eagerly reading way past my bedtime. 

Told during three timelines before, during, and following WWII, Natasha Lester has created a compulsively readable journey of one unforgettable woman. Centered within the Paris fashion industry, WWII fighting, and the unique position of women of that day, it's a story that's compelling, evocative, poignant, suspenseful, and empowering. A tale I won't soon forget. 

I enjoyed the method Lester used to tell this story, moving from Alix's present to past to present, divulging bits and pieces of this complex character each time until a full picture of her life began to emerge. It was an interesting and successful way to get to know and understand her, without the proverbial info dump. I don't always enjoy time hops but in Lester's hands it worked exceptionally well.

I loved all of the layers within the characters Lester created. Not only Alix but secondary characters as well. She brought them to life vividly, easily pulling me into their lives and eliciting a range of emotions within me. They were so realistic that, with real people (Christian Dior, for one) woven into the fictional fabric of the book, it was all too easy to believe that they all actually lived during that time, that all of the events in the book actually happened. 

This was my first book by Natasha Lester but it sure won't be my last. I've already purchased her earlier novel, The Rivera House, and will be watching for any future books to come. 

Review - - TRACKED and Birthday Giveaway #13

TRACKED

by Suzanne Ferrell

Neptune's Five - Book 2

Publisher: Suzanne Ferrell Productions, LLC

Release Date: September 14, 2021

Reviewed by PJ

 

November 1941.
America remains politically neutral in the war rocking the rest of the world. In the background, government and military leaders are preparing for the inevitable by shoring up the Army and Navy.

A cryptic message
Army codebreaker Ruth Haynes, daughter of a retired colonel, recognizes the code she and her brothers created as children. One brother, a spy for the British, is warning her of a Nazi plot to sabotage the 2nd Armored Division during secret war maneuvers, the same division where his twin is a gunner on a tank. When her attempts to alert both the Army and the State Department of the imminent danger meet deaf ears, she goes to her friend Sophie and the Neptune’s Five team for help.

His mission
Known by the locals as ghost, Sean “Scout” Hanahan grew up poor in the mountains of Kentucky silently hunting for prey to feed his family. The youngest member of the spy-chaser team, he functions as both their tracker and sniper. When Neptune assigns him to shadow the little lady codebreaker, he saves her from dangerous men on her trail. As the pair team up to search for the saboteurs, her safety is now his first priority.

Danger draws near
As storm clouds of war near the shores of America, can Ruth, Sean and the team uncover the traitor in their own government and stop the spies before lives are lost?

PJ's Thoughts:

Suzanne Ferrell returns with another page-turner in her 1940's, Neptune's Five, romantic suspense series and I couldn't be happier. The months leading up to America's entry into WWII were tumultuous times in both our nation's capitol and all along the country's eastern coastline. Ferrell captures the intensity, fear, and confusion of those times as a secret, military spy-chasing unit works against time to ferret out deadly spies and traitors hiding among us. 

I was on the edge of my seat for most of this book. The author has created a complex mission with many moving parts and seamlessly woven them together to keep me, the reader, on my toes trying to figure out what would happen next. Her descriptions were vivid, and true to the time, putting me right into the heart of the action, from dark DC alleys to the marshy Lowlands of South Carolina. 

I loved the intensity of the suspense, action, and intrigue in this book; Ferrell knows how to keep her readers on the edge and guessing. But I also loved the human face she put on these events, offering up fully developed characters who pulled me into their minds and their lives. The physical descriptions, voices (the accents made their voices so clear in my mind), unique capabilities, individual quirks (loved Sean's dictionary) and peeks into their hopes, fears, and dreams made it easy to become attached to them, feel my heart in my throat when things went sideways, and cheer them on when things went right. 

TRACKED can be read on its own but I think you'll enjoy it even more if you read book one, SHANGHAIED first. Either way, you're in for a breath-stealing tale of espionage, suspense, and sweet romance but be prepared to not be able to put this one down until you reach the end. I finished it around 2:00 AM. 

~~~~~~~~~~~

Do you enjoy WWII books? 

Have you read any set in the U.S. prior to their entry into the war?

Birthday Giveaway #13 

One randomly chosen person posting a comment before 11:00 PM, September 14 will receive a print book from my stash.

*U.S. only

*Must be 18

*Void where prohibited