Review: The Pearl Sister by Lucinda Riley

The Pearl Sister by Lucinda Riley

ABOUT:

CeCe D’Aplièse has always felt like an outcast. But following the death of her father—the reclusive billionaire affectionately called Pa Salt by the six daughters he adopted from around the globe—she finds herself more alone than ever. With nothing left to lose, CeCe gathers the courage to explore the mystery of her origins. The only clues she holds are a black and white photograph and the name of a female pioneer who once lived in Australia.

One hundred years earlier, Kitty McBride, a Scottish clergyman's daughter, abandons her conservative upbringing to serve as the companion to a wealthy woman traveling from Edinburgh to Adelaide. Her ticket to a new land brings the adventure she has dreamed of… and a love that she never imagined.

When CeCe herself finally reaches the searing heat and dusty plains of the Red Centre of Australia, something deep within her responds to the energy of the area and the ancient culture of the Aboriginal people. As she comes closer to finding the truth of her ancestry, CeCe begins to believe that this untamed, vast continent could offer her something she never thought possible: a sense of belonging, and a home…

REVIEW :

I absolutely love this series. 

I have been reading it since the first book came out. I think it is such an interesting concept. The mystery of the sisters' origins and their Pa Salt is just intriguing. Always happy to read anything by Lucinda Riley when I am in the mood for good historical fiction. 

The Pearl Sister continues to shed light on the sisters and their adoptive father. More information is leaked to the reader and an understanding of who CeCe is is achieved. She was hard to figure out in the previous books, with the little info on her and her demeanor towards her sisters. After reading this one, I completely understand why she has been portrayed the way she has. I was left a little confused with her time spent Thailand and how it had to do with her story, however. Her time with Ace didn't feel necessary. I enjoyed reading more of her time in Australia and about the people she meets there.

One thing I really enjoyed is how the sisters' "origin stories" and how they are linked to historical figures. In this case, I had no knowledge of Kitty McBride. I am lacking in Australian history, but enjoyed learning about her and her life in the outback. I did a little research on Google to learn more, as well. 

I cannot wait for the next installment. Still have a few more sisters to learn about!

Praise for The Shadow Sister

“Lucinda Riley is one of the strongest authors in this genre of historical fiction. Her ability to weave stories together, using modern-day and historical settings, is top-notch… excellent detail, heart-wrenching romance, and an engaging mystery.”

– Historical Novel Society

“Riley’s engaging and mesmerizing story of self-discovery and love, while making the complex tale of the Seven Sisters sufficiently clear, can be perfectly read as a stand-alone… This book will appeal to readers of Edwardian novels and Jane Austen-style fiction. Fans of the series will undoubtedly be pleased with this latest installment in the ‘Seven Sisters’ saga.”

– Library Journal (Starred Review)

“Set in the bucolic English countryside, this will appeal to fans of Kristin Hannah, Kate Morton, and Riley’s earlier novels.”

– Booklist

“Engaging… the stakes heighten as Star discovers her true heritage and destiny. Another pleasant jaunt down a genealogical rabbit hole.”

– Kirkus Reviews

“I’ve loved the Seven Sisters series from the start and this is my favorite so far. Riley’s trademark lavish detail, glamorous settings and wonderful characters are all present in this treat of a novel. The perfect curl-up-in-an-armchair read.”

– Daily Mail (UK)

“The Shadow Sister really is Lucinda’s best yet. The scope of this series is breathtaking and each book is more captivating than the last.”

– Iona Grey, author of Letters to the Lost

“Wonderful! Absolutely impossible to put down! The Seven Sisters books just keep getting better and better.”

– Tracy Rees, author of Amy Snow

“A deliciously twisting plot with clues cleverly paced along the way. I could hardly wait to solve the mystery of Star's origins. Thoroughly addictive storytelling with a moving, emotional heart.”

– Dinah Jefferies, author of The Tea Planter’s Wife

Praise for The Storm Sister

“The second installment of Riley’s sweeping series doesn’t disappoint, jumping from present-day Europe to nineteenth-century Norway and back again. Riley’s talent for blending current events with detailed backstories will intrigue historical-fiction readers, while fans of Kristin Hannah and Paulette Giles will appreciate the engrossing and introspective story of belonging, heartache, and acceptance.”

– Booklist

“This is the second in a series about glamorous adopted sisters brought up in a castle on Lake Geneva.… A great page-turner, full of drama and romance.”

– Daily Mail (UK)

TELEVISION SERIES

The Seven Sisters series has been optioned to be adapted for television by Raffaella de Laurentiis’s company Raffaella Productions. Daughter of legendary filmmaker Dino de Laurentiis, Raffaella has worked as a producer and studio executive in film and television for decades, including well-known projects such as  Conan the Barbarian and Conan the Destroyer starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, The Forbidden Kingdom starring Jackie Chan, Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, and Dragonheart and its sequels.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lucinda Riley is the #1 internationally bestselling author of sixteen novels, including Hothouse Flower and The Seven Sisters. Her books have sold more than ten million copies in over 30 languages. Lucinda divides her time between West Cork, Ireland, and Norfolk, England with her husband and four children. Visit her at LucindaRiley.com.

THE PEARL SISTER: Book Four by Lucinda Riley

Atria Hardcover | ISBN: 9781501180033 | On sale: January 23, 2018 | 528 pages | $27.00

eBook: Atria | ISBN: 9781501180057 | On sale: January 23, 2018 | 528 pages | $12.99

FIND LUCINDA RILEY ONLINE:

Website: http://www.lucindariley.com

Twitter: @lucindariley

Facebook: @Lucindarileyauthor

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The Vanishing Year by Kate Moretti

The Vanishing Year by Kate Moretti 304 pages, paperback Published September 2016, Atria Books Source: Provided by publisher for review via NetGalley.
I could not put this book down.  Once I started I wanted to get to the end right away.
Zoe has just gotten married to a rich widower and has left her old life behind. No longer scraping to make ends meet, Zoe is now showered with gifts and fine clothes and is heading charity events. It is around this time that her past starts to catch up to her. Her apartment gets broken into, she is almost hit by a car. Could the men that she testified against in her previous life have found her?
Lots of suspense, and many possibilities...this book kept me interested throughout and had me yelling at Zoe to smarten up a bit. It is amazing how quickly she went from the luckiest girl to the least. Should she have seen this coming?
About the Author

Kate Moretti lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, two kids, and a dog. She’s worked in the pharmaceutical industry for ten years as a scientist, and has been an avid fiction reader her entire life.

She enjoys traveling and cooking, although with two kids, a day job, and writing, she doesn’t get to do those things as much as she’d like.

Her lifelong dream is to buy an old house with a secret passageway.

Happy Reading!

Maybe in Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Maybe in Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid
eBook and Paperback, 352 pages Published July 2015, Atria Books/Washington Square Press
Source: from publisher for review
After a break up with a married man, Hannah Martin is ready for a change. She packs up her life and moves herself back to LA to start anew. A friend throws her a welcome back party where she meets up with her old boyfriend. At the end of the night she has to decide to go home with Gabby or stay and see where things lead with Ethan.
Did you ever see the movie with Gwyneth Paltrow called Sliding Doors? This book reminded me a bit of it. Maybe in Another Life follows Hannah through the two different directions her life could lead her depending on her decision that night. 
Both scenarios play out at the same time so be prepared to skip between them with every chapter. A little hard to follow at first, but I got used to it and totally engrossed in both story lines. In both possible life alternatives, Hannah has to figure out what she wants to do with her life, who she is and who she loves. 
What a great summer read. Go and get a copy and read it by the pool or the beach. You won't be able to put it down so make sure you put on your sunscreen.
About the Author

Taylor Jenkins Reid is an author and essayist from Acton, Massachusetts. She is the author of Forever, Interrupted and After I do. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Alex and her dog, Rabbit. You can follow her on Twitter @TJenkinsReid.
For more information about the book and author, visit her WEBSITE.

Happy Reading! _________________________________________

The Witch of Painted Sorrows by M.J. Rose

Publication Date: March 17, 2015 Atria Books Formats: Hardcover, Ebook Pages: 384
Genre: Historical Mystery

  My Review
I am a big fan of MJ Rose's books and especially of those which follow Jaq L'Etoile, but also of her other books. I was very excited to get the chance to read this book, part of a new intriguing sounding series- Daughters of La Lune. As usual, I was sucked into the story from the very first page. 
Sandrine runs from her husband in New York to Paris and her grandmother, a famous and well respected courtesan. Her home, which she visited at the age of fifteen holds a special place in her heart and she is eager to return to it. However, Maison de la Lune is closed up and her grandmother fears that if Sandrine enters it will change her forever.
This book is full of intrigue, mystery and magic. The Witch of Painted Sorrows is set at the beginning of the Belle Epoque, when many of Paris's inhabitants were interested in the macabre and supernatural forces. Paris at this time is a wonderful backdrop to the story of Sandrine and la Lune.  
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Praise for the novels of M.J. Rose

The Witch of Painted Sorrows

"Rose's new series offers her specialty, a unique and captivating supernatural angle, set in an intriguing belle époque Paris: a perfect match for the author's lush descriptions, intricate plot and mesmerizing storytelling. A cliffhanger ending will leave readers hungry for the next volume. Sensual, evocative, mysterious and haunting." (Kirkus Reviews)
"A haunting tale of possession."(Publishers Weekly)

The Collector of Dying Breaths

"Breathtaking...combines fascinating history, torrid romance and a compelling mystery into a marvelous package that will entice fans of Anne Rice and Diana Gabaldon.î (Associated Press)
"A page-turning, alluring concoction of fiction infused with fantastical yet actual history. Readers will be charmed by her well-drawn and memorable characters, and they will be mesmerized by her enchanting narrative, which takes them on a mystical and magical journey." (Library Journal (starred))
"A terrific piece of entertainment." (CT Post)
"Wondrously original... elegantly written. Rose manages to utterly suspend our disbelief in a book that leaves us, appropriately enough, breathless." (Providence Journal)
"Mysterious, magical, and mythicalÖwhat a joy to read!" (Sara Gruen, New York Times bestselling author of Water for Elephants)

Seduction

"Atmospherically romantic and perfectly toned. Classy and elegant literary seduction of the highest measure. As wondrously crafted as it is original." (Providence Journal)
"Readers will be enchanted by M.J. Rose's supernaturally charged novel Seduction, inspired by Victor Hugo's self-imposed exile on the British island of Jersey in the 1850s." (USA Today)
ìHas just about everything a thriller fan could wish for.î (Philadelphia Inquirer)
ìFull of well-researched history, the paranormal, and modern intrigue, this atmospheric tale of suspense is fully engrossing to those willing to suspend their disbelief.î (Library Journal (starred review))

The Book of Lost Fragrances

"A compelling page turner...Once you catch a whiff, you will be enchanted." (Associated Press)
"M.J. Rose is a bold, unflinching writer and her resolute honesty puts her in a class by herself." (Laura Lippman)
"The Book of Lost Fragrances resonates with spirit, blending myth with reality, tragedy with triumph, pain with joy. You'll find yourself questioning everything you believe--and wanting more." (Steve Berry)
ìProvocativeÖa sweeping sense of romance [and] history.î (Cleveland Plain-Dealer)

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About the Author

New York Times Bestseller, M.J. Rose grew up in New York City mostly in the labyrinthine galleries of the Metropolitan Museum, the dark tunnels and lush gardens of Central Park and reading her mother's favorite books before she was allowed. She believes mystery and magic are all around us but we are too often too busy to notice... books that exaggerate mystery and magic draw attention to it and remind us to look for it and revel in it. 

Please visit her blog, Museum of Mysteries at http://www.mjrose.com/blog/

Her photo was taken by Judith Pushett utilizing an old relic: a turn-of-the-century 11 x 14 inch wood camera.

Rose lives in CT with her husband the musician and composer, Doug Scofield, and their very spoiled and often photographed dog, Winka.

Her most recent novel THE COLLECTOR OF DYING BREATHS (Atria/S&S) was chosen as an Indie Next Pick and her next novel, THE WITCH OF PAINTED SORROWS will be released March 2015.

Rose's work has appeared in many magazines including Oprah Magazine and she has been featured in the New York Times, Newsweek, WSJ, Time, USA Today and on the Today Show, and NPR radio. Rose graduated from Syracuse University, spent the '80s in advertising, has a commercial in the Museum of Modern Art in NYC and since 2005 has run the first marketing company for authors - Authorbuzz.com

The television series PAST LIFE, was based on Rose's novels in the Reincarnationist series. She is one of the founding board members of International Thriller Writers and currently serves, with Lee Child, as the organization's co-president..

Connect with M.J. Rose on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Goodreads.

Sign up for M.J. Rose's newsletter and get information about new releases, free book downloads, contests, excerpts and more.

Click on the banner for the tour schedule.

Happy Reading! _________________________________________
 FTC Disclosure: Clicking on book title and/or image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page.

Cover Reveal: Maybe In Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Cover Reveal: MAYBE IN ANOTHER LIFE by Taylor Jenkins Reid!

We’re dreaming of summer—feet in the sand, soaking up the sun, taking a dip in the pool—but what we’re most excited about this summer is the release of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s third novel, MAYBE IN ANOTHER LIFE (on sale July 7, 2015). While we (impatiently!) wait for the book, today we’re giving you a first look at the gorgeous cover! Plenty more information below…

ABOUT MAYBE IN ANOTHER LIFE:

At the age of twenty-nine, Hannah Martin still has no idea what she wants to do with her life. She has lived in six different cities and held countless meaningless jobs since graduating college, but on the heels of a disastrous breakup, she has finally returned to her hometown of Los Angeles. To celebrate her first night back, her best friend, Gabby, takes Hannah out to a bar—where she meets up with her high school boyfriend, Ethan.

It’s just past midnight when Gabby asks Hannah if she’s ready to go. Ethan quickly offers to give her a ride later if she wants to stay.

Hannah hesitates.

What happens if she leaves with Gabby?

What happens if she leaves with Ethan?

In concurrent storylines, Hannah lives out the effects of each decision. Quickly, these parallel universes develop into surprisingly different stories with far-reaching consequences for Hannah and the people around her, raising questions like: Is anything meant to be? How much in our life is determined by chance? And perhaps most compellingly: Is there such a thing as a soul mate?

Hannah believes there is. And, in both worlds, she believes she’s found him.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Taylor Jenkins Reid is an author and essayist from Acton, Massachusetts. She is the author of Forever, Interrupted and After I Do. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Alex, and her dog, Rabbit. You can follow her on Twitter @TJenkinsReid.

FIND TAYLOR ONLINE:

http://www.taylorjenkinsreid.com/

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MAYBE IN ANOTHER LIFE by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Atria Books/Washington Square Press Paperback | 352 pages | ISBN:  9781476776880 | July 7, 2015 | $16.00

eBook: Atria Books/Washington Square Press | 352 pages | ISBN: 9781476776897 | July 7, 2015 | $11.99

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Review: The Hidden Girl by Louise Millar

The Hidden Girl by Louise Millar 400 pages, paperback Published August 2014, Atria/Emily Bestler Books
Moving can be such an ordeal but throw in an old house in the middle of nowhere, strange and sinister neighbors and a blizzard that traps you there on your own with no heat and no help it can quickly turn into a nightmare.
Hannah has a lot to deal with- a husband who doesn't want to be there, a house in need of some fixing up before a visit from Barbara- a social worker approving them for adoption, and a freak snow storm that traps Will, her husband, in London. She attempts to find help amongst her neighbors when the boiler stops working. She seems to find some nice helpful neighbors, but are they really? She quickly realizes that she and Will are not wanted in this close knit community. They may learn the secrets that have kept hidden for generations.
This was a creepy psychological thriller that I could not put down. The mystery of the house and its previous owners and the strange collection of neighbors kept me intrigued. I thought I knew their secret, but I was wrong. Oh, how I was wrong.  This was a great book to read late at night, if you don't mind getting a little freaked out.
For more information about the book and author visit her WEBSITE.

Happy Reading! _________________________________________
 FTC Disclosure: Clicking on book title and/or image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page.

Review: The Collector of Dying Breaths by M.J. Rose

The Collector of Dying Breaths by M.J. Rose 384 pages, Hardcover Atria Books, April 2014
Source: Provided by publisher/NetGalley in exchange for review
Jaq is back! This time a little more open to the possibility that she has lived past lives. She is dealing with a great loss but is determined to finish the work of her brother. In a strange home with strange people and only one friend to depend on, Jaq delves into the past and the power of perfume once again. 
Absolutely loved this new chapter in Rose's Reincarnationist series. Jaq seems stronger and more open to what she doesn't understand. The history of Rene, the perfumer of Catherine of Aragon, was engrossing and Griffin is back on the scene. Rene's story and his pursuit for the "elixir of life" using the last breaths of the dying was my favorite part of the book. It is a time period I am really interested in so it made for a very enjoyable read. 
For more information on the book and author visit her WEBSITE.
Happy Reading! _________________________________________
 FTC Disclosure: Clicking on book title and/or image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page.