Ten years ago, Abigail Lovett fell into a job she loves, managing The Passage Inn, a cozy, upscale resort nestled in the North Carolina mountain town of Cutter’s Pass. Cutter’s Pass is best known for its outdoor offerings—rafting and hiking, with access to the Appalachian trail by way of a gorgeous waterfall—and its mysterious history. As the book begins, the string of unsolved disappearances that has haunted the town is once again thrust into the spotlight when journalist Landon West, who was staying at the inn to investigate the story of the vanishing trail, then disappears himself.
Abby has sometimes felt like an outsider within the community, but she’s come to view Cutter’s Pass as her home. When Landon’s brother Trey shows up looking for answers, Abby can’t help but feel the town closing ranks. And she’s still on the outside. When she finds incriminating evidence that may bring them closer to the truth, Abby soon discovers how little she knows about her coworkers, neighbors, and even those closest to her.
Megan Miranda brings her best writing to The Last to Vanish, a riveting thriller filled with taut suspense and shocking twists that will keep you guessing until the very end.
My Review:
A fascination for me from the time we rode motorcycles and the hope of some day riding the Blue Ridge Parkway (469 miles) which apparently parallels the Appalachian (hiking—not riding—2,190+ miles) Trail for a few miles—another fascination and a bucket list item I may have to give up.The AT is scenic, wooded, and wild. And no, hadn’t planned to hike the whole thing but there are sections you can drop in and off (doable).
So this blurb was a hook for me as I tend to read what I can find regarding the fascinating and popular hiking trail, this time located off the fictional Cutter’s Pass, North Carolina. Abigail Lovett has lived here for ten years working at the inn. Their little town has had seven unexplained disappearances off the trail at their location and now the brother of the last missing person is seeking answers.
It’s a small mountain community, close knit, and someone living and working there ten years can still be viewed as an outsider. She is not privy to the circumstances, nor has she really investigated. The owner of the inn is the widow Celeste, who with her husband, built the inn and is now a mother figure to Abby and a respected member of the village.
The town has gained an unwelcome reputation and is now subject to not just hikers and campers but those morbidly looking for incite, each thinking they might figure it out when local law enforcement couldn’t.
The storyline, however, turns out to be a slow burn—sometimes aggravatingly so—stuck in mud. I couldn’t engage with Abby, though she doggedly works on the secrets, picking at them until she gleans another little tidbit. No one is going to tell her anything, they close ranks.
Not an accident—no bodies—no bones—no trace.
There is tension and it builds albeit slowly and the apprehension carries through each hiker—obviously no connection and the timing doesn’t work.
Once a reveal happens, it all falls into place, a satisfying conclusion with a twist you probably predicted—and one I saw coming as well. Still, there are some interesting revelations about the trail, some shared history.
Part of my problem might have been the narrator who seemed hard-pressed to vary her inflection. I downloaded a copy of this audiobook from my local well-stocked library. These are my honest thoughts.
Book Details:
Genre: Psychological Thrillers, Women’s Fiction, Suspense Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio ASIN: B09KHFVWMT Listening Length: 9 hrs 23 mins Narrator: Alex Allwine Publication Date: July 26, 2022 Source: Local Library (Audiobook Selections) Title Link: The Last to Vanish [Amazon] Barnes & Noble Kobo
Rosepoint Publishing:Three point Five Stars
The Author:Megan Miranda is the New York Times bestselling author of All the Missing Girls; The Perfect Stranger; The Last House Guest, a Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick; The Girl from Widow Hills; Such a Quiet Place; and The Last to Vanish. She has also written several books for young adults. She grew up in New Jersey, graduated from MIT, and lives in North Carolina with her husband and two children.
Her next book, The Only Survivors, will be published on April 11th, 2023.
Based on the true story of an astonishingly brave woman who saved hundreds of mothers and their children during the Spanish Civil War and World War II.
Elisabeth Eidenbenz left Switzerland in 1937 to aid children orphaned during the Spanish Civil War. Now, her work has led her to France, where she’s determined to provide expectant mothers and their unborn children a refuge amid one of the worst humanitarian crises of the twentieth century.
Desperate to escape the invasion of Franco’s Fascist troops, Isabel Dueñas becomes one of many Spanish patriots fleeing their country. She leaves behind her husband as he fights for democracy, and she seeks asylum in a refugee camp across the border in France. Without adequate shelter, clean drinking water, or medical care, Isabel’s future looks bleak—until she meets Elisabeth.
When Germany invades Poland, an avalanche of humanity sweeps into France. In the cascade of crises that follow, Isabel and Elisabeth learn the cost and the unexpected joy of sacrifice.
Based on the true stories of refugees and the woman who risked everything to save them, The Swiss Nurse shares a message of love and strength amid one of history’s often overlooked conflicts.
My Review:
Okay, I confess. I chose this audiobook solely because I was looking for more narrated by Saskia Maarleveld. The author though is a new one for me.
Seems I’ve gotten into amazing women who were largely unsung heroes of the first or second world war, narrated by the Maarleveld, as she is fluent in various languages. They beautifully roll off her tongue adding nuance and spice to the narrative.
The plot line closely chronicles the heroic efforts of Elisabeth Eidenbenz in both the Spanish Civil War and World War Two to create a maternity hospital for the many refugees pouring into France.
The storyline is told in alternating POVs, one of whom is main character Eidenbenz who left Spain with a group of children and is desperately seeking a location to house them in France. Internment camps had been set up but in filthy conditions with overflows of women and children living on the beaches, no clean water, shelter, or sanity conditions. Her odyssey with the children extends into hiding and helping Jewish women to birth their babies safely as the conflict widens. She is constantly fighting for a safe setting and donations for expenses.
Isabel Duenas fled Barcelona leaving her husband, Peter Davis, an American, still helping with the fight. They planned to meet in France. From the time he left Spain to join her in France, however, they confronted one obstacle only to confront the next as he continued to try and get him and Isabel home to America while facing the escalating war in the European theatre and looking like their escape would be impossible.
The Germans’ invasion of France made the conditions ever more treacherous, for both Isabel and Peter. In the meatime, Elizabeth and her hubby (a doctor) have managed to reconnect and begin working together.
In the meantime, they meet numerous support characters who serve to paint the desperate picture of wartime France with contributions; the refugees, conditions, and death and each lose friends to starvation, disease, or violence.
It’s much the same story I’ve read and/or listened to before each penned with drama, sympathy, and heartbreaking history. Even with Ms Maarleveld’s narration, I did not find this quite as engulfing or blistering as some she has narrated before. While it was not slow per se, I just didn’t seem to engage quite as completely with the characters as expected. There was repetition of conditions, brutality, senseless death as if to drive the point home, but instead seemed to dull the pace somewhat.
With all the struggles, few triumphs or wins, the conclusion proved satisfying and pulled any loose strings together. As many times as we have proven “war is hell,” it still manages to find a new avenue to exploit.
I downloaded a copy of this audiobook from my local well-stocked library. These are my honest thoughts.
Book Details:
Genre: WWII Historical Fiction, War & Military Fiction, Biographical Fiction Publisher: Harper Muse ASIN: B0B6238TZ7 Listening Length: 7 hrs 55 mins Narrator: Saskia Maarleveld Publication Date: April 18, 2023 Source: Local Library (Audiobook Selections) Title Link: The Swiss Nurse [Amazon] Barnes & Noble Kobo
Rosepoint Publishing:Four stars
The Author:Mario Escobar has a master’s degree in modern history and has written numerous books and articles that delve into the depths of church history, the struggle of sectarian groups, and the discovery and colonization of the Americas. Escobar, who makes his home in Madrid, Spain, is passionate about history and its mysteries.
The Narrator:Saskia Maarleveld is an experienced audiobook narrator and voice-over actress based in New York City. Raised in New Zealand and France, she is highly skilled with accents and dialects, and many of her books have been narrated entirely in accents other than her own. In addition to audiobooks, Saskia’s voice can be heard in animation, video games, and commercials. She attributes her love and understanding of reading books aloud to coming from a large family where audiobooks were the only way to get through car rides without fighting! Visit saskiamaarleveld.com to learn more.
#1 New York Times bestselling author Sandra Brown delivers a riveting thriller where a conflict of conscience for a former football star and an ambitious state prosecutor swiftly intensifies into a fight for their lives.
Former Super Bowl MVP quarterback Zach Bridger hasn’t seen his ex-wife, Rebecca Pratt, for some time—not since their volatile marriage imploded—so he’s shocked to receive a life-altering call about her. Rebecca has been placed on life support after a violent assault, and he—despite their divorce—has medical power-of-attorney. Zach is asked to make an impossible choice: keep her on life support or take her off of it. Buckling under the weight of the responsibility and the glare of public scrutiny, Zach ultimately walks away, letting Rebecca’s parents have the final say.
Four years later, Rebecca’s attacker, Eban—the scion of a wealthy family in Atlanta—gets an early release from prison. The ludicrous miscarriage of justice reeks of favoritism, and Kate Lennon, a brilliant state prosecutor, is determined to put him back behind bars. Rebecca’s parents have kept her alive all these years, but if her condition were to change—if she were to die—Eban could be retried on a new charge: murder.
It isn’t lost on Zach that in order for Eban to be charged with Rebecca’s murder, Zach must actually be the one to kill her. He rejects Kate’s legal standpoint but can’t resist their ill-timed attraction to each other. Eban, having realized the jeopardy he’s in, plots to make certain that neither Zach nor Kate lives to see the death of Rebecca—and the end of his freedom.
My Review:
Have you ever found yourself requesting the same book? Or attracted by the cover and blurb, loaned the audiobook from the library a year later? I’ve done so, more than once. This time, however, it was a book from NetGalley requested last year that the CE read and reviewed. It wasn’t until I began preparing for this review that I ran across his review, a shortened version included below. We were fairly close in agreement with this one.
Zach Bridger was apparently a Super Bowl quarterback of some renown, as he was often recognized. His marriage to Rebecca was a short, unhappy one. She ended up on life support with what appeared to be Zach’s responsibility as her father could not, would not “pull the plug.”
First, a former star quarterback was a bit difficult for me to find fully engaging, although I did appreciate his philosophy regarding Rebecca. Kate Lennon has a stake in seeing that Eban should still be held accountable after his release. She is smart, driven, and effective in her role as a state prosecutor. Of course, Zach and Rebecca will become romantically involved.
“She placed her hand on his chest, ‘Thank you for saving by life.’ ‘Thank you for coming into mine.’” [Zach]
I thought the age-old struggle of the “right thing” to do was handled well, including both points of view but for me, the middle of the narrative sagged a bit going into the conclusion. What finally ticked up the interest was that little zinger in the end.
Love those twists you don’t see coming and this one caught me by surprise. The philosophy of the situation ended in a stalemate—but it’s that end run with the legalese that provides the satisfying ending.
I downloaded a copy of this audiobook with narration by Kyf Brewer from my local well-stocked library. These are my honest thoughts. 4 stars
Book Details:
Genre: Crime Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Suspense Publisher: Grand Central Publishing ASIN: B09WTLHHVK Listening Length: 10 hrs 10 mins Narrator: Kyf Brewer Publication Date: August 16, 2022 Source: Local Library (Audiobook Selections) Title Link: Overkill [Amazon]
His Review:
[redacted] Rebecca Pratt Bridger is confined to a hospital bed. She has very little brain activity and for all practical purposes is a vegetable. Her ex-husband, Zack Bridger, has been designated her legal guardian and the one who can tell them to disconnect the life-saving devices.
Rebecca found her husband intolerable soon after the marriage and began to sleep around. One of those times she chose a man who liked to choke the woman while having sex. She didn’t come to again.
The man who caused Rebecca to be in the coma is out of prison after four years. Eban has been spoiled his whole life. He is a person with no scruples or remorse.
The author captured the essence of a narcissist who has no regard for other individuals. It kept me engaged expecting something would happen to Eban. 4.5 stars – CE Williams
Did you read this one last year too?
The Author: Sandra Brown is the author of more than sixty New York Times bestsellers, including STING (2016), FRICTION (2015), MEAN STREAK (2014), DEADLINE (2013), LOW PRESSURE (2012), LETHAL (2011), and the critically acclaimed RAINWATER (2010).
Brown began her writing career in 1981 and since then has published over seventy novels, bringing the number of copies of her books in print worldwide to upwards of eighty million. Her work has been translated into thirty-three languages.
Brown recently was given an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Texas Christian University. She was named Thriller Master for 2008, the top award given by the International Thriller Writer’s Association. Other awards and commendations include the 2007 Texas Medal of Arts Award for Literature and the Romance Writers of America’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
The Narrator: Kyf Brewer, an Earphones Award–winning narrator, is an actor known for Serial Mom, Stop, Record, and Fallen Arches.
April was a month of crazy temps reaching from freezing temps to the low 80s. Of course, I put my potted plants out during the 80s only to have the last week of April revert to freeze warnings. In any case, it’s going to be a while before I try to start my annual veggie garden. Thinking I’ll keep it simple this year with the dominant crop as always cherry tomatoes. Dried, they are better than candy!
We took a more relaxed pace in April which appeared to have also slowed our reading-reviewing activity. We read or listened to thirteen books in April, NetGalley books as well as audiobooks. (As always, links below are to my reviews that include purchase info.)
If you’ve read one of these, please let me know your thoughts. These included Prince Harry’s memoir, of course, as well as historical fiction, cozy mystery, literary fiction, and another comparison of audiobook to netflix series.
Okay, I have to give it to Harry. I really enjoyed his memoir, certainly as he read his own work. This could be followed closely by Plum Island—opening my eyes to a new author I can follow.
I did get to do a little blog hopping in April and always appreciate the varied posts of Lynne at Fictionophile as well as her beautiful graphics. She also offers a number of features that will interest you from “Cover Love” to “Wednesday’s Word.” If you read many book review blogs, I’m sure you’ve already found her delightful site, but if not, it’s time to check it out.
My Reading Challenges page… I have 48 books of a goal of 145 in Goodreads (three books ahead of schedule) and still keeping a 97% feedback ratio in NetGalley. Lagging behind on the others again but hope to have the page and challenges caught up shortly.
Once again, I’m bumping up against the Happiness Engineers at WordPress. Used to be I could jump on a chat but that went bye-bye. Then it was send an email, but I wonder if you’ve discovered it’s getting increasingly difficult to even find the help link. I wrote recently asking about where I could find my broken links. Pam wrote back several days later:
“While access to email support starts with the Personal plan, being on the Free plan you have unlimited access to our community forums, where you’ll be able to find answers to your questions.”
OOH…And no, there isn’t any answers to my questions in the Forum. I view it as a campaign to eliminate their free users. I realize I don’t know what I don’t know and had checked with Semrush for a (free) site audit. Have you subscribed to any SEO tool? Well, mercy, I have some fixin’ to do—if I only knew how! Google Analytics (again) doesn’t help with a free site. So I’d request that if you click on a link and it’s broken, please let me know. I’m trying what other suggestions Semrush pointed out, but it’s a struggle. It appears I’m going to have to upgrade shortly but not sure the “personal” plan would make me any happier with the engineers.
Also, when did this “Blaze” thing start? (I didn’t notice it last month when I was working on the recap.) Promote your content? The Blaze link has been attached to every one of my post links. Anyone else notice this? Is it, indeed, new?
I do appreciate you all. Thank you sooo much for reading and commenting on my posts. I’m looking forward to hearing from you!
“If your only tool is a hammer, then every problem looks like a nail.”
Book Blurb:
Wounded in the line of duty, NYPD homicide detective John Corey convalesces in the Long Island township of Southold, home to farmers, fishermen — and at least one killer. Tom and Judy Gordon, a young, attractive couple Corey knows, have been found on their patio, each with a bullet in the head. The local police chief, Sylvester Maxwell, wants Corey’s big-city expertise, but Maxwell gets more than he bargained for.
John Corey doesn’t like mysteries, which is why he likes to solve them. His investigations lead him into the lore, legends, and ancient secrets of northern Long Island — more deadly and more dangerous than he could ever have imagined. During his journey of discovery, he meets two remarkable women, Detective Beth Penrose and Mayflower descendant Emma Whitestone, both of whom change his life irrevocably. Ultimately, through his understanding of the murders, John Corey comes to understand himself.
Fast-paced and atmospheric, marked by entrancing characters, incandescent storytelling, and brilliant comic touches, Plum Island is Nelson DeMille at his thrill-inducing best.
My Review:
How have I not found this author before? And the book so right down my favorite genre alley. A protagonist that has the smarts, expertise of Connelly’s serious Harry Bosch and the wise-cracking but intelligent David Rosenfelt’s Andy Carpenter. John Corey is a seasoned homicide detective convalescing on Long Island who transcends both with additional snarky, often sexual, acerbic comments.
“Do you know why Daughters of the American Revolution don’t have group sex?….
“Daughters of the American Revolution don’t have group sex because they don’t want to have to write all those thank you notes.”
It’s his delivery. Most of the time funny, though as a woman, can be offensive as well. Corey has seen it all, done it all, just doesn’t give a flying fig anymore. Whether another detective or supervisor, he’ll casually pull an unaffected Bosch. The thing is—he’s good at what he does.
In this case, he is asked by Southold Police to look into the double homicide of friends of his. As employees of Plum Island, they come under a heavily shielded rumor mill regarding the island said to study deadly animal diseases. Is it biological warfare? Perhaps something more on the opposite side of the microscopic bugs—a vaccine that could have made them billions. If so, did the deal go bad?
Corey doesn’t come off subtle as he pursues clues, posing and dismissing various scenarios—drugs maybe? He goes to Plum Island for a detailed canned lecture tour of the facility. Definitely an eye-opening tour into a major federal virus and bacterial research facility!
After confronting and eliminating most theories, he accidentally stumbles over another reason for the legal archeological digs on the island. Okay—it could happen. There are SOOO many entertaining stories, folklore, out there of treasures (including the one my grandfather wrote of on Cocos Island).
With all the theories, the interviews, and the characters, it is a fast-paced well-plotted storyline that entertains as well as informs. Twists and turns shine in the multi-faceted texture of the narrative, never a dull moment. Except for the side trip into the (rather ridiculous) romance, I enjoyed the police procedural aspect, the suspense, and the non-stop action.
My first experience with this author won’t be my last. Also, I’ve already found another audiobook narrated by Scott Brick who does an excellent job with this kind of novel. I downloaded a copy of this audiobook from my local well-stocked library. These are my honest thoughts.
Book Details:
Genre: Suspense Action Fiction, Mystery Action Fiction, Mystery Action & Adventure Publisher: Grand Central Publishing ASIN: B000FA5SMK Listening Length: 19 hrs 43 mins Narrator: Scott Brick Publication Date: June 11, 2021 Source: Local Library (Audiobook Selections) Title Link:Plum Island [Amazon]
Rosepoint Publishing:Four point Five Stars
The Author:Nelson Richard DeMille was born in New York City on August 23, 1943 to Huron and Antonia (Panzera) DeMille, then moved with his parents to Long Island. He graduated from Elmont Memorial High School, where he played football and ran track.
DeMille spent three years at Hofstra University, then joined the Army where he attended Officer Candidate School and was commissioned a Lieutenant in the United States Army (1966-69). He saw action in Vietnam as an infantry platoon leader with the First Cavalry Division and was decorated with the Air Medal, Bronze Star, and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry.
After his discharge, DeMille returned to Hofstra University where he received his bachelor’s degree in Political Science and History. He has three children, Lauren, Alexander, and James, and resides on Long Island.
DeMille’s first major novel was By the Rivers of Babylon, published in 1978, and is still in print as are all his succeeding novels. He is a member of American Mensa, The Authors Guild, and is past president of the Mystery Writers of America. He is also a member of International Thriller Writers and was chosen as ThrillerMaster of the Year 2015. He holds three honorary doctorates: Doctor of Humane Letters from Hofstra University, Doctor of Literature from Long Island University, and Doctor of Humane Letters from Dowling College.
Nelson DeMille is the author of: By the Rivers of Babylon, Cathedral, The Talbot Odyssey, Word of Honor, The Charm School, The Gold Coast, The General’s Daughter, Spencerville, Plum Island, The Lion’s Game, Up Country, Night Fall, Wild Fire, The Gate House, The Lion, The Panther, The Quest, Radiant Angel, The Cuban Affair and The Deserter. He also co-authored Mayday with Thomas Block and has contributed short stories to anthologies, and book reviews and articles to magazines and newspapers.
The Narrator:Scott Brick is an American actor, writer and award-winning narrator of over 800 audiobooks. Audiobook narrator Scott Brick (2012). Born, (1966-01-30) January 30, 1966 (age 57). Santa Barbara, California, US. Occupation(s), Actor, Writer, Narrator. [Wikipedia]
Armed with only hazy memories, a woman who long ago witnessed her friend’s sudden, mysterious death, and has since spent her life trying to forget, sets out to track down answers. What she uncovers, deep in the woods, is hardly to be believed….
Maya was a high school senior when her best friend, Aubrey, mysteriously dropped dead in front of the enigmatic man named Frank whom they’d been spending time with all summer.
Seven years later, Maya lives in Boston with a loving boyfriend and is kicking the secret addiction that has allowed her to cope with what happened years ago, the gaps in her memories, and the lost time that she can’t account for. But her past comes rushing back when she comes across a recent YouTube video in which a young woman suddenly keels over and dies in a diner while sitting across from none other than Frank. Plunged into the trauma that has defined her life, Maya heads to her Berkshires hometown to relive that fateful summer—the influence Frank once had on her and the obsessive jealousy that nearly destroyed her friendship with Aubrey.
At her mother’s house, she excavates fragments of her past and notices hidden messages in her deceased Guatemalan father’s book that didn’t stand out to her earlier. To save herself, she must understand a story written before she was born, but time keeps running out, and soon, all roads are leading back to Frank’s cabin….
Utterly unique and captivating, The House in the Pines keeps you guessing about whether we can ever fully confront the past and return home.
My Review:
It’s not like I haven’t sucked up to a Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick before (witness my recent review of both the audiobook and the Daisy Jones and the Six Netflix series, but really—this one?
Yes, I noticed it was a book pick, but also read the blurb and thought it sounded interesting. After all, it was billed as a “can’t put it down” debut and I needed an audiobook. I thought I’d wised up to that kind of hype, but obviously needed to read a few of the posted GR reviews first.
Maya has issues, lots of baggage, and she’s steadfastly refused to let it go through seven years of meds, booze, and shrinks. Now that she’s seen a video that duplicates the death of her best high school friend, up to and including the very man that was in attendance of the former death, she’s at it again, while trying to dodge accusations of mental illness, issues with drying out and investigating two similar deaths.
Maya has returned to her Berkshires hometown to look into the matter further. She has a boyfriend, but he is unaware of her struggles with drugs, memory lapses, and booze. The support characters are not fully developed and except for Frank, couldn’t engage in either them or Maya. Frank is just…creepy.
I had a problem with the flip-in-time sequences, the entry into the mystery of the Guatemalan father’s book, and the law student (oblivious) boyfriend. The pace is slowww and there were periods when it just seemed to die. Then something would happen and I’d tune back in.
There are times when it just doesn’t mesh and there are holes that aren’t filled with logic. The big reveal isn’t a big surprise as it seemed to be hinting—heading that way. The conclusion, while disquieting, is unfulfilling.
Maybe I’m just getting tired of damaged MCs, and I won’t call this a snooze fest, but neither did it capture my interest from the beginning. I got tired of Maya’s problems (guess I just don’t have the patience anymore) and areas that ran in disbelief.
Do you read Witherspoon’s book picks? This one? If so, do you agree or disagree with this pick?
I downloaded a copy of this audiobook from my local well-stocked library. These are my honest thoughts.
Book Details:
Genre: Women’s Psychological Fiction, Women’s Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Fiction, Psychological Thrillers Publisher: Penguin Audio ASIN: B09X51M1NK Listening Length: 8 hrs 34 mins Narrator: Marisol Ramirez Publication Date: January 3, 2023 Source: Local Library (Audiobook Selections) Title Link:The House in the Pines [Amazon] Barnes & Noble Kobo
Rosepoint Publishing: Three stars
The Author:Ana Reyesis a writer in Los Angeles with an MFA from Louisiana State University. Her work has appeared in Bodega, Pear Noir, The New Delta Review and elsewhere. The House in the Pines is her first novel.
It was one of the most searing images of the twentieth century: two young boys, two princes, walking behind their mother’s coffin as the world watched in sorrow—and horror. As Princess Diana was laid to rest, billions wondered what Prince William and Prince Harry must be thinking and feeling—and how their lives would play out from that point on.
For Harry, this is that story at last.
Before losing his mother, twelve-year-old Prince Harry was known as the carefree one, the happy-go-lucky Spare to the more serious Heir. Grief changed everything. He struggled at school, struggled with anger, with loneliness—and, because he blamed the press for his mother’s death, he struggled to accept life in the spotlight.
At twenty-one, he joined the British Army. The discipline gave him structure, and two combat tours made him a hero at home. But he soon felt more lost than ever, suffering from post-traumatic stress and prone to crippling panic attacks. Above all, he couldn’t find true love.
Then he met Meghan. The world was swept away by the couple’s cinematic romance and rejoiced in their fairy-tale wedding. But from the beginning, Harry and Meghan were preyed upon by the press, subjected to waves of abuse, racism, and lies. Watching his wife suffer, their safety and mental health at risk, Harry saw no other way to prevent the tragedy of history repeating itself but to flee his mother country. Over the centuries, leaving the Royal Family was an act few had dared. The last to try, in fact, had been his mother. . . .
For the first time, Prince Harry tells his own story, chronicling his journey with raw, unflinching honesty. A landmark publication, Spare is full of insight, revelation, self-examination, and hard-won wisdom about the eternal power of love over grief.
My Review:
You can say what you like about Harry’s book, but one thing it is is entertaining. Where is Snopes when you need them? So many controversial snippets contained within these pages, it’s hard to know if you haven’t carefully followed the royals all your life what is accurate and what isn’t. What we do know is that it’s extremely personal at times getting into the over-sharing, TMI zone of stories (a frost-bitten penis? mercy!).
You don’t have to be reading the National Enquirer to know that some of the stories out of the major news sources are ca-ca. We’ve long held that you can only “believe none of what you hear and half of what you see.” So with that, I’ll venture to say that I found Harry’s book enlightening, while also confirming much of my impression of the monarchy. This is not, has never been, a loving, demonstrative family. It’s a major business and as such, now more than ever must rely on good press for validation.
Prince Harry was a casualty of birth—the second male—and told and understood from the beginning he was only a backup heir—the spare. He loved his mother and grandmother and the loss of his mother at twelve years of age was a tragedy he denied into adulthood. He tangled often with “the paps” (as he called the British paparazzi) who often made a healthy living off the photos they took by any means to sell.
In this raw memoir, he relates the struggles with his childhood, school, his brother, and those members of the royal family as well as the courtiers who dictated his life down to whether or not he could have a beard. He openly relates his experiences with drugs, alcohol, mental illness, and his failed relationships with women most of the latter of which were blamed on the paps. Of his school years, I wonder why he hadn’t been tested for ADHT and/or dyslexia, something, but then can’t explain his success in the military. It seems inconceivable that he could fly an Apache helicopter in combat if he had experienced neurodevelopmental symptoms.
1 – There were several stories in this narrative that I found most engaging and one was that of his military service (impressive!)—his struggle to find the proper niche—and his success with flying one of the world’s most advanced and proven attack helicopters into Afghanistan. If he could have chosen, it would have been his career choice—the military.
2 – His introduction to Africa and his love of the animals and experiences there where he also meets the people who would become those he escaped to in times of soul-crushing stress.
3 –His story of Diana and what she meant to him—how he finally—as an adult drove that last mile of her life into the tunnel and received the police report (and pictures) to which he was finally given access.
I cannot even begin to understand or walk in the shoes of Meghan Markle and this is a story that understandably was left near the end of the book. We certainly had enough press of Diana to see she had gained enormous popularity the world over. It was not the first time we were plunged back into the drama of the monarchy. And there again, the paps or press printed some of the most despicable stories and pictures imaginable—of both the Princess and Meghan.
There are times he comes off as a spoiled, entitled brat and I wonder how he could not, as he discusses the castles, the retreats, the summer home, the trips, the food, other accouterments of the wealthy. Then this is juxtaposed against the most simple of privilege being denied.
There are no free lunches.
Still, disinherited Harry has landed on his feet in one of the most expensive cities in California, beautiful historic Santa Barbara. Whether or not you’re a fan of him and his bride, you have to give him kudos for exposing a massive, unfiltered peek into the life and times of the business that is the royalty of Britain. Not exactly a touchy/feely hugging-type family but definitely one of fantasy or fairytales (the Grimm kind?).
His ghostwriter, J R Moehringer, did a smashing job. His narration—riveting. I found it open, honest, heartfelt, and emotional. I downloaded a copy of this audiobook from my local well-stocked library (after a significant wait time!). These are my honest thoughts.
The Author:Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex, is a husband, father, humanitarian, military veteran, mental wellness advocate, and environmentalist. He resides in Santa Barbara, California, with his family and three dogs. https://princeharrymemoir.com [Goodreads]
It’s not difficult to see the hand of Reese Witherspoon in this Netflix series. It’s a historical, somewhat nostalgic look at the age of sex, drugs, and rock ‘n roll well past its infancy, as well as a spyglass full of the 70s LA rock music scene. An almost faithful reproduction of the book.
Netflix TV Series
After listening to the audiobook and reading Reese’s bubbling promo of her series baby, I couldn’t help but tune in as soon as it was released. Admittedly, it began almost as sluggishly as the book and the CE ignored it—found something else to do. I think it was somewhere around the third episode he began to find interest.
With this type of unusual format, it takes a minute or two to get used to the interview technique that the book and the series employs to introduce each of the characters. It didn’t take as long for the general viewer to get hooked, however, exhibiting an impressive increase in demand on the most streamed TV series across US platforms. Even Rotten Tomatoes “reported a 70% approval rating with an average of 6.7/10*.”
The series is written by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber alongside Reese Witherspoon and Lauren Neustadter. The author Taylor Jenkins Reid also produces the ten-episode series that examines the reason for the dissolution of the fictional band twenty years after their final emotionally charged concert.
Riley Keough as Daisy
There is a full-length album, Aurora, that was released by Atlantic Records in March. The lead vocals are performed by Riley Keough (Elvis’ granddaughter) and
Sam Claflin as Billy
Sam Claflin as in the series.
(The pricy album is available on vinyl on Amazon. I love the album cover!)
Daisy is played as a rich but neglected daughter, while Billy played the older brother (Dunne brothers) and band leader-vocalist in his garage-originated boy band. I couldn’t help but think of Janis Joplin—that same carefree boozy attitude (although I still prefer Janis). I didn’t care for either Daisy or Billy and knew the hate-to-love trope was working its magic and indeed, sparks begin to fly.
Watching the two steal glances at each other, you had to wonder how much is real and what is an act. The chemistry is amazing. Neither did I care much for other members of the band although I liked Teddy Price, the producer.
Early in the series, I thought I recognized passages directly from the audiobook, familiar phrasing they used and I particularly enjoyed these quotables:
Buddhists say, “Pain is inevitable—suffering is optional.”
“I think it’s easy to confuse a soul-mate with a mirror.”
My Thoughts
#2 this week
As most know, Daisy Jones & The Six was Reese Witherspoon’s Book Club of the month in March of this year, but the book was published back in March of 2019.
It reads like the story of a band on a rocket to the top of the rock band list in the middle and late 70s. It sells the idea through the interviews of each of the band members, examining their origins and their rise through the LA music scene twenty years after the abrupt split of the band following their concert in Chicago.
There is a decided division where the series and the book splits somewhat with what happens to the support characters. I love the outdoor scenes of the photo shoots and concerts. Watching the interviews with the characters makes it easier to remember who is speaking than does the audiobook, where I sometimes lost track.
The clothes, styles, hair was so perfect; absolutely puts you back in the decade along with the music. As the episodes progress, there is greater inclusion of the music, snippets of the concerts, and I hoped for more. 4.5 stars
Audiobook (Blurb)
Goodreads Choice Award Winner for Best Historical Fiction (2019)
A Reese’s Book Club + Hello Sunshine on Audible Pick
A gripping novel about the whirlwind rise of an iconic 1970s rock group and their beautiful lead singer, revealing the mystery behind their infamous breakup.
Daisy is a girl coming of age in LA in the late ’60s, sneaking into clubs on the Sunset Strip, sleeping with rock stars, and dreaming of singing at the Whisky a Go Go. The sex and drugs are thrilling, but it’s the rock ’n’ roll she loves most. By the time she’s 20, her voice is getting noticed, and she has the kind of heedless beauty that makes people do crazy things. Also getting noticed is The Six, a band led by the brooding Billy Dunne. On the eve of their first tour, his girlfriend Camila finds out she’s pregnant, and with the pressure of impending fatherhood and fame, Billy goes a little wild on the road. Daisy and Billy cross paths when a producer realizes that the key to supercharged success is to put the two together. What happens next will become the stuff of legend.
The making of that legend is chronicled in this riveting and unforgettable novel, written as an oral history of one of the biggest bands of the ’70s. Taylor Jenkins Reid is a talented writer who takes her work to a new level with Daisy Jones & The Six, brilliantly capturing a place and time in an utterly distinctive voice.
My Thoughts
The unusual writing style threw me at first when I started this audiobook. There are interviews that started introducing the characters of the band and I finally caught on to the unique style of getting to know the individuals, their role in the storyline, and the inkling of who they are, how they got here.
Plunged deeply into the sex, drugs, and rock ‘n roll era, Daisy quickly becomes iconic. She is the personification of a free love, braless society, with strong women finding their voice in more ways than ever before. Sometimes I envied their newly found freedom.
The ‘70s LA music scene is wild and as the characters took on more shape, more personality, it is obviously part of the whole societal revolt happening at the time.
Hubby and I missed much of the cultural revolution being outside of the country during his Naval service until 1970. It was shocking when we came home to see how our country changed during our absence. We were still the earlier generation’s sensibilities, married, working, paying taxes, and busy ignoring the craziness going on around us.
The bands—so many—and so many messages of resistance, peace, and love. This fiction saga is strongly rumored to follow somewhat loosely the story of Fleetwood Mac (and by extension, Stevie Nicks. We were not a fan).
Daisy is the product of a rich family, largely ignored or forgotten altogether, and drowned her stinging rejection with anything she could swallow. She manages, however, to become established locally on a low scale in the music scene and begins to write her own music. Equally largely unknown The Six (the Dunne brothers), evolving as the members aged, one going into the conflict only to die on ‘Nam soil. Billy, their leader is controlling, narcissistic.
The book explores several themes besides love, loss, and addiction and is an apparent hate-to-love trope soon after Daisy joins the band. Still, it can’t be denied that between them they manage to come up with some winning songs and begin to gain popularity, particularly after the band meets a producer/promoter.
Of course, it’s totally character-driven—certainly Daisy and Billy take center stage ramping up the tension between herself and Billy’s main lady (who births a daughter) and as each of the other characters are interviewed weigh in on how they impact the success of the band.
I did enjoy the little twist at the end, revealing the source of the interviews. 4 stars
The Author
Taylor Jenkins Reid is the New York Times bestselling author of Daisy Jones & The Six and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, as well as One True Loves, Maybe in Another Life, After I Do, and Forever, Interrupted. Her newest novel, Malibu Rising, is out now. She lives in Los Angeles.
Hooked and crazy engaging, totally entertaining after a slow burn entry. Riley sells it as Daisy—she is Daisy—in her expressions, sober or not. The production sells the time, location, atmosphere. It is so compelling. My only quibble was the ending—not as the book would have it—but searching for that happy ever-after feeling and perhaps not so realistic as the authenticity it earlier gained.
The Audiobook
The book keeps a steady pace for the most part, although it is somewhat slow to gain interest at the beginning. The narrators do a great job with their parts and as the book moves toward conclusion, ramps up the tension. It is such a unique writing style, but it works. Engaging and entertaining, into that era, that pop culture, those post-conflict ballads. The interviews gain a deeper understanding of what leads to the breakdown and quietly concludes but the switch between interviews can be confounding.
Conclusion
Watching Riley as Daisy is compelling. She sells her part, spoiled entitled brat that she is. I even began to like Billy near the conclusion. But it’s a visual feast for the eyes as well as the ears and edges out the audiobook. Even if that isn’t your generation, you can watch and be mesmerized by the birth, growth, and frenetic rise that once again, begins to sour under the weight of stardom. The depth of emotion is beautiful.
It’s a small mountain community, close knit, and someone living and working there ten years can still be viewed as an outsider. She is not privy to the circumstances, nor has she really investigated. The owner of the inn is the widow Celeste, who with her husband, built the inn and is now a mother figure to Abby and a respected member of the village.
The Author: Megan Miranda is the New York Times bestselling author of All the Missing Girls; The Perfect Stranger; The Last House Guest, a Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick; The Girl from Widow Hills; Such a Quiet Place; and The Last to Vanish. She has also written several books for young adults. She grew up in New Jersey, graduated from MIT, and lives in North Carolina with her husband and two children.
The Author:
Rosepoint Publishing 