Sam's Fireside - Cosy Book Reviews & Recommendations

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Marion Kummerow never fails to deliver, and I loved The Orphan’s Mother. I don’t think I have read a WWII book before that is told from the points of view from characters on opposing sides of the war, but it was a real eye-opener.  Emma is German and Irena is Polish and both have a huge mistrust of each other’s countries, but for the welfare of a little boy, Irena has to put all that to one side to keep him safe. I was obsessed with reading about the risks some of the community took to protect an innocent child, regardless of the danger they may have been putting themselves in. I’m from Britain, and it hadn’t really crossed my mind that it must have been just as traumatic for those on the other side too, and in particular the children. They wouldn’t have understood why they suddenly had to up-sticks and move from probably the only homes they had ever known. Once again, a historical fiction novel taught me something new, and hats off to the Red Cross who worked tirelessly afte...

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I read too many books to have favourites, but The Secret Keeper by Siobhan Curham is definitely up there in this year’s great reads! I loved it! Based on true events, which is always a bonus for me, Elena Garcia is recruited into the spy network for the Americans in World War II.  Although faced with risks daily, we also get to see how exciting life as a spy during the war can be. The men and women who undertook these roles throughout the wars were just so brave and dedicated to helping their fellow countrymen, with their secret missions and many of them played different characters to infiltrate themselves into enemy lives.  I loved reading about the part Leslie Howard played in the war and yes, when I’d finished reading, I had to research more about what had happened to him. I won't spoil it if you are unaware of the story but it's definitely interesting.  Reading more about the spy network and the role they all played definitely makes me want to read more and imme...

⭐⭐⭐⭐ Elizabeth Bromke is a new author to me, and so I wasn’t sure what to expect. Home to Brambleberry Creek is the first in a series and although a little slow to begin with, I was soon invested in Morgan Jo Coyle, her Memaw Essie and their mysterious history. Every family has its flaws and the Coyles are no different. Focusing on family and forgiveness, Elizabeth Bromke writes with love and passion and is so obviously an author who just wants the best for her characters, even if there are tears and tragedy along the way. Just from the title alone, Brambleberry Creek sounds like a warm and cosy place to live, which is definitely one thing which made me choose this story to read. Covers and titles are just as important to me as the book description. If I don’t like the cover, I probably won’t even pick the book up to discover what it’s about! I’m really looking forward to the next in the series and to finding out the next chapters in the lives of the Brambleberry Creek residents! ...

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Cerberus Affair caught me by the arms and swept me away until I was firmly trapped within the government and corporate corruption that Catherine needs to investigate to discover what happened to Adam. Full of twists and turns, romance and thrills, The Cerberus Affair was the first book I’ve read in 24 hours (only stopping to sleep), in a long while. I honestly couldn’t put it down. The characters were all well-written, and I just wanted to keep reading to find out whether Adam’s death was murder, whether Catherine got her man and whether the corruption was brought to an end. Charlotte Valentine had a great backstory for all her characters and they all came together brilliantly. Clayton was selfless and only wanted the best for the important people in his life. The politics and genetic research which make up a lot of the story weren’t too in-depth, and I didn’t have any issues with understanding it. The author told us what we needed to know for the story to make sense. I wa...

⭐⭐⭐⭐ I’m always up for a paranormal novel which includes werewolves and witches and any sort of fantasy creatures, so when I had the opportunity to read, Throw Me to the Wolves, I grabbed it with both hands! Slow-paced to begin, but speeding up as the story progresses, the book focuses on Britta, our female, werewolf protagonist as she recalls the tragic events which befell her family and the curse which was put on her by a witch ten years ago, and now, as that same witch is attempting to regain her power by using Britta. This was an easy read without too much to think about, apart from losing yourself in a fantasy world of werewolves, witches and the occasional ghost, and how they interact with their human counterparts. Britta is a prominent character, but in my opinion there wasn’t a strong male lead. Aaron, and Alec in particular were egotistical, however one of them redeems himself in the end! I’ve noticed that Throw Me to the Wolves has been classed with horror as a genre. Now I...

⭐⭐⭐⭐ I used to love poetry when I was at school, so when Vera asked me whether I'd like to read her debut poetry collection, I thought it was the ideal opportunity to revisit this old love. Reverie is split into four chapters: Cosmos, Musing, Misgivings and Soft Spot. Cosmos was probably my favourite with lots of references to nature which were just delightful. No, one particular poem stood out and so many of them were beautifully written. Vera Atieno writes in a way that opens up your senses, she draws you into her poems and the subjects she is writing about at the time. I loved the illustrations too, each one adding an individual perspective to complement each poem. Thank you to Vera Atieno for the ARC of Reverie: A Poetry Collection and for inspiring me to open my collection of poetry books once again.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ Another World War II story that needed to be told. Based on true events, The Orphans of Amsterdam by Elle van Rijn was first published in the Netherlands and has now been translated into English. Betty is our protagonist and comes across as such an inspiring young girl. She put her own life at risk, countless times, in order to try to save children from being deported to the dreaded concentration camps as the war progressed.  Most of us are aware of the concentration camps and what happened within, but I’m pretty sure few of us are aware of all the differing struggles going on elsewhere. The Orphans of Amsterdam is a heartbreaking story which once again shows the cruelty that happened around eighty years ago and once again I found it difficult to believe that human beings could be so callous. That thousands of children were taken from their mothers and simply put on trains to die is unfathomable.  If you are interested in learning about what happened during the war, then ...

⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Party at No. 12 by Kerry Wilkinson was well narrated by Tamsin Kennard and Andrew Kingston, as my Audiobook of choice whilst pottering with household chores. Who wants a dead body to be discovered at their going-away party?! Not Hannah, that’s for sure. She was supposed to be embarking on a long trip at the end of the week, but who knows whether that will happen now? The thing that I don’t get with a lot of crime fiction/thrillers is how the random person in the street thinks it’s acceptable to try to solve a crime themselves rather than involve the police! Do they really think it’s going to work out for the best for all involved? Anyway, regardless of this, The Party at No. 12 was a great listen. I didn’t see the ending coming at all and I was kept guessing throughout.  Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for the chance to listen to and review an ARC of The Party at No. 12 by Kerry Wilkinson.