Mona-Alisa

An unexpected plot twist.

Reviewed: 07-14-24

Love the story. I relate to it. I have a best friend a lot like the girls in this book. Unfortunately, we went our separate ways after a dispute. We lost decades, but are now getting back on track.
Great narration.

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Loved it!

Reviewed: 07-04-24

If you are a Jennifer Bohnet fan, this book was worth the wait. As always, the narrator does an excellent job.

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The fun!

Reviewed: 05-03-24

I have never read a book that was filled with fun. I would have given it five stars, but it would be better if the number of husbands were shortened. The husbands became redundant.

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Dual Timelines

Reviewed: 10-23-23

The story is about two single mothers whose stories are in separate times. They are a mother and her daughter. The mother lives in rural Scotland and raises her daughter with the help of her father (the gamekeeper), who lives in a cottage on a large estate and helps the Laird as a gamekeeper with WWII going on as a subplot. The younger daughter begins in London - After the deaths of her mother and grandfather. She is a vocalist whose star is rising until she becomes an expectant single mother. She has to move back to Scotland to put a roof over her and the coming baby's head in the gamekeeper's cottage. She does not want to leave London to return to the small village with her tail between her legs, having failed at becoming a singing starlet and a second-generation unmarried mother as she expects to be seen by the villagers. She had never known her mother's secrets and became determined to uncover them.
It is a lovely book to listen to, as the narrator has a silken voice.
As the secrets begin to unfold, the narrative is in the present tense of the first period.
Like others mentioned, I didn't know what happened to Scotland in the war. I am an avid reader of WWII historical fiction. If war is not your thing, I would like to note that the tales of the war are light and sparse. It isn't a story about WWII.
The Skylark’s Secret is Another fine book by Fiona Valpy.

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1 person found this helpful

Jennifer Fitzgerald Kept Me Going

Reviewed: 10-20-23

I am disappointed in this one. I found none of the characters interesting. The story was bland for me. I usually like Ms. O’Leary’s Irish yarns. As always the narrator is enjoyable.

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Skip the French for Love

Reviewed: 10-14-23

I was disappointed in the first book of the series. The narrator grated on me, and the story was boring. I barely made it through it.

I find that I either love a Fiona Valpy book or I profoundly do not.

This is Fiona at her best. The storyline kept me interested, and the narrator was excellent.

You will miss nothing by skipping the French for love I wish I had.

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Insipid

Reviewed: 10-09-23

I'm on chapter 37. About halfway through. I can't finish it. There is little to learn about Casablanca during WWII. This is no Anne Frank’s Diary of a Young Girl, 1953. Nor is it a take on modern geopolitics. There is no substance. I was anticipating a great story because of the description and the reviews. I feel misled by the description. IMHO, it is a light read, the opposite of what the description presents. The only redeeming quality is the narrator. She is quite good. I am going to get my credit back.

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Sophisticated

Reviewed: 09-30-23

I have listened to more than 500 books on audible. This is a new level for audiobooks. I am very impressed by the details brought together not only by the story and narrator, but also the accompanying PDFs with the recipes and a glossary of the different languages. The accompanying music for the intros and wrap ups was perfect. If you enjoy traveling and learning about different cultures you will enjoy this amazing trilogy. Alka Joshi has begun a new challenge to other authors to step up their craft.

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I'm Ruined

Reviewed: 09-23-23

Alka Joshi has ruined me for all other authors. With her stories narrated by Sneha Mathan I am transported into another dimension. Namaste. 🙏

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Meh

Reviewed: 08-11-23

I loved the first book in this series, but this one has little to do with the first book. The only thing in common with book one is the cottage. The two central characters, the aunt and niece, were delightful. The niece’s sister became the main character in this one, and her sister from book one became a doughty character of little consequence. The aunt shows up in approximately one paragraph, which is too bad because both were delightful before. It seems the author had a deadline and filled it with a boring story. I am not sure that I will read any more of this series.

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